Server Virtualization with ESXi

Harendra Bhandari

Server Virtualization Overview

Virtualized servers using VMware Esxi server(private cloud)

Virtualized servers using VMware Esxi server(private cloud)

Netw

ork Interface System Admins

Users

Install OS, Install Software, Reboot etc using VMwareclient.

Use the service through web browser

How does ESXi work

Physical server layer, one or many servers

ESXi server (hypervisor) ESXi Layer, it is a resource manager that combinesresources of the physical hardware (CPU cores, memory, HDD,NIC etc)

OS1 OS1 OS3 Operating systems are installed on top of hypervisor.The hardware resources are provided on demand.

System Admins

OM OM OM

System admins can accessBoth OS and ESXi server

Applications installed on top of OSes

Users

Users can access openmeetingsusing browser from any of the installedOSes.

Our Scenario

Physical server at Kathmandu, Pokhara

ESXi server (hypervisor)ESXi installed.

OS1 OS1 OS3

Anybody including the team from Japan and elsewhere can directlyinstall OSes, do reboot and anything you can do with a physicalmachine.OS1 and OS2 can be production servers and OS3 can be a testserver. Each OS can have its own IP.

System Admins

OM OM OM

System admins from bothNepal and outside can access the OS and do anything with it.

Openmeetings will be installed on the top.

Users

Users can access openmeetingsusing browser from any of the installedOSes.

Comparison of ESXi and Physical machine

Topic Physical Server ESXi serverGUI Speed Fast Slow

Server App Speed Fast Fast

Command lineaccess

Fast Fast with goodnetwork connection(>512kbps)

Remote OS Install Not possible Possible

Remote Reboot Possible (Prone to problems) Possible

Multiple OS instances (simultaneous)

Not possible Possible

Optimal use of hardware Not optimized Optimized

Load balancing Possible but difficult to achieve Easily achieved

Backup Difficult to maintain Can easily take snapshots and deployed anywhere in few hours.

Server Hardware Req Modest hardware OK Best if hardware used are Xeon/Opteron processors with at least 8GB memory.