feature section: virtualization in the mainstream

How Streaming the

OS and Applications
Changes the Rules
for Server Provisioning
By Pete Downing

I
Related Categories:

Ardence Data Center Edition provisions Citrix Presentation Server

softwarebased Dell PowerEdge servers on demand by streaming
both the OS and applications from network storage. This approach
enables organizations to lower system administration and operating
costs, ensure server-build consistency, and increase data center
flexibilityall while enhancing business agility.

n traditional data center environments, servers are pro-

Ardence Data Center Edition enables IT administrators

visioned with an OS and applications on their local hard

to create virtual server images called vDisks by making a

drives. Typically, each group of servers performing the

copy of the production image (the OS and applications) of

same functionfor example, running database, office, or

each server group and storing the copied images as files on

accounting applicationshas one or more live dedicated

the network. Administrators can then update, patch, or

backups provisioned with the same OS and applications to

upgrade the vDisk images without affecting the original pro-

help satisfy service-level agreements (SLAs) for IT organiza-

duction images on the server hard disks. Also, because each

tions and their customers.

server can retain the original production image on its hard

The challenge is that a traditional data center architecture

disk drive, image rollout and rollback processes are signifi-

Application streaming

can be expensive to maintain and complicated to manage, and

cantly simplified. In an Ardence-enabled Citrix Presentation

Ardence Software

typically forces overbuilding. Server provisioningadding new

Server environment, administrators can configure servers

servers, repurposing production servers, or installing updates,

to boot from either the network vDisk or the local hard disk

patches, and upgrades to production serversis a time-

drive. If a problem occurs during vDisk deployment, admin-

consuming, resource-intensive process. Often, underutilized

istrators can revert to the previous production image simply

Operating system streaming

standby servers consume power and space that could be con-

by directing the server to reboot from the local hard disk

Virtualization

served if an on-demand or utility computing architecture were

instead of the network.

Citrix Systems
Dell PowerEdge servers

Visit www.dell.com/powersolutions
for the complete category index.

in place. The bottom line: in a traditional data center architecture, costs escalate while business flexibility suffers.

As illustrated in Figure 1, Ardence Data Center Edition

simplifies the process of deploying new servers, repurposing

Ardence, a Citrix Company, has developed OS- and

existing servers, and updating, patching, or upgrading server

application-streaming functionality designed to revolutionize

images compared with the traditional approach of physically

the relationship between server hardware and software

reconfiguring hardware and installing the OS and applications

leading to a fundamental change in data center dynamics

on multiple servers. Streaming the OS and application image

and economics. Ardence Data Center Edition enables orga-

on demand to bare-metal servers with Ardence can accelerate

nizations to provision bare-metal servers over the network

server provisioning, help ensure server-build consistency,

by virtualizing server OS and application images and then

and increase agility. (For an overview of Ardence Data Center

streaming them to the target server on demand, using a man-

Edition functionality, see the How it works: Streaming the

agement console for point-and-click administration.

OS and application image sidebar in this article).

Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, August 2007. Copyright 2007 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

www.dell.com/powersolutions

61

feature section: virtualization in the mainstream

Enhancing Citrix application delivery

environments

After deploying Ardence Data Center Edition,

based on user loads and other factors, or repur-

administrators can make a simple point-and-

posed to support other server functions as

Ardence Data Center Edition allows Citrix

click change in the Ardence administration con-

requiredon demand.

Presentation Server administrators to dynami-

sole to enable Citrix Presentation Server to boot

cally allocate servers hosting applications. For

from a newly created Outlook vDisk (OS, Citrix

example, in a traditional Citrix Presentation

Presentation Server, and Outlook software).

Creating an on-demand data center

infrastructure

Server environment, administrators could provi-

After a reboot, the Outlook vDisk is streamed to

Ardence Data Center Edition enables true on-

sion a new Citrix Presentation Server system to

the server, reprovisioning the server to service

demand computing in the data center. This

deliver Microsoft Office Outlook software

Outlook sessions.

approach to data center architecture allows

using one of two methods:

In addition, by using Ardence Data Center

IT organizations to dramatically reduce the

Edition, administrators no longer need to pro-

server footprint necessary to maintain exist-

Purchase new server hardware, install and

vide a dedicated backup for each Citrix

ing SLAs. Because servers can run diskless,

license the Microsoft Windows Server OS

Presentation Server group. Instead, a single

administrators can stream the OS and server

and Terminal Server, install Citrix Presentation

server (or a small group of servers) can back up

applications on demand from network stor-

Server, test the server, add the new server

an entire Citrix Presentation Server farm. If a

age to these stateless devices. As a result,

to the server farm, and deploy Outlook.

server fails, administrators can boot a backup

servers can be provisioned from bare metal

Reprovision an existing server, which requires

server from the appropriate vDisk. This approach

in the time it takes to reboot, allowing enter-

taking the server out of production and

also enables dynamic allocation of application

prises to meet changing needs by quickly

repeating the time-consuming manual pro-

delivery servers. Citrix Presentation Server sys-

scaling in or scaling out. As illustrated in

visioning steps of the preceding method.

tems can be added and removed dynamically

Figure 1, Ardence Data Center Edition enables

Server farm

1 The servers in each silo share an identical virtual

OS/application imagea vDiskthat is streamed
on demand from a library stored on the network.
Neither the OS nor the applications reside on the
servers hard disk drives.

