Best Practices: An Open Discussion

Jason CampagnaVirtualization Practice Directorjason.campagna@wwt.com

Agenda

□World Wide Technology Overview

□Specifics

□Talking Points

□Open Discussion

Who we are & What we do

Leading Edge Systems Integrator providing :

Professional Services

Supply Chain Services

IT Products and Solutions

Public SectorPublic SectorFederal, Federal,

State & Local GovernmentState & Local Government

CommercialCommercialEnterprise / Fortune 1000 Enterprise / Fortune 1000

TelecommunicationsTelecommunicationsTelcobuyTelcobuy

Focused across three industry verticals...

Our Business is well diversified across these three sectorsOur Business is well diversified across these three sectors

WWT Success Factors

□ Relentless Focus on People, Process & Partnerships□ Excellent Customer Service and Proven Methodology

- driven by ISO 9001:2000 Quality processes□ Nationwide Distribution & Support□ Revenues approaching $3 Billion

- over $1B in Cisco sales□ Strong Credit Line - $450 Million Plus□ 1,100+ Employees – with over 100 Cisco

certified engineers and 500+ certifications□ Minority Owned, Founded in 1990

Facilities Infrastructure

Virtualization Technology

Data Center Networking

Storage and Backup

Servers and Blades

Data Center Solutions Areas

Professional Services

Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling of Data Centers

Virtualization Practice Introduction

• Founded in 2002

• Originally focused on Enterprise Server Based Computing

• Experienced positive growth every year from inception.

• VMware Partner since 2003

• Acquired in August of 2009 by World Wide Technology

• Bleeding edge – Market leading knowledge, especially with cloud technologies and desktop virtualization.

• Deep knowledge of Server-Based Computing allows unparalleled understanding of complex deployments for VDI.

• Creators of Intellectual Property for VMware, Microsoft, and Kingston – In particular several VDI papers lead with “deployment considerations”

• Thought leaders around the use of Solid-State technology for VDI• The only partner with a single individual that sits on both the VMware

and Citrix partner technical advisory boards.□ Less than 1% of partners are on the PTAB/PTEC boards.

• Beta software… or alpha. We have deep ties into for understanding new products around virtualization. Usually before other partners.

WWT Virtualization?

• One of just a few service partners that have been on the floor at VMworld. (2004, 2008; as a Gold sponsor)□ We had VDI on the floor of VMworld in 2005!

• Involvement with VMworld labs for several years running.• VAC contractor – but not just the “easy” engagements. One of

the only subs for complex operational readiness assessments, virtual desktop assessments, and disaster recovery.

• Citrix presence – we have 3 CCIA’s. There are only 170 worldwide, including internal Citrix employee (about 100 are internal)

• Advisor to one of the largest Citrix deployments in the world – the 72,000 seats at AT&T.

WWT Virtualization?

WWT Virtualization Areas

Server

Application

Desktop

Server Consolidation

Server Provisioning

Backup and Recovery

Capacity PlanningAssessments

Security Model

Chargeback

Virtual InfrastructureMethodology

Server Grouping

Virtualization Criteria

ROI Analysis

OrganizationalAssessments

Health Checks

Identification of Virtual Desktop Candidates

Health Check

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Design &Planning

VDI Feasibility Assessments

VDI Proof of Concepts

VDI Blueprint

Desktops &Laptops

DisasterRecovery

Thin Clients

Application Deployment

Application Virtualization Workshop

Application Virtualization Assessment

Application Virtualization Design

Application Virtualization Design

Application Virtualization Training

Cloud Computing is Utility 2.0

Who we work withSome Past Clients…

WHY WWT?

Why WWT?Some Specifics

Don’t Forget the Basics

BIOS Settings

• Latest BIOS Version

• Enable all populated sockets and enable all cores in each socket

• Enable “Turbo Mode” if supported

• Enable Hyper-Threading is supported

• Enable NUMA (disable Node Interleaving)

• Enable Virtualization Technology (VT-x, AMD-V, EPT, RVI)

• Disable Serial/USB ports for the ESX host if not used (COM Ports, LPT Ports, USB Controllers, Floppy

Drives)

Don’t Forget the Basics

• Install VMware Tools• Think of all that relies on it!

• Did you try rebooting?• Many “weird” ESX issues disappear with a reboot

• Remember that the CLI is case sensitive• Remember, the SC it’s based on Linux

• Use local storage carefully for VMs and ISOs• Can impact DRS, HA, etc

• Configure NTP• Required for effective cluster operation

• Keep things Updated• Use vCenter Update Manager to review latest patches

vCenter as a VM

• VMware fully supports and recommends vCenter to be run as a VM!

