Virtualization is an excellent thing and works in many environments _depending_ on several factors. It is not in any way shape or form a magic solution.
Does you hardware support the load? On a virtualized environment will you have sufficient disk IO/latency to support your apps? Here we do not put SQL or Exchange mailbox servers in VM. Because our SAN infrastructure latency kills it. We did test it and it just doesn't work for us. At all. We have another production environment.... 3 VMware servers in a cluster. One virtual center server and a seperate SQL db box for the back end. Here's the fun part. The AD DC is virtualized. The SQL service account for the server is a domain account. If we shut down the environment, then we have to bring up the VMWare box with the DC on it and power it up before we can bring up the cluster environment........ It all depends on your needs and equipment whether or not a virtual solution will work for you. That said, if you are going to keep the servers in your cube, get a half height rack or something and have a locking door. Frankly the fan noise would irritate the hell out of me and my cube neighbors. They need to find secure space for their servers. Closed, non-climate controlled closets get HOT. Heat shuts down servers. Other random notes confirming stuff. Blades run warm, very very warm. One UPS? So, single point of failure then? Blades need a lot of power, lots. Over all at one location we have 47 VMWare host systems comprising 2 production environments, 2 full test environments and 2 development labs. VMWare, it's what's good for the resume :) but not always the right answer. Steven On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 6:33 AM, Martin Blackstone <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > I only say this because I am a perfect example of it, but there is still a > lot of fear around virtualization and it seems until you have done it or > really seen it done, that fear persists. > > At my last employer I never would have considered it. Now that I am living > with it, I wish I had done it there. > > > > > From: Ziots, Edward [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 6:29 AM > > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Need opinion on Blade Servers > > > > > I have to disagree with you there Mike. Virtualization works will for > production, dev and test environments. I have more virtual servers than > actual physical servers. I have production SQL server applications (heavy > I/O too) that run flawlessly in VMWare. I also have a production box with > an inventory control application that the company said they didn't think > would run on VMWare and it not only runs on VMWare, it runs better on VMWare > than it ever did on a physical box. > > OK, stepping off my VMWare soapbox...... > > > On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 8:06 AM, Sharie Breaux <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > We only need one server at this point. The primary server that I will be > buying needs Windows 2003 Server Std edition. Yes to AD and we already have > an Exchange Server of which I will be taking with me as the other company is > using something else for mail. The exchange server is only about 1-1/2 > years old. The SQL server is the oldest, but they don't want to spend the > money on that now because of all the other moving expenses - furniture, > cubicles, etc. The backup server I will also be taking with me and it is > only 1-1/2 years old. > > > > I felt that blade servers were overkill myself, but I needed some backup on > this issue. Thanks everyone for the information. Anymore at any time will > be greatly appreciated! > ________________________________ > > > From: Martin Blackstone [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 8:59 AM > > > > > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Need opinion on Blade Servers > > > > > > Sharie, how many servers do you need? > > What systems will you be running here? Do you need AD? Exchange? > > > > > > > From: Sharie Breaux [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 5:49 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Need opinion on Blade Servers > > > > Small Business Server is not supported by our software and our trading > system uses SQL databases that have to be on a separate box as well. > > > > > > Sharie > ________________________________ > > > From: Andy Shook [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 8:36 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Need opinion on Blade Servers > > It all depends on the needs of the firm. My knee-jerk was to put in a SBS > box for everything since its only eight people, however, there may be more > to it than meets the eye. (Dude, transformers are awesome!!) > > > > As far as host based virtualization, I think this environment would be an > ideal candidate. It's small and there is no physical space allocated for > severs. I would look into the option of taking your beefiest box, maxing > out the RAM and putting everything I could on it. > > > > My outside view, $.02 > > > > > > Shook > > http://www.linkedin.com/in/andyshook > > ________________________________ > > > From: Jon Harris [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 8:18 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: Re: Need opinion on Blade Servers > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Sherry Abercrombie > > "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." > Arthur C. Clarke > > > Adding to the VMware > > > > /Vmware ESX hat on. > > > > Yes we do use Dev test and production for Vmware ESX hosts on SQL, apps, > File servers, Print servers, etc etc. Only thing I don't use it for is > Exchange and DC's. I even have small/low end SQL databases on ESX hosts and > they work fine. Also forgot that anything with Java in it, keep it away from > ESX hosts, Java runs like a pig in ESX hosts, but fine on regular similarly > sized hardware. (Seen about 20X issues across our farm with java and Vm not > playing nice nice. ) > > > > /Vmware ESX hat Off > > > > Z > > > > > Edward E. Ziots > > Network Engineer > > Lifespan Organization > > MCSE,MCSA,MCP,Security+,Network+,CCA > > Phone: 401-639-3505 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Sherry Abercrombie [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:15 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: Re: Need opinion on Blade Servers > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~ Upgrade to Next Generation Antispam/Antivirus with Ninja! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbelt-software.com/SunbeltMessagingNinja.cfm> ~
