Bob Baxter

rlbaxter@candotechnologies.com PO Box 55

Pine CO 80470303-838-6448

Best Practices to Address the Top 3 Issues in Managing the Virtualized Data Center

Best Practices to Address the Top 3 Issues in Managing the Virtualized Data Center

• 31 years I/T experience• 26 years managing systems

– Data center & service desk management – Operating systems– Database administration– Process automation & event notification– Document imaging and workflow– ITIL Certification (IT service mgmt best practices)– Server virtualization

A Little About Myself

Agenda

What are “Best Practices”?

What is “Virtualization”?

What are the “Top 3 Issues”?

Summary

What are Best Practices?

There are many I/T practices…

But which ones are the “Best”???...

Several industry organizations publish “Best” practices…

UK government OCG ITIL recognized worldwide…

Ultimately, YOUR organization will determine its own “Best Practices”

What are Best Practices?

What is ITIL?Information Technology Infrastructure Library…

What is ITIL?

ITIL:

IT Provides Services, not Technology… .

ITIL:

Services that add VALUE … .

ITIL is a Key Management Discipline that Meshes Technology

Management and Corporate Management .

Service Strategy >> Service Design >> Service Transition >> Service Operation >>

<< Continual Service Improvement >>

Server Virtualization

Server virtualization has been around since the 60’s

Server Virtualization is not New!

– EMA defines virtualization as:• “A technique for abstracting (or hiding) the

physical characteristics of computing resources from the way in which other systems, applications, or end users interact with those resources.”

What is Server Virtualization?What is Server Virtualization?

Ap

p

OS

Hardware

Ap

p

OS

Hardware

Ap

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OS

Hardware

Ap

p

Ap

p

Traditional Non Virtualized ServersTraditional Non Virtualized ServersTraditional Non Virtualized Servers

Virtualization HypervisorVirtual Machine Monitor (VMM)

Ap

p

Ap

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Ap

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Guest OS

Guest OS

Guest OS

Hardware

Guest OS

Ap

p

Guest OS

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Virtualized Server

Virtualization Software

App

App

App

Guest OS

Guest OS

Guest OS

OS

Hardware

Hosted VirtualizationHosted VirtualizationHosted VirtualizationHosted VirtualizationHosted Virtualization“Generally” not “Data Center Class”

Hosted VirtualizationHosted VirtualizationHosted VirtualizationHosted VirtualizationParavirtualization

Virtualization Software

App

App App

Guest OS Guest OS Guest OS

Hardware

Desktop environments hosted on Servers

Thin clients on physical desktops

Citrix/VMware/Sun Ray

Desktop Virtualization

Why Virtualization?

Based on ITIL Framework…

Service Strategy…

Service Design…

Service Transition

Why Virtualization?

Server Sprawl!

Are Servers Really Cheap?

Why Virtualization?Why Virtualization?

• When done properly, good stewardship of funds• One, two, or just a few x86 servers are cheap.

Combined they start to become expensive!• Consider:

– Cost of the servers themselves– Power– Cooling– Network cabling– Floorspace– Disposal

Financial Management

Easier Service Continuity Management

Easier Provisioning of New Servers (Services!)…

Can help speed projects through Service Lifecycle(More on this Later….)

Before You Start…

Establish: SLA’s & KPI’s

Deming CycleDeming Cycle

So…. What ARE the Top 3 Issues?

1)Service Strategy: Financial Management Technology Selection: …

2) Service DesignService Level ManagementContinuity ManagementAvailability ManagementCapacity Management…

3) Service Transition: Change Management

So…. What ARE the Top 3 Issues?

Cost

Technology

Future trends

Best Practice Issue 1, Service Strategy

Selection of Virtualization Technology

Things to Consider

Virtualization Technology Selection

Virtualization Options:

VMware ESX Full Virtualization

VMware Server (free/hosted virtualization)

Microsoft Server Hyper-V 1.0 Paravirtualization

Microsoft Virtual PC (free/hosted virtualization

Xen (Citrix/Open Source) Paravirtualization

Citrix

Parallels Virtuozzo Containers

To Name a few

Best Practice Issue 1Selection of Virtualization

Technology

Best Practice Issue 1Selection of Virtualization

Technology

Best Practice Issue 1Selection of Virtualization

Technology

Different software vendors and different software packages have different licensing terms

Read Your License Agreement

Best Practice Issue 2Service Design Objectives

Systems must be available when needed…

Unplanned outages minimized

Adequate capacity

Best Practice Issue 2Service Design Considerations

Inherent Advantages

Service Level Management: Improved Uptime

Continuity Management: Quicker recovery from failures

Capacity Management: Easier to add more resources

Increased complexity…

Continuity Management:Server failure could mean more down systems…

Capacity Management: Possible resource bottlenecks

Service Design ConsiderationsInherent

Disadvantages

Best Practice Issue 3Service Transition/Change

Management

Easy to build machines

Easy to cheat on licenses

Beware of Empire Builders!

Virtual Machine Sprawl!

Change Management is Critical!Change Management is Critical!

Change Management is Critical!Change Management is Critical!

Established change control procedures

Change Advisory Board

Summary

Virtualization can increase efficient use of resources

ITIL meshes business and technology management

Never Forget: Virtualized data centers exist to provide SERVICES

Summary

Summary

Service StrategyThere are many options. Select the technology that’s

Right for Your Organization

Service DesignVirtualization is a two edged sword: It can help improve

Capacity, Availability, Continuity or Hinder it

Service TransitionChange Management is CRITICAL

Summary