• Best practices should be followed when building vCenter as a VM:

□ Disable DRS at the machine level for the vCenter server VM.□ Run the vCenter VM on the first or second host of the cluster (due

to HA).□ Set HA for the vCenter VM to be “High Priority”

System Availability

• Virtualization still requires backups

• Consider the impact of vCenter availability

• Configure vCenter alerts and notifications

• Configure HA restart priority

• Utilize VM HA monitoring with caution

• Keep in mind the limits of VMware HA when sizing/building clusters• Max of 32 hosts per cluster. Think more like 16…

• Max of 1,280 VM’s per cluster.

• Max of 100 VM’s per host if cluster size is less than 8.

• Max of 40 VM’s per host if cluster size is greater than 8.

Networking Randoms

• Consider just ONE virtual switch• Configure NICs to be active/standby based on portgroups

ESX Networking – Standard vSwitches

• vSwitches should always have:• Redundant uplink adapters

• Uplinks on separate bus architectures

• Uplinks connected to separate physical switches

• Utilize trunked (802.1q) ports for VM traffic

• Avoid using Link Aggregation (LACP)

• Maximum of 5 VM’s protected over a 1Gb FT vSwitch

• Separate vMotion, Service Console, NFS/iSCSI, FT, and VM traffic

• Set PortFast on physical port switch configurations to disable STP.

ESX Networking – Nexus 1000vConsider using a hybrid virtual switch layout• Use a standard virtual switch for:

• Nexus 1000v Management/Packet/Control• ESX Service Console• vMotion• IP storage

• VM traffic managed via Nexus 1000v dvSwitch

VSM Best Practices• Install VSM’s in pairs on separate ESX hosts.• Use affinity rules to keep VSM’s separate from one another.• Disable DRS for each of the VSM’s.• When putting ESX hosts in Maintenance Mode, be sure to

always keep one VSM active and online.

Sample 1GB Diagram

Sample 10GB Diagram

FCoE? YES!

Storage Considerations

Storage Basics

• Size LUNs for VM storage to control disk contention

• Utilize Thin-Provisioned disks with caution

• Maintain a 20% free space on VMFS volumes to allow for snapshots and VM swap space

• Separate templates and ISO files from primary VM storage

• Utilize Round Robin as preferred fiber channel path management

• Name datastore same as LUN on storage system

• 2TB LUN in ESX 3.5 may not be the same as 2TB in ESX 4 (-512B)

View Design Considerations

Architecture• Consider the impact of vCenter availability for Composer• Review HA and DR requirements• Know the configuration maximums for large environments• Start with a simple user/application group• Use the View GPO template to optimize your desktops

It’s not all about the workload

• Know your applications• Can they be virtualized

• How do they perform with different protocols

• Do you really know your users?• What are the hardware requirements

• How do they use their applications

Virtual Desktop Design Considerations

Maximize performance of you Virtual Desktops• Most virtual desktops should be created with only a single vCPU• Disable Power options on the virtual desktops • Use multiple virtual network interfaces for better performance:

• One for View traffic• One for client-server/file sharing• One for connection to a streaming media server

• Disable unnecessary functions on the Virtual Desktops• Use the latest version of RDP. • Avoid using PCOIP over the WAN

Secure Virtual Desktops as you would Physical Machines• Prevent Unauthorized Removal or Connection of Devices• Verify Proper File Permissions for Virtual Machine Files

SRM Considerations

• Do not replicate AD, DNS, DHCP, etc• Run active at remote site

• Lower BW utilization typically

• ESX and vCenter use DNS, vCenter uses AD authentication

• Store like VMs together on same datastore

• Minimize VMs using multiple datastores

• Read the SRA readme

• Configure multiple recovery plans (RP)• 1 per application server set if possible

• SRM can support 3 simultaneous executing RPs• SAN vendor may support fewer

• VMware tools required for speed and some functions

• Configure email alerts

• Remember that the default setting for a new VM is not protected

WHY WWT?

Why WWT?Let’s Talk

Conceptual Design, BEFORE getting into the weeds

Vblock Overview

Overview

• IT moving towards a "Private Cloud" where IT is modeled as a service

• Enterprise IT doubling in complexity and TCO every 5 years

• Need for a standardized, modular, and portable achitecture

What is a Vblock?

