SHOPPING FOR PHYSICAL SERVERS

As an IT specialist, Choosing the right Server hardware that would service your clients,with high availability, fault tolerance,scalability, recovery...and all that good stuff is one of the hardest decisions you have to make. Most times for Us its a matter of trading off between choosing what's good for the company, what allows you the opportunity to research and learn new technologies and also choosing something that wouldn't be too expensive whilst ensuring good ROI(Return On Investment).
Server in their broadest of categories, like houses differ in shapes and sizes, a few notable ones are:

Small, floor-standing towers or rack-mounted 1U and 2U servers.
 Medium-sized, floor-standing towers or larger rack-mounted servers.
 Blade centers and blade servers.
 Large floor-standing servers, includingmainframes.
 Specialized fault-tolerant, rugged and embedded processing or real-time
servers.
 Virtual servers or virtualmachines (VMs) running on physical servers.
Cloud servers (essentially a VMservice offering).


Functionally, servers could be further classified as follows:


TIER 0:
•Mission critical
• Business cannot function without
• Time sensitive
• Highly available
• Low RTO & RPO
•Must be secure
• Time ismoney
• Downtime is a lost opportunity



TIER 1:
• Business essential
• Some impact to business
• Good availability
• Low to medium RTO and RPO
• Some downtime can be tolerated


TIER 2:
• Business important
• Little impact to business
• Some delay OK
• Basic availability
•Medium RTO/RPO
• Downtime is tolerated


TIER 3:
• Business optional
•Minimal disruption
• Delay tolerable
• Some availability
• High RTO/RPO

These means of classification still barely scratch the surface of the store of servers available in the IT market.Physical server manufacturers such as Apple Inc., Cisco Systems Inc. (Unified Computing Systems), Dell Inc., EMC (Vblock), Fujitsu, NEC Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM, Oracle Corp./Sun, Silicon  Graphics International Corp.and SuperMicro Computer Inc. are represented by a mix of direct sales, direct touch markets and technical support, as well as channel value-added resellers (VARs) and solution providers tha tbundle their applications with different hardware offerings.So we can see that today's IT infrastructure department have their jobs picked out for them whether they are designing a new server infrastructure from scratch or integrating/consolidating a new server into an existing infrastucture.

three steps are key in making the decision as to what physical server  to buy:

MUST KNOW YOUR NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS
what kind of services are to be hosted on the server?what are the virtualization /cloud needs? what are the storage needs? what are the availability needs to meet service level agreements(SLAs)? what are the existing Failover/clustering solutions(if any..)?amount of physical space available in the data center? what are your forecasts for growth requirements?

UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONS
consider the server categories and tiers talked about earlier.whether it be blade servers or just plain old rack servers or mainframes.talk about processors  if you'r buying a single socket,single core,single threaded processor then you know that that computer will at best execute one instruction in a cycle,single socket,dual core-2 instructions,dual socket,quad core-8 instructions then you start to wrap your head around 32-bit and 64-bit machines.talk about memory,Main memory or RAM, also known as dynamic RAM(DRAM) chips, is
packaged in different ways, with a common form being dual inline memory modules. DRAMmemory access
speed is referred to in terms of older DDR2 (667MHz) or newer DDR3 (1333MHz). RAMmain memory on a server is the fastest form of memory, second only to internal processor or chip-based registers—L1, L2 or local memory. In general, more memory is better; however, the speed of the memory is also very important.



Take a look at what functionality is built into the server or provided on server blades for general-purpose
networking along with attachment of disk storage. What is there in terms of 10 Gb Ethernet (10 GbE), and how many ports as well as 3G (3Gb) or 6G (6Gb) Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) for disk storage attachment
(internal or external), along with serial, video and USB ports? Also look at expansion capabilities for additional mezzanine cards for blade servers, or PCI-E cards for networking, storage and other peripherals.
PCI SIGMulti-Root IO Virtualization (MR-IOV), a relatively new and emerging feature for servers, enables
advanced connectivity, including adapter sharing.MR-IOV will enable multiple, physically separate adjacent
servers to share a PCI-E adapter card, allowing the virtualization of servers that otherwise could not be
consolidated.MR-IOV can also boost scaling capabilities beyond normal physical limits in high-density servers by placing adapter cards in shared external expansion slots.


