When you're managing a 100-120 VMs across 7 or 8 hosts, then the cost of overdoing it are more spectacular.
Regardless of the situation being discussed, more is not always better -- not unless you look at each technology purchase in complete isolation. * * *ASB* *http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker* *Harnessing the Advantages of Technology for the SMB market… * On Tue, Jul 17, 2012 at 10:28 AM, John Cook <[email protected]> wrote: > 3 5.0 hosts in main Datacenter and another in a separate future DR > location. Both setups are iSCSI. Probably 25ish VMs, a mix of XP, W7, > Server 2003, 2008 and 2008R2 running Exchange 2010, SQL 2008, email > archiving, BES, AV, DCs, ect….. I DO maintain a physical DC in case of > that whole datacenter shutdown. Bringing it up first helps tremendously.** > ** > > ** ** > > *John W. Cook***** > > *Network Operations Manager***** > > *Partnership For Strong Families* > > *5950 NW 1st Place* > > *Gainesville, Fl 32607* > > *Office (352) 244-1610***** > > *Cell (352) 215-6944***** > > *MCSE, MCP+I, MCTS, CompTIA A+, N+, VSP**4, VTSP4***** > > ** ** > > *From:* David Mazzaccaro [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:53 AM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: moving to virtual**** > > ** ** > > Glad to hear it. Thanks.**** > > How many servers/users/devices you managing?**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > *From:* John Cook [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:33 AM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: moving to virtual**** > > ** ** > > Which is exactly how we have it set up. A host failure on any level goes > unnoticed by the end users plus we can do host updates during business > hours, it really makes life easier to not have to come in after hours to do > this and with your one man shop (I’m with you) it is essential for not > hitting the burnout wall trying to keep up.**** > > ** ** > > *John W. Cook***** > > *Network Operations Manager***** > > *Partnership For Strong Families* > > *5950 NW 1st Place* > > *Gainesville, Fl 32607* > > *Office (352) 244-1610***** > > *Cell (352) 215-6944***** > > *MCSE, MCP+I, MCTS, CompTIA A+, N+, VSP4, VTSP4***** > > ** ** > > *From:* David Mazzaccaro > [mailto:[email protected]<[email protected]>] > > *Sent:* Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:04 AM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: moving to virtual**** > > ** ** > > 3 hosts will give me an n+1 configuration.**** > > I assume I will need 2 hosts to run my environment, and having 3 will > allow for 1 to be down.**** > > Unless you are saying 1 host is enough to run everything and the 2nd host > would still give me redundancy?**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > *From:* Andrew S. Baker [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Monday, July 16, 2012 5:02 PM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* Re: moving to virtual**** > > ** ** > > The 8 cores vs 6 cores is really not apples to apples in this case, and > while you will almost always be better off going with the best you can > afford at a given moment, the truth is that you'll be positively fine with > 6-cores.**** > > ** ** > > The key, as others have already mentioned is RAM -- closely followed by > disk. CPU is a bit further out. Get tons of RAM.**** > > ** ** > > Now, I have to ask. Why 3 hosts? You only have 8 systems to virtualize, > plus some growth. Define the reasonable range of growth for 1 year? 4 > VMs? 8 VMs? Unless you said, "20 VMs", I'd be very much inclined to > tell you to save yourself the hardware and licensing costs of one host > server right now.**** > > > We're running dozens of production VMs across a pair of quad-core host > servers. For 190 users, you'll be fine.**** > > ** ** > > I second Brian on the NetApp recommendation.**** > > ** ** > > As for the services part of the quote, why do you think the $28K is > unrealistic? What are the quoted timeframes for the project? What is the > proposed scope of work?**** > > > Regards,**** > > ** ** > > *ASB***** > > *http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker***** > > *Harnessing the Advantages of Technology for the SMB market…***** > > ** ** > > On Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 3:36 PM, David Mazzaccaro < > [email protected]> wrote:**** > > Greetings,**** > > Getting very close to moving into the VM world, and have a couple of > questions…**** > > 1) I am trying to figure out if I should go with 8 core or 6 core > processors in my 3 hosts for my upcoming VMware environment.**** > > The price is about double. And I’m not sure I need 8 cores.**** > > The layout that has been quoted is as follows:**** > > 3 hosts connected to a PS4100XV SAN running VMware Essentials Plus Kit.*** > * > > The host servers I am looking at are either:**** > > HP DL360 G8 2x Intel® Xeon® E5-2640 (6 core, 2.50 GHz, 15MB, 95W) $5356 > each**** > > HP DL360 G8 2x Intel® Xeon® E5-2690 (8 core, 2.90 GHz, 20MB, 135W) > $10,061 each**** > > I currently have 8 physical servers (Win2003, E2003, Citrix 4.0) that we > will be P2V’d.**** > > After I P2V the servers, the plan is to begin creating new Windows 2008 > R2 VMs and migrating each server’s role (2008R2 domain, Exchange 2010, > and Citrix XenApp 6.5).**** > > I want enough power to be able to run my existing 8 servers in a virtual > environment and migrate them to AD2008/E2010/XenApp as well as leave some > room for testing and growth.**** > > 2 of the vendors said 6 core is fine, another vendor is quoting 8 core > processors.**** > > 2) The quotes I have for the “services” part of this are:**** > > $40,000 ($12k for AD/Exch, $8k for XenApp 20k for VMware)**** > > $38,000 (not itemized)**** > > $28,000 ($11k for AD/Ex, $6k XenApp, $11k for VM)**** > > Do these sound legit? I have ~190 users if that helps.**** > > I really think 28k is either too aggressive or simply not realistic. This > is the same vendor who quoted me (3) single processor servers, so I have > to go back to them and tell them I want dual proc.**** > > 3) For the SAN, I have 2 options:**** > > PS4100XV (12 600GB 15k SAS) $23,000**** > > NetApp FAS2240 (12 600GB 10k SAS) $22,000**** > > I have 2 vendors pushing the PS4100XV, and the other pushing the NetApp.** > ** > > From what I have been told, I’ll get better IOPS w/ the 15k drives in the > Equalogic. And fuller feature set.**** > > Any one w/ experiences w/ either of these models want to add their $.02?** > ** > > This is a completely new world for me, so any help is appreciated!**** > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
