VMware vSphere 4

Whether you've yet to adopt virtualisation or you are a long-time user, VMware vSphere is an important release that goes beyond the proven benefits of server consolidation and promises to transform data centres into cloud computing infrastructures.

VMware vSphere is the fourth generation of VMware's virtual infrastructure platform based on ESX Server. VMware vSphere builds on VMware Infrastructure 3 and adds a number of powerful new capabilities.

WHY IS VMWARE SO IMPORTANT?

VMware vSphere 4 is a rebranding of VMware Infrastructure and a major version upgrade from ESX Server 3.5.

VMware is the most widely deployed virtualisation platform and, in its fourth version, is the most mature and proven technology. VMware Infrastructure is used by more than 130,000 customers worldwide to reduce capital and operating costs for IT services while increasing control and maximising efficiency.

VMware is often likened to a 'software mainframe'. VMware's ESX hypervisor technology decouples server workloads (operating systems, applications and data) from physical hardware and allows them to be hosted as virtual machines simultaneously on a shared resource pool of reduced physical hardware.

Organisations that use VMware typically achieve consolidation ratios of over 15:1, dramatically reducing capital and operational costs and breaking from the expensive model of applications tied to under-utilised server hardware. Within the virtual world, automated management and dynamic allocation of resources to applications become possible. VMware combines the performance and reliability of the ESX hypervisor with availability features based on the ability to move virtual machines across physical resources as necessary, to prevent downtime and ensure quality of service levels.

VMware's main advantage has been its VMotion technology which enables Live Migration (movement of virtual machines from one host server to another without disruption), High Availability (automatic restart of virtual machines in the event of hardware failure) and Distributed Resource Management (continuous monitoring of virtual machines to dynamically optimise computing resources). VMware vSphere builds on these core features and adds a number of powerful new capabilities.

VMware vSphere provides the industry's most proven virtualisation platform:

WHAT'S NEW?

In addition to the existing availability and automation features, vSphere introduces powerful new operational capabilities that dramatically extend its lead over rival platforms. Notable features include:

• Fault Tolerance to provide continuous availability (zero-downtime, zero-data loss)
• Distributed Power Management to reduce energy costs by running virtual machines on fewer hosts out of hours
• Hot Add to allow CPU and memory resource to be allocated to running virtual machines without disruption
• vShield Zones to enforce security policies at the host level

WHAT EDITIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

As with VMware Infrastructure, VMware vSphere is available in several editions - Standard, Advanced, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus. Naturally, the feature set increases with each edition, as detailed in the image below:

WHICH EDITION?

Your choice of edition really depends on your plans for virtualisation:

Standard Edition provides an entry-level solution for basic consolidation and is recommended for organisations wanting to deploy low cost test/development environments or virtualise low risk production applications.

Advanced Edition goes a bit further and provides a strategic virtualisation platform to protect against downtime and so can be used to virtualise critical production applications.

Enterprise Edition adds features that further improve availability and uptime for applications, and reduce energy costs.

Enterprise Plus provides the full range of features for very large virtual environments and cloud computing infrastructures.

If you cannot see yourself using the higher-end functionality afforded by VMware vSphere, you should consider VMware vSphere Essentials or Essentials Plus. These editions provide an all-in-one solution for smaller IT environments and include availability, data protection and management capabilities, but not VMotion or any of its dependent features.

VMware vSphere Essentials provides a low-cost upfront investment and is recommended for small businesses just starting their adoption of virtualisation. Please note, vSphere Essentials is limited to three host servers (maximum 2 CPU and 12 CPU cores) and there is no upgrade path to the larger vSphere editions if you later outgrow this platform.

Speak to your Phoenix Software Account Manager to determine the best edition of VMware vSphere based on your requirements.

HOW TO UPGRADE

VMware vSphere brings several important updates to existing product features that make it compelling to existing VMware customers.

