Michael Leone on 21 Jun 2008 16:22:54 -0700 |
Matt Mossholder wrote: > ----- "Casey Bralla" <MailList@NerdWorld.org> wrote: >> But why not simply run dozens (hundreds?) of server **instances** on >> the same >> server? Why add the extra overhead of the virtualization process to >> the >> hardware? That has to cut efficiency by at least a few percent. >> >> So what is the advantage of running a complete virtualized server >> instead of >> multiple server processes? I can think on only 1: Clearly assignable >> > > I am in total agreement with you here. Consolidating applications to > a single server is a good thing. However, the factor that many people forget to take into account is the additional cost savings that could be had by consolidating software licensing as well. At my employer, someone came up with the brilliant idea of using VMWare ESX to put a single server at our smaller offices, to run all of the apps they use. Unfortunately, these apps amount to: > > * DHCP > * DNS > * File Server > * Print Server > * Site specific web server > > So, they decided to allocate a VM to each function. Of course, to remain within our company standards, each of these VMs also needed to run: > > * BMC Patrol (problem monitoring) > * Anti-virus software > * Asset Management software > * Centralized remote access software > * Systems Management software > > All of these coses could have been reduced by 4/5ths if all of these trivial applications were run on a single OS. None of them are particularly complex, or likely to interfere with each other. That's not even including the costs to purchase and maintain ESX and the price of keeping all the additional OSs. Well, splitting applications so that 1 server = 1 function, means that no application can bring down another function. For example, a tape backup should always be on a separate server, if you can. And use external devices. Why? If you should need to reboot to fix some SCSI bus errors, you're not taking out the file server, as well ... DHCP and DNS should easily be on 1 server, or 1 VM instance, regardless of OS. File server and print server, also probably the same instance, and might even be the same instance as the others above. I'm a bit leery about putting high disk traffic applications (like file servers or database servers) on a VM. The site specific web server ... maybe not. Depends on how much traffic this needs/generates, and the horse power requirements - will it take away from the others. We of course can't answer that, you can. But easily 2 VMs, instead of 5. And you can do 4 Windows servers on regular VMware (i.e., not ESX). I know, I used to do it. (I'm assuming Windows, since you mention anti-virus) > Another advantage is political. It is often easier to get people to > migrate to a VM (which can be done with tools) than to get them to > reinstall their software on a new system, configure it, move the > data, and point all the clients to the new system. > > Another advantage on the energy front comes from migrating running > VMs between systems. VMWare calls it VMotion, Xen has Live Migration, > etc. I know with VMotion, you can do things like migrate a bunch of > running VMs to a smaller number of servers at night, when load is > low, and shutdown the excess systems, and then move them back out in > the morning as load increases. > You can do more, I've heard, and will learn, as I'm pretty sure we will be moving to take advantage of it later this year. ESX, with Vmotion and a good SAN, can make for a lot of interesting configurations. -- Michael J. Leone Registered Linux user #201348 <mailto:turgon@mike-leone.com> PGP Fingerprint: 0AA8 DC47 CB63 AE3F C739 6BF9 9AB4 1EF6 5AA5 BCDF Photo Gallery: <http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeleonephotos> Resist, or co-exist. Conform, or be cast out. ___________________________________________________________________________ Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
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