Building a dynamic Datacenter

Evolution of IT to a strategic asset is impossible unless your datacenter is configured and managed to react quickly to changing business needs. In addition to agility, the cost of maintaining a mature datacenter should fall well below that associated with traditional datacenter infrastructures. Finally, the dynamic datacenter must minimize business impact when critical systems fail. Server virtualization plays an important role in reaching these objectives by providing the following:

» Increasing utilization of server processing, memory, input-output (I/O), and storage resources

» Decreasing server sprawl by aggregating applications on fewer hardware platforms

» Improving IT service levels by enabling quick deployment of new servers and operating systems while providing the means to recover failed systems well within maximum downtime constraints

» Supporting legacy systems by allowing older software solutions to run on newer hardware platforms

» Streamlining management and security

» Reducing challenges associated with application compatibility, hardware or other applications

» Improving time to recovery during business continuity events


Virtualization layers in a dynamic datacenter
Microsoft’s vision of a virtualized datacenter consists of three layers above the physical layer. Positioned immediately above the hardware layer is Hyper-V, abstracting hardware resources from future VMs. Above Hyper-V is the application layer in which virtualization-capable operating systems and applications come together to form a collection of VMs. The Model layer comes last, providing the tools and processes necessary to bring together the other three layers, configure them in a standard way, and create a cohesive processing environment. Tools used in the Model layer include System Center Operations Manager (SCOM), System Center Virtual Machine Manager, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), and Visual Studio development tools.

Source of Information : Elsevier-Microsoft Virtualization Master Microsoft Server Desktop Application and Presentation