Data Center Renewal:

Beyond Consolidation and Virtualization

Data center and Storage Solutions Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Capitalizing on Crisis:
Effective Strategies for Optimization of the Data Center and Beyond

Data center and Storage Solutions

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Kristopher T Domich, Principal Consultant Data Center Consulting Services

Topics

Setting the Context: Crisis or Opportunity?

Virtualization: The Great Leap and Beyond

Data Management: Storing Everything, Forever

Power and Cooling is not an Elective

Moving the Data Center: What are the Options?

Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

The Crisis

Every organization is under pressure to accomplish more with less resources (financial, technologically, and human capital) Many are finding that specific targets for reduction have been set, especially in the near term Server and storage growth do not appear to be keeping pace with economic times in some cases, the needs for technology are on the rise Server sprawl continues in a lot of cases even with virtualized servers The impact of storage growth is stressing backup and recovery subsystems and the frequency of missed backup windows remains for many The typical data center will run out of power and cooling many already have

Facilities and IT continue to struggle with an integrated capacity planning approach

Disaster recovery is something most organizations hope they can achieve, but wouldnt want to test it Each of these areas require attention, but in todays economic times, how do you prioritize?

Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

The Opportunities

Todays economic conditions will challenge all of us to become more streamlined and efficient

Not all organizations will survive Those that do will emerge more competitive

Doing more with less we all should be; a lot goes to waste in the average facility - Technology, Energy, Money

Youre not alone waste is unavoidable under the traditional ways of doing things

Most realistic cost reduction targets are achievable through optimization of your data center but will also require a transformation in how we think about the data center and IT Collateral benefits will include:

Inherent Disaster Recoverability

Virtualization platforms are essentially DR-ready Improved green posture and reduced carbon emissions

Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Prioritizing your Areas of Focus

Expand the use of virtualization throughout the enterprise dev / test / Production & DESKTOP!
Storage Tiering and De-Duplication part process and part technology Rationalize space, power, and cooling requirements to find out how much less you could be using Be prepared to accept the fact that relocation may be the best option

Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Virtualization Touches Everything

People & Process

Microsoft Infrastructure

Servers

Management

Virtualization Touches Everything

Storage

Power & Cooling

Backup

Security

Network

Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Virtualization is a Requirement

Estimates are that around 30% of servers today are virtualized, and that is expected to grow to 50% in the near term Virtualization isnt newits being applied more broadly and being made available to organizations of all sizes Organizations must continue to virtualize servers onto dense platforms in order to curb the need for unnecessary physical space and connections (power, network, and storage) The same base infrastructure concepts used for server virtualization will sustain desktop virtualization

Transformation to virtual desktops is a natural progression at the next refresh, for appropriate users

Average CPU Utilization is: 3.38%

8 Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

Peak CPU Utilization is: 8.75%

31 October 2012

VM Portability Enables Disaster Recovery

White Space White Space White Space

App

App OS
Virtual Devices Virtual Devices Virtual Devices

App

OS
Virtual Devices Virtual Devices Virtual Devices

OS
Virtual Devices Virtual Devices Virtual Devices

Servers are no longer always physical assets, they become instances that exist at a particular location and time Originally, this portability enabled workload management within a data center

Virtualization Hypervisor Physical Hardware

Virtualization Hypervisor Physical Hardware

Virtualization Hypervisor Physical Hardware

Physical Server_A

Physical Server_B

Physical Server_C

Taking the next step, this functionality can now span data centers Geo-failover without geo-clusters

White Space White Space White Space

App

App OS
Virtual Devices Virtual Devices Virtual Devices

App

OS
Virtual Devices Virtual Devices Virtual Devices

OS
Virtual Devices Virtual Devices Virtual Devices

Virtualization Hypervisor Physical Hardware

Virtualization Hypervisor Physical Hardware

Virtualization Hypervisor Physical Hardware

Complexity of failover is nearly eliminated

Primary Site

DR Site

Tertiary Site

Leveraging the same infrastructure and storage functionality without extra software licensing and other overhead RTOs and RPOs are achieved without fully redundant servers and DR state doesnt have to sacrifice availability due to diminished configurations
Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008 31 October 2012