FINALLY,PUT IT ALL TOGETHER RIGHT
simple, install the softwares that would optimize your server hardware.(e.g don't plan to install 32-bit software on your 64-bit machine)
Know your requirements,know your wants, stay within budget whilst ensuring high ROI. Have fun Buying!

TIPS FOR MANAGING YOUR COMPUTER HARDWARE

Ever entered into an examination hall ill? you have all the right answers to the questions,you want to elaborate, illustrate, exemplify, ...  but you just dont have the energy. Thats analogous to having the right software,  that has passed every available benchmark, but is being run on  poorly managed hardware.the following tips would keep your hardware happy with your software:

1. Keep  a dust-free PC environment. dust particles that get into the system unit(what non computer proffessionals would call C.P.U) totally mess up the entire heating-cooling-heating-cooling .. cycle of the system unit's design.Dust is also unfriendly and clogs up most of our input/output devices.In addition to keeping the environment dust free, you should vaccum-clean(BLOW-OUT) your system unit say once a year.

2. Computer Hardware are brought to life by electrical power. They are therefore rated to function withing certain electrical supply limits.Make sure you check Power ratings of purchased hardware before connecting them to AC power supply especially when the device was shipped in from another country.This would save you some time, money(MORE IMPORTANTLY), and quite frankly, save the environment some oxides of carbon.

3. Install proper device drivers for your hardware. Device drivers are what translates the instructions you issue via your application software or operating system to a language the device can understand.using an improper device driver is like visiting China to deliver a speech and taking an Italian speaking translator along to help you translate  your speech to your Chinese audience.

4. Keep a close eye on your hardware vendor for release of  firmware and BIOS updates.firmware updates to hardware are what ervice packs are to the Operating system.

5. Be Vigilant. Notice changes in behaviour of your hardware such as humming noises, over-heating, changes in tone,brightness or contrast(in the case of display hardware).Alert a proper engineer when noticed (especially when these behaviour are accompanied by loss of performance or quality of computer output.

After all said and done, your computer harware is still driven by software. Follow the tips in my 12th of july article, combine thpse with these 5 and your computer usage would be stressfree not to mention predictable.  

TIPS FOR MANAGING YOUR COMPUTER SOFTWARE

I usually tell my friends that "computers dont just crash". more than likely, if anything goes wrong trust me ITS YOU!! either directly or in some remote way. I got two calls this week to fix one dell inspiron desktop(a very old model!!) and one LG laptop(cant remember the model). what they had in common was that their users' were doing things they shouldn't be doing. so i decide to let you guys know 10 things i think would improve youre general computer usage experience.Personallly, i believe software is always on top of hardware so i'm starting with software management tips. follow me:

1.Remember that the most important software on your computer is the Operating System.

2. Install genuine windows/provider Operating system.

3. As a benefit of  (2.) above, make sure you install any operating system patches in form of service packs or fixes.

4. Make sure you have a personal inventory of every application software  you install/uninstall.(the operating syatem itself keeps track of this information in event viewer(start-control panel-administrative tools-event viewer)) its only fair that you have yours.

5. Make sure you only install software from TRUSTED sources.

6. Make sure you always check the company website of important software that you use for sofware updates(this is essential because, your software provider works day and night to find and close-up loop-holes in their software, the closing up is in form of updates or newer enhancements)

7. Install a good anti virus software( i wont go into the argument of which is the best?!?!?!).

8. BE PATIENT. When users click a button and its taking more time than usual to respond,i notice that  users always respond to this by clicking more and more. i want to let you know that the OS now has to respond to the first click,and your zillion subsequent clicks.

