IT professionals face many challenges in their struggle to deliver the infrastructure, applications, and services that their organizations need. Common issues include limited budgets, datacenter infrastructure complexity, and technical expertise to support a wide variety of changing goals. The presentation will provide guidance and best practices for data center admins that are looking for cost-effective ways to increase automation, improve hardware resource utilization, and provide HA/DR features without having to make costly investments in third-party products.
This webinar will discuss:
Features that include support for iSCSI-based SANs,
I’m excited to be presenting a free session that’s focused on how IT pros can use Windows Server 2012 R2 to improve their datacenter operations.
The event will take place on the morning of Friday, September 26th, 2014. The scheduled presentation will start at 9:00am and conclude at 1:00pm, including breaks and meals. For more details, and to register, please visit the Transform the Datacenter MVP Roadshow page for this event. Registration is free, and breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Here’s an overview of the topics I’ll be covering:
Session I: Transforming Your Datacenter: Why and How
a. Common barriers to replacing current OS, applications, network, storage, and related infrastructure
b. Addressing datacenter management challenges
c. Understanding the role and benefits of public/private/hybrid cloud approaches
d. Planning for and Migrating from Windows Server 2003
Session II: New Features in Windows Server 2012 R2
a. Microsoft server and cloud platform overview
b. Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage and Networking Improvements
c. Virtualization with Hyper-V 4.0
d. Additional features and tools / Q & A
Session III: Transforming Your Datacenter: Infrastructure and Cloud Benefits of Windows Server 2012 R2
a. Comparing Public, Private, and Hybrid Cloud approaches
b. Understanding Microsoft Azure service offerings
c. Integrating cloud and local data-center infrastructure
d. Getting start with moving data, applications, and services to the cloud
One of the many benefits of being a Microsoft MVP is the opportunity to connect with IT professionals that are located in my area (Central Texas). While there’s no shortage of online resources for technical content on this topic, sometimes an in-person, on-site session can help provide the much-needed opportunity to interact with peers outside your organization. If you’re in the Houston or Central Texas area, please do try to attend!
I recently had the opportunity to write several articles for Dell’s Tech Page One blog. I always enjoy thinking (and writing/speaking) about topics related to IT architecture changes. Over the last several years, that has focused on virtualization technology and cloud computer. A special
Below are links to those articles, with a brief intro for each.
With the seemingly endless list of daily IT tasks and projects, it’s difficult to step back and ask a hypothetical question: How would we build out data center infrastructures if we could completely start over?
The availability of new technology is often the beginning of a new set of challenges for IT professionals. The trick is in finding how to get the benefits of improvements while staying within the constraints of budgets, human resources, time, expertise, and business requirements.
When implemented correctly, virtualization helps reduce complexity, reduce management overhead, and increase overall operational efficiency. Those words should be music to the ears of any data center manager struggling to make their business requirements and technology ends meet.
The enigmatic world of quantum mechanics notwithstanding, it’s difficult to create something from nothing. That’s especially true if you’re an IT professional tasked with meeting storage needs.
A special thanks to Ziff Davis for providing the project and getting this published!
I have mentioned before that my favorite features in Windows Server 2012 are related to improvements in the storage stack. While it might not seem as exciting as some of the many other new features, the number and types of scenarios that storage and networking improvements allow are tremendous. Best of all, these features ship “in the box” (that is, as part of the product itself), so no third-party tools, utilities, or drivers are required.
I recently wrote an article for the Microsoft MVP Award Program blog that covers some ways in which IT pros can use these features to implement high-availability and other Enterprise-level features using Windows Server 2012. Here’s a brief excerpt from the post:
Enter Windows Server 2012: A server product that ships with all of the required ingredients to brew your own highly-available storage environment. In this post, I’ll focus on the storage and high-availability-related features that ship as part of Windows Server 2012. Specifically, I’ll discuss what’s required to build and deploy a fault-tolerant Hyper-V deployment using only in-box features. I’ll start with the configuration basics and then list higher-end features that are available for production environments.
