We don't use VMware for any production database. Before anyone takes off on how 'anything' can be virtualized you really have to consider your environment. Will the hardware you have support your virtual needs? The biggest single factor we run into is disk IO to our storage systems causes issues. Virtualization adds complexity to your environment. It is yet another thing to troubleshoot and point of failure. Like anything this can be mitigated. Do you have the staff/resources to maintain your environment if you add virtualization to your tools because it does take resources. It is worth in most cases this learning curve, but it is there and you really will want to send someone to class if you can.
There are vendors who do have applications that don't do well. Most of these applications are very sensitive to any introduced latency. Real time communications systems, larger databases, poorly written in house applications. Virtualization is not a one size fits all. Some of those venders don't want to support it because it adds cost to support calls. Others because they haven't tested it yet (for whatever reason) and still others because they have tested it and it really doesn't do well when you scale it. It does solve many needs, it does fit many more then it doesn't but it doesn't fit everything and often depends on your environment on how much it will solve for you and whether the added expense is covered by what you save by removing a physical server and it's attendant support needs. Steven Peck http://www.blkmtn.org On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 1:26 PM, Ziots, Edward <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > We don't use Vmware ESX for any databases above like 3-5GB, we usually put > them on shared SQL systems, that are hardware and dedicated for SQL only. > Just my recommendation. > > > > Z > > > > Edward E. Ziots > > Network Engineer > > Lifespan Organization > > MCSE,MCSA,MCP,Security+,Network+,CCA > > Phone: 401-639-3505 > > ________________________________ > > From: David Lum [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 4:24 PM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Will it *really* not work virtualized? > > > > How big are your databases Sherry, and how many folks are hitting them? > > > > Dave > > > > From: Sherry Abercrombie [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 11:48 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: Re: Will it *really* not work virtualized? > > > > We've got about 14 SQL and/or other production database servers running in > VMWare, plus 3 - 4 times that many for Dev/Test environments with no > issues. We do have our main Siebel production servers running on physical > servers, but all the periphery Siebel apps are virtual. Some of the > production SQL apps that we have virtual are Project Server, SharePoint, a > POS app etc. > > On 7/22/08, John Hornbuckle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > It's a program to use in school libraries for checking books in and out. It > uses an SQL database > (http://www.fsc.follett.com/_files/fsc/secured/system_requirements/Dest%20School%20sys%20reqs%2010685A%20PDF%20print%207_08a%20(2).pdf). > > > > We're a small district with small schools, and no app we've ever run on a > server has come anywhere close to fully utilizing the hardware. That's one > of the reasons I want to virtualize more. > > > > If the app will run on an XP "server" with a Pentium 4 processor, I can't > imagine that it would be overly demanding. But they do say they require RAID > 1 or 5, so they must be counting on a fair amount of I/O activity. But I > wonder, what exactly is "high" I/O when it comes to figuring out if > something will run okay on a virtual server? > > > > > > > > From: Sherry Abercrombie [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:14 PM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: Re: Will it *really* not work virtualized? > > > > Why would a product not work on a virtual server, well, one that is high > I/O, as in a database server would possibly not work. What application > specifically are you looking at that says this? > > We've used virtual servers for probably 5 years now, and we've always taken > the approach that we will try it on a virtual server and if it doesn't work, > then go to physical. So far, we're doing really good with that approach. > 99% of what we've tried on a virtual server has worked. Now to counter > that, we have always looked at what the application will be doing, evaluated > the requirements and load, and made the decision on whether or not it's a > good candidate for virtualization or not a good candidate for > virtualization. > > Now with that said, I do have a caveat, I've never used Hyper-V and probably > will never use it, we've been VMWare since we started with virtual server, > first GSX now the latest release of ESX. So, I can't say how Hyper-V > utilizes system resources compared to ESX..... > > On 7/22/08, John Hornbuckle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I was looking over the system requirements for a particular piece of > software we're looking at purchasing, and I noticed that it specifically > says it has to be on a physical (non-virtual) machine. > > Now, this software doesn't have any special hardware requirements. > Processor requirements are modest, as are requirements for RAM and > storage space. And yet, the requirements explicitly say, "Microsoft > Windows Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise without Hyper-V" (if Server > 2008 is the OS--it also supports Server 2003, XP, or Vista as the server > OS). > > As I've mentioned before, I'm brand new to server virtualization. I'm > playing with Hyper-V right now for the first time. So, I'm sure I'm > missing something. > > Why, exactly, would a product like this not work on a virtual server? > > > > > John Hornbuckle > MIS Department > Taylor County School District > 318 North Clark Street > Perry, FL 32347 > > www.taylor.k12.fl.us > > > ~ Upgrade to Next Generation Antispam/Antivirus with Ninja! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbelt-software.com/SunbeltMessagingNinja.cfm> ~ > > > -- > Sherry Abercrombie > > "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." > Arthur C. Clarke > > > > > -- > Sherry Abercrombie > > "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." > Arthur C. Clarke > > > > > ~ Upgrade to Next Generation Antispam/Antivirus with Ninja! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbelt-software.com/SunbeltMessagingNinja.cfm> ~
