virtualization and cloud solutions

Infrastructure Virtualization and Cloud Solutions

By Gabriel Ionescu

What is Virtualization?

• Wikipedia: ‘... is the creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as a hardware platform, operating system (OS), storage device, or network resources.’

• Webopedia: ‘... to create a virtual version of a device or resource, such as a server, storage device, network or even an operating system where the framework divides the resource into one or more execution environments.’

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What can be Virtualized?• Desktop• Server• Network• Storage• Application

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Virtual Desktop?

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Desktop Virtualization

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Advantages• Management• Security• OS migration• VDI Image• Snapshot technology• Go green• Independence

Desktop Virtualization

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Limitations• Potential security risk if the network is not properly managed• Challenges in setting up and maintaining drivers for printers

and other peripherals• Difficulty in running certain complex applications (e.g.

Multimedia)• Increased downtime in the event of network failures• Reliance on connectivity to corporate or public networks• Can be difficult for a user to permanently delete his/her data• Complex and high cost of VDI deployments and management

Desktop VirtualizationiMatrix ICT Cloud - www.imatrixcloud.com.au

Server Virtualization

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Benefits• Isolation• Standardization• Consolidation• Ease of Testing• Mobility• Reduce Delivery Time• Reduce Costs

• Flexibility• Leverage true On-

Demand• High Availability• Better Redundancy

Server VirtualizationiMatrix ICT Cloud - www.imatrixcloud.com.au

Limitations• Dedicated servers for application that require high demands

on processing power• Cannot overload server’s CPU by creating too many virtual

servers• Migration:

- VM can migrate if both physical machines use the same manufacturer CPU

- If a physical server requires maintenance and migration of the VM is not an option all VM’s will be unavailable

Server VirtualizationiMatrix ICT Cloud - www.imatrixcloud.com.au

Network Virtualization

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ComponentsVarious equipment and software vendors offer network

virtualization by combining any of the following:• Network hardware (switches, network adapters)• Firewall and load balancers• Virtual LANs and containers VMs• Storage devices• Network mobile elements (laptops, tablets, cell phones)• Ethernet and Fibre Channel

Network VirtualizationiMatrix ICT Cloud - www.imatrixcloud.com.au

Storage Virtualization

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Benefits

• Non-disruptive data migration• Improved utilization • Fewer points of management

Storage VirtualizationiMatrix ICT Cloud - www.imatrixcloud.com.au

Risks• Backing out a failed implementation• Interoperability and vendor support• Complexity – Management of environment– Infrastructure design– Software or device itself• Meta-data management• Performance and scalability

Storage VirtualizationiMatrix ICT Cloud - www.imatrixcloud.com.au

Implementation• Host-based

– Simple to design and code– Supports any storage array– Improve storage utilization without thin provisioning restrictions

• Storage device-based– No additional hardware or infrastructure requirements– Provide most of the benefits of storage virtualization– Does not add latency to individual I/Os

• Network-based– True heterogeneous storage virtualization– Caching of data– Single management interface– Replication data across devises

Storage VirtualizationiMatrix ICT Cloud - www.imatrixcloud.com.au

Application Virtualization

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Application Virtualization• Application Streaming

– On-demand software distribution

• Desktop Virtualization / Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)– Application is hosted in a VM or blade PC

Benefits• Simplified operating system migrations• Improved security – applications can be isolated from OS• Reduce system integration and administration costs• Uses fewer resources than a separate virtual machine

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Where from Here?

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Cloud – Service Models

• Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)– Virtual machines, Storage, Firewall, Load balancer, Network

• Platform as a service (PaaS)– Operating systems, programming language execution environment,

database, and web server

• Software as a service (SaaS)– Access application software using networked devices (desktop PC,

laptop, tablet and Smartphone)

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Cloud – Deployment models• Public cloud

– Applications, storage and other resources made available to general public free or as a pay-per-use model

• Community cloud– Shares infrastructure between several organizations with common

concern

• Hybrid cloud– Combination of any two (private, community and public)

• Private cloud– Operated solely and certainly of in house-applications

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Benefits

• Reduced costs• Increased storage• Highly automated • Flexibility• More mobility (anytime,

anywhere)• Allows IT to shift focus

Cloud Computing

• Scalability• Business continuity• Collaboration efficiency• Minimal IT footprint

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Risks?• Legal implications• Security• Compatibility• Availability• Compliance• Monitoring• Lock in• Standardization

Cloud ComputingiMatrix ICT Cloud - www.imatrixcloud.com.au

Cloud Computing

In conclusion: – Cloud computing is not risk-free– Almost all the risks can be managed with minimal effort,

and balanced against all the benefits it provides– Enterprises should decide whether or not adopting a cloud

solution comply with all of their organization requirements

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Questions

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Thank you!

Gabriel Ionescu

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