VM Portability Enables Disaster Recovery

Implementation Considerations

High density servers

Power and cooling needs to be assessed to ensure adequate capabilities Data center needs to support high density servers Increased risk with fewer physical servers

Isolate business critical virtual servers from each other on a physical level Make use of VMware HA Disaster recovery is key to business continuity

Result

Fewer physical servers

Improve ROI Better consolidation ratios Reduce Risk

Cloud Computing

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Selective VM placing Implement disaster recovery

31 October 2012

Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

Desktop Virtualization: Get Green and Save Green

Stationary users dont need desktops Desktops not only introduce additional operational requirements, they pose potential threats by stranding critical data on unprotected nodes

Average PC acquisition with support:

Average Terminal acquisition with support:

$1600
$550

Leverages the same infrastructure and technology as your existing server virtualization platform no additional training or personnel required Enables use of additional security and protection via use of smart cards, and limitations on what users may copy into and out of the environment Average PC Watts PC KWh usage for 1 year PC power cost for 1 year Average Terminal Watts Terminal KWh usage for 1 year Terminal cost for 1 year 1 Unit 170 1,490 $149 40 350 $35 100 Units 17,000 149,000 $14,900 4,000 35,000 $3,500 1000 Units 170,000 1,490,000 $149,000 40,000 350,000 $35,000 5000 Units 850,000 7,450,000 $745,000 200,000 1,750,000 $175,000
31 October 2012

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Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

Effective Data Management is Critical to Longevity

Pressure to Store More Efficiently

Data growth is exploding, primarily due to the growth of unstructured data Having multiple copies of data is desirable Having multiple copies of data is widely considered prudent and responsible

However

Having an unnecessarily large number of copies of data is wasteful and irresponsible Lowering infrastructure costs is a necessity
Technology File-level deduplication Fixed-block deduplication Variable-block deduplication Compression Typical Savings 10 percent 20 percent 28 percent 4050 percent Resource Footprint Low High High Medium

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Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Market Dynamics Driving Deduplication

How Important Is Deduplication?
One of the top 10 technology considerations #1 reason for growth in networked storage #8 reason for growth in networked storage is data deduplication
Very important

Deduplication

59% 64%

Business expansion/data growth

10%

Data sharing via duplication

#1 application suited for deduplication #1 most important deduplication functionality

Unstructured files High deduplication effectiveness In use

65%

40%

24% 55%

Deploying deduplication

Evaluating/in near-long-term plan Not in plan

21%

Source: TheInfoPro Wave 11 Storage Study, 2008

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Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Combining De-duplication with Backups

Example Backup Integration

Combine De-duplication with VCB Backups

De-duplication Use Case

Servers with the same type of data Servers with low data change rate

VMware Consolidated Backup Use Case

Servers with high data change rate

Result

Reduction in Storage performance overhead Reduction in ESX platform overhead Reduction in Network overhead

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Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Optimized, Protected, and Recoverable

Combining virtualization and effective data management strategies has several key advantages:

Optimization driving up system and storage utilization increases the efficiency of electrical systems resulting in more computing power and storage per kW of energy consumed Protection - The inherent capabilities of virtualized resources such as portability and a perceived stateless existence means services are not tied to single platforms and can be shifted anywhere processing and storage are available Recoverable Through reductions in the amount of duplicate information stored, the amount of data to replicate for DR is reduced allowing for potentially significant reductions in Recovery Time and Recovery Point Objectives Green Initiatives All suggestions thus far have the potential to slow down power requirements and drive higher utilization of existing platforms, resulting in much higher power-to-processing efficiency

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Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Paying for Power You Use and Waste

1U System, 300 W

973W to support a typical 300W server 2.6W of power to drive 1W of computing power You pay for every watt, but are you actually benefitting from each one?

Cooling, 486 W

Power Supply, 129 W UPS, 49 W

Source: Intel

Distribution, 9 W

In many cases, a significant amount of power that you pay for is lost as waste heat before reaching the data center floor

1MW Data Center - $80K/yr waste heat

4MW Data Center - $240K/yr waste heat

Efficiency for electrical and mechanical systems can range from 65-92%
Source: American Power Conversion

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Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Power and Cooling: Whats in Store for You?