It’s still a few months away, but I’ll be presenting at two storage-related presentations in the Virtualization and Cloud track at The Experts Conference (TEC) 2012 in San Diego, CA. Below are the abstracts. For more information about the conference, please visit the TEC 2012 Conference web site.
Storage Improvements in Windows Server 8 / Hyper-V 3.0
Virtualization architects and administrators have long sought quicker, simpler and more cost effective ways to scale and manage storage in their data centers. Microsoft has made many significant improvements in the architecture and storage features of Hyper-V 3.0 and the Windows Server 8 platform. Examples include support for SMB-based virtual disks, management UI improvements, network stack improvements, Hyper-V Replicas, NTFS reliability improvements, incremental VHD backups, storage de-duplication, offloaded data transfer, SMB protocol improvements, and Storage Spaces. These features can help improve storage management for many different types of virtualization deployments and can help bring the idea of cloud-based automation closer to reality.
This session will focus on technical details and demonstrations of new features in the Windows Server 8 platform and in Hyper-V 3.0. The focus will be on practical suggestions for how and when the new features should be used to reduce costs, simplify administration, and increase performance.
Designing Storage for Virtual Environments
One of the most common issues related to virtual infrastructure design is related to planning for and managing the storage environment. Successful SAN, NAS, and local storage deployments require the provisioning of highly-reliable, high-performance, cost-effective solutions to meet business and technical needs. The challenge for IT is in consolidating and optimizing infrastructures while staying within budgets. The primary concerns – including storage capacity, performance, and reliability – can drive the success or failure of virtualized deployments.
This presentation begins with recommendations for designing a storage environment based on requirements, starting with a solid understanding of application workload characteristics. Strategies for collecting storage statistics through historical and real-time performance monitoring can provide valuable insight into real requirements. Based on this data, IT departments can compare different storage approaches, including centralized network-based storage, and cloud-based options. Important features to consider include file- and block-level de-duplication, thin provisioning, high-availability, clustering, and disaster recovery. Attendees will learn methods by which they can best plan for, implement, manage, and monitor storage for virtualization in their own environments.
I hope the New Year is off to a good start for everyone! For many data center administrators, the tasks related to supporting a wide variety of virtual machines and related infrastructure is going to take a lot of time and resources. To help address some of the chaos, I’ll be presenting a free webcast titled Managing VM Sprawl: [Re]gaining Control of Your Data Center at the upcoming BrightTALK Virtualization Conference. The presentation will take place on January 11, 2012. Here’s an overview of the topic:
As virtual machines have become the default method of deploying new applications and services many organizations have found that they’re encountering the problem of “VM Sprawl” – the rapid proliferation of VMs that make management difficult.
In this presentation, you’ll learn:
Common causes of VM sprawl and how to address them
Specific technical administration issues that are unique to virtual machines
Methods of managing a VM’s “life cycle”, from initial deployment to retirement
Ways to maintain control of data center resources while also allowing for end-user self-service
Ways in which automation can help manage the major causes of VM sprawl
This online conference provides a wide variety of different presentations, so be sure to check out information about the Virtualization Summit and register for the event.
I was recently invited to be a guest in a TechNet Webcast. The Webcast is scheduled for Friday, June 10th at 11:00am Central time. You can see more details and register to attend at the following page:
Want to talk about Virtualization? This is the show for you. Anil Desai is a Microsoft Windows Server Virtualization MVP so bring your Hyper-V questions. I’m sure Anil will be happy to takes questions on some of the other products like System Center Virtual Machine manager. Tune in and listen, call in, or send us questions on the web via Live Meeting. Take advantage of this great opportunity to get your questions answered. Presenters: Keith Combs, Sr. Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation, Matt Hester, Sr. IT Pro Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation, and Anil Desai, Independent Consultant, Microsoft Windows Server Virtualization MVP
I look forward to answering questions from attendees!
