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Deliver your Technology-Based Labs with
VMware Lab Manager
5/6/2010Michael Fudge
Agenda
Why is this so difficult?How lab manger makes it easerThe iSchool specfic SetupDemos / Use-casesWhere do we go from here?
How do you conduct labs for:
Operating Systems Install / Configuration Setting up and securing network services: DHCP,
DNS, HTTP, SMTP, LDAP, Etc… Host and network-based firewalls. Routing, NAT, VLANS. Application deployment, workstation
configurations. Advanced services: web applications, email, VOIP
A Typical Example: “The Email Lab”
• You’d like build an experiential learning activity around email and its protocols
• From a configuration standpoint, you’d like each student to have the same experience.
Email Client:Windows XP
Email Server:Windows 2003
POP3, IMAP, SMTP Protocols•Outlook Express•Wireshark
•hMailServer
How it used to be done.
Need a lot of hardware to do this for the entire class.
Need a lot of space for the hardware
Difficult to prepare and deploy labs in this manner, and keep them consistent.
Students must be “in the lab” to complete the exercise.
Windows XP client Windows
2003 email server
Ethernet Switch
Platform Virtualization makes things a little better
Platform Virtualization• VMware workstation• Virtual Box• Virtual PC
What used to be a computer is now just “files”
The “host” computer is a lab workstation or student’s personal computer.
Requires several GB of storage. Where do you put all those the files?
Where Do You Store Your Platform VM files?
“Mobile Racks” “Portable Storage” “File Server”
Students must sit at same seat in lab
High failure rate from adding / removing drives
Poor I/O performance
Deployment issues – how do you get the VM files to the students?
Need high network bandwidth to server
File server becomes a bottleneck under high utilization
The Lab Manager Solution…
Accessible through a web browser “Package-able” Provides network isolation Consistent configurations Accessible anytime from anywhere
What Exactly is Lab Manager?“Web browser-based delivery of
platform virtual machines and networks.”
Think:
Overview of Lab Manager
https://vlab.ischool.syr.edu
Let’s take a quick look
Configuration: The core concept
Virtual Machines
Physical Network
Virtual Networks
ConfigurationBoundary
Security Model
Lab Manager
Users and Groups assigned to organizations / workspaces then given permission to resources (Configurations and Templates).
iSchool Implementation
To confine a set of resources to a group of users, (for a specific course or research project, for example) a separate workspace must be created
Organization
Workspaces
Main StagingCourse Specific
iSchoolLabsiSchoolLabs
iSchoolLabs
SU Network
VyattaNAT
128.230.x.y
Lab Manager
VM’s
Lab Manager
VM’s
10.1.1.1
10.1.2.2through10.1.254.254
iSchool Physical Network Implementation
Virtual Networks can leverage the physical network as needed
The NAT removes the requirement ofeach VM having anIP address on theCampus Network, and the MAC address registered to the IP.
VM Template(s)
NetworkTemplate(s)
Configuration
Lab Designers
Lab Designers Library
Capture
Library Archive
Template
Designers
Template
Designers
Create VM Template(s)
Create NetworkTemplate(s)
iSchool Roles/Workflow
Students &
TeachersStudents &
Teachers
Deploy Configuration
(Powers on VM’s)
Connect Virtual And
Physical Networks
Clone from Library to
Workspace
Administrator
sAdm
inistrators
Workspace Management
Security Management
Lab Designers: Steps to deploy a Configuration
Lab Designers can practice these step in a special organization called “iSandbox”
Software Costs
Costs are negligible thanks to:Vendor “Academic Initiatives” (IBM,
Microsoft).Low-cost operating systems, flexible licensing
Vyatta (open source cisco-like networking)Vmware e-acadamy $150 /year licensed to
support ESX, vCenter and Lab Manager
Hardware required:
SAN (iSCSI / FC)Servers
ESX HostsvCenterLab Manager
SAN
ESX1 ESXnESX2 …
vCenter
Lab Manager
Estimates for ESX Hosts (no SAN)Count of Concurrent Class Sections (n=32)
Approximate Cost 2Dell Power edge Servers
1 $11,500
2 $21,000
3 $27,500
4 $34,000
6 $48,800
2 Server minimum Recommended Count in class section = 32 (30 students 1 TA, 1 Prof) Estimate based on 64GB RAM required to run one class
section Agreement to leverage SAN @ Central IT, so there’s a
substantial cost savings there.
Next Steps for usBuild “iSandbox” for template designers to hone
their craft.Identify which classes should be moved into this
environment first (for Fall 2010).Class Roster Integration – Powershell Cmdlet.Purchase hardware to support real use in the
classroom.Start rebuilding labs for the new environment
over the summer.Most importantly: Capture pilot experiences for
best practices.
Thank you - Questions?
http://michaelfudge.com/lab-managerOr
http://bit.ly/fudgelabman