9.If you notice any unusual computer behaviour just after u install a software. do a system restore(start-all programs-accessories-system tools- system restore) this restores your computer to its state before certain installations. simply uninstalling the software might not fully remove all the traces of the software(to make sure this works well you can use windows clean-up tool. download this at http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Windows-Installer-CleanUp-Utility-Download-18442.html

10. After all said and done, the software is meant to run over hardware. Make sure your installed hardaware meet the pre-requisite for any software you are installling.Not to mention that your softwares should be interoperable(see 9. above)


AND ALWAYS BACKUP YOUR CRITICAL DATA.

Keep pressing F8

Virtualization;the Ace Technology

I know u guys were expecting the sequel to my june 24 post about cloud computing. So as not to be guilty of putting the cart before the horse,i would lets first look at a veritable tool for driving efficient cloud computing, 'SERVER VIRTUALIZATION'.

Today’s datacenter is a complex ecosystem with different kinds of servers,operating systems, and applications interacting with a wide variety of desktop computers and mobile client computers. For IT departments, managing and supporting this assortment of mission-critical technologies is a challenge.

Deploying server virtualization technology—moving disparate servers to virtual machines (Virtual
machines) in a centrally managed environment—is an increasingly popular option for facing this challenge.

Virtualization reduces IT costs, increases hardware utilization, optimizes business and network infrastructure, and improves server availability.
Windows Server® 2008 includes Hyper-V (formerly codenamed viridian), a powerful virtualization technology that enables businesses to take advantage of the benefits of virtualization without having to buy third-party software.

The most widely leveraged benefit of virtualization technology is server consolidation, enabling one server to take on the workloads of multiple servers. For example, by consolidating a branch office’s print server, FAX server, Exchange server, and Web server on a single Windows Server, businesses reduce the costs of hardware, maintenance, and staffing.

Microsoft’s virtualization strategy includes five key components:


• Server virtualization, enabling multiple servers to run on the same physical server

• Presentation virtualization, enabling remote users to access their office desktops or serverbased applications

• Desktop virtualization, enabling desktop operating systems to be consolidated into the datacenter

• Application virtualization, helping to prevent conflicts between applications on the same PC

• Comprehensive management, tying virtual components into the same management tools used to monitor and control physical components


Server Virtualization


Microsoft has two server virtualization offerings: Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008, and Virtual Server 2005 R2. Hyper-V extends virtualization capability to manage 32-bit Virtual machines alongside 64-bit Virtual machines, enable Virtual machines to access larger amounts of memory, and enable Virtual machines to leverage multiple processors. Virtualization is a key feature of the operating system and helps customers get complete isolation of the different virtual machines and still benefit from server consolidation.

Desktop Virtualization


When server virtualization is used host client OSes for remote access, this approach is often called desktop virtualization. While the principles of desktop virtualization are similar to server virtualization, this approach can be useful in a variety of situations. One of the most common is to deal with incompatibility between applications and desktop operating systems. For example, suppose a user
running Windows Vista needs to use an application that runs only on Windows XP with Service Pack 2.
By creating a VM that runs this older operating system, then installing the application in that VM, this problem can be solved. Microsoft VirtualPC is an example of a solution in this space to help address th scenario for hosting VMs in a desktop environment for application compatibility.

Application Virtualization

Application virtualization helps isolate the application running environment from the operating system install requirements by creating application-specific copies of all shared resources and helps reduce application to application incompatibility and testing needs. With Microsoft SoftGrid, desktop and network users can also reduce application installation time and eliminate potential conflicts between
applications by giving each application a virtual environment that’s not quite as extensive as an entire virtual machine. By providing an abstracted view of key parts of the system, application virtualization reduces the time and expense required to deploy and update applications.