IT operations groups and datacenter managers are always searching for new ways to reduce costs while still meeting security, configuration, and compliance requirements. Fortunately, there are numerous methods by which organizations can achieve these goals. On February 25th, I’ll be presenting a free, live webcast on the topic of The 2010 Data Center: Driving Cost-Efficiency, Security and Compliance. Here’s an overview of the topic from the webcast’s web site:
Thursday, February 25, 2010 10AM PST / 1PM EST
With the new decade comes new opportunity to implement the best technologies and practices for IT. Join this FREE live webinar to learn how to cost-effectively plan, implement and manage a 21st century data center to drive greater efficiency, security and compliance.
You’ll hear from leading experts about ways organizations are leveraging technologies such as virtualization and configuration management to build flexible, resilient, cost-efficient and high-performing data centers for 2010.
Join now to:
• Get a blueprint to plan and implement IT best practices to modernize, consolidate, and secure your technology environment • Hear how to cost-effectively drive improved security and compliance across your IT infrastructure while staying agile and competitive • Learn about the benefits of a combined solution for configuration assessment with configuration change auditing for improved data center operations
The presentation is arranged by Focus.com and is sponsored by TripWire. I’ll begin the presentation with an overview of technical best practices. Then, Barak Engel from EAmmune will provide specific information on products, technologies, and approaches you can use to achieve these goals. We’ll wrap up by taking live questions from the audience. The entire webcast should last under an hour.
The idea of virtual machine “sprawl” – the rapid proliferation of VMs without adequate IT oversight or management – seems to be a popular one. I have written and spoken on this topic before, but there have been enough changes in the tools and implementation methods for server virtualization to merit an updated presentation. That’s the topic of a recent webcast that I recorded for TechTarget’s SearchCIO.com site.
The webcast is titled “Understanding and Managing VM Sprawl”. An archived version is available for viewing at no cost (though registration is required). Here’s a brief abstract of the topic:
Virtualization can help address many of IT’s biggest headaches, but it can also lead to a problem known as "VM sprawl" – the rapid proliferation of VMs without sufficient IT oversight. The result is an environment that doesn’t meet security or administration requirements, putting applications, services, and data at risk.
This webcast will provide an overview of VM sprawl – its root causes and related issues, along with ways to mitigate the main issues. Specifically, it will provide best practices for managing the entire virtual machine life cycle (from deployment to retirement) and details related to tracking VMs in the environment. The webcast will then describe how automated virtualization management solutions can help provide all of the benefits of virtualization with minimum administrative overhead.
The content is targeted towards IT managers and higher-level IT people. It focuses on virtualization management strategies, though there’s a good amount of technical depth. The presentation is roughly 45 minutes in length. I hope you find it useful, and feel free to post questions or comments here.
Network Computing is hosting an online, virtual event that focuses on next-generation networking technologies. Here’s a brief blurb from the event web site:
This Next Generation Networks virtual event will bring you up to speed on networking state of the art by discussing the technologies that are going to drive network design and implementations today and in the future. You will learn from peers, analysts, and vendors about where the technologies are today and how you can prepare for a network overhaul. Attendee Benefits:
Download informative research, white papers, and other resources straight to your Virtual Briefcase.
Access insightful webcasts featuring industry experts, Network Computing editors, and analysts.
Interact with our guest speakers, other attendees, and exhibitors through real-time chat tools.
Visit vendor booths and browse through products and solutions in our unique, interactive and entertaining environment.
Use the Event Registration page to sign up to attend. In addition to the virtual conference booths, you can view a list of presentations on the Distinguished Speakers page. I’ll be attending and will try to answer as many technical questions as possible in the Microsoft booth.
Often, new technology tends to bring with it some new problems that need to be addressed. Granted, the problems are “better” ones to have, but they’re important concerns nonetheless. Server virtualization is no exception.
