Final Case Study

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Migration

Migration is the process of moving data, applications, operating systems, and

processes from one machine to another. Migration takes the following forms:

• Data migration: Data migration is the process of moving data between storage

types, formats, or computer systems.

• Process migration: Process migration involves moving processes from one

machine to another.

• System migration: System migration is the process of moving a set of

instructions or programs from one platform to another for compatibility.

Clustering

Clustering is using multiple computers (PCs or UNIX workstations), multiple

storage devices, and redundant interconnections to create a single available

system. This technique links one or more systems into a network for the advantage

of parallel processing.

Clusters come in the following forms:

• High-availability clusters

• Load-balancing clusters

• High-performance clusters

Clusters provide the following improvements:

• Increased processing power (parallel processing)

• Improved network technology, scalability, and availability

Virtualization and Clustering

Virtualization and clustering are techniques used for disaster recovery.

Virtualization and clustering are two different technologies with different

objectives, but they both serve the needs of the data center.

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Virtualization is a strategy for high utilization, reduced management, and business

agility, whereas clustering is a strategy for high-performance computing, load

balancing, and increased application availability. Both technologies are used at the

application level and are specific to one application.

Data center managers use technologies such as VMware, Xen, and user-mode Linux

to build servers with distinct partitions that are independent and receive a slice of

server resources, allowing for better utilization of server resources by 15%

compared to that of single-purpose servers. This avoids the built-in wastes and high

operational costs of installing many underutilized servers.

Clustering is specific to single applications, as seen with Oracle’s RAC, and is done

at the application level. To support clustering, data center managers should make

use of two distinct infrastructures, either fractional servers or aggregates of

servers.

Benefits of Virtualization in the Data Center

Virtualization provides the following benefits for the data center:

• High availability and disaster recovery: Virtualization provides an instant

failover plan that provides business continuity throughout disruptive events.

• Decreased deployment times: Unlike the physical installation of server

hardware, a virtual machine requires simple configuration.

• Platform standardization: Virtualization platforms decouple the link between

the operating system and physical hardware. This allows resources to be

moved between the physical servers with little or no reconfiguration.

• Level of service: It offers sharing of workloads and thus provides built-in

application redundancy.

• Legacy applications: It supports older applications, though their use is

negligible.

• Security:

• Deployment offers a simplified virtual server provisioning process and

ensures the rapid deployment of new systems.

• Isolation limits the security exposure between the virtual machines.

• Rollback helps in recovering from security breaches.

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• Abstraction offers only limited direct access to the hardware and physical

networks.

• Portability provides backup and disaster recovery of information.

Grid Computing

Grid computing (or the use of a computational grid) is applying the resources of

many computers in a network to a single problem at the same time, as shown in

Figure 1-12. It can divide and farm out pieces of a program to several thousands of

computers. Grid computing is a form of distributed computing in which a super

and virtual computer are composed of a cluster of networked, loosely coupled

computers acting together to perform complex tasks.

Figure 1-12

Grid computing (or the use of a computational grid) is applying the resources of many computers in a network to a single problem at the same time.

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Grid computing services depend on Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA). OGSA

is a set of standards and protocols that enables communication across

heterogeneous and geographically dispersed environments.

Grid computing provides the following benefits:

• Enables collaboration and promotes operational flexibility

• Efficiently scales to meet variable business demands

• Increases productivity

• Leverages the existing capital investment

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a service (SaaS) is a software deployment model in which an

application is licensed for use as a service and provided to customers on demand. It

manages application access, including security, availability, and performance

factors.

SaaS includes the following features:

• Network-based access

• Centralized management of data using the Internet

• Centralized updating for downloading patches and upgrades

Software as a service offers a multitenant architecture in which all individuals and

applications share a single, centrally maintained infrastructure. It offers ease in

customization and in accessing applications.

Cloud Computing

A cloud is a virtual server pool used to provide different service profiles at a user’s

request. Cloud computing (Figure 1-13) is a computing paradigm in which tasks

are assigned to a combination of connections, software, and services accessed over

a network. In cloud computing, data and services reside in scalable data centers

that can be globally accessed from any connected devices over the Internet.

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Figure 1-13

Cloud computing is a computing paradigm in which tasks are assigned to a combination of connections, software, and services accessed over a network.

Cloud computing provides services on virtual machines allocated on top of a large

physical machine pool. It is a platform for computing and storage that allows the

user to use resources available on the cloud. Cloud computing offers the following

benefits:

• Accessible to all Internet-accessible devices

• Offers e-business, image processing, and log analysis

• Easily accessible in a virtual environment

Virtualization Security Issues

Though virtualization is one of the most widely used technologies in the world,

there are several security issues related to it. Virtualization has the following

security issues:

• The virtual layer/environment is complex; thus, handling its security issues is

complex.

• Virtual machine sprawl can yield security issues for new virtual machines.

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• Migrating a virtual machine from one physical server to another may create

vulnerabilities for the physical host.

• Both physical host and virtual host security make the virtual environment’s

security complex.

