Datacentre Optimisation Solutions from Platespin

Mark Round [VCP]

Systems Engineer, EMEA

PlateSpin Ltd.Euretco Expo Center - Houten

FINAL

About PlateSpin

• Global independent software vendor (ISV)– Founded in 2000– Headquartered in Toronto, Canada– Offices in UK, Germany, Australia, and USA– Global Distribution + Re-Seller Channel– Over 2000+ Satisfied Customers– Experts in solutions for virtualised datacentres

• Recent Awards and Recognition– Winners -International Business Awards for 2005 & 2006

• Best Company Overall (2006)

• Ranked as the 4th fastest growing Canadian IT Company

Two Thousand+ Customers

• Health Care• Banking• Insurance• Pharmaceuticals• IT• Utilities• Education• Telecom• Financial Services• Government

Business / Technology Alliances& Certifications

Channel Model / Technical Certification

• Build success through partners and strategic relationships

• Industry recognised accreditation (CPSA)• Fast track programme for training partner network

Goals + Agenda

Presentation Goals

• To show you how Platespin products can help you with:-– Sizing new Virtual Infrastructure environments– Accelerating Server consolidation projects– Optimise the datacentre through intelligent software

solutions from Platespin

Agenda

• Platespin PowerRecon 2.x– Consolidation Planning Module– Features

• Platespin PowerConvert 6.x– Features– Solution Areas

• Continuous Datacentre Optimisation

• Q+A

OS Portability

Awareness of Workloads

The PlateSpin Equation

Awareness of Resources

+

+

=Optimized Datacenter

How PowerRecon Helps

• Platespin PowerRecon helps you to see

– What resources are in the datacenter?

– What workloads are running on those resources?

– How effectively workloads are assigned to resources?

Workload Resources

Life without Platespin PowerRecon

MISSING IN ACTION

Datacentre Manager

LAST SEEN : Behind communications rack number 7

What is a resource?

Resources are typically Hardware Assets with finite reserves that can be supplied to meet demand

- In other words - the underlying physical makeup of the server hardware

What is a workload?

Workloads are defined as the operating system, applications, and data stack running on a server – these are seen as demands on the underlying resources

• with 5 quantified dimensions of Processor, Memory, Disk I/O, Disk Space, Network I/O

Introducing Platespin PowerReconwith Consolidation Planning Module

Utilisation + Workload profiling

Inventory

PowerRecon Features and Benefits

• Key Features

– No physical contact with servers required

• Completely AGENTLESS

– Windows and Linux measurement

– Virtual hierarchy aware (VMWare / MSVS)

– Customizable resource and workload reports

• Quick Start - Ready to run reports

– Secure and contained data collection and analysis

– One click monitoring + analysis

• Benefits

– Not a one-time use product

– Use for consolidation or ongoing optimization

Platespin PowerRecon 2.2Enhancements

• Data collection capabilities expanded :-– VMware Infrastructure 3– Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9

• Scalability enhancements– increased number of servers monitored per instance of

PowerRecon to accommodate larger datacentres • Application and services workload reports with

advanced filtering capabilities • Detailed processor inventory gathering including cores

and hyper-threading awareness for Microsoft Windows • Discover and inventory by IP range or CSV file input• Enhanced Workload Scaling in Consolidation Planning

Module

Question?

• Would you like to collect hardware and software inventory for 500 servers without leaving your chair?

• Platespin offer Datacentre Server Inventory and Discovery for FREE to help you “Jump-Start” your server consolidation projects.

Life with Platespin PowerRecon

Platespin PowerRecon3 versions

• (Free Edition)– PowerRecon for Inventory

• HW + SW Inventory only (500 servers)• Innovative Usage Based Pricing (Pay as you go)

– PowerRecon for Monitoring• $1 per server per day (100 days minimum)• Purchase from re-seller or Platespin PowerStore

– PowerRecon for Planning• $2 per server per day (100 days minimum)• Purchase from re-seller or Platespin Powerstore

Time Limited Offer until November 30th 2006

Acclaim for Usage Based Pricing

“Usage based pricing is an innovative pricing structure which will be embraced by datacentres. By providing pricing structures that do not depend on CPU power or

static allocation of physical boxes, solutions such as Platespin's are paving the way to cost structures that are more equitable and affordable.”

