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Simple server virtualisation
Description: We currently minimize the number of services running on any one server to reduce the dependencies when we perform the annual DICE upgrade. The downside to this is that we have a larger number of servers to maintain with resulting financial and environmental costs. Server virtualisation is a technology which would give us virtual servers to achieve the same desired goal whilst reducing the number of physical servers.
Deliverables: This project will have multiple phases.
- A simple interim solution to give us experience of running virtual machines and prove that the financial benefits do exist.
- Engagement with a university wide investigation into server virtualisation (Paul's virtual datacentre proposal).
- Decision on whether to follow the university chosen technology (preference) or go our own way.
- Implementation of decision.
Customer: Computing staff (to run our services) and potentially users (to run self-managed machines without needing physical hardware)
Case statement: Server virtualisation should save us money and be more friendly to the environment.
Benefits are :-
- Reduced capital expenditure on server kit
- Reduced energy consumption
- Reduced effort on maintaining physical kit
- Faster to deploy new virtual machine than install new hardware
There are downsides, however :-
- Need to purchase more beefy machines which need SAN connectivity
- Any physical failure affects more services
Status:
- 16th March 09 - Documentation on setting up a new VM host now completed and tested
- Feb 09 - interim solution in place using VMware server 2.0. Documentation on how to create and interact with VMs has been authored. Documentation on setting up a new VM host remains to be authored.
- Aug 09 - talk on choosing an appropriate technology was presented and project presented for signoff
Timescales: Interim simple virtualisation almost complete (Feb 09).
Anticipate that university wide discussions will start spring 2009.
Priority: High priority - school plan for 2008/2009 and also in University plan.
Time:
Proposal:
Resources: Milestone 4.0 should need no more than 1 days effort (Alastair)
Plan:
Dependencies: Phases 2 and later depend on IS and others in the university.
Risks:
Milestones
| Proposed date | Achieved date | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-02-01 | 2009-02-01 | 1.0 | Decision on which interim virtualisation solution to use |
| 2009-02-14 | 2009-02-14 | 2.0 | Produce documentation on how to interact with VMs |
| 2009-02-17 | 2009-02-23 | 3.0 | Produce documentation on how to create a new VM |
| 2009-03-16 | 2009-03-12 | 4.0 | Produce documentation on how to create a new VMware server host. |
| 2009-04-16 | 2009-05-01 | 5.0 | Produce notes on how to migrate VMs from one VM server to another. |