Server Virtualisation Project Proposal

[Duke]

FT is cool, but probably not something I'll use. You'll need a good network link between the two servers to keep them properly in sync, but it does potentially mean zero downtime. The only service I'd really like that on at the moment is Exchange... but Exchange requires at least 2 CPUs, and FT only works on single-CPU VMs!

I'm looking at a figure around £280 per-socket for 1 Year Gold Support on vSphere Enterprise, with £480 for the same on vCentre. Not cheap by any means, but not too ridiculous either.

Currently writing up my business proposal for our project, my head is a mess of server specs and VMware licensing...

[Tallwood_6]

If you can do without the storage vmotion then you could save yourself some money on vsphere advanced and vcenter foundation if your only likely to have a max of 3 hosts.

[RyTech]

Duke you seem like the man to talk to I was looking at the Dell PowerEdge M710 to combine four servers and was looking at running hyper v but seen it could be an issue with the 2003 server os's what would you recommend and could you maybe send me over the propsal you sent to the chap who made the thread, if you would nto mind my email address is ryanhamilton at hotmail dot com

Thanks

[Duke]

Duke you seem like the man to talk to I was looking at the Dell PowerEdge M710 to combine four servers and was looking at running hyper v but seen it could be an issue with the 2003 server os's what would you recommend and could you maybe send me over the propsal you sent to the chap who made the thread, if you would nto mind my email address is ryanhamilton at hotmail dot com

Cheers, although I think it's more luck than anything else sometimes.

Regarding the M710's - I take it you've already got the chassis and everything sorted? If not, any particular reason for going for a blade server? You do realise that the chassis would be a single point of failure in your virtual set up?

I'll email you the docs I've got, just bear in mind they're now from 2008, but they do provide a general buisness case for consolidated storage and virtualisation.

Cheers,
Chris

[burgemaster]

Incase you are interested,

We had a total of 12 servers. 7x tower servers ready for retirement, 2x 1U Dells as the DCs and 3 new Dell 2U dual CPU 16GB rack mounted servers.

All servers were running 2k3. We installed the 3 dells with windows 2008 R2 enterprise to be used as hosts for all the other servers. I installed MSVMM to help with the P2V conversions and then one by one over many months (during term time!) I converted the older servers one by one to virtual servers, 3 VMs on each host. The server rack in now empty and everything is running like a dream!.
The VHDs for the VMs are stored locally on each of the hosts as we cannot afford a SAN. the average CPU use of each host rarely goes over 10%!

With enterprise you are licensed for 4 VMs per host.I have had no trouble with the 7 VMs running server 2003 or any trouble with the NICs.
We already had 2k8 licensed so it didnt cost a penny.

We then purchased MSVMM as it made monitoring the VMs and Hosts a doddle. For a little extra we had DPM2010 and MSCCM included in a bundle licence, so the backup were sorted too!

Good luck!