In his Sun BluePrints Online paper "Using Sun Systems to Build a Virtual and Dynamic Infrastructure" Jacques Bessoudo describes a proof-of-concept exercise setting up a flexible data center infrastructure using the Sun Blade 6000 Modular System, Logical Domains, and Scalent V/OE software.

The configuration and installation procedures described are intended as a starting point for readers interested in implementing a dynamic data center that includes clients running any combination of Windows, Linux, and Solaris operating systems. The author notes that a dynamic data center infrastructure, using technologies such as Sun Logical Domains and the Scalent Virtual Operating Environment (V/OE), can provide a means to easily provision and repurpose servers upon demand.

Bessoudo addresses the following topics:

• "The Dynamic Datacenter," which describes the need for a dynamic data center.

• "Technology Under Evaluation," which provides an overview of the Logical Domains and Scalent V/OE technologies.

• "Installation Overview," which introduces the installation procedures used in this proof-of-concept exercise.

• "Installation for Network-Booted Linux Clients," "Installation for Solaris OS Clients," and "Installation for Windows Clients," all of which outline the procedures needed to install clients running the various operating systems.

This document contends that Solaris-based applications running on both SPARC and x86 architectures can be easily migrated and deployed across both physical servers as well as virtualized environments such as Logical Domains or VMware. The author points out that the addition of Scalent V/OE technology further enhances this environment by enabling blade server modules and rack mount servers to coexist in a dynamic data center. The Scalent software also provides a simple and powerful Web GUI interface that organizes all available personas available in a central data center library, for easier administration.

These features, Bessoudo writes, offer the capability to better manage variable day-to-day workloads as well as making better utilization of data center resources. Servers can be made available, or brought on-line, only when they are providing useful work, and they can be shut down or transitioned to a virtual environment when demand is low, thereby saving on power and cooling expenses.

The author maintains that, in today’s data center, this flexibility and dynamism provides a real advantage when client demand can sky rocket without warning and when workloads can shift from one application to the other.

The paper also includes several useful appendices:

• Appendix A: Supported Ethernet Switches
• Appendix B: Config_tftp Script
• Appendix C: Scalent V/OE Pre-Installation Checklist
• Appendix D: DHCP Manager Wizard
• Appendix E: Scalent Controller Installation

More Information

Beginners Guide to LDoms

ZFS Evil Tuning Guide

Full text of the BluePrints Online paper (Login or registration required)

		fullsource
Print Email Current Profile Archive Blog Generate newsletter