Presentation Virtualization


Presentation virtualization is a technology that enables applications to execute on a remote server, yet display its user interface locally. Microsoft’s presentation virtualization technology, Microsoft Terminal Services, enables remote users to connect to their office desktops from anywhere in the world, taking full advantage of applications, resources, and familiar interfaces even from computers with different operating systems or system capabilities. Administrators can access system management tools from remote locations, for example, or applications can be run on a server and accessed by remote users.
Presentation virtualization enables customers to centralize and secure data, reduce cost of managing applications, reduce test costs for compatibility between the OS and applications, and potentially improve the performance of systems overall.

Comprehensive Management in a Familiar Environment


Virtualization technologies provide a range of benefits. Yet as an organization’s computing environment gets more virtualized, it also gets more abstract. Increasing abstraction can increase complexity, making it harder for IT staff to control their world. The corollary is clear: If a virtualized world isn’t managed well, its benefits can be elusive.To a large degree, the specifics of managing a virtualized world are the same as those of managing a

physical world, and so the same tools can be used. To this end, Windows Server virtualization and the Microsoft System Center family of products includes many management features designed to make managing virtual machines simple and familiar while enabling easy access to powerful VM-specific management functions.
culled from: hyper-v product overview.
                   by microsoft corporation,October 2008

Windows Azure and the "Cloud Computing" story(Part1)

I first heard the phrase "cloud computing" on one of my visits to my friend and mentor, Yinka (i visit him from time to time and we discuss information technology generally,we also argue on certain issues. Yinka works with a top notch IT solutions provider in Nigeria). at that time even He didnt have a clear-cut idea of what "cloud computing" was all about.

If you'v had your IT ear to the ground in the last 2 years, you would have heard the phrase "cloud computing" used in  place/collaboration with SAAS(Software-as-a-service), PAAS(Platform-as-a-service), IAAS(Infrastructure-as-a-service), and more recently, Windows Azure.

The concept of cloud computing is this;consider a company  XYZ( irrespective of size),XYZ can have their applications, databases, security/certificate servers located OUTSIDE XYZ complex/group of complexs.

let me paint a clearer picture, if a user in XYZ wants to use a spreadsheet /word processing software, he can simply connect to XYZ's "cloud", use the application, save changes back to the "cloud". now the cloud here represents an internet-facing  datacenter managed by IT solutions providers that specialise in rendering such a service. 

As for the origin of the term “cloud computing”, there are a few possibilities…

In May 1997, NetCentric tried to trademark the “cloud computing” but later abandoned it in April 1999. Patent serial number 75291765.

In April 2001, the New York Times ran an article by John Markoff about Dave Winer’s negative reaction to Microsoft’s then new .Net services platform called Hailstorm (if you want a laugh sometime, ask a Microsoft Azure person about Hailstorm). It used the phrase “‘cloud’ of computers”. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/09/technology/09HAIL.htmlex=1230872400&en=5d156fc75d409335&ei=5070

In August 2006, where Eric Schmidt of Google described there approach to SaaS as cloud computing at a search engine conference. I think this was the first high profile usage of the term, where not just “cloud” but “cloud computing” was used to refer to SaaS and since it was in the context Google, the term picked up the PaaS/IaaS connotations associated with the Google way of managing data centers and infrastructure. http://www.google.com/press/podium/ses2006.html



Much like “Web 2.0″, cloud computing was a collection of related concepts that people recognized, but didn’t really have a good descriptor for, a definition in search of a term, you could say. When Schmidt Google used it in 2006 to describe their own stuff and then Amazon included the word “cloud” in EC2 when it was launched a few weeks later (August 24), the term became mainstream. People couldn’t definite it exactly, but they roughly knew it meant SaaS apps and infrastructure like Google was doing and S3/EC2 services like Amazon was offering.

On my next post we'l explore the relationships between cloud computing,SAAS,PAAS,IAAS,windows Azure.watchout for  WINDOWS AZURE and the CLOUD COMPUTING STORY(PART2).