Providing you have valid VMware support and subscription, you will be entitled to upgrade to VMware vSphere free of charge, although which edition will depend on the version of VMware Infrastructure you purchased previously. VMware Infrastructure Enterprise customers, however, are well advised to upgrade to VMware vSphere Enterprise before the end of 2009, as this edition will be discontinued in December 2009 and you will be forced to pay an upgrade to Enterprise Plus, or downgrade your ESX cluster to the features available in Advanced Edition.

HOW IS vSPHERE LICENSED?

VMware vSphere is licensed per CPU (physical socket) so a dual CPU server, for example, requires 2 licences regardless of number of CPU cores. VMware software support is mandatory for the first 12 months and is available in Platinum or Gold levels. Platinum Support/Subscription provides 24 x 7 telephone support and major and minor version upgrades. Gold Support/Subscription is limited to support during weekday working hours only.

VMware vCenter Server 4 is required to provide centralised management capability, available in two editions - Standard or Foundation (limited to 3 host servers).

There are a number of Acceleration Kits available that include VMware vSphere and vCenter licensing that have some discount built-in. Your Phoenix Software Account Manager can provide further licensing advice.

vSPHERE VS. HYPER-V & XENSERVER

Both the Microsoft and Citrix offerings provide server consolidation solutions comparable with VMware's entry-level product.

Both Microsoft Hyper-V and Citrix XenServer effectively provide a hypervisor required to consolidate multiple server workloads onto a single physical host server, and will provide some availability capabilities also. These are suitable for non-critical applications or test/development environments, but do not necessarily provide sufficient resilience or scalability for critical production applications.

The biggest advantage of both Microsoft and Citrix offerings are that they are provided free or at very low cost (although the management tools are chargeable). The comparable VMware offering, ESXi, however, is also free.

WHAT ABOUT VIRTUAL DESKTOPS?

VMware vSphere provides the underlying platform for VMware's virtual desktop infrastructure, VMware View 3, which permits desktop operating systems to be virtualised in the same way as servers.

Virtual desktops benefit from all the same advantages such as high availability, data protection and centralised updates. VMware View requires an additional licensable component, VMware Desktop Manager, as a connection broker which can also be purchased in different editions depending on requirements and ESX licensing already available. Speak to your Phoenix Software Account Manager for more details regarding VMware View 3.

WHY PHOENIX?

Phoenix Software is a VMware Premier VIP Partner, VMware Authorised Consulting Partner and one of the largest VMware resellers in the UK.

Regarded as one of the UK's leading VMware partners, Phoenix Software has the highest level of VMware partner accreditation - one of only a few partners in the UK to have been awarded this elevated status.

We are also a VMware Authorised Consulting (VAC) Partner in recognition of our ability to deliver VMware technical services. We employ a number of highly experienced VMware Certified Professionals (VCP) qualified to deploy VMware solutions based on official Virtual Infrastructure Methodology with immediate access to VMware technical personnel and resources.
Phoenix Software also holds strategic partnerships with a number of VMware ISVs and technology partners including HP, Dell, NetApp, Symantec, PlateSpin and Vizioncore. This enables us to deliver total virtualisation solutions.

NEXT STEPS

Speak to your Phoenix Software Account Manager on 0845 265 1265 to discuss any aspect of VMware vSphere - they will be able to arrange an on-site session with one of our VMware Certified Technical Consultants to discuss your plans for a virtualisation project.

We can also deliver a VMware Capacity Planning Assessment designed to calculate possible server consolidation scenarios for VMware vSphere, as well as to help plan the business and technical scope of your virtualisation project.

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CLOUD COMPUTING

VMware promotes vSphere as the industry's first cloud computing operating system which enables organisations to deliver IT services using internal or external resources in a flexible, reliable way.

Cloud computing basically describes interoperability of virtual platforms to permit a virtual machine to run on any host server whether it resides inside the organisation's data centre or externally via a hosted managed service provider.

In cloud computing scenarios, your data centre becomes an 'internal cloud' and the virtual machines that reside within it can be migrated across the WAN or Internet into 'external clouds'. organisations are theoretically able to migrate virtual machines to external server resources whenever necessary (say, in times of peak demand) with no modification or disruption to virtual machines, so extra server resource can be quickly requisitioned and deployed.