Bob Gill, Chief Research Officer of TheInfoPro

TheInfoPro (TIP) is an independent research network and leading supplier of market intelligence for the Information Technology (IT) industry

Introducing PowerConvert

• What is OS Portability?– Technology that automates the streaming of operating

system, applications, data between infrastructuresDecouple workload

from hostInfrastructure

Peer-to-Peer Workload Movement

Deploy or RecoverWorkload from Archives

and Backups

Reconfigure Workloads Dynamically

Virtual

Blade

Physical

Image

OS + applications are decoupled from Hardware

NEW FEATURE

•LIVE•TRANSFER *

Starting a Server Consolidation Project

4 step approach

1. Inventory Servers• servers are added and static data is collected.

2. Collect Data• servers are monitored and dynamic data is

collected.

3. Select Candidates• servers are selected for consolidation.

4. Plan Consolidation• the most optimal consolidation scenario is

identified.

USING - Platespin PowerRecon & Consolidation Planning Module

Platespin PowerRecon

• Windows Server with IIS + dot NET framework 2.0• Platespin PowerRecon Server• Platespin PowerRecon Client• Database (MSDE) or SQL 2000• Can be physical or Virtual Machine

Monitored Hosts– Windows NT4 (needs WMI core*), 2000, 2003, XP– Redhat Linux– MSVS R2, VMWare GSX, VMWare Server, VMWare ESX 2.x,

VI3 / ESX 3.x– No need for host agents

• WMI for Windows, RPC, DCOM• /proc/ for Linux, SSH connection

– Admin / Root or equivalent level credentials

Requirements – Platespin PowerRecon 2.2

• Trial Installation: 0 to 10 Servers

• 1 GB memory, Pentium 3, 2.0 GHz, MSDE installation acceptable – 2 GB limit

• 4 GB free disk space

• Small Installation: 10 to 100 Servers

• 2 GB memory, Pentium 4, 2.8 GHz with hyper-threading

• SQL Server, 20 GB free disk space

• Medium Installation: 100 to 250 Servers

• 4 GB memory, Pentium 4, 2.8 GHz with hyper-threading

• SQL Server, 50 GB free disk space

• Large Installation: 250 to 750+ Servers

• 4 GB memory, Pentium 4, 2.8 GHz dual core or multi-processor

• SQL Server, 100 GB SCSI free disk space

Guidelines : 250 MONITORED SERVERS PER CPU CORE

Requirements

• Guideline of 250 monitored machines per CPU core in the Platespin PowerRecon server

• Raw Database growth (estimated)– 2 MB/server/1 day– 60 MB/server/1 month– 6 GB/100 servers/1 month– 36 GB/100 servers/6 months– 15 GB/250 servers/1 month

• Platespin PowerRecon uses summarisation techniques to keep these databases manageable.

Step 1: Inventory

• Install Platespin PowerRecon server into environment

• Define CREDENTIALS

• Remotely discover servers WITHOUT AGENTS

• Organise servers by discovered properties (e.g. by O/S) or into custom groups

• Run your 1st Report

Step 1: Inventory(All available for FREE)

• HW Inventory Reports

• Dynamic interactive reports – rank by

– operating systems

– installed applications

– patch levels

– CPU

– Memory

– Network

– disk resources etc.

• Acrobat Reader style report viewer

• Export in wide choice of formats (PDF, Excel etc.)

Step 2: Collect

• Choose RESOURCES for which you would like to collect utilization data

• One click MONITORING

• Record utilization data over days, weeks, or months based on business need

Step 2: Collect

• Higher accuracy of raw counters (Burst Sampling Technique)

• View summary data, or drill down to granular levels (counters)

• Rank servers by CPU, network, disk etc. & group them for further analysis

• Rich visualization tools– MIN, MAX, AVG, STDEV

• Generate custom charts & export them as BMP, WMF or raw values

Step 3: Select + Plan

• Ready to run Analysis reports – or build your own in minutes – e.g. Hardware Utilisation – Peak

• Find workloads that do not match their resources

• Identify sub-optimal servers quickly and easily

• Create Consolidation Candidate lists for use in the Consolidation Planning Module

Consolidation Candidates Target Server Templates

Scale-up Scale-out

OptimizationPre-requisites

Server Consolidation Assessment

• Create Target Server Templates• Define templates for scale-up / scale-out• Define if used in Consolidation to Virtual Infrastructure or NONE

