Microsoft Virtual Server Host Clustering

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Microsoft Virtual Server Host Clustering

• Sean Riordan (Stanford University)

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Project Drivers

• Currently running MS Virtual Server 2005
• Reduce threat vectors on host servers
• Test HA options for Production VM
• Lots of physical servers using lt 30 resources
• Data Center running out of power
• Hardware growing faster then our user base

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Usage/Hardware Growth
Small Department Computer Usage Over 2 Years
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Stand Alone Virtual Server?
Virtual Machine
Virtual Machine
Virtual Machine
IIS
Virtual Server Application
Operating System
Hardware
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Objectives

• Remove IIS from all the Host Servers
• Test the remote admin web site
• Test the cluster and failover

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VS Admin Web Site
IIS
VM
VM
VM
Windows Server
VM
VM
VM
Hardware
Virtual Server App
Virtual Server App
Windows Server
Windows Server
Hardware
Hardware
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Pros/Cons of Admin Web Site

• Pros
• Allows for one URL and IIS server to manage N
  number of virtual host severs
• Installation and usage were very easy to use
• Cons
• If the admin web server is offline there is no
  management of the guests
• Can only see one host server at a time

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Demo
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The Cluster Hardware
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Shared Storage Layout
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The Cluster Build Out

• Challenges to Over Come
• Each 6650 only had 1 RAID Controller
• Had to figure out how to configure the RAID
  controller for shared storage
• Needed to set each RAID controller to a separate
  SCSI ID (default is 7)
• MS Cluster can only manage LUNs not partitions on
  LUNs
• Layout of the disks

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Pros/Cons of Host Cluster

• Pros
• Very easy to setup
• Documentation is clear
• Cons
• Havm.vbs will Only start, stop VM node it is set
  to watch
• There is no failover management from the admin
  web console, need to use cluster admin

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Demo
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Development Options

• COM API
• Managed Code or VBScript
• Automation Options
• Customized the Havm.vbs to support more then one
  guest
• Save state on all VMs
• Start up VMs in a specific order
• List all VMs on all Guests
• Get Network usage on VMs

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Future

• Cluster with SAN and iSCSI Storage
• Add second NIC to each Node to separate the Guest
  and Host traffic
• Testing the new System Center Virtual Machine
  Manager
• Test Intel VT technology

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Where is this Usable?

• Development/Testing
• Training
• Production (Standalone)

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• Questions Answers

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URLs

• http//www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/syste
  mcenter/scvmm/default.mspx
• http//blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy/default.aspx
• http//www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/virtu
  alserver/deploy/cvs2005.mspx
• http//www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?Fa
  milyID09cc042b-154f-4eba-a548-89282d6eb1b3displa
  ylangen