A plea for MOAR content :) !!

Njo, Milton, and Pete.

Please post some cool content. I would like to have some more stuf other than just my ramblings :).

Storage Question.

So the last question put the following constraints on a virtualization design and implementation problem.

Let's Review:

The constraints were that you have performance issues due to storage latency.

You have no budget the ONLY things that you can leverage is the extra hardware from the virtualization project.

So the only solution that makes sense whether it's the best is not a question.

One (I stress) one of the workable solutions is to acutally put the latency sensitive application back on physical hardware until you can ensure the storage state. Now what I mean is you can still keep it a VM but you toss it on a dedicated box with ESXi (no cost). Then using the local storage options that you have open to you create the least latency and fastest sub-system that you can.


Do you agree? Is there a solution that you think might work just as well?

Let me know. That is what the comment section is for :).

Talk to you guys soon.

Some UCS/Virtualization/Storage items.

So in general UCS is gathering some great traction. Along with Virtualization it's pulling storage pretty hard as well. One of the things that I continue to see is the underestimation of resourcing for storage in a virtual environment.

Let's now take a look at the eco-system of storage in a virtualization context with Cisco's UCS providing the vCompute platform. In this specific scenario it is entirely possible to achieve a very nice consolidation number.

But your storage doesn't need to be sweet ... right ? Wrong! Let's take an example. You consolidate 10 servers onto 1. One of the servers was VERY storage intensive but CPU cycles remained very low. This was due to a specific application that didn't like Storage latency.

But the decision that was made was to deploy these VM's onto an iSCSI connected RAID 5 array. This is a S/W iSCSI initiator connected storage device. You have 10 VM's and your storage sensitive VM is having massive issues. So what do you do? Where did it all go wrong. The planned storage implementation has enough disk space but the IOPS profile and connection choice is all wrong for the intended purpose. So how can it be fixed the budget is spent and the storage doesn't support online RAID level migration along with the fact that even if you could migrate the RAID level you would be completely out of storage. What can be done and how do we do it?

Well that's a case for another post. But if you ever end up in a position like this it's going to be a tough spot and it is possible that there might not be a good answer.

Talk to you tomorrow and I'll post about this again.

Why Tiggers DO NOT like Safari :).

So I finally got some gear for the lab at work and it's really taking shape. I then used safari to download the latest Celerra VSA from Sakac's blog and it comes down in a .ova.tar extension. No problem I have winrar and I can bust it out into a new format. So I do that and attempt an import but no go. Work with the un-tarballed ovf file thinking that was a problem. Spent a couple of hours on it and then went home frustrated as all heck. I get home and think myabe both work downloads were corrupt. So I pull it down through my favortie browser Chrome. It comes down as a straight OVA and I just was like "No WAY". After a big forehead slap I came into the office and renamed the file. DOH!

That is why Tiggers DO NOT like Safari :).

It's Magic, It's wonderous . . . It's an iPhone that can't make calls.

Welcome to the iPad:

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Looks nice and it's cool but it's just missing some key things.

Nope not going to get one. Now add bluetooth and the option to make calls. Along with a touch more ooomph in the processor department, then we'll talk.

-OUT

Nice reasonable laptop workstation w/o the unreasonable cost.

This Asus G73JH laptop comes with 4 DIMM slots and a core i7 proc. Connect it to some iSCSI storage and BAM! Nice VM homelab.

Details via Engadget! - Link is here - http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/asus-rog-g73jh-launches-with-core-i7-radeon-hd-5870-bragging-r/

It's gotta a new cooling design so that your reproductive parts don't need to be iced down during heavy usage. Don't lie you know what I'm talking about.

Thinking that something this nice must cost the same as a DELL M6500? I checked and it's going to retail for less than $2000. AWESOME!!!

VMware Player creates VM's ... WHAT?!!

So I admit it I have been out of the loop on VMware player for the good bit of 2 years. I have been using workstation for all my VM creation and testing stuff. Then I check out the www.yellow-bricks.com post on creating an ESXi thumbdrive install with VM player and I was like "hold, on, wait a minute.". So it's not new to all you smart people but I guess that you can now create VM's with VMware player. So here is to all you people smarter than myself :).

Here is the link to the post : http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2010/1/10/vsphere-esxi-4-0-on-a-usb-memory-stick/!

Cool Stuff to know no doubt. :)

Talk to you guys again soon.

OH - P.S. Check out Sakac's post at virtual geek if you want to work at EMC! :P

edit ... spelling errors. Fast typing 4tl.