Server with VMware vSphere 4

 Masaaki Nishikiori

The server virtualization market is expanding rapidly as customers seek savings in both space and energy through efficient use of hardware resources, an increase in business agility through prompt addition and removal of servers, and a reduction in the total cost of ownership (TCO) by separating hardware and business-system life cycles. The virtualization solution offered by Fujitsu and used by a large number of its customers in Japan combines Fujitsu’s high-reliability servers and middleware products, which optimize operations, with vSphere 4, VMware’s virtual infrastructure. This paper describes the transition of VMware’s server virtualization products over the years, the functions and features of the vSphere 4 virtual infrastructure, its relation to cloud environments, and examples of using Fujitsu middleware with vSphere 4.

1. Introduction of data center operations. These solutions are The server virtualization market is deployed by more than 1200 customers (as of expanding rapidly as customers seek space and November 2010). Fujitsu has abundant customer energy saving through more efficient usage of experience with these virtualization solutions hardware resources, greater business agility and has released three case studies regarding through prompt addition and removal of servers, cloud systems, which are currently attracting and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) through considerable attention. separation of hardware and business-system life • In-house Case Study 1: “Deployment of cycles. VMware vSphere 4 and Enhancement of VMware, Inc.,1) headquartered in Palo Alto, On-Demand Virtual Environment Hosting California, is a virtualization software vendor for SaaS Providers”2) with approximately 190 000 customers worldwide • In-house Case Study 2: “Putting the and about 6000 customers in Japan (as of Cloud Into Practice: Numazu Software October 2010). Its most recent product offerings Development Cloud Center”3) for building and operating server virtualization • Oita Prefecture Case Study: “Virtualization environments are VMware vSphere 4 and of Mission-critical Systems by VMware vCenter Server (respectively referred to PRIMEQUEST, PRIMERGY, and VMware as “vSphere 4” and “vCenter” hereafter). vSphere 4 toward Creation of a Public Fujitsu started providing VMware products Sector Cloud”4) in 2006 and has since been providing its customers Fujitsu’s server virtualization solutions with virtualization solutions by combining these are based on a number of server virtualization products with its own high-reliability servers as products (such as VMware, Hyper-V, RHEL-, well as its middleware products for optimization RHEL-KVM, and XenServer). From among

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these, this paper describes the transition of metal,” i.e., hardware—which is currently the VMware server virtualization products over the most popular form [2) in Figure 1]. It features years and introduces the functions of VMware’s higher performance than GSX and has a console latest product, vSphere 4. OS (COS) for management. Client management is done by vSphere Client, and 2. Transition of VMware server adding vCenter simplifies management of virtualization multiple ESX . Since COS is Linux- This section introduces how VMware’s based, it must be frequently patched, thus server virtualization has changed, focusing on two security is one challenge that it presents. aspects—the “hypervisor” and the “virtualization 3) VMware ESXi (ESXi) product.” The hypervisor, occasionally referred ESXi, the latest hypervisor of VMware, does to as “VM monitor,” is a control program not have a COS [3) in Figure 1]. As with ESX, designed to enable the creation and control of vSphere Client is used to perform management virtual machines (VMs). As shown in Figure 1, tasks. While maintaining the same capabilities VMware’s hypervisor product (shaded boxes as ESX, ESXi is more compact since it has no in the figure) has evolved through three main COS, is easy to install and configure, and does phases. not require COS patches (which reduces security 1) VMware GSX (GSX) risks). The GSX hypervisor runs as an application As summarized above, VMware’s hypervisor on a general purpose OS (the “host OS”) on has evolved into a compact and high-performance hardware [1) in Figure 1]. In this setup, the product with easy-to-install features. host OS is in charge of I/O processing, which Figure 2 shows the evolution of VMware’s enables the hypervisor itself to have a compact virtualization products. configuration. However, this type of hypervisor 1) VMware ESX Server 2.x suffers from overhead and extensibility problems. This product enables resources on an ESX- Like VMware Workstation, it is optimal for PC installed server (ESX server) to be shared among virtualization. VMs. Centralized management of multiple ESX 2) VMware ESX (ESX) servers is provided by vCenter. The ESX hypervisor runs directly on “bare

Manager Manager Manager

vSphere Client vSphere Client

vCenter vCenter

VM VM

VMware GSX COS VM VM VM VM

Host OS VMware ESX VMware ESXi

Hardware Hardware Hardware

1) GSX 2) ESX 3) ESXi

Figure 1 Evolution of VMware’s hypervisor server virtualization product.

FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 47, No. 3 (July 2011) 357 M. Nishikiori: Server Virtualization with VMware vSphere 4

VMware vSphere 4.x

VMware Infrastructure 3.x

Achievement of a virtual VMware ESX Server 2.x infrastructure including shared resources and support of dynamic changes Transformation of server virtualization environment into a resource pool Centralized management of server virtualization environment

2004 2006 2008

Figure 2 Changes in VMware’s server virtualization environment.

2) VMware Infrastructure 3.x (VI3) functionalities and features of vSphere 4. Adding the concept of resource pooling to vSphere 4 enables users to chose either ESX VMware ESX Server 2.x, VI3 has enhanced or ESXi as the hypervisor and to create a virtual overall capabilities. The CPU and memory infrastructure having the following features. resources of multiple ESX servers can be 1) Wide management scope managed as a resource pool, enabling them to be In general, this kind of infrastructure handled as a single resource pool. virtualizes and pools together physical resources 3) VMware vSphere 4.x and provides VMs with virtualized CPUs, This product has significantly enhanced virtualized memory, virtualized networks, and functionalities compared to those of VI3. It virtualized disks. On top of that, vSphere 4 broadens the management scope to include enables dynamic and detailed management, network resources and shared storage and including resource allocation, configuration enables management of server, network, change, priority control, and access control. and storage resources as a single virtual 2) Flexibility infrastructure. It is better able to deal with vSphere 4 provides a variety of dynamic hardware changes and enables agile functionalities such as dynamic addition of modification of the ESX/VM configuration in virtualized CPUs and virtualized memory (Hot accordance with resource requirement changes. Add), dynamic reconfiguration of virtualized As described above, vSphere 4 represents disks and networks (Hot Plug), dynamic the evolution of VMware’s server virtualization extension of virtualized disks (Hot Extend of products in two major streams: a) more compact, Virtual Disks), and dynamic load balancing of high-performing, and easy-to-install hypervisor network I/O. These functions enable elastic and b) strengthened adaptability to system business operations—responding flexibly to changes. In other words, vSphere 4 is suitable service requirements and hardware changes for environments such as the cloud, where agile without disrupting services provided by VMs. creation and operation of systems is required. 3) Benefits for applications vSphere 4 also provides advanced functions 3. Functions and features such as ones for ensuring business continuity of vSphere 4 virtual (vMotion and Storage vMotion enable the infrastructure moving of resources point-to-point [P2P] without In this chapter, we will dive into the disrupting the operation of VMs), automatic

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load balancing (DRS: Distributed Resource individual functionalities, and descriptions for Scheduler), and automatic VM reboot upon vSphere 4. For further details, please check server failure (HA: VMware High Availability). VMware’s public web page.1) Since these functions are part of the virtual The virtual infrastructure is integrally infrastructure, there is no need to reconfigure the managed by vCenter. This enables system OS or applications running on the VMs—they managers to manage almost all management can be used as is. tasks through the vSphere Client graphical user 4) Integrated management interface (GUI), which displays each management vSphere 4 provides useful features and function in icon form for easy operation, enabling extensive function groups for creating and the entire virtual infrastructure to be managed operating virtual infrastructures. With these as a single environment, just like Windows functionalities, vSphere 4 has always been a step control panels (Figure 3). ahead of other hypervisors. Fujitsu provides middleware products that Table 1 lists the major function groups, enable optimization of data center operations.

Table 1 Main functions provided by vSphere 4. Categories and Functions Description vCenter Server Integrated management of virtualization environment vSphere 4 Virtualization platform Infrastructure services Virtualize and aggregate hardware resources vCompute ESXi, ESX Hypervisor DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduler) Hypervisor load balancing DPM (Distributed Power Management) Hypervisor power management vStorage Thin Provisioning Allocate virtual disks only as needed VAAI (vStorage APIs for Array Integration) Enhance performance by using storage equipment functions Storage I/O control Access priority control vNetwork vDS (vNetwork Distributed Switch) Virtual network across hypervisors Network I/O control Access priority control Application services Service level controls for applications Availability vMotion Move running VMs to another hypervisor Storage vMotion Move virtual disks of running VMs HA (High Availability) Automatically restart VMs in event of server failure FT (Fault Tolerance) VM redundancy to prevent downtime DataRecovery D2D backup solution Security vShield Zones Firewall functions for VMs Scalability Hot Add Enables CPU and memory to be added to VMs as needed Enables virtual disks and network devices of VMs to be Hot Plug changed as needed Hot Extension of Virtual Disks Enables virtual-disk storage of running VMs to be extended Others — Host Profiles Manages hypervisor settings Update Manager Manages hypervisor updates Orchestrator Automatically executes vCenter tasks Converter Makes P2V/V2V conversions

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Figure 3 Screenshot of vSphere Client.