It’s somewhat ironic that one of the main problems that server virtualization is designed to address, server sprawl, is often replaced with a similar problem – VM sprawl. It’s a topic that I’ve written a lot about in the past and on this blog. I recently revisited the topic and expanded on it in a White Paper that I wrote for Sun. Here’s the introduction from Best Practices to Prevent and Manage Virtual Machine Sprawl:
While server consolidation using virtualization can significantly decrease costs and improve efficiency, organizations often find that they need to deal with an associated issue: the rapid proliferation of VMs with inadequate management. This article will provide best practices for addressing the issue of "VM Sprawl", including the following:
Creating and enforcing deployment policies
Detecting and addressing unauthorized VMs
Managing security and compliance in virtual environments
Managing the entire VM lifecycle and Planning for VM retirement
Sidebar: Steps to gaining (or regaining) control of a virtual environment.
The White Paper is available for free, but registration on the Sun Web site is required.
Virtualization expert Anil Desai discusses the capacity planning and management demands created by virtualizing production-level applications, creating virtual infrastructures and server platforms, such as blade servers.
There are new challenges posed by virtualizing on a mix of blades or high-density servers and x86 in the same environment. Desai warns of the common mistakes made in capacity planning as virtualization usage is increased and offers ways to avoid them. Finally, he taps his own experiences with capacity planning and reveals best practices he uses everyday.
You can download the webcast for free (registration is required).
Microsoft is working hard to get IT pros to understand its many different virtualization products and technology. The list includes Hyper-V, App-V, Terminal Services, and the recently-released System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008 management product. It can be really challenging to keep up-to-date on all of this new technology (especially when some of these things are potential game-changers). If you’re willing to invest the time, Microsoft has made numerous e-Learning courses available for online access or download:
Click on the links for the entire Collection, or for individual courses to add them to your e-Learning Library. You’ll need to login with a Windows Live ID to activate the content.
Personally, I’ve used dozens of e-Learning courses (mostly free ones, I’ll admit) to learn the technical details that aren’t always readily available on the product marketing web sites. Most courses are fairly in-depth (including code samples where appropriate), but there are usually some rough edges that seem to be remnants from beta versions of the courses. Overall, though, I think they’re an excellent resources. And, all of the courses listed above are available for the convenient and affordable price of free.
Virtualization has brought next-generation network-attached storage (NAS) beyond the limitations of the old NAS architectures. View this webcast with virtualization expert Anil Desai to learn more about this evolution and get tips on best fit scenarios and deployment techniques.
Deciding the best place for NAS implementation is very hard in the complicated world of the new data center. In this webcast, Anil Desai describes the right NAS scenarios, right choices and the right deployment options for your infrastructure.
The Webcast is available for free, but registration with TechTarget’s Bitpipe.com is required.
The seventh chapter of my eBook, Managing Virtual Environments, is now available for download from the Embotics web site. This chapter focuses on ways in which organizations can bring order to their data centers by communicating and enforcing Service Level Agreements (SLAs). From the introduction:
The implementation of new technology often comes with new challenges. While a pessimist might point out that many IT departments and the businesses that they support are resistant to changes, there’s an opposing view: Often, new technology such as virtualization can provide a compelling reason to address organization-wide operational and management issues. The major challenge faced by most IT teams is the constant struggle to meet business requirements while staying within budget. Overall, the goal is for technology investments to remain aligned with business initiatives. Virtualization is attractive for just these reasons: It provides unprecedented flexibility and agility to data center resources.
Despite its technical benefits and the ability to lower operational costs, many IT managers have found that they are unable to keep pace with the needs of the users they support. In some cases, cost overruns lead to budget constraints which, in turn, can slow business growth. Personnel and expertise are limited, and it often seems that no matter how well-planned the infrastructure is, there’s some portion of the environment that fails to meet requirements.
Returning to an optimistic view, virtualization provides an excellent opportunity for organizations to implement methods to address these issues. This chapter focuses on the topics of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and charge-backs – two methods of improving coordination, communications, and priorities within a business. As in previous chapters, the goal is to maximize the benefits of virtualization while minimizing costs and related management overhead.
You can download chapters from this eBook for free (registration required) from the Embotics Knowledge Center.
On December 9th, 2014, I’ll be presenting a free online webinar titled, Windows Server Enterprise Storage and Networking Features. Here’s a quick overview of the topic:
