Question 12 about server virtualization

1. Can a virtual machine run any version of Windows on a specific server?


Server Virtualization has no version restrictions on the Windows Server Operating System (or Linux) that you use on each virtual machine. However, the new version of Windows requires you to check its compatibility with your server virtualization software before installation.


2. Will restarting a virtual machine affect other virtual machines?


Restarting a VM does not require access to servers or server virtualization software. Restarting Virtualization has no impact on other virtual machines. Virtual machines are completely isolated from each other. However, if you restart the physical server (that is, you restart the server virtualization software), it will interrupt the operation of all virtual machines.


3. How to assign tasks to virtual machines?


In general, it is best to apply heavy workloads and light workloads.Program Install them together on each physical server to make the most effective use of the server. In terms of performance, applications with heavy workload can benefit from using a large number of processors and memory resources at any time during peak communication periods, and applications with low workload can efficiently and freely pass through this server.


4. Can virtualization and blade servers be used together?


Technology should be carefully combined to avoid putting too many eggs in one basket. There is no technical error or difficulty in installing the server virtualization software on the blade server. However, do not do this unless you seriously consider the risk of centralization. For example, if you create 10 virtual machines on each of the 16 blade servers, a total of 160 applications will run on the rack of the blade server. If there is a problem with the Rack (fire or power failure) and there is not sufficient backup or redundancy (outside the Rack ), you will lose 160 applications at the same time and bring disaster to your business.


5. Do I need to change the storage during server virtualization?


Shao storage LAN is ideal. You should have already set up a storage LAN in the data center or you have extended the storage LAN Service to the servers to be replaced by virtual machines.


6. Will virtualization minimize the impact of service interruption?


Improve the level of redundancy to avoid the impact of increased interruptions on multiple applications or services, even if you do not worry about the combination of blade servers and server virtualization, using server virtualization on standard servers also puts many eggs in one basket. Considering that a Server failure may cause 10 applications or database interruptions, the ideal situation is to provide the same level of redundancy, allow all contents of this server to be quickly transferred to a standby server when the primary server fails.


7. Where should applications and database instances be stored?


Generally, it is best to specify a physical server as a "development", "test/quality assurance", and "production" server, and place the application instances and databases on these servers accordingly. This policy is driven by security requirements. In some industries, management departments require that different environments (especially production environments) be treated differently ).


8. Is it more difficult to track software licenses in a virtualized environment?


In an ideal data center, it is not difficult to track software licenses for virtualized servers. However, the real-world operation shows that this is indeed very difficult. In a virtualized environment, it is easy to create virtual machines, and it is difficult for the business department to find out what software is required or installed on each virtual machine, this makes it very difficult to track license requirements and license usage.


9. Will security management become more difficult after server virtualization?


It is more difficult than the traditional physical environment to fully ensure the security of Virtual Machine Access and the security of information stored on virtual machines. First, access to virtualization software must be strictly controlled. Second, anyone who can access the virtual machine can download an application to launch an attack on the virtual "wall" that isolates each virtual machine. Third, for each virtual machine, implementing network-level access restrictions is more complex. Therefore, network-based security may eventually need to be configured on a physical server to run less sensitive applications (especially when the network/firewall management team is busy ).


10. When virtualization is introduced, do I need to redesign the management database?


It is necessary to thoroughly redesign its basic database (that is, the solution. If the current configuration management database cannot be re-designed, you must purchase a new configuration management database software.


Although many configuration management database software vendors have begun to adopt server virtualization, many old versions of configuration management database software are also used in the data center. These old versions of software may not regard virtual machines as "data portals" and cannot identify the relationship between "Virtual Machine A on physical server X. Many things on physical servers, such as the installed operating system version and IP address, must now be associated with virtual machines. In addition, these tasks must be associated with non-virtualized servers. These requirements mean that the database design under the configuration management database needs to be thoroughly modified for use in a virtualized data center that has been introduced.


11. Does the software cost decrease in the virtual server environment compared with the traditional server environment?


Software License costs will increase as business departments require more "machines" (business departments know that adding virtual machines is easy and cheap ). Once the IT department tells the business department that it can configure a new virtual machine within a few hours, the greedy nature of human beings will prevail. The business department will submit a virtual machine application frantically. If they want to wait for approval of the budget for purchasing physical servers, placing orders, delivering, installing and setting up for use, they will hesitate to submit an application. Some experts call this result "Virtual Machine spread ". What's worse, when a plan is canceled or the development work is completed, will the business department tell the IT Department that the virtual machine can be revoked? Of course not.


12. Is there a decrease in the number of people compared with traditional data centers that fully utilize virtualization?


The number of technical support personnel for servers and operating systems is roughly the same. Most of the work done by the data center is driven by the number of servers. There is no difference between the virtual and physical servers. Each virtual machine must be treated as a physical server in terms of fault tickets, operating system and application updates and patches, security issues, and performance monitoring. The small amount of work required to install physical servers is offset by the installation and Setup of VMware and other server virtualization systems on each new virtual machine.