ENTERPRISE NETWORK SERVERS: Is it Time to Upgrade?

Without servers no networ is !omp"ete# Networ servers avai"a$"e in the mar et !an o%ten "eave a &IO !on%used and "oo ing %or the right answers# I% he has to integrate a new networ with new servers' it might $e easier %or him than upgrading %rom e(isting servers# With the management getting in!reasing") !ons!ious on IT spending' when does he de!ide to $u) a new server? The %irst sign to rep"a!e an o"d server is when the wor %"ow o% the !ompan) gets hampered due to server snags# Parti!u"ar") in mission !riti!a" app"i!ations and data $eing a!!essed %rom the server' even a sma"" downtime !an register huge "osses# Types of servers Entry-level servers: The entr)*"eve" servers !an $e !ategori+ed into standard Inte" ar!hite!ture servers ,SI-S. and RIS&/Uni( servers# The t)pi!a" minimum spe!s %or an SI-S server shou"d in!"ude an Inte" Pentium 0 pro!essor' up to 122 34+ %ront*side $us speed' up to 5 67 memor) and at "east one 488' $esides some managea$i"it) too"s# T)pi!a"")' the entr)*"eve" severs are in the Rs 9 to Rs 51 "a h $ra! et# These servers are idea" in !ase o% non*!riti!a" enterprise re:uirements "i e e*mai" messaging' e*sharing' and print*sharing tas s# Mid-range servers: T)pi!a"")' the mid*range servers !an !ost somewhere $etween Rs 51 "a h to Rs 5 !rore' depending on whether these are RIS&/Uni( servers or Inte" servers# The usua" spe!s %or mid*range Inte" servers are up to %our Inte" ;eon pro!essors' 195 37<95 67 memor)' hot*p"ugga$"e =( =0*$it/9>>34+ P&I*; ,supports 2V or universa" P&I adapters.' up to 9> high*speed S&SI drives in a R-I8 !on%iguration# These are idea" %or per%orming mu"tip"e %un!tions "i e departmenta" app"i!ations' %i"es and print' and !an e(ist in a !"uster !on%iguration# RIS&/Uni( servers that o%%er main%rame*"i e !apa$i"ities !ou"d $e used %or "arge $a! *end data$ases# These servers are idea" %or !onso"idating sma""er wor "oads and to host "arge app"i!ations# High-end servers: T)pi!a"")' these are the main%rames pri!ed in e(!ess o% Rs 5 !rore' the de %a!to servers %or mission*!riti!a" app"i!ations# Ti"" re!ent")' this segment used to $e dominated $) Uni(*$ased servers' whi"e Windows and Inte" were re"egated to the $a! ground# 4owever' o%% "ate' the Winte" !om$ination has grown mu!h $e)ond e(pe!tations in this segment on")# These servers are idea" %or mission*!riti!a" app"i!ations "i e data$ase management' data warehousing' and e*!ommer!e app"i!ations# Clustering versus symmetric multi-processing (SMP): There are man) app"i!ations' whi!h !an $oth s!a"e*out and s!a"e*in# S!a"ed*out is inherent") the !apa$i"it) o% running a!ross mu"tip"e servers' %or e(amp"e' We$ servers and mai" servers !an a"" run and s!a"e %rom a host o% servers# S!a"e in' re%ers to the s!a"a$i"it) within the $o(' that is' the app"i!ation demand verti!a" growth# ?or e(amp"e' a t)pi!a" Ora!"e data$ase server or an) data$ase server or app"i!ations' whi!h wou"d run on a sing"e server# &"ustering provides a too" %or enterprises toda) to $ui"d a high s!a"a$"e environment or a ver) high") s!a"a$"e data$ase environment using o%%*the*she"% avai"a$"e produ!ts' whi!h are "ow !ost' open' and easi") avai"a$"e# Whi"e S3P servers are e(pensive' the) are good %or s!a"ing*in %or app"i!ation growth# T)pi!a"")' the high*per%orman!e te!hni!a" !ompeting mar etp"a!e and the edu!ation and resear!h "a$s are good e(amp"es o% !ustomers who t)pi!a"") "oo ing at !"ustering as an a"ternative to S3P %or $ui"ding high s!a"a$i"it) environment# lade servers: These are idea" %or environments where spa!e and e"e!tri!a" power are "imited' and power%u" pro!essors are not an a$so"ute ne!essit)# Enterprises going %or server !onso"idation might go %or $"ades' espe!ia"") sin!e these are easier to manage# These servers are strong on power e%%i!ien!)' spa!e saving and ver) eas) to manage and maintain# 7"ade server te!hno"og) !an