ARCHIVED: Completed project: P2V

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Primary UITS contact: Mike Egolf

Completed: August 12, 2008

Description: The goal of this project is to convert the majority of the existing inventory of Enterprise System Infrastructure-supported Windows and Linux systems, running on separate x86 hardware servers, to virtual systems, running under VMWARE on standard HP hardware platforms, by the end of calendar year 2007.

This project was first initiated in mid-2006 and started with over 120 physical x86 servers. The sequencing of conversions takes into account equipment replacement cycles, need for capacity, warranty expirations, and availability of service owners to participate in testing.

Due to the pending retirement of the old Oncourse servers, they were not initially considered, but will be considered for conversion in 2008.

Outcome: At the completion of the project, the majority of Enterprise System Infrastructure-supported Windows and Linux systems will be virtual systems running under VMWARE on standard HP DL585 systems.

The SAV team will be the sole group responsible for acquiring, deploying, and supporting hardware and VMWARE; the ESA group will provide operating system support. Service owners throughout UITS and some external departments will continue to provide application and service support.

This outcome supports overall consolidation, standardization, and virtualization strategies. Addition of new systems and retirement of others were interleaved with the conversions.

Milestones and status: Total counts of supported Enterprise System Infrastructure systems, factoring conversions, additions, and retirements:

Virtual systems under VMWARE Physical servers remaining
Linux Windows
January 2006 100 0 120
June 2006 101 13 97
December 2006 112 30 80
March 2007 117 42 66
June 2007 136 74 64
September 2007 150 98 43
October 2007 160 105 38
December 2007 167 104 25
March 2008 185 115 22
May 2008 191 132 16
July 2008 222 162 2

Update as of November 1, 2007: In mid-2007, remaining Linux systems were converted, and all Linux systems are now virtual. As of November 1, 2007, 38 physical servers, all Windows, remain to be converted or retired.

Update as of December 31, 2007: During December, the Onbase file server, owning over 7 million image files, was converted to a virtual system; all remaining CHE servers were also converted. A total of 12 physical servers from the initial inventory remain to be converted, including Best Locks, SafeWord card, License Server, and Windows Update. In addition, it was recently determined that the 13 remaining "Oncourse Original" physical Windows servers will be converted to a virtual system in the first half of 2008.

Update as of March 1, 2008: Out of the original group targeted, 9 physical servers remain to be converted to virtual systems. A new goal in 2008 is to convert all remaining Oncourse Original physical Windows servers to virtual systems.

Update as of May 1, 2008: The conversion of old Oncourse Original servers to virtual systems has now begun, with 2 converted. The goal is to convert the remaining servers to virtual systems prior to the start of fall 2008 classes. For all areas, a total of 16 physical servers remain to be converted.

Update as of August 1, 2008: All Oncourse Original servers have been successfully converted to virtual systems. One last remaining IMS server is in the process of being converted. Two physical servers remain (for the IUPUI IUPD department) due to application vendor constraints. All original intended servers have been completed, plus all Oncourse Original servers. This project is now considered complete.

Graph illustrating progress on the PV2 project

Comment process: Send email to Mike Egolf.

Benefits:

  • Reduced hardware costs; more efficient use of resources for a given workload
  • Reduced floor space, power, cooling requirements, and costs
  • Enhanced disaster recovery; ability to recreate systems at remote IU site
  • Same infrastructure at IUB and IUPUI
  • Use of high-speed, high-availability disk space (SAN) for all storage and system images
  • Standardization of hardware platforms, increasing fungibility of resources
  • Quick adjustments to add more computing resources when needed
  • More rapid provisioning and cloning of new systems, reducing the service deployment time
  • Use of standard TSM backup and recovery system by all systems
  • Reduction of planned downtime for hardware and operating system maintenance and upgrades
  • Improved reliability; ability to move a live application to another system/hardware platform without impact; minimization of issues with older, failing equipment

Project sponsor: Rob Lowden, Director, UITS Enterprise System Infrastructure

Issues: A limited set of application vendors do not support their application in a virtual environment under VMWARE. Remaining conversions are dependent on service owner availability.

Primary client: A broad range of clients, applications, and services are affected, including:

  • Network load balancers for web hosting, other applications
  • Financial Information System (FIS)
  • Maintenance Management System (MMS)
  • OnBase imaging
  • Room Scheduling for Student Systems
  • Electronic data exchange between numerous outside entities and Indiana University
  • SafeWord card servers
  • TNG batch job scheduling and management
  • PeopleSoft report generators
  • UITS Facilities Sitescan
  • Best Locks for physical door security
  • Microsoft Update servers
  • Consolidated Hosting Environment (CHE) for hundreds of departmental databases
  • Oncourse Original servers
  • Virus scanning servers
  • Paybase for financial disbursements
  • Distributed printing
  • Identity Management servers
  • CAS authentication

Client impact: The main impact to clients is the time it takes to test the conversion process and to incorporate this effort into work plans and timelines. Once a service is converted, clients and users of the service are the beneficiaries.

Project team:

  • Denise Craig
  • Tom Pfister
  • Jim Topp
  • Steve Fultz
  • Adam McFarren
  • Dick Hiatt
  • Robert Reynolds
  • Troy Williams

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Last modified on 2018-01-18 16:04:55.