Virtualization - Part 2: Which Virtualization Solution Should I Use

Wading through the vast array of virtualization solutions is a challenge and frankly it will mostly be a waste of your time, until you focus on a specific solution needed for your school. I emphasize “specific”, because sometimes the process associated with the high tech virtualization strategy is a very low-tech and practical need to just get something done without an army of Network Engineers and a couple of hours on the phone with technical support.

You can virtualize servers, if you have a need to either consolidate physical hardware or add another server for a specific application. You can virtualize desktops and launch them in thin client sessions to create a sterile computer lab environment (such as required for testing). Or, you might want to use virtualization as part of your backup strategy for mission critical applications, such as computers running your financial software.

Whatever your circumstances, be sure you have a solid business case for implementing a virtualization strategy. Don’t get sucked into the IT department’s love affair with virtualization without a compelling solution attached to it. The one certainty about virtualization is that it will virtually guarantee (another intended pun), that your IT team will be on the payroll for as long as you keep that virtualized environment in place. This is a pretty complex solution, even for those of us in the business.

Here are three very specific examples of where we have used virtualization to the benefit of our school partner:

VoIP Management Server: Due to growing pains, one of our schools needed to setup a remote administration office to accommodate temporary office space during new facility construction. They did not want to spend on infrastructure that would be replaced within a year, and space was very limited.

The VoIP system they setup for the temporary offices required a server for the call manager (PBX functionality).

Using Microsoft Hyper-V technology, we created a VM (Virtual Machine) which had the sole purpose of running the call manager software. There were specific system requirements that differed from the configuration of the host server, otherwise we would not have needed a VM in the first place.

It ran flawlessly for the period of about 24 months (ever heard of construction delays) and then we decommissioned that VM and moved to the new facilities. Mission accomplished.

The business case for this virtualization was temporary computing requirements with the least amount spent on hardware, software, and electricity.

Server Migration: A rather old and inefficient server at partner school needed replacing. Simple enough, right? Well yes, except the school financial system was installed on this server and the orders were to not to interrupt it. It also did after hours synchronizing with a district system, which required point in time coordination.

Quick is not something that can be guaranteed with a single network engineer managing an entire school on one day per week (our model). So we employed a virtualization strategy.

The solution was to configure a VM and work through all of the network connection issues, configuration, and testing. Then at a pre-appointed time we quickly took a snap-shot (image) of the operating server and virtualized it. This VM then ran for a period of several weeks giving us plenty of time to install and configure the new physical server, without pressue on our part or interruption on theirs.

Why did we not simply keep running the financial system as a virtual machine? Good question, although it could have in theory been easily done. There were ownership (as in the district’s property) and licensing issues that drove the decision.

The business case for this virtualization was a time critical server migration. Not just the length of time it took, but the point(s) in time requirement as well.

Computer Lab:  A thoroughly trashed computer lab at one of our partner schools needed replacing, but budgets were very tight. We needed to find a way to refurbish/replace the computer lab for well under $10, 000 with the specific requirement to make them easy to use for state mandated testing.

If you read between the lines, what the administrator was trying to avoid was that very stressful “day of testing” computer problem nightmare you have all experienced.

Our virtualization solution in this situation was Windows MultiPoint server connected by HP Zero Clients. Using MultiPoint server, we were able to reduce the cost of the lab by 75% (we set up in a conservative 5 – 1 ratio) and provide a sterile computing environment on testing day.

The setup was easy, because MultiPoint Server 2011 is designed specifically to recognize and configure the HP Zero Clients. And after downloading the states thin client setup utility, we were able to quickly boot into a “Sterile” testing environment. That is where all computer sessions are identical, locked down, ready for testing, and capable of being administered by a proctor.

The business case for this virtualization was not only cost, but in delivering a sterile computing environment, (as we defined above).

Summary

Virtualization is a mature and well adopted technology used worldwide in a variety of circumstances. It may indeed be appropriate for you to consider. Before doing so, identify a specific computing problem and desired outcomes and a budget before calling your IT provider.

Hopefully your IT provider is wise enough to guide you in selecting your virtualization strategy, software provider, and configuration to accommodate your business case. And if you have a requirements for a temporary, time critical, or specific computing environment; then virtualization is likely a good choice.

And that’s virtually all I have to say about it… until next week. We’ll look a little deeper at virtualizing your computer lab.

Virtualization - Part 1: What is Virtualization and do I need it?

This article reminds me of a little boy who went to his father with a question, to which his father replied "Son, why don't you go ask your mom?" Knowing all too well this outcome, the little boy answered in exasperation, " Because, I didn't really want to know that much!"

The buzzword of "Virtualization" may just be this kind of subject for you. But more and more service providers are doing some kind of virtualization, so you might want to at least have a conceptual view.

In all honesty, I think some service providers virtualize infrastructures to make them so complicated that the school is held virtually captive (pun intended) and fearful of trying to manage the systems for fear they will disappear into thin air. Which, come to think of it, is actually quite possible...

Let's try to reduce the concept of virtualization sufficient to enable a decision about the technology and if it is right for you. Be patient this will take a few articles.

A virtual computer is a digital representation of another fully functional computer (the guest), which resides inside of a physical computer (the host). Wikipedia defines it thus: A virtual machine (VM) is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system".

Virtualization evolved from a fundamental economic requirement to reduce the cost of buying, housing, powering, and securing (think backups) of computers; mainly server class computers. It has been an exceptionally profitable undertaking.

I recall visiting one data center, and this was not a small single story building, with floors and floors of nothing but server computers. On a given floor there were rows and rows of racks filled with stacks of server computers, probably numbering in the thousands of actual physical servers, normally in a "blade" form factor so they could put more servers in a given rack.

There was an entire staff of network engineers moving through the rows doing some sort of maintenance, upgrades, or complete replacements. It was actually quite impressive, along with being very noisy and uncomfortably warm.

If I were to revisit that facility today, I would expect to see 75% less space being used to accomplish the same mission. Instead of thousands of servers, there might be hundreds. But, each of those servers would be running 10 Virtual Servers, delivering an equivalent in computing capacity.

Virtualization allows companies to dramatically reduce the cost of real estate, hardware, electricity, heating and cooling, and administration of data centers - (roughly in that order of savings). It is a mature and well established industry, with a few key software companies owning most of the market share. The solutions of which I am familiar are VMWare and Microsoft.

What is really cool, if you are a Geek, is that you can actually store an "image" of a virtual machine on a computer hard drive and launch it into action at a moments notice. When you do so, it's like magic - "poof"; and another fully functional computer appears on your network. This Virtual Disk Image (VMWare) or Virtual Hard Drive (Microsoft) can be moved easily to any host capable of powering it up.

Virtual machines have opened up all kinds of possibilities in managing technology at your school. But they are not without cost and may not always be practical in your particular situation. Proceed with care and it may save you a bundle, proceed carelessly and it may cost you your job when everything blows up

We'll explore a few of these ideas in the coming weeks.

Note: I am not an expert in either VMWare or Microsoft Hyper-V, leaders of virtual machine technology. This is not indended to be technical document, rather an overview for our many Charter School Administrators who  may really not want to know that much!