a!!ommodate 5@> servers in a sing"e industr) standard ra! # -"ongside' one !ou"d a"so have dua" and Auad &PU ;eon servers in a $"ades %orm %a!tor# !tanium processors: Itanium is "arge") "oo ed at as an a"ternative to the RIS&/Uni( mar et p"a!e %or !ustomers "oo ing at a di%%erent a"ternatives !omputing design' whi!h is $ased on e(p"i!it para""e" instru!tion set !omputing ,EPI&. ar!hite!ture# This provides para""e" e(e!ution o% data' provides an ar!hite!ture whi!h a""ows the pro!essor to have more registers %or data pro!essing !ompared to RIS& $ased pro!essors and is a"so a =0 $it environment# "pteron processors: Opteron is Bust an e(tension to the e(isting 25*$it pro!essor ar!hite!ture with some =0 $it %un!tiona"it) "i e memor) addressing et!# Opteron is primari") targeted at the vo"ume mar et in the 9 or 5 &PU spa!e whi"e Itanium is %or !ustomers "oo ing at higher "eve"s o% per%orman!e' s!a"a$i"it) and re"ia$i"it) with the !apa$i"it) to run three di%%erent operating s)stems# 3ost o% 3i!roso%t app"i!ations are not easi") porta$"e into Opteron# 4owever' !urrent third*part) $en!hmar s p"a!e the Opteron at a signi%i!ant advantage over the 25*$it Inte" server &PUs ,;eon and ;eon 3P.# -"though there has not $een a head*to*head !omparison $etween the Opteron and the Itanium ,given the di%%i!u"ties in designing an app"es*to*app"es !omparison.' a "ot man) users are pro$a$") wondering whether the advantage ,o% the Opteron. o% $a! ward (@=*!ompati$i"it) does not outweigh the Cperhaps*not*:uite*thereC per%orman!e advantage o% the Itanium# The adoption o% the ar!hite!ture' %irst $) I73 and more re!ent") $) 4P and SUN' is !ertain") e(!e""ent endorsement o% -38Cs strateg)# #inu$ servers: Dinu( is an important server OS that is gaining momentum# Initia"")' it was "arge") a!!epted among te!hni!a" users "i e the edu!ation industr) and RE8 "a$s $ut now its gaining momentum in the !ommer!ia" mar etp"a!e too# 3an) o% he !ommer!ia" !ustomers do have a Dinu( strateg) and are tr)ing to put some part o% their data !enter or app"i!ations that the) are using %or their organi+ation on the Dinu( environment toda)# Dinu( is a ver) good a"ternative %or enterprises "oo ing at providing their app"i!ations with an open sour!e and %"e(i$"e operating s)stem# The %a!t is that open sour!e does provide the %"e(i$i"it) that resear!h organi+ations and edu!ationa" institutions need' %or e(amp"e' to modi%) the erne" %or suiting a parti!u"ar app"i!ation need# Dots o% Dinu(*$ased environments are a"so !hosen in the high per%orman!e te!hni!a" !omputing mar etp"a!e# %o not overloo& these On!e the te!hno"og) has $een de!ided' there are !ertain parameters over whi!h the &IO must wor $e%ore $u)ing the server# Evaluate total cost of o'nership (TC"): 7e%ore ma ing a server pur!hase' a &IO shou"d eva"uate the T&O over the period o% 1 )ears and in!"ude parameters "i e !ost o% servi!es' so%tware "i!ense' manpower re:uirement' %"oor spa!e' e"e!tri!it) !onsumption' so%tware upgrades !ost o% maintenan!e' $a! up and management*re"ated !osts' hardware upgrade !osts' and de%inite") "oo at what are the various app"i!ations operating environments the server supports# Server redeployment: Redep"o)ment and repositioning o% servers is an e:ua"") important parameter "i e pri!e and per%orman!e# &IOs o%ten over"oo investment prote!tion as not a serious point o% eva"uation# &IOs shou"d "oo at this ver) !are%u"") and i% re:uired ta" to some o% the e(isting !ustomers to get their opinion on the same# Modular approach: The traditiona" approa!h o% using a $igger/more power%u" pie!e o% hardware to address the issues o% !omputing' dis ' I/O' and avai"a$i"it) $andwidths ma) no "onger $e the $est approa!h# With the in!reasing maturit) o% !"ustering and ni!he*OS so"utions' simp"er and sma""er $"o! s o% hardware are a$"e to de"iver the per%orman!e and avai"a$i"it)