Server Consolidation Assessment

• Create new Consolidation Project

• Select Candidates from Logical Group / or Filters– Select Time range Dimensions

Consolidation Candidates5D Workloads + Time Profile

Create Project &Calculate Workloads

Server Consolidation AssessmentProjects Explorer

• Create new Scenario (Determine minimum number of servers)

I. Pack workloads

• Create a scenario– Find the minimum number of target servers

Optimization

II. Balance workloads across resources

1 2 3 4

• Create a scenario– Find the minimum number of target servers

Optimization

Review Scenario Report + Charts

View Workload Summary

1 2 3

I. Pack workloads

4

Leftover Workloads

• Create a scenario– Specify the number of target servers

Optimization of freed-up resources

Compare ALL ScenariosConsolidation Project report

Consolidation Planning ModuleFeatures + Benefits

Benefits• Intelligent distribution of workloads across available

servers to maximize server utilization• Balance application workloads by time and hardware

resource to minimize resource contention• Advanced workload sizing and optimization produce

accurate consolidation plans that minimize cost by reducing the need for “just in case” servers

Features• Onsite data analysis, visualization and reporting• Automated generation of consolidation plans and reports• What-if, scale-out and scale-up scenarios• Implement scenarios using Platespin PowerConvert 6.0

IntegrationPlatespin PowerRecon 2.2 / Platespin

PowerConvert 6.0

• Platespin PowerRecon + Platespin PowerConvert integration– Implement scenarios from consolidation project

Implementing Scenarios

• When the job is initiated, PowerRecon:– Authenticates the servers– Creates and runs server discoveries for PowerConvert– Creates and saves conversion jobs

• In Platespin PowerConvert – Load pre-built JOB– Amend any final configuration details– START the job

• Optionally monitor while the conversion completes

• P2V complete !

PlateSpin PowerConvert

Awareness of Resources

Awareness of Workloads

The PlateSpin Equation

OS Portability

+

+

=Optimized Datacenter

Awareness of Workloads

PlateSpin PowerConvert OS Portability

• Key Features– No AGENTS or physical contact

required with servers– Stream servers between physical,

virtual and image– Connect, drag-and-drop, walk away– Configure target resources on-

the-fly– 1 at a time / or / parallel conversions– Windows and Linux– Built on .NET API

• Benefits– 50:1 time savings– Single point of control– Use to solve multiple problems in

the data center

Operating Systems that can be Moved

Windows NT4, 2000, 2003, XP Professional

Redhat Linux / SLES 9

Sources Targets

Physical Server Physical Server

Blade Server Blade Server

VMware ESX Server VMware ESX Server

VMware Server VMware Server

Microsoft Virtual Server Microsoft Virtual Server

PlateSpin Flexible Image PlateSpin Flexible Image

Symantec Ghost

Symantec LiveState

Acronis TrueImage

NSI Doubletake

Veritas BackupExec

Raw Volumes

PlateSpin PowerConvert Infrastructure Support

Platespin PowerConvert 6.x

RESOURCEPOOLS

Platespin PowerConvert

• Windows Server with IIS + dot NET framework 2.0• Platespin PowerConvert Server• Platespin PowerConvert Client• Database (MSDE) or SQL 2000• Can be physical or Virtual Machine

Inventory Requirements– Windows NT4, 2000, 2003, XP– Redhat Linux, SuSe 9– MSVS R2, VMWare GSX / VMWare Server, VMWare

ESX 2.x, VI3– No need for host agents

• WMI for Windows, RPC, DCOM• /proc/ for Linux, SSH connection

Platespin PowerConvert 6.0Major Features

• X2P Driver Management GUI

– Add drivers for target physical systems x2P from a new interface in the Platespin PowerConvert client

• Set Internal / External NICs of Target VM

– For Warm Standby VM

• Scalability Enhancements

– Run up to TWENTY simultaneous jobs

• PS Analyser / Conversion readiness tool

– Comes as standard in Platespin PowerConvert

– De-risks conversion

– Checks Hardware readiness

– OS / SP levels

– “PS Analyser” analysis runs for every drag’n’drop

• And much more…

OS Portability Solution Areas

Server Consolidation(P2V)

