Server Virtualization: Exploring the Options
As virtualization moves toward the private cloud, server hardware will also have to evolve. Soon, when you talk about hardware for virtualization, you ll mean modular hardware. This e-guide, from SearchServerVirtualization.com, explores various hardware options for virtualization technology and private clouds. Learn about a set of new blade servers, designed specifically for virtualization, which can improve memory and increase shared storage. As virtualization moves toward the private cloud, hardware will also have to evolve. Soon, when you talk about hardware for virtualization, you won't mean traditional servers and storage. You'll mean units of processing and units of storage -- what I like to call modular hardware. Virtualization's early promises meant we could abstract the operating system from the hardware. As a result, many infrastructures use virtualization hardware that's been harvested from the pre-virtualization world. As virtualization evolves, though, constructing private clouds with old virtualization hardware becomes more of a risk than an advantage. That's because the law of supply and demand now applies to virtual resources. virtualization by the numbers You probably already think of resource assignment in terms of quantitative numbers. You might allocate 2,400 MHz of processing power and 2.5 GB of memory to one VM, for example. If the VM isn't using many of its resources, you redistribute them to other machines. Page 2 of 6
VMware memory overcommit and Hyper-V Dynamic Memory even offer dynamic memory allocation, which supplies memory to VMs on an asneeded basis. Those numbers are all on the demand side of virtual resources -- the resources that your host and VMs require. But what many admins haven't yet considered are the quantitative values that we can apply to the supply side. For example, instead of saying, "I'm going to buy a blade enclosure," you might say, "I need 121,440 MHz of processing power and 768 GB of memory." Getting organized with modular hardware Most of us haven't yet reached the mind-set where we purchase units of processing and units of memory based on what our VMs demand. Many admins buy hardware for virtualization based on a gut feeling or just add hardware when it feels right. Modular hardware allows admins to focus instead on resource demand. You can simply purchase units of processing power, memory, storage and so on from hardware vendors in measurable amounts. They're attributable to actual VM demands. And most important, you can plan for demand in much greater detail. For example, monitoring tools can alert you when hardware is at its maximum capacity and suggest a specific amount of resources to add. The modular hardware philosophy is coming. Many of its components are already in place. If you're in the market for a virtual infrastructure or private cloud, or if you're augmenting the one you already have, consider the modular hardware approach to maximize your investments. Page 3 of 6
Round Rock, Texas-based Dell Inc. announced two new servers, the PowerEdge M805 and PowerEdge M905, along with management tools and infrastructure consulting services designed for virtualization. The four-socket PowerEdge M905 blade and the PowerEdge M805 blade are both designed for virtualization, similar to Dell's PowerEdge R805 and PowerEdge R905 blade servers. "When we launched the PowerEdge R805 and R905, and the new PowerEdge M805 and M905, we were designing from the ground up with virtualization in mind," said Sally Stevens, head of server platform marketing for Dell. "We focused on I/O and memory, but we also increased shared storage, and all the server blades use PowerConnect [network switches]." Several other vendors have also introduced blade servers designed for virtualization, with added memory and I/O, most recently Hewlett-Packard Co.. The PowerEdge M805 has 16 dual-inline memory module (DIMM) slots and supports up to 128 GB using 16 8 GB DIMMs. The PowerEdge M905 has 24 DIMM slots for up to 192 GB of RAM using a combination of 24 8 GB DIMMs. Both models use AMD Opteron dual- and quad-core processors. Dell also announced Microsoft Hyper-V and Windows Server 2008 as a factory-installed option Dell PowerEdge servers. Also available for PowerEdge servers, Microsoft's new System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008 provides management for Hyper-V and other hypervisors in multiprovider environments. Customers can use Microsoft's System Center Management Suite, integrated with Dell OpenManage to manage physical and virtual environments. SCVMM will be generally available from Microsoft next month. Both of Dell's new servers support Citrix Systems Inc.'s XenServer, VMware Inc.'s offerings, and Microsoft Hyper-V. Page 4 of 6
The Dell PowerEdge M805 and M905 servers are now available starting at $1,699 and $4,999 USD respectively. Updated PowerEdge R900 rackmounted system will also be available later this month. New virtualization services Dell also announced services for virtualized environments, including the following: Infrastructure consulting services for Microsoft Hyper-V deployments. An assessment, design and implementation service to help with Microsoft virtualization deployment. The WS2008 Hyper- V Technology Introduction is available starting at $15,700. Site Recovery Manager (SRM) for VMware environments. Automates VMware disaster recovery with implementation, on-site installation and configuration of Site Recovery Manager. Dell consultants assist with preparation of a disaster recovery plan and configuration of SRM to execute the plan in the event of an outage. Lifecycle management for VMware environments. Design and implementation planning, with proof-of-concept for installation and configuration of the lifecycle manager in customers' VMware environments. As an aside, Dell also announced a new iscsi array, the EqualLogic PS Series, whose new Auto-Snapshot Manager/VMware Edition provides visibility into a server's data protection schedule and assists in granular file and folder restore. SearchStorage.com provides more information about this feature. Page 5 of 6
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