• Integrated IT offerings from VMware, Cisco, and EMC

• Vblocks are pre-engineered, tested and validated units of IT infrastructure that have a defined performance, capacity, and availability

• Currently 2 packages available with a 3rd mid-year 2010

Vblock Architecture

Vblock Features

• Production Ready

• SLA-driven

• Reduced risk and compliance

• Modular to expand capacity as required• Storage

• Compute

• Non-disruptive expansion

• Substituting components not allows as it breaks the tested principle

• Datacenter becomes a collection of pooled Vblocks aggregated in Zones

• Ability to mix-and-match Vblocks to meet specific application needs

Vblock Architecture Components

Which of the following challenges are the most significant when executing the deployment of a new desktop OS?”

Source: Online survey of 150 IT decision-makers, conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of VMware, January, 2010

Windows 7 Migration Discussion

Base: All respondents

As your organization prepares for deploying a new desktop operating system, please rate how much of a challenge each option is, where 1 = “It’s a major challenge” and 4 = “It’s not a challenge”.

Source: Online survey of 150 IT decision-makers, conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of VMware, January, 2010

Windows 7 Migration Discussion

Context: Virtualization Journey

• Virtualization Adoption evolved along two main axes:

IT Production Business Production IT as a Service

15%

30%

70%

85%

Application Development Quality and EfficiencyApplication Development Quality and Efficiency

Advanced Management and Business ContinuityAdvanced Management and Business Continuity

DesktopDesktop

Core Platform + ManagementCore Platform + Management

AutomationAutomation

Context: Virtualization Journey - Adoption Axis

COST EFFICIENCY

QUALITY OF SERVICE

BUSINESS AGILITY

Application Development Quality & EfficiencyApplication Development Quality & Efficiency

Cost Effective Availability & Disaster RecoveryCost Effective Availability & Disaster Recovery

Virt. Efficiency & IT Process Automation

Virt. Efficiency & IT Process Automation

Desktop Security, Mobility and Support Efficiency

Desktop Security, Mobility and Support Efficiency

Infrastructure Consolidation & Support EfficiencyInfrastructure Consolidation & Support Efficiency

Core Virtualization Platform Foundation for Cost Efficiency and FlexibilityCore Virtualization Platform Foundation for Cost Efficiency and Flexibility

Higher Layers of Product Stack Propel More Business Value Realization

Higher Layers of Product Stack Propel More Business Value Realization

Cloud Computing is Utility 2.0

Enterprise

vCenter :Policy-based Management & Automation

Cloud Questions? Where do you think it is going?

vSphere:Platform for Cloud Infrastructure

View :Desktop Computing via Cloud

SpringSource: Programming Model for the Cloud

Redwood: Common Service Model for Infrastructure Clouds

vCloudSP’s Other

PublicClouds

Private CloudVirtualized Public Cloud

Public Cloud

Core IT Services via Virtual Appliances Zimbra File/Print

Directory

Services

Services

• Workshop / Health Check

• Assessment

• Design

• Pilot

• Train

• Operations

Plan, Design, Implement, Operate

WWT Virtualization Methodology

Vendor-Agnostic Workshops

What is a Workshop?• An on-site 2 – 4 hour whiteboard session. This allows the

engineering team from the WWT Virtualization practice to learn more about your goals with selected Virtualization solutions. We use this time to share our experiences and proven methodologies to help ensure your success with all of your IT projects.

Types of Workshops that we offer:• Desktop Virtualization Workshop • Application Virtualization Workshop• Disaster Recovery for Virtualization Workshop• Server Virtualization Workshop

Architecting a Plan

Assessments are critical and save money!• Virtual Desktop Assessments• Server Assessments, Capacity Modeling• Application Assessments• Process Assessments

Design phase:• Architect the house, before you buy materials• Extremely detailed documentation, not only

technically but also around standard operating procedures, testing, etc.

Operations – The Missing Piece

What is an Operational Readiness Assessment?

• A extensive and detailed assessment of the current organizational operations current practices and capability around virtualization.

• Based on ITIL principles

• Each ITSM process area is reviewed along with interviews with key teams who affect the virtual infrastructure

What do You Get?• Detailed report covering each

ITSM process area• VMware Maturity Model (VMM)

scores for each process area• A roadmap of next steps for

each process area and the organization

Q&A

Open DiscussionJason CampagnaVirtualization Practice DirectorWorld Wide Technology, Inc.jason.campagna@wwt.com314.504.5070

VMware Express – At Geek Day!