AGENTLESSLY AND REMOTELY PERFORM

CONSOLIDATION

CONSOLIDATE TO VIRTUAL OR

BLADE INFRASTRUCTURES

De-Virtualization for Support Integrity(V2P)

PHYSICAL

SERVERS

VIRTUAL

PRODUCTION

MACHINES

DE-VIRTUALIZE

QUICKLY AND EASILY DE-VIRTUALIZE APPLICATIONS

TO MAINTAIN SUPPORT CONTRACT INTEGRITY – FOR

COMMERCIAL AND HOMEGROWN APPS

Hardware Migration(P2P)

SIMPLE DRAG-AND-DROP VS. RE-

INSTALLING OS, APPLICATIONS, DATA

OLD SERVER HARDWARENEW SERVER HARDWARE

RACK OR BLADE SERVERS

Geographical Server Migration

MIGRATE ENTIRE DATA CENTERS WITHOUT

HAVING TO BE THERE

Hardware Independent Images Provisioning and DR

(x2I2x)

BARE METAL RESTORE

AGENTLESSLY AND REMOTELY CAPTURE

AND RESTORE

RESTORE TO PHYSICAL SERVER

WITH EXISTING OS

RESTORE TO VIRTUAL

MACHINE

STORE IMAGES ON ANY

SERVER

Disaster Recovery with Physical OR Virtual Machines

(P2V or P2P)

AGENTLESSLY AND REMOTELY CONTROL

REPLICATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND

VIRTUAL BOXES

VIRTUAL

RECOVERY

MACHINE

DIRECT PEER-TO-PEER

REPLICATION

NO IMAGE CAPTURE

REQUIRED

PHYSICAL

PRODUCTION

SERVER

USER OR SERVER RECONNECTS TO VIRTUAL

RECOVERY MACHINE AND RESUMES WORK

PHYSICAL

RECOVERY

MACHINE

Platespin + NSI Double-Take Software

PowerSDK API

• Fully functional API• Aimed at advanced “In-House” developers

who need to leverage OS portability• Aimed at commercial

– ISV– ASP– Datacentres

• Licensed per-named developer

PowerConvert 6.xwith Live Transfer

Live TransferFunctionality Overview

• Migrate Windows servers without taking them offline or the need to reboot

• Source / Target servers can be physical or virtual

• Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server applications aware– PowerConvert will briefly quiet applications during transfer

to preserve database integrity

• Transfer during low-to-moderate activity periods

• Live Transfer is an optional feature

Live TransferCompatibility List

• Operating Systems– Windows 2000 Server SP4– Windows 2003 Server SP0 / SP1 / R2– Windows XP (all service packs)

• Applications– Microsoft Exchange 2000, 2003– Microsoft SQL Server 2000, MSDE

• Virtual Host– VMware ESX 2.x, ESX 3.x, VI3– VMware GSX, VMware Server 1.0– Microsoft Virtual Server, Microsoft Virtual Server R2

Live Transfer (Highlights)

• Eliminates need for 3rd party live capture tools• Direct streaming from source to Physical, Virtual or

Image– Images are hardware independent – deploy to P or V

• Live Transfer captures the server at a point-in-time• Technology is Application aware (Exchange / SQL)• Source and Target machines have ON / OFF states for

greater flexibility + control• VM can be suspended for faster RTO (Recovery Time

Objective)

Upgrading to VI3?Use Platespin

PowerConvert for V2V

The challenges of upgrading…

• VMware’s recommended upgrade process is not reversible– VMs have to be powered-off– Manual method does not allow for failback– Manual method requires greater periods of downtime– Manual method is error-prone

Its as easy as 1,2…..3

ESX 2.x ESX 3.x

1. Discover ESX 2.x Server + Source VM

2. Discover ESX 3.x Server

3. Drag and Drop Source VM to VI3, Configure Job + press START

VM

User works remotely from single migration console

Migrating your ESX 2.x VMs to VI3

• Platespin PowerConvert– Single GUI for conversions– Can be done remotely– Can be scheduled in

advance– No Agents / No Scripts– Run one at a time or in

Parallel• Old ESX 2.x VM

– Remains unchanged– Minimise downtime using

LIVE TRANSFER– Streamed over LAN / WAN– No need for shared storage

• Stream to New ESX 3.x VM– Is a new VM - native to VI3– Created where you need it– Adjust resources on-the-fly

