the reckoning: sprint vmware success formula iidownload3.vmware.com/vmworld/2005/sln301.pdf · why...

Copyright © 2005 Sprint Nextel Corporation; All rights reserved.

The Reckoning: Sprint VMware Success Formula II

Gene ReedSprint Enterprise Architecture


Overview

� Why Sprint chose VMware� Results of our decisions

� Technology deployed� Lessons learned� The future of virtualization� Summary� Q&A


Why Sprint Chose VMware

� Value propositions� Improve utilization of Intel servers� Reduce the number of Intel servers� Reduce time to deploy application environments� Improve stability� Reduce cost


The Value Proposition

� Improve utilization of Intel servers� Our average utilization of legacy Windows

servers <15%� The Windows architecture infamous for causing one

application per server deployments� Moving workload from legacy servers to VMware

ESX Server allows workload consolidation on a single host server

� Drive VMware ESX Server workload to desired levels� 70% + 10% would be optimal


Results

� Improve utilization of Intel servers� Utilization of our legacy servers remains low� The VMware ESX Server hosts are more

effectively utilized� Average workload per (Intel) VMware ESX Server

host is 36% and growing



� Reduce the number of Intel servers� 2000 legacy Windows servers were in-scope for

consolidation onto VMware ESX Server virtual machines

� Our goal was 40 virtual machines (virtual machines) per 8CPU host� 50 VMware host servers would be required � 40:1 reduction


Results

� Reduce the number of Intel servers� We have 675 virtual machines on 32 hosts

� 21:1 reduction � Host capacity has not yet been reached� Not all new virtual machines came from the

legacy pool; many were new growth projects� Our project is not yet complete!



� Reduce time to deploy application environments� Legacy deployment

� After project design/approval: 6 weeks minimum� 3 weeks for delivery from vendor� 2 weeks for physical installation and connections� 1 week for OS installation, bake-in and testing

� VMware deployment goal� After project design/approval: 48 hours� 1 day or less to build the virtual machine complete with OS� 1 day to insure all patches/updates are applied


Results

� Reduce time to deploy application environments� No change in legacy deployment� Actual virtual machine deployment

� Actual after project design/approval: 5 day SLA� Build the virtual machine complete w/OS� Apply all patches/updates� Quality assurance



� Improve stability� Longer MTBF of new servers

� Remove “end of life” equipment� VirtualCenter and VMotion allow “on the fly”

load balancing and capacity management� Recovery from server failure: minutes vs.

hours or days� Simplified hardware replacement


Results� Improve stability

� Longer MTBF of new servers� 18 months in production: Two outages resulted in

application downtime� YTD: 14 service tickets, all limited impact

� Removed “end of life” equipment� Recovery from server failure is minutes vs. hours or days

� With VirtualCenter and VMotion management tools, only two failures have exceeded 30 minutes downtime

� Adding or replacing hardware really is a breeze!� Two essential components

� VirtualCenter management console � VMotion



� Reduce cost: Are there real savings?� Implementing VMware software frees up

servers, network switch ports, and SAN switch ports; therefore reducing future capital spending

� Total estimated savings for 1 cabinet of six 8-CPU servers: $1,479,000 less $1,000,000 acquisition cost = $479,000 saved� $479,000 x 8 = $3,832,000


Results� Reduce cost: Are there real savings?� Cost avoidance: Hardware savings from right-sizing

and consolidation� Huge reduction in required servers, racks, required network

and storage switch ports, and fiber and copper cables� Varying quantities of network, storage infrastructure and even

some servers can be re-used� Facilities: Floor space, power and cooling reductions

� Example: one cabinet of six 8-CPU servers could displace up to 240 servers (27 cabinets assuming average server is 4U)

� Reduced growth of new legacy server environments� New application server requirements absorbed into the

VMware infrastructure � Over 85% of new growth deployed in

VMware ESX Server systems.


Results

� Reduce cost: Are there real savings?� System availability on demand

� Process and culture changes are necessary to reap the savings� Unexpected savings

� Consolidation of like systems resulted in significantly reduced software licensing and support costs


Technical: Sprint’s Deployment� Our environment

� 8 IBM x445’s in a pool x 3 pools per datacenter x 2 datacenters = 48 servers

� Each server in the pool can see all LUN’s

� 6 GBE ports per server: 4 enterprise, 2 backup� One enterprise and one

backup VLAN per pool allows VMotion across the pool

� 2 Fiber channel HBA’s


Technology: Sprint’s Deployment


Lessons Learned

� Technical� Undocumented features (a.k.a. bugs)

� Not many problems� More problems with version feature sets� Many “issues” arise from the size of our environment

� Storage certification & configuration� Performance metrics and capacity analysis

� Vendor licensing and support� Vendor and contract managers need to be educated

about how virtualization impacts licensing agreements


Lessons Learned, cont.

� Processes� Project flow: Much shorter

� Fewer teams involved� Fewer process steps to complete

� Business unit understanding and buy-in� A clearly defined and communicated migration

strategy is necessary� Clarity of purpose will keep projects on track

� Migration to virtual machines is not well understood and tends to be resisted � Extensive communication and education of

business unit personnel on the impacts and risks of virtualization is imperative



� Processes, cont.� Network and storage allocation is completed up-front� System administrator allocation: By virtual machine

or host?� P2V (Physical to Virtual) migration vs. rebuild� Recommend a post-deployment performance analysis

to assure allocated resources are used as expected



� Processes, cont.� Organizational realignment

� Systems administrators supporting systems administrators � Shared capacity vs. server ownership� Capacity “as required”

� Process and culture changes are necessary to reap the benefits of rapid provisioning and deployment

� Test, development and production on the same host� Day-to-day load management


Were We Successful?

YES!YES!


The Future of Virtualization?

� Hardware enhancements� Intel’s Vanderpool Technology� AMD’s Pacifica� 64-bit, multi-core systems� Large memory capacity

� Improved VMM performance� 4CPU/16GB virtual machine capabilities� Reduced overhead to near zero

� Application Virtualization� Softricity� Trigence


Summary ‘WIIFM’ (What’s In It for Me?)

� Business enablement� Agility: IT can change at the speed of business

� Enables faster response to business requirements� Improves speed to market of new applications� Allows rapid relocation or cloning of virtual machines within or

between VMware ESX Server hosts in the same or different data facilities

� Enhanced security features� Supports multiple DMZs on the same physical host

� Improved and predictable hardware utilization� Rapid and adaptable response to changing workloads


Summary ‘WIIFM’ (What’s In It for Me?)

� Reduces the number of x86 servers� Dramatic reduction of associated infrastructure� Savings in software licensing and support� Return of valuable datacenter floor space

� Improves stability across the environment� Reduces time to deploy applications from

weeks to days


Q&A

Gene Reed: [email protected]

Copyright © 2005 Sprint Nextel Corporation; All rights reserved. Sprint Nextel Proprietary; United States Patents PendingSprint Nextel Corporation retains and reserves all right, title and interest in any idea, concept, technique, apparatus, system, method, discovery, or improvements contained in this information, and all intellectual property rights therein, including all patent rights, copyright rights, trademark rights, trade secrets, goodwill and all other intellectual property rights as may exist now and/or hereafter come into existence.

the reckoning: sprint vmware success formula iidownload3.vmware.com/vmworld/2005/sln301.pdf · why...

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