• Managing a virtual machine’s OS patch level is critical.

• Traditional security such as intrusion detection is not applicable to virtual

servers.

• Data can be compromised while being shared between virtual and physical

servers.

Avoiding Security Threats

The following practices help prevent security threats:

• Always update the virtualization and security software.

• Limit the use of VMs to critical staff.

• Acceptable-use policy should be updated by organizations using virtualization.

• Ensure the use of security products that support virtualization.

• Have well-defined and documented security policies persistently attached and

enforced for all VMs as they are migrated, rolled back, or paused and restarted.

• Use segmentation on the physical VM servers.

• Make regular backups.

• Harden virtualization add-on services.

Security Benefits of Virtualization

Virtualization provides the following security benefits:

• Centralized storage environment prevents the loss of critical data when a

device is lost, attacked, or stolen. The client devices have no data stored on

them. All the data is in centralized storage, which is backed up frequently.

• Isolation of applications means that only one application is affected by a

security breach.

• A virtual environment provides the flexibility to share systems without sharing

critical information.

• Virtualization provides an extra layer of defense from attacks.

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Disaster Recovery Through Virtualization

Virtualization provides the following useful aids to disaster recovery:

• Provides redundant storage for the virtual machines in data centers

• Allows for the easy migration of software, which benefits business continuity

• Decreases the amount of hardware required at a disaster recovery site

• Duplicates a critical server in order to avoid the cost of replacing hardware

during the disaster recovery process

• Offers automatic data synchronization

• Allows users to go back to work faster after a hardware failure

• Encapsulates all VMs into single files and restores them with reduced

downtime

• Increases business agility

Virtualization Vendors

Virtualization is in high demand due to its advantages and is provided by a large

number of vendors. The following vendors are well known for their virtualization

products:

• VMware

• Microsoft

• Xen

• Citrix

• Virtual Iron

• Sun

• HP

• NoMachine

• Red Hat

• NComputing

• Parallels

VMware

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VMware is one of the leading companies providing virtual products and solutions.

It offers a wide range of virtualization products, from free software for virtualizing

desktops and servers to comprehensive enterprise-class platforms for optimizing

data centers and IT infrastructure.

VMware makes the following products:

• VMware server and data center products

• VMware Infrastructure: This is a virtual data center operating system that

unifies the discrete hardware resources to create a shared dynamic

platform, while delivering built-in availability, security, and scalability to

applications. It is a self-optimizing infrastructure that reduces downtime,

increases reliability with disaster recovery, and maximizes the usage of

resources.

• VMware vCenter Server: Formerly known as VMware Virtual Center, this

manages, automates, and optimizes IT infrastructure. It simplifies IT

operations, making the virtual environment easy to administer and

control.

• VMware ESXi: This tool runs all production applications with advanced

performance on the OS-independent VMware hypervisor.

• VMware Server: This is a hosted virtualization platform that installs like

an application on any existing server hardware and partitions a physical

server into multiple virtual machines.

• VMware vCenter Lab Manager: This tool gives users on-demand access to

the system configurations they need, while achieving significant savings

through reduced server, storage, and provisioning costs.

• VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager: This recovery manager

eliminates complex manual recovery steps.

• VMware desktop products

• VMware View: VMware View allows administrators to manage all the

desktops on the network from the data center.

• VMware Workstation: This tool maximizes the utilization of desktop

systems, allowing users to run multiple operating systems at the same time

on a virtual platform.

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• VMware Player: This free tool is similar to Workstation in that it allows

users to run multiple operating systems at the same time within a virtual

platform on a single physical computer.

• VMware Fusion: This program is designed for Mac desktops. It runs

Windows applications side-by-side with Mac applications.

• VMware ThinApp: This tool uses application virtualization to eliminate

conflicts in deployed applications.

• VMware ACE: VMware ACE controls virtual desktops across an enterprise.

It combines the power and versatility of VMs with the security and control

of centrally managed computers.

Microsoft Virtualization

Microsoft offers a suite of technologies used to enable an integrated, end-to-end,

and virtualized infrastructure. Microsoft offers products in the following fields of

virtualization:

• Server virtualization

• Desktop virtualization

• Application virtualization

• Virtualization management

Citrix

Citrix is an application delivery infrastructure system that transforms IT into an

on-demand service by centralizing the management and delivery of applications

and desktops. It simplifies IT operations by managing a single image of

applications, desktops, and servers; accelerating application rollouts; and reducing

IT operating costs up to 50%.

VMware Versus Microsoft Versus Citrix, 2009

Figure 1-14 shows a comparison of the virtualization offerings of VMware,

Microsoft, and Citrix in 2009.

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Figure 1-14

VMware, Microsoft, and Citrix offer similar virtualization products.

