Cloud-optimized virtualization in a box

Why vStartmakes vSense

CONTENTSTHE CASE FOR CLOUD

THE NEED FOR SPEED

BOX IT & TAX IT

THE CONFIG & THE CLOUD

ONE-STOP SHOP

Cloud Practice Head for Dell’s South Asia and Korea region. An early thought leader in cloud

computing, he was a member of the Singapore Government’s National Cloud Advisory Panel. He

is currently President of the Business Continuity Group (BCG) at the Singapore Computer Society

(SCS), and Honorary Secretary of the Cloud Chapter at the Singapore IT Federation (SITF).

ABOUT THE AUTHORRAJU CHELLAM

Why vStart makes vSenseCloud-optimized virtualization in a box3

While many large enterprises and MNCs have taken up server and storage virtualization in their data centers aggressively, small and medium businesses (SMBs) have just about begun their virtualization voyage. The paradox is that the benefits of virtualization are clear, but knowing how to get there is not.

It takes time, resources, and expertise to evaluate, design, buy, assemble, configure, test, and deploy virtualization solution components. It also requires time and skills to train staff on how to manage the virtual layer. Typically, these tasks require expertise from many different areas, all working together, including some resources that may also need to be acquired at an additional expense. Before long, the road to virtualization begins to look like a long one.

While interest in virtualization among SMBs is on the rise, many are unsure where to begin. Effective virtualization brings challenges such as selecting the right components, having the expertise to configure and deploy them, and training the staff on how to get the most from the investment. That’s a tall order for both SMBs and large enterprises.

Virtualization is an essential step in the journey to the cloud. Most CEOs and CIOs are well aware of the benefits of cloud computing in both saving cost and boosting efficiency. Cloud computing is no longer hype. According to International Data Corp (IDC), server revenues for public clouds is set to cross US$3.5 billion by 2015, from about US$1.54 billion in 2010. That’s a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.3% during the period.

The case for cloud

“The market for virtualized servers will continue to be important over the next few years as organizations move beyond server consolidation to fully virtualized data centers,” according to an IDC document on Simplifying Virtualization Adoption with Preconfigured Datacenter Infrastructure published in January 2012. “The ability to leverage virtualization’s building blocks is opening new paths to IT deployments in the data center, provided that the assembly and use of the virtualization products can be easily managed by current IT staff, without costly training or hiring of new staff or consultants.”

Companies on the journey to the cloud need to keep up-to-date with technology trends so that they avoid costly mistakes or miss market opportunities. Although the potential for cloud computing is huge, the breadth and depth of the impact, as well as the level of adoption over time, are uncertain and will require frequent review. That’s the view from research house Gartner Inc.

“Cloud computing is a major technology trend that has permeated the market over the last two years,” says David Cearley, Vice President and Gartner Fellow. “It sets the stage for a new approach to IT that enables individuals and businesses to choose how they’ll acquire or deliver IT services, with reduced emphasis on the constraints of traditional software and hardware licensing models. Cloud computing has a significant potential impact on every aspect of IT and how users access applications, information and business services.”

The growth in unit sales of standard (or x86) servers is expected to be even more dramatic. IDC predicts that the number of standard server units for public clouds will jump from 492,000 in 2010 to more than 1.28 million units in 2015, a five-year CAGR of 21.1%.

Private cloud computing, which is defined as cloud infrastructure that is already deployed in enterprises and end-user organizations, was worth US$2.55 billion in server revenue in 2010 — and IDC forecasts that server revenue for private clouds will grow to US$5.88 billion by 2015.

Why vStart makes vSenseCloud-optimized virtualization in a box4

No matter where the virtualization solution is located - at headquarters or geographically far from IT staff - a major drain on corporate resources occurs when companies select and implement their virtualization infrastructure. IT staff must ensure all components are compatible, work to maximum efficiency and proficiency, and interoperate seamlessly.

Over the next few years, CIOs will be tasked to help CEOs and CMOs identify, develop and instil new strategic business capabilities (SBCs) that will help restore their businesses to full health in the post-recession world, says Gartner Inc. Those who don’t may find themselves being sidelined.

“If you think the task ahead of you (the CIO) is simply to introduce a new technology, standardize a disparate set of computer systems across the corporation, update vendor agreements and revise the IT governance structure for your company - think again,” says Mark Raskino, Vice President and Gartner Fellow. “Great companies compete by advancing SBCs. Customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) are two clear examples of what is meant by an SBC. These are not “just” technologies. They involve process changes, mind-set shifts, new job roles and organization changes.”

The need for speedThe need for speed comes not only from customers but also from internal stakeholders who want to see their products and services being quickly deployed, marketed, monitored and upgraded. That level of speed is possible with resources provisioned on a cloud computing model with virtualized servers.

Think of SBCs as a vector through which technology changes the way companies do business, Mr Raskino notes. “SBCs also create industry disruption,” he says. “A number of these major business strategic ‘weapons’ are moving to a point of maturity where they can provide considerable new business value. The pipeline of newer and emerging SBCs is very healthy. For these reasons, we believe IT will continue to have disruptive potential, in business strategy terms, for at least 15 years. These major innovations depend on funding, ingenuity and market development. Even if Moore’s law stopped next year, we believe that most of them would continue to fruition.”

Research house IDC Corp says virtualization will help companies view “predictable failure” as a strategic choice. “Unpredictable IT systems have a big impact on business performance. To overcome this, organizations invest heavily in duplicate copies of servers, systems, data and networks - also known as redundancy,” IDC notes. “But IDC expects forward-looking organizations to think differently. Instead of relying on redundancy, virtualization will allow them to build a margin of error into their IT platforms that permits failure.” IDC expects this concept to gain traction in 2012 and to become the preferred approach when deploying larger virtualized x86 environments within the next few years.

Virtualization has improved flexibility and increased the options for IT organizations. “Virtualization has, to some extent, freed applications from the peculiarities of individual devices, operating systems or even processor architectures,” Gartner notes. “Virtualization provides a way to move the legacy of applications and processes developed in the PC era forward into the new emerging world. This provides low-power devices access to much-greater processing power, thus expanding their utility and increasing the reach of processor-intensive applications.”

Plug-and-play typically doesn’t exist when it comes to shaping multiple vendors’ products into a virtualization infrastructure. Costs go up as IT professionals spend countless hours on virtualization projects. Other IT projects slow to a crawl as the department’s limited resources are tied-up in each stage of the virtualization puzzle. Internal staff may not have the necessary expertise, or even availability, which leads organizations to bring in high-priced consultants.

Why vStart makes vSenseCloud-optimized virtualization in a box5

What if there was a way to purchase a pre-configured, pre-assembled virtualized solution - one bundled with installation services? What if organizations could slash the time and complexity of implementing virtualization, for both the core infrastructure and remote sites? What if it came from a trusted provider that had in-depth virtualization expertise, combined this knowhow with industry best practices, and delivered it as a package?

That’s where Dell comes in, with a solution for both SMBs and PLEs (public and large enterprises). It is called vStart and it comes in multiple flavors. Three of the most common are either optimized for 50 VMs (virtual machines), or 100 VMs, or for 200 VMs. vStart is an instant virtualization appliance and a smart, fast way to reap the rewards of virtualization. vStart is a pre-sized, pre-racked, pre-wired, pre-tested, and pre-configured virtualization solution. It is designed to remove the guesswork from implementing virtualization.

Dell vStart is designed to accelerate and simplify virtualization adoption by providing an easy way to purchase a complete pre-integrated virtual infrastructure that is ready to run both physical and virtual workloads. The vStart platform has built-in hardware and software

that is already optimized to support virtualization’s hypervisors, VMs, and management software. For this reason, customers will not need to build up on-premises IT staff to leverage the IT and business improvements associated with virtualized server infrastructure.

Dell vStart is built in Dell’s factories, and is then prepared for shipment to customer sites. The solution addresses IT skillset issues in customer sites with limited or no IT support available for custom-built virtualization solutions. There is no need for on-premises assembly or tuning prior to deployment.

It enables organizations to rapidly and easily achieve virtualization without extensive designing and testing or specialized in-house virtualization skills. It also leverages existing technology consoles such as VMware vCenter to manage the underpinning components to elminate learning curves and facilitate faster productivity.

With vStart, you receive the entire virtual infrastructure. It includes PowerEdge servers, EqualLogic storage, Dell Management tools, PowerConnect switches, deployment services, and three years of ProSupport from Dell.

Box it & tax it

Get more details and product/solution updates at www.dell.com/vstart.

Why vStart makes vSenseCloud-optimized virtualization in a box6

Additional storage options are available for the configurations. vStart is available with a choice of either Microsoft Hyper-V or VMware vSphere . The Hyper-V version comes with a full license of Microsoft Server 2008 R2 Datacenter edition; the VMware version includes trial licenses for vSphere and vCenter.

The vStart 50 comes with two PowerEdge R620 servers; the vStart 100 with three PowerEdge R720 servers and a PowerEdge 620 for running management software; and the vStart 200 comes with six PowerEdge R720 servers and a PowerEdge R610 for running management software. Since workloads supported is dependent upon workload resource requirements, it is important to determine the workloads that will be run on vStart to have a better estimate how many VMs will be supported.

In addition to the hardware - servers, storage, networking and the racking - vStart solutions include management plug-ins that enable element level management of the underlying infrastructure. For the vSphere configuration, the Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vCenter, the EqualLogic Host Integration Toolkit and the Dell OpenManage solution are bundled with the stack. For the Hyper-V configuration, the EqualLogic Host Integration Toolkit and Dell OpenManage are bundled.

The Hyper-V version includes Microsoft Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition that supports unlimited number of VMs. The OS licenses are included within the Hyper-V version. The VMware version includes trial versions of ESXi and vCenter that are good for 60 days. Beyond that the customer would need to buy full licenses (you can choose to migrate existing licenses).

The config & the cloudDell vStart is a pre-engineered, pre-built and pre-tested solution that includes:

• 12th Generation Dell PowerEdge Servers• Dell PowerConnect Networking• Dell EqualLogic SAN Storage• Dell Management Software• OpenManage• Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vCenter• EqualLogic Host Integration Tools• Initial deployment Services• 3 years Next Business Day Pro-Support from Dell

Dell vStart is currently available in 3 sizes:

• vStart 50 (VMware & Hyper-V)• vStart 100 (VMware & Hyper-V.)• vStart 200 (VMware & Hyper-V)

Why vStart makes vSenseCloud-optimized virtualization in a box7

What are the typical use cases for vStart? It has been put to use in multiple ways, including:

What happens when you run out of capacity or want to expand capacity? vStart solutions are designed to scale both vertically and horizontally. Depending upon the space availability on the rack, additional servers/storage can be added to increase the capacity of the vStart solution. Beyond that additional vStart racks can be added to meet the growing needs of the organization.

What if you want to go beyond virtualization, to offer cloud services? What if you want to switch to blade servers? Is there a higher-end option? Yes. It’s called vStart 1000 and is optimized for 1,000 VMs either on Hyper-V or ESXi. The vStart 1000 can have 8, 16, 24 or 32 blades with the integrated Dell Management Software. You control the underlying infrastructure to deliver advanced private cloud capabilities that include IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), self-service IT asset provisioning (with Dell’s Creator solution), VM sprawl control, and detailed audit reports, including showback.

It is validated against Microsoft’s Private Cloud Fast Track reference architecture and Dell VIS Creator, so it gives two choices for building your private cloud. And the vStart 1000 also offers you a pre-engineered, pre-integrated platform that accelerates time-to-value and delivers a reliable, scalable environment. Add to that the initial Deployment Services of vStart, and you’re up and running quickly, so you can remain focused on what’s important - your business and your customers.

Get more details and product/solution updates at www.dell.com/vstart.

Having achieved success in early virtualization initiatives, some organizations want to expand their implementations of this technology. It is also good for SMBs that wish to adopt virtualization but have seen delays due to cost and time over-runs, as well as a lack of internal IT expertise. vStart is especially useful for companies with little to no internal IT staff, or where virtualization initiatives are too time-consuming for IT staff to deliver. And for companies which have started but have stalled in their virtualization journey.

Often located far from an organization’s central IT department, remote offices seldom have many - or any - IT or procurement staff in-house. These remote offices may be a continent away, causing concern about implementing virtualization so far from the corporate home. They may no IT staff in-house, no access to onsite support and may be far from central purchasing.

Man-made or natural, disasters are a fact of business. vStart makes planning for them easier. A DR (disaster recovery) plan needs to be easily and quickly actionable, allowing companies to operate during business disruptions. With vStart, organizations can reduce the costs associated with creating identical, multiple DR environments in different geographies or locations, enabling firms to set-up VMs across the world. vStart can be quickly up and running, can mirror IT environments and is ideal for companies which may not want to invest in replicating hardware in multiple DCs.

Organizations are reviewing ways to use virtualization in non-strategic areas, such as application hosting. These companies want to isolate areas from critical apps, but don’t want to ring-up the high costs and man-hours associated with typical virtualization implementations, such as integration of multi-vendor systems, time constraints, and lack of internal expertise. It takes too long to design, develop and deploy using traditional virtualization methods and often companies may lack in-house know-how to implement. Dell vStart can offer a quick infra stack as a solution.

Most businesses would want to first test their solutions on an optimized rack that includes cloud-ready servers, storage and networking with an in-built virtualization layer. This test & development environment is ideal for fail-over and failure testing to set tolerance levels such as provisioning additional capacity when existing capacity hits 80%. vStart is ideal for PoC to test virtual environments, apps and cloud-based delivery platforms. Once tested and certified, the PoC can then be converted to a production environment without losing the initial investment on the PoC.

Application Hosting

Proof of Concept

Remote and branch offices

Disaster Recovery

Achieving/expanding virtualization

Why vStart makes vSenseCloud-optimized virtualization in a box8

Next Business Day:

Once you go through a phone-based troubleshooting and diagnostic session, we can dispatch a certified Dell technician to arrive onsite at your business the next business day. This option is included standard with your Dell ProSupport service contract and is available to Dell Basic Hardware Service customers for an additional charge.

When you need to resolve a hardware problem, you need to do it quickly and to help keep costs down. You can do both. With Dell ProSupport, next-business-day onsite service is standard. If you need even faster response times, you can upgrade to same-day or mission-critical onsite service.

Same Day:

When you depend on your IT systems for time-sensitive operations or critical business functions, same-day onsite response is an ideal upgrade. We will do phone-based troubleshooting and can then dispatch a Dell-trained technician to your site within 4-8 hours, depending on your location, to provide parts and labor support. You can also choose to prioritize resolution by self-identifying escalated severity levels two and three. Dell also offers escalation management services, so you have a single point of contact to handle incident management, escalation and monitoring.

Mission Critical:

To avoid unplanned downtime and reduce recovery time, you can select the most rapid resolution option, Mission Critical. This option can help you get your business up-and-running in minutes by allowing you to specify high severity levels and request accelerated response times for priority service. With this option, you receive:

• 2hour, 4hour or 8hour onsite parts and labor support, and to self-identify severity levels.• Emergency dispatch, in parallel with troubleshooting, for issues identified as severity level 1.• Regular status updates from an assigned escalation manager every step of the way.• Escalation management with a single point of contact for incident management, escalation and monitoring.• Priority parts dispatch, enabling expedited resolution of critical issues.

The vStart Implementation service goes well beyond carrying in the hardware rack, plugging it in and turning it on. The key steps of a typical vStart Implementation engagement include:

Planning & project management: Dell experts evaluate your site’s environmental and technical readiness, dependencies and database requirements, and fix an installation schedule with you. Design:Dell creates a system design to meet your specific requirements, including SAN storage allocation, network configuration and server resource allocation, with guidance on LAN and SAN security settings. Implementation & testing of the vStart: A Dell technician installs and configures the vStart SAN fabric and network switches. Implementation & testing of the virtual server environment: The technician installs, configures and tests your server hypervisor and virtual system management software. Product awareness: The technician conducts a brief product orientation session and reviews the associated product and services documentation with you. Project closeout: The technician removes packaging material and takes it to a location designated by you or coordinates with you to remove it. You get documentation of the services performed.

One-stop shop

Why vStart makes vSenseCloud-optimized virtualization in a box9

Design service driven by your source workloads: Let Dell apply its virtualization experience and architecture and design principles to an analysis of your server workloads. This will ensure that your virtualization investment is based on effective, efficient and optimum architecture and help you in creating a standard that becomes your property and the blueprint for your enterprise growth.

Health check of your existing virtualization platform: In many organizations, the proven benefits of virtualization led to rapid virtualization implementation without adequate planning, strategy, policies and standards. Let Dell experts analyze your existing virtualization platform, addressing issues such as configuration, security, stability and optimization. This can give you a deep understanding of the health of your virtualization environment in comparison to industry best practices.

Workload migration planning and execution: Slow adoption of virtualization can slow your organization’s growth and result in a drastically reduced ROI. Dell can help you speed up adoption by analyzing your source workloads and providing a standardized migration process and technical procedure to help you reduce the time to value of your virtualization efforts.

Virtualization operational readiness assessment:

For all its benefits, virtualization also brings operational challenges. It’s easy to spend too much time on day-to-day operations, managing the proliferation of VMs, rather than focusing on strategic initiatives. We work with you to determine how you can optimize your operational processes. You’ve optimized your infrastructure; now you need to optimize your IT organization.

Let your Dell sales representative assist you in choosing the right option for you at time of purchase.

Beyond the included implementation service that sets up and provides basic configuration of your vStart solution, it is recommended you add the vStart Solution Assistance and Consulting Service. This one-week specialized technical assistance engagement helps you integrate your vStart environment with your existing infrastructure and virtualization strategy, so you can get the maximum benefit from your vStart solution. This engagement includes one of four service options:

Why vStart makes vSenseCloud-optimized virtualization in a box10

Get your staff up-to-speed on best practices for managing and optimizing your virtualized technology. Dell offers certified VMware and storage training on www.LearnDell.com. To help you get the most of your vStart solution, we recommend:

VMware Certified Training:vSphere Install, Configure and Manage. Explore installation, config and management of vSphere, which consists of VMware ESX/ESXi and VMware vCenter Server, in this five-day, hands-on training course. The course is based on ESX/ESXi 4 and vCenter Server 4. On completion, you can take the exam to qualify as a VMware Certified Professional. This course is instructor-led and is available at a training center or at your site.

vSphere Manage for Performance: VMware recommends that you complete the VMware vSphere Install, Configure and Manage Certified Training before taking this course. Learn how to manage performance in a vSphere environment with this three-day, hands-on course. Gather the skills necessary to making the fundamental design decisions that meet performance goals in an already-deployed vSphere installation. The course is based on ESX/ESXi 4 and vCenter Server 4. This course is instructor-led and is available at a training center or at your site.

Dell EqualLogic: PS Series Basic Configuration and Management Online Training: Gain a better understanding of your Dell EqualLogic Storage array through this online training. Learn about the hardware and software features and about best practices for configuring and operating the array. The training includes a series of simulations that walk you through basic configuration and administration of the storage array. This course is a basic introduction that prepares you for the two-day PS series Advance Features course.

These courses are just a beginning. Dell Education Services offers an extensive curriculum to help you move your virtualization, IT and your business forward. See the possibilities at www.LearnDell.com.

When it comes to complex applications and solutions, you might turn to onsite IT resources for installation, configuration and maintenance assistance. However, getting expert help doesn’t mean the need to break the bank or require long-term contracts and expensive service packages.

With Dell Remote Advisory Services, you can get flexible and cost-effective support for specialized apps from certified experts. Our specialists provide phone and Internet-based consultation, configuration and management support on a variety of different technology topics, including virtualization; Microsoft Exchange; storage area networks; backup, recovery, and archiving; server and storage tasks; networking and common software apps, such as Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Red Hat, and Linux. You can pay on a per-incident basis or purchase an annual contract. We provide both phone and online support. Dell Remote Advisory Services are also ideal for additional support after a Dell solution deployment or for additional application/hardware configuration requests.

Why vStart makes vSenseCloud-optimized virtualization in a box11

TS TechCase Study 1:

When TS Tech, a world-class supplier to the automotive industry, needed to speed its ERP migration to a new platform, it chose a preconfigured Dell vStart virtual infrastructure. Bill Sommer, MIS manager at the company’s Columbus, Ohio, facility, estimates that developing a virtual solution from scratch would have taken between two and four months.

With the vStart solution, TS Tech executed its ERP migration quickly. Perhaps just as important, it also established a proven model for deploying similar solutions in the future.

“Dell vStart has provided a new paradigm for growth,” says Sommer. “We now have the ability to quickly add a highly manageable set of server, network and storage resources that can be delivered racked, cabled and ready to run at a price business owners support.”

Source: UBM TECHWEB whitepaper, November 2011 by Andrew Mazer. Mr Mazer is an IT journalist who covers virtualization, storage, consolidation, cloud computing and optimizing IT infrastructures.

Brodart is a US-based library solutions company that provides everything from shelf-ready books to electronic ordering systems and furniture. With an aging server infrastructure in need of a refresh, Brodart wanted to achieve the many benefits of server virtualization while avoiding a lengthy migration.

“Most of our servers were nearing end of life,” explains Brad Huyck, manager, IT operations. “I knew we needed to virtualize as many servers as possible as part of the refresh, but since we had just completed a long Oracle implementation, I knew that Brodart may be reluctant to commit to another major project. We have a small staff here, and we’re very busy.”

Brodart decided to install the Dell vStart 100v. “To be honest, I expected a six month deployment, just putting the different pieces of the puzzle together,” says Huyck. “I had been involved with a virtualization project in a previous job, and we shot ourselves in the foot because we used direct-attached storage, and it turned out not to be enough.”

Huyck was pleasantly surprised when the team had virtual servers up and running within the first week of delivery. “The Dell vStart solution came completely racked and cabled, so all we had to do was plug it in,” he says. “It even included the power distribution units and uninterruptible power supplies. Just four weeks after we made the purchase, we were already achieving business value. That’s about six timesfaster than I expected. The benefits that we saw in the first week were just through the roof.”

The Thinkwell Group specializes in arts, entertainment and media and employs 70 staff in the US. It designed the play areas of Ski Dubai, a 25-storey indoor ski resort, featuring an awe-inspiring array of ski slopes, play areas and state-of-the-art facilities. Thinkwell conceived and designed MGM Studio City Korea, a fantasy backlot come alive with eye-popping detail, exclusive dining, nightlife entertainment, rides and attractions.

The company needed a scalable, flexible IT infrastructure that would enable it to stretch its facilities due to business growth, send massive files globally to production teams and clients, accommodate spikes in staff numbers and never lose data.

It chose a virtualization solution based on Dell PowerEdge servers with Intel Xeon processors, VMware virtualization software, Dell PowerVault storage, Dell Precision workstations, Dell Latitude laptops and Dell PowerConnect switches. The solution was preconfigured and pretested by Dell.

“If we had started from scratch on our own, it would have taken months to research and test solutions with various vendors,” says Joe Zenas, CEO, Thinkwell Group. “Dell and VMware had our virtualization plan ready to implement in no time.”

The benefits? Up to US$170,000 annual cost savings (US$50,000 in hardware, US$120,000 in power and cooling), zero data lost since solution went live, fast implementation with factory configuration and testing, and the scalable solution accommodates peaks in hiring without increase in data center footprint.

Brodart CompanyCase Study 2:

Thinkwell GroupCase Study 3:

• IDC: Adapted from Market Analysis Perspective: Worldwide Enterprise Virtualization Software, 2010 — Server Virtualization by Gary Chen, IDC #227532 and Worldwide Virtual Machine Software 2011–2015 Forecast by Gary Chen, IDC #229434. Sponsored by Dell. January 2012.• IDC: Press release dated November 22, 2011.• Gartner: Press Release dated March 12, 2012: Gartner Says the Personal Cloud Will Replace the Personal Computer as the Center of Users’ Digital Lives by 2014. Gartner Special Report Examines How Businesses Must Meet Consumers’ Cloud Expectations in Order to Win Customers.• Gartner: Press release dated November 23, 2011.

Industry Quote Sources:

Copyright 2012 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.