Silo 1

Silo 2

network storage
Server streaming
Ardence Data Center
Edition

Silo 2

network storage
Server streaming
Ardence Data Center
Edition

Silo 3

3 Administrators have copied the database image,

installed a patch on the copied vDisk, and
reprovisioned the servers in silo 1 with the
patched version. The servers can revert to the
previous image if necessary.

Silo 1

Silo 2

2 Administrators have repurposed a server in silo 3

by assigning it to a dierent vDisk. Following a
reboot, the server runs a customer relationship
management application instead of an
accounting application.

Silo 1

Silo 3

Server farm

Server farm

Server farm

4 Administrators have repurposed a server in silo 2

to run the patched database application, and
returned the repurposed server in silo 3 to
running the accounting application.

Silo 1

network storage
Server streaming
Ardence Data Center
Edition

Silo 3

Silo 2

network storage
Server streaming
Ardence Data Center
Edition

Silo 3

vDisk containing database application

vDisk containing accounting application

vDisk containing oce application

vDisk containing customer relationship management application

Figure 1. Step by step: how Ardence OS and application virtualization capabilities help increase flexibility and agility
62

DELL POWERSOLUTIONS | August 2007

Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, August 2007. Copyright 2007 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

how it works: streaming the os and application image

Ardence Data Center Edition delivers operating systems and server applica-

Private image: Each server is assigned its own unique vDisk contain-

tions on demand over a network. To achieve this, Ardence creates a vDiska

ing its OS and application image. All the vDisks reside on network

virtual version of a servers OS, configuration, and applicationsby taking

storage, where the Ardence Streaming Service can access them. This

a snapshot of the OS and application stack and storing that image as a

mode is particularly useful in environments with many servers per-

file on the network. Ardence vDisks contain the configurations required to

forming completely different functions, such as a telco hotel or out-

support the various functions a server might perform, such as Web server,

sourced data center. More specifically, some managed services may

application server, or Citrix Presentation Server system. When powering

offer similar products, such as integrated voice response, while

up, instead of booting from the local hard disk, the server boots from the

allowing individual customers to use their own software stack and

vDisk. The vDisk streams the assigned image to the server, and the server

dedicated server. Putting all the private vDisk images on a central

can start running the assigned configuration immediatelywithout waiting

disk enables the managed service to back up customer data on a

to download the entire OS.

single storage volume rather than backing up every single computer

Ardence Data Center Edition provides two deployment modes:

individually.

Standard image: An identical image is streamed to groups of servers.

The Ardence approach enhances enterprise flexibility by enabling

Because Ardence accommodates the unique identifiershost name,

administrators to implement a server configuration contained in an

Media Access Control (MAC) addresses, and other differencesthat are

Ardence vDisk, and then, when needed, implement a different server

required to have the OS run on each server, each system appears to be

configuration contained in another Ardence vDisk from a centralized man-

unique even though it is delivered from a single OS image. This mode is

agement console simply by pointing the server to a different vDisk and

particularly useful when groups of servers share the same OS and applica-

rebooting. No softwareOS or applicationsis preinstalled on the server,

tion stack, because it allows administrators to maintain a single software

and no software is permanently loaded on the server. For more informa-

stack that can be delivered to hundreds of computers.

tion, visit www.ardence.com and www.citrix.com.

administrators to increase data center flexi-

Likewise, flawed images can be rolled back

becomes dynamic and optimizes existing

bility and business agility.

instantly, helping ensure uninterrupted applica-

resources. Change on demand is enabled

tion delivery and business continuity.

because server provisioning is a point-and-

Help ensure server-build consistency.

Because all similarly configured Citrix

Streamline operations, minimize server

click exercise using Ardence Data Center

Presentation Serverbased systems share an

footprint, and lower operational costs.

Editionwhether adding server capacity or

OS and application image contained in a single

Optimizing the existing server infrastructure

repurposing servers.

vDisk on network storage, servers remain in

and breaking the 1:1 server-to-backup require-

Ardence Data Center Edition helps IT man-

sync. If administrators must reboot a server, the

ment enables organizations to reduce require-

agement optimize business processes by pro-

shared image is streamed on rebootproviding

ments for power, space, and heating,

visioning server infrastructure quickly and

a consistent user experience together with

ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).

cost-effectively, delivering outstanding flexibil-

simple, streamlined management.

Ardence Data Center Edition streamlines

ity and responsiveness. By streaming the OS

Accelerate migrations and reduce risk.

server image management (patching and

and server applications from network storage,

Administrators can quickly provision and scale

upgrading) by supporting a fully redundant

enterprises can enhance bottom-line results by

out servers to balance workloads, because the

high-availability configuration, allowing serv-

reducing the number of servers required to ser-

servers do not rely on local hard disks for their