• vSMP to 4 way• Resource Pool• Re-Size Disks /

Partitions / Free space• Choose Datastore

location for the vDisks– New VMware Tools installed

automatically– New VM can be tested

before de-commissioning the old ESX 2.x VM

– Only downtime is when we inject new Virtual Hardware (~1 to 5 minutes)

VMware Infrastructure 3 Upgrade –

The PowerConvert Difference

• Leverages proven OS Portability™ technology to create a native VI3 VM and streams the contents of the ESX 2 VM into the new target

• Manage your VI3 migration projects with maximum flexibility and robustness

• Provides greater flexibility and significantly reduces migration risk of failure

• V2V is not a new concept for Platespin– Microsoft VS to VMware migrations– GSX to ESX etc. since last 2005

PowerConvert WorkflowExample P2V

Three step conversion process- Remotely discover and inventory server- Configure conversion job- Start the conversion and optionally monitor

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

PlateSpin PowerConvertHow it Works

Remotely Discover Server Details

PowerConvert discovers and inventories source and target server using supplied hostname/IP and valid credentials

Discovered details used to:

- Review business use of server to plan consolidation

- Auto configure conversion job

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

Three step conversion process- Remotely discover and inventory server- Configure conversion job- Start the conversion and optionally monitor

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

PlateSpin PowerConvertHow it Works

Configure and Start a Conversion Job

- With the server details discovered a conversion job can be auto configured with a drag and drop

- Right sizing can be done via the job configuration

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

Three step conversion process- Remotely discover and inventory server- Configure conversion job- Start the conversion and optionally monitor

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

PlateSpin PowerConvertHow it Works

Create New Virtual Machine

- PowerConvert remotely installs a controller on the target ESX Server

- PowerConvert creates a new virtual machine

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

PlateSpin PowerConvertHow it Works

Take Control

- PowerConvert takes control of new virtual machine and source server

- Purpose is to boot source and destination so data can be transferred with integrity

- Source machine is not altered

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

PlateSpin PowerConvertHow it Works

Data Transfer

- Virtual machine disks are partitioned and formatted

- Source data is streamed directly into the virtual machine without use of temp space

- Copied operating system is configured to run in virtual environment

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

PlateSpin PowerConvertHow it Works

Release Control and Configure

- New VM is booted (control is released)

- PowerConvert configures the VM as per the job configuration (e.g. network, hostname, domain, etc)

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

PlateSpin PowerConvertHow it Works

Release Source Server

- PowerConvert releases control of source server if specified in the job (e.g. avoid duplicate IP)

- Conversion is complete and the new virtual machine is now ready for operation

- PowerConvert saves server details, can be refreshed later as needed

Target Virtual Host

Source Servers

PowerConvert Server

PowerConvert Client

Conversion Complete

PlateSpin PowerConvertHow it Works

Integrated suite approach to

consolidation

In Summary

• Inventory– Build an accurate picture of server resources for

effective planning• Collect

– Gather real workload data to make accurate consolidation decisions

• Plan– Run different what-if scenarios to maximise utilisation

and minimise cost (with Consolidation Planning Module) –Build Platespin PowerConvert jobs directly from Consolidation Plan

• Implement– Efficiently manage any size of consolidation project with

remote, automated, and fully configurable conversions

Q + A

Summary

• Platespin offer the only end-to-end software solution suite for consolidation

• CPSA – Industry recognised certification programme

• The only 100% automated hardware independent migration software– Physical, virtual, images

• Used for multi-purposes– Server Consolidation – Disaster Recovery– Test Lab Automation– Lease Migration / Data Center Relocation– Server Provisioning

• Designed for long-term use to achieve optimized data center

Thank You

Platespin PowerConvertVersions

• Platespin PowerConvert for Server Consolidation– Per Conversion License model– Restricted for P2V or P2P operations only

• Platespin PowerConvert for Recovery– Licensed per PROTECTED Server OS Instance– x2I2x (3 step conversion process)

• Uses Platespin Image Server technology• Platespin PowerConvert Universal

– Anywhere-to-Anywhere– Peer-to-Peer conversions– Licensed Per Server

See. Think. Respond.