By aligning vSphere 4 with these Fujitsu created within several days. products, users can enjoy an even more advanced With vSphere 4’s management uniformity and flexible virtual infrastructure. and configuration change flexibility, it is relatively easy to acquire VM resources. 4. vSphere 4 and cloud IaaS virtually automates VM creation and environments service provisioning. However, providing virtual Taking infrastructure as a service (IaaS) as infrastructure as a service and automating an example (typically lending and aggregation of virtual infrastructures are not the whole story— VMs), the role and responsibility of vSphere 4 in there are several difficulties, as described below. cloud environments is set forth below. The HA function can be used in cloud To acquire physical machine resources, environments such as IaaS to improve the level users generally go through a process of budget, of service by minimizing service downtime upon ringi (the process of obtaining management server shutdown. An overview of HA is shown approval for a plan by circulating a draft in Figure 4. The HA function detects a failure prepared by the plan originator), and purchase, in an ESX server through mutual monitoring so it may be several months before the between ESX servers, which exchange equipment is actually deployed. To acquire VM “heartbeats” via the network. When a failure is resources, users usually go through a simple detected [1) in Figure 4], it automatically reboots process of application, content review, resource the VM that had been running on the failed ESX adjustment, VM creation/configuration, and server on another ESX server [2) in Figure 4]. provisioning, as long as the amount of resources An acceptable level of availability can therefore requested does not exceed the amount available be obtained without having to reconfigure the from the computing pool. If it does exceed the virtual OS or applications running on the VM. amount available, the procedure for acquiring However, as the system is based on physical machine resources is followed. Though “mutual monitoring,” a procedure is needed it depends on resource availability and the skill to ensure normal and safe shutdown of all of the IT manager, a new VM can usually be ESX servers. Such a procedure consists of VM

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2) VM restart on another ESX server Given its extensive experience and considerable expertise, Fujitsu is fully equipped and capable of addressing and providing a variety of solutions (from the creation of cloud environments to the solving of operation problems like the ones described above) by optimally combining vSphere 4 with Fujitsu X middleware. X Mutual Mutual monitoring monitoring X ESX server Mutual monitoring 5. Conclusion The vSphere 4 product is certainly well 1) System failure detected through mutual monitoring between ESX servers suited for the emerging cloud era, in which flexibility and agility are the keys to success. Figure 4 Overview of VMware’s High Availability function. Fujitsu will continue to provide and support VMware products in combination with Fujitsu’s highly reliable servers and middleware, which shutdown (shutdown of OS and applications are essential to data center optimization, and, as on each VM), switching of ESX servers to a result, contribute to the virtualization market maintenance mode, and shutdown of each ESX and most importantly to our customers’ business server. In other words, this procedure affects expansion. business task procedures and requires the use of a mutual monitoring mechanism. Failure to References follow this procedure results in problems such 1) VMware, Inc. http://www.vmware.com as the need to reconfigure the HA function after 2) Fujitsu: Deployment of VMware vSphere 4 rebooting. Moreover, system problems result if and Enhancement of On-Demand Virtual Environment Hosting for SaaS Providers. (in the shutdown procedure is not concluded in time Japanese). after the onset of a power outage due to a large http://primeserver.fujitsu.com/primergy/ casestudy/fj-kamata/ number of ESX servers being deployed or a lack 3) Fujitsu: Putting the Cloud Into Practice: of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) capacity. Numazu Software Development Cloud Center. (in Japanese). Fujitsu’s “Systemwalker Runbook http://software.fujitsu.com/jp/middleware/ Automation” middleware product is a great cloud/casestudies/numazu-cloud/ 4) Fujitsu: Virtualization of Mission-critical solution to these problems. Upon notification Systems by PRIMEQUEST, PRIMERGY, of a power outage, it automatically executes the and VMware vSphere 4 toward Creation of a Government Office Cloud—Case Study of ‘safe shutdown’ procedure for all ESX servers Virtualization for Oita Prefecture. (in Japanese). and completes the shutdown while the UPS is http://primeserver.fujitsu.com/primergy/ casestudy/oita2010/ still up, and, as a result, averts system problems. In addition, it ensures a timely and swift system reboot after power is restored. Although the above may seem a worst case Masaaki Nishikiori Fujitsu Ltd. scenario, it illustrates how system operations Mr. Nishikiori is engaged in the commercialization of VMware products. easily performed manually in a conventional virtualization environment using only vSphere 4 may be difficult in a virtualization environment that assumes automation, such as the cloud.

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