Timeframe
*2003 **2005 **2007 **2010

Avg. Watts/Sq Ft
40 80 240 500

Avg. kW/rack
2 4 15 30

Predictions made in 2006 are holding true Watts/Sq Ft is no longer a viable metric 4KW is a boundary beyond this, the old methods cease to be effective
600 35

500

30

25 400

Avg. wsf

20 300 15 200 10 100

Avg. kW/rack

Avg. wsf Avg. kW/rack

0 2003 2005 2007 2010

Source: Lawrence Berkley Labs, DCD San Francisco

* Per surveys by 7x24 Exchange, Lawrence Berkley Labs, Uptime Institute ** Estimates based on gradual implementation of new server technology that is either already announced or currently on the market 17 Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008 31 October 2012

Legacy Cooling Designs are not Sustainable

Power and Cooling Assessments are crucial to sustainability Widespread adoption of higher density equipment will stress power distribution and cooling systems as little as 34 years old Vertical, plenum-based cooling strategies are effective for 3-4KW on average Inlet temperature is what you need to care about getting cool air where it is needed most and evacuating heat at the source

CRAC

Rack

Rack

Rack

Rack

Air Supply

Source: Data Center Dynamics (Highest Pressure)

Recommended < 68 72.5 77 81.5 > 86

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Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

When to Relocate, and Where to Go

While infrastructure optimization will maximize the useful life of the facility, you may still run out of acceptable headroom Every facility has a maximum capacity potential

Physics, Public Utility Availability, Geographical Threats, Lack of Concurrent Maintainability Maybe its just time to consolidate!

Relocation Options

Internal facility

Are you in the business of running data centers?

Retail Colocation Provider

Can they handle your specific power density today 12/24/beyond?

Townhouse

All the benefits of ownership with shared management and operations

Tenant Improvement Build out

Reduced acquisition time, amortized build out costs, custom spec

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Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Adhere to International Standards Bodies

Three primary, industry-recognized bodies

Uptime Institute www.uptimeinstitute.org Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) www.tiaonline.org Associate of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) www.ashrae.org

Uptime Institute gathered data on data centers and sought to classify them into tiers (Tiers I, II, III, IV) based on availability, cost, and construction time / complexity Uptimes tiering scale is globally accepted as a standard today however actual classification requires more detail TIA took the Uptime tiers and added specific engineering attributes for Telecommunications, Architectural, Electrical, and Mechanical sub-tiering (TIA942) Data Centers can be rated on individual sub-tiers however the overall tier is the lowest rating Tier classification is all or nothing (99.9% Tier IV = Tier III)
20 Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008 31 October 2012

Data Center Relocation: Choosing a Partner

Discovery

Analysis

Go-Live

Ensure that Data Center Migration is a core business of the partner

Dimension Data performs an average of 1.6 relocations per week in the US alone

Test and Validation

Risk Mitigation

Verify the Transit Insurance Coverage

Full replacement value - $5MM or more Dont get stuck with $.60 per pound

Logistics

Planning

Dimension Data has moved over $270MM in insured assets in the last year Most companies in the business dont own their own trucks so this is outsourced

Verify the transit partners casualty rating Try to avoid relying on the transit company for additional insurance - costly

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Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008

31 October 2012

Embracing the Journey

Todays economic times will challenge all of us to seek out more efficient ways of designing, building, and supporting data center infrastructure

Stay focused and dont try to boil the ocean focus on optimizing servers, storage, and desktop first in order to gain control over space, power, and cooling (stabilize the load)

Maintaining and sustaining the newfound efficiencies can only result from collaborative thought and action across the organization, however IT / Data Center Management teams can lead this journey
Align with technology and consulting partners that get it product and service offerings should elicit efficient designs and practices If physical relocation is in your future, seek some level of outside expertise expectation and risk management are KPIs of any migrations; most organizations dont do relo as part of SOPs
22 Copyright Dimension Data 2000 - 2008 31 October 2012

Capitalizing on Crisis:
Effective Strategies for Optimization of the Data Center and Beyond

Kristopher T Domich Principal Consultant Data center and Storage Solutions Kris.Domich@us.didata.com Wednesday, October 31, 2012 +1.703.932.1848

Questions for Kris Domich?

Kristopher T Domich Principal Consultant Kris.Domich@us.didata.com +1.703.932.1848

Data center and Storage Solutions Wednesday, October 31, 2012