Sun

Sun offers a broad range of open, scalable virtualization products and services. It

offers the following products related to virtualization:

• Desktop virtualization products and services

• Sun Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) software

• Managed Virtual Desktop solution

• Sun xVM VirtualBox

• Server virtualization products and services

• Sun xVM Server

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• Solaris containers

• Sun Fire x64 Servers

• Sun CoolThreads Servers

• Sun Blade modular systems

• Sun SPARC enterprise servers

• LDoms

• Storage virtualization products and services

• Primary/disk storage

• Tape storage

• Storage virtualization services

• Solaris operating system

The HP Virtual Server Environment (VSE) helps users optimize the server’s

utilization in real time. It provides an automated virtual infrastructure that can

adapt quickly. VSE provides the following features:

• Detailed analysis of large-scale consolidations

• Quick deployment of new services and online applications

• Balanced supply and demand based on business priorities

• Reduction in costs

HP also provides hardware that combines with other vendors such as VMware and

Citrix in order to give improvised solutions in a virtual environment.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Virtualization

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Virtualization provides a platform for open-source

computing. Red Hat offers the following virtualization products:

• Server virtualization

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server

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• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Advanced Platform

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 for Mainframes

• Desktop virtualization

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Desktop

Virtual Iron

Virtual Iron is a provider of server virtualization. It offers development and test

optimization, and disaster recovery services. It provides true server virtualization,

including intelligent virtual machine mobility, high availability, rapid recovery,

and performance load balancing. Virtual Iron is able to perform the following

tasks:

• Achieve server consolidation

• Simplify server management

• Improve application development and testing

• Achieve business continuity

• Reduce power

• Implement a virtual desktop infrastructure

NoMachine

NoMachine NX is an enterprise-class solution for secure remote access, desktop

virtualization, and hosted desktop deployment built around the self-designed and

self-developed NX suite of components. NoMachine offers the following products:

• NX Enterprise Desktop

• NX Small Business Server

• NX Enterprise Server

• NX Advanced Server

• NX Server Manager

• NX Web Companion

• NX Client

• NX Builder

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Parallels

Parallels offers virtualization exclusively for the Macintosh operating system. It

provides virtualization and automation software for consumers, businesses, and

service providers for optimized computing. Parallels offers the following

virtualization products:

• Desktop virtualization

• Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac: This provides the complete suite of

essentials to run Windows on a Mac.

• Parallels Workstation: This is an easy-to-use workstation that allows the

user to run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems on a single

machine without rebooting.

• Server virtualization

• Parallels Server for Mac: This server enables organizations to virtualize

the Leopard Server and run virtually any application on Mac servers.

• Parallels Server: This is a bare-metal hypervisor that helps organizations

to reduce the costs and complexities of IT infrastructures.

• Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.0: This is an OS virtualization solution for

Windows and Linux. It creates isolated containers on a single physical

server and OS instance.

• Parallels Infrastructure Manager (PIM): This is an optional add-on Web-

based tool for Virtuozzo administrators to perform management of

virtualized IT infrastructures.

Chapter Summary

Virtualization is a framework or methodology that divides the resources of a

computer into multiple execution environments. The resources are divided by

applying one or more concepts or technologies, such as hardware and software

partitioning, time-sharing, partial or complete machine simulation, or

emulation.

Virtualization maximizes the utilization of resources, optimizes IT

infrastructure costs, and offers a high level of security.

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Server virtualization allows the user to run multiple guest computers on a

single host computer with those guest computers believing they are running on

their own hardware.

Virtualization is a strategy for high utilization, reduced management, and

business agility, whereas clustering is a strategy for high-performance

computing, load balancing, and increased application availability.

Migrating a virtual machine from one physical server to another may create

vulnerabilities for the physical host.

A centralized storage environment prevents the loss of critical data when a

device is lost, attacked, or stolen. The client devices have no data stored on

them. All the data is in centralized storage, which is backed up frequently.

Review Questions

Define virtualization.

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List the advantages of virtualization.

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Discuss the various types of virtualization.

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What is desktop virtualization? Discuss the benefits of desktop virtualization.

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Discuss various system virtualization techniques.

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Discuss the benefits of virtualization in data centers.

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What is grid computing?

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List the factors to be considered to avoid security threats.

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10.

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Discuss the security benefits of virtualization.

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List the various virtualization vendors and their major products.

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Hands-On Projects

1. Navigate to Chapter 1 of the Student Resource Center. Open (Types of

Virtualization Types of virtualization)Lec05.pdf and read the following topics:

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Types of Virtualization

Code and Process Migration

2. Navigate to Chapter 1 of the Student Resource Center. Open 2006.02.03-

figueiredo.pdf and read the following topics:

Virtual Computer

Virtual Machines

Why Virtual Computers?

3. Navigate to Chapter 1 of the Student Resource Center. Open 2008-10.pdf and

read the following topics:

Scope of Virtualization Services

Virtualization Evolution

Business Continuity is the Objective

4. Navigate to Chapter 1 of the Student Resource Center. Open

True_Cost_Virtual_Server_ Solutions.pdf and read the following topics:

Charge of the Hypervisors

Cost Per App: Why VM Density Matters

Testing Density: Not All Hypervisors – or Virtual Infrastructures – are the

Same

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