$en!hmar s at a mu!h "ower T&O# This modu"ar out*o%*$o( approa!h ,as opposed to the mono"ithi! approa!h. needs to $e eva"uated when designing so"utions %or %uture re:uirements# Technology evolution: The server mar et is !urrent") at a te!hno"og)*"i%e !)!"e sadd"e point# The ne(t nine months wi"" see the introdu!tion o% a new generation o% standards' $e it in &PUs' I/O inter!onne!ts' or dis su$s)stems# &IOs need to $e on the $a""' in so %ar as these !hanges are !on!erned# enchmar& evaluation: &IOs pre%er to eva"uate the per%orman!e o% the server $) "oo ing at a suite o% $en!hmar s rather than Bust going $) an) one sing"e $en!hmar # ?or e(amp"e' !ustomers toda) "oo at ODTP $en!hmar s "i e the TP&*&' data warehousing $en!hmar s "i e TP&*4' spe!s $en!hmar "i e the spe!B77 and Spe!We$# 3ost o% the &IOs wi"" "i e to re%er to at "east two or three $en!hmar s $e%ore ma ing a de!ision on pur!hasing a server %rom a per%orman!e point o% view# (endor choice: The &IO shou"d "oo at the support "eve" that he gets and the amount o% SD-s that he !an as %rom the vendors in supporting these parti!u"ar servers# In addition' the vendor shou"d have the !apa$i"it) to provide $oth short term and "ong*term so"utions to the organi+ation and shou"d have a "arge India presen!e and %o!us# - dire!t intera!tion with a prin!ipa" vendor %or servi!es and so"ution is pre%erred over a partner or agen!) providing the same# 4owever' there is a !ost di%%eren!e in getting dire!t support servi!es %rom the server vendor# )elia*ility and redundancy: - %undamenta"") re"ia$"e p"at%orm' designed with se"%*diagnosti! !apa$i"ities and redundant su$s)stems' tends towards a "ower T&O# These %eatures a"so a""ow the vendor to !ommit to higher SD- "eve" s"a$s with on") margina" in!reases in !ost# The %undamenta" design o% the servers' aiming at $etter power management' has as its o$Be!tive in!reasing s)stem mean time $etween %ai"ure ,3T7?.# The enterprise server p"at%orms are designed with redundant su$s)stems in e) areas*memor) ,in the new range.' dis ' networ ing' power supp") modu"e' and !oo"ing modu"e# The new range o% servers wi"" %eature an e*Pane" %or s)stem hea"th monitoring and a"erting as we"" as %or pre*OS se"%*diagnosti! !apa$i"ities# This hardware modu"e wi"" a""ow a remote/user*organi+ation non*IT spe!ia"ist to !ommuni!ate hardware %au"t* ana")sis in%ormation to wherever it is the IT in%rastru!ture administration is $ased# Server management: Server vendors toda) provide man) management too"s' whi!h he"p !ustomers manage !omp"e( !"usters o% servers through a sing"e !onso"e and through a sing"e administrator# The) shou"d provide a sing"e window %or managing a num$er o% servers to ta e their $a! *up' and to !reate users# 3ost o% the management %eatures that is re:uired $) the administrator are eas) to use 6UI*$ased' !an $e done and managed through mu"tip"e servers %rom a sing"e !onso"e# Vendors a"so provide remote dia"*in management %a!i"it) and management o% the servers through the Internet and through Intranet# It !an $e done through an) P& in the entire o%%i!e and need not $e in the same premises as the server# So there is tremendous amount o% %"e(i$i"it) and simp"i%i!ation done %or server management and &IOs shou"d "oo at %u"") uti"i+ing these opportunities# Scala*ility: &IOs shou"d "oo at a 5>>0 roadmap %or server p"at%orms with signi%i!ant e(panda$i"it) headroom as we"" as in!orporating new te!hno"ogies that wi"" $oost I/O ,P&I*E(press I/O $us' networ !ontro""ers with in*$ui"t T&P*o%%"oad*engine.# This addresses the s!a"e*up re:uirements o% !ustomers# Managea*ility: &IOs shou"d "oo at a modu"ar server management %ramewor starting with a !hoi!e o% hardware*spe!i%i! !omponents depending on the sophisti!ation and SD- o% the re:uirement# The %ramewor shou"d hoo to enterprise management so"utions' to a""ow the management o% these servers to $e integrated into the overa"" in%rastru!ture management s!heme o% the enterprise#