Format of Session

1
Format of Session

• Server Terminology
• Context
• The problem with servers?
• What does this mean?
• Why do it?
• How to do it?
• Benefits of doing it
• Summary relate to assignment

2
Server Terminology

• With this topic it is important to be clear about
  the terminology but includes-
• Virtual Server usually at another
  locationshared by multiple owners each owner
  can use and administer it as though they had
  complete control of the server via software they
  do not manage the hardware aspects this is akin
  to an ISP co-location server
• Virtualisation the pooling together of physical
  servers into what seems a single server resource

3
Virtualisation encapsulates a variety of
solutions

• Virtual Servers running within one physical
  server on which to run server applications such
  as Exchange, Content Management, SQL, CRM.
• Physical servers running virtualised desktop
  applications that are then delivered as thin
  client apps to desktop machines. Many users have
  access to this one desktop configuration.
• Virtual servers running different individual
  desktops on isolated "slices" within the physical
  server. Each user has their own "slice".
• One or more of these options facilitates control
  of users and prevents unfettered "end user system
  development".
• This in turn creates flexibility and agility in
  providing new or expanded systems in support of
  general business development.
• For example the task of managing and setting up
  new offices and employees is as simple as
  pointing the central applications at the relevant
  users.

4
In diagrammatic form

• This is one of most interest to us at Albion

5
Server Terminology

• Server farm a group of computers acting as
  servers and housed together in a single location
  - sometimes called a server cluster.
• Server consolidation - a restructuring of an
  organisation's infrastructure for the purpose of
  reducing costs and improving control by
  optimising the server resource requirements
• Usually means less servers

6
Server market

• Server Market share a growing market
• IBM 32
• HP 27
• Sun 10
• Dell 10
• Others 21
• Source IDC
• Evidence points at buyers spending according to
• Value getting more out of the servers machines
• Open source rather than proprietary

7
Context

• We enter the world of addiction
• Server addiction the breeding of more and more
  servers
• Data addiction the storage of more and more
  data
• The evidence indicates that corporations can be
  accused of being data holics and server holics
• How can we help them combat this abuse?
• Server consolidation also referred to loosely
  as virtualisation
• Data consolidation

8
The problem with servers

• Ive got servers and have looked after servers
  during my career
• Servers deal with the workload in the
  organisation
• Server side has grown over the last 10 years to
  deal with CAPACITY demand
• Web Applications databases as well as
  traditional in-house applications
• What is/has been my biggest issue with servers?
• They take a lot of looking after usually the
  configuration
• It follows the more servers you have then the
  maintenance time increases I need to be manage
  the server
• Server topology needs to be flexible for the
  business
• I do not want to under-utilise a server

9
Topical news

• You will have noticed the recent IBM advert
• Room full of servers with an exhausted IT
  operative
• Blade server one box as a replacement
• See IBM.COM/TAKEBACKCONTROL/UK promotes
  virtualisation technology
• Virtualisation is distinct to consolidation
  however as it is a one of the consolidated
  techniques which can be chosen.
• We are therefore interested in what ever this is
  for Albion University

10
Virtualisation techniques

• Servers which are capable of virtual
  configuration by software
• IBM offer a product called Director
• Following screen grab is typical of the
  Virtualisation software view
• The use of blades (see slide 13) uses
  virtualisation

11
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12
What does consolidation mean?

• The opposite of distributed servers!
• Need to look back at the history of corporate
  enterprise networking
• 1970s/early 1980s centralised mainframe trend
• Mid/late 1980s onwards powerful desktop
  PCs/client/server architecture
• More recently distributed computing characterised
  by localised processing and storage
• The rule for some organisations has been to buy a
  server for each new application
• The more servers the better for user performance
• Servers have become more affordable

13
What does consolidation mean?

• Distributed computing is by nature a
  heterogeneous environment
• Evidence shows that if not controlled it can be
  costly to manage and promotes complexity
• In short the trend is now for a joined up
  environment so back to the mainframe ethos!
• Enhance flexibility of server provision
• Maximise use of available hardware
• Improve resilience

14
Why do it?

• To combat uncontrolled server proliferation
• To maximise utilisation rates and plan for future
  capacity
• Scale up and down
• Save on space space costs
• Control costs by managing servers as an estate
  from a single point (view)

15
How to do it?

• A number of consolidation approaches include
• 1. promote servers running multiple applications
  virtualisation using a virtual machine
• Server will have copy of operating system and
  support software for each application
• Single processor solution
• 2. Multiple applications run under a single
  instance of the operating system
• Aka mainframe style
• Suitable for large enterprise applications

16
How to do it?

• 3. Blade servers
• Dedicated servers e.g. security blade
• 2008 expected to make up 1/3rd of the total
  server market

17
Benefits

• The evidence (derived from Butler Group 2003)
  indicates that corporations are looking for
• Simplicity, reduce system administration
• service level guarantees and security control
• Value for money/cost control
• flexible structures

18
Procuring a server

• The task of determining server platforms this
  is required for the assignment
• Looking for
• Technology/Speed
• Size
• Cost
• Availability
• Expandability
• What will it support
• Include your specs for the servers in the
  appendices of the Design Specification handed in
  week12

19
Server Design Diagrams

• Need to show the following information
• Server shape
• Server purpose
• Server specification provided in document
• What the server connects to
• Example screen shot follows

20
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21
Visio is an effective way of drawing your server
diagrams
22
Overall Summary

• The benefits of a centralised application
  architecture include
• Security improvements (rapid deployment and
  roll-back of patches and configuration changes,
  ease of rebuilding compromised virtual systems
  from a trusted source)
• Reduced IT costs both in terms of management and
  hardware costs (typically reduced by 80)
• Implicit disaster recovery facilitated by the
  ease with which virtual servers are migrated
  (each virtual server backs up to a single file)

23
Summary

• Application to Albion specification implies
• A number of servers and types
• Email Database web.
• A central student records server used by the
  Administration/Management teams.
• You are looking to recommend ways of
  consolidating or optimising servers you will be
  asked to articulate this in week 10

24
Summary

• b) Storage and reliability
• Data storage capacity for staff and students
• Management of the storage and implement disaster
  recovery
• Consolidate server computer architecture

25
Summary

• c) Remote access and Security
• Design the network for performance and security
• Resilience for key applications to reduce the
  potential for a single of failure and support a
  move to greater availability.
• Secure access to the network for staff and
  students both on site and remotely.