Citrix XenServer

[cookie_monster]

Thanks Butuz, that's where we're heading at least 2 new servers a SAN and at least one new switch to connect it all.

[Butuz]

Yep we'll be virtualising terminal servers.

I am not in a position to do testing yet - once I have some server hardware to test on I'll be able to do some performance testing on the virtualised terminal servers.

Cheers

Butuz

[RobFuller]

What sort of cost is XenServer with all the enterprise features coming out like for a 2 server setup for example?

[linescanner]

Yes email Andy he is much more privvy to accurate information and he has helped me out no end!

I understand the importance being able to get hold of ballpark costs before you speak in depth with a supplier though - it's a pet peeve of mine suppliers that keep costs totally secret untill you actually place an order - luckily Andy @ Cutter seems happy to talk ballpark though so I am sure he wont mind this post!

Do not mind at all. Rather you guys get a real picture before we all waste time chasing pipe dreams etc.

Always happy to help.

[Soulfish]

What sort of cost is XenServer with all the enterprise features coming out like for a 2 server setup for example?

Prices for Xen Server Enterprise (now Essentials for Xen Server, Enterprise Edition) that I was getting were in the £1150ish range per server. This was last month before they launched Essentials and I believe the pricing may have changed now but it gives you an idea

[Butuz]

TBH The Free version is so feature filled compared to ESXi that I would question whether you really need to spend £1000+ extra per server to get automatic HA? If a server failed you could manually restart the VMs on another Xen server - still a million times easier and quicker than having to actually rebuild / restore a physical server!!

Butuz

[artfulmatt]

We use Citrix for desktops - and will be virtualising the servers we run....How you guys creating your virtual servers? are you building from scratch or taking an image of your existing servers?

We run sharepoint heavily so to virtualise that and all the databases etc....would be some task lol

[Soulfish]

We use Citrix for desktops - and will be virtualising the servers we run....How you guys creating your virtual servers? are you building from scratch or taking an image of your existing servers?

We run sharepoint heavily so to virtualise that and all the databases etc....would be some task lol

We're going to be starting from scratch. Moving to Windows Server 2008 in the summer so we're also going to take the opportunity to start everything with a clean slate!

[artfulmatt]

Im actually now working on creating a VHD from a physical machine :-D wondering how a this all works and whether I can take an image of my DC etc....???

[Butuz]

Waiting on new Test Servers for me to to try the Xen Convertor - but on VMWare you can either boot the server to be converted from the Vmware convertor CD and instruct it to convert to the Vmware server of your choice, or you can actually install the VMWare convertor software onto the server to be converted and then instuct it to convert. The option to boot from the CD is best (no covertor software footprint left on server) and I think Xen only supports the bootable CD method which is fine.

The VMWare convertor was very good, and successfuly converted eveything I tried, from terminal servers to member servers to RM CC3 XP machines. Hope the Xen convertor is just as impressive!

Butuz

[Ric_]

@Butuz: There's no P2V for Windows machines but you could use the free VMWare converter and then use the VMWare->XenServer converter

I prefer starting from scratch because it gets rid of the rubbish that inevitably builds up. You can create a template of a sysprepped server to speed things up.

[box_l]

xenconvert will run on a physical machine, make a vhd on a serperate drive/partition and then upload to the xenserver.

i have done this with no hitches on one xp laptop and one 2003 server so far.

one downside is that you should try to reduce the used area of the disc as much as possible, then make the partition as small again. i have not found an easy way of reducing the size of the virtual disc.
i am sure it can be done, but not without lots of faff.

i have xenserver running quite well (for testing) on my latitude with d820 2gb ram.

1 linux
1 2k3
1 xpsp3
1 windows 7

might try for OSX too !

regards

BoX

[artfulmatt]

@Butuz: There's no P2V for Windows machines but you could use the free VMWare converter and then use the VMWare->XenServer converter

I prefer starting from scratch because it gets rid of the rubbish that inevitably builds up. You can create a template of a sysprepped server to speed things up.

Don't really wanna rebuild the domain controller - I'm testing the Xen Converter which can convert a vm image to xen or take a physical machine and convert to xen - it only runs on disks that are basic and not dynamic and a few other niggly issues - nice to know about the vm converter though as thats another option

[artfulmatt]

xenconvert will run on a physical machine, make a vhd on a serperate drive/partition and then upload to the xenserver.

i have done this with no hitches on one xp laptop and one 2003 server so far.

one downside is that you should try to reduce the used area of the disc as much as possible, then make the partition as small again. i have not found an easy way of reducing the size of the virtual disc.
i am sure it can be done, but not without lots of faff.

i have xenserver running quite well (for testing) on my latitude with d820 2gb ram.

1 linux
1 2k3
1 xpsp3
1 windows 7

might try for OSX too !

regards

BoX

don't suppose your 2k3 is a DC? lol

[box_l]

sorry, no.

i'll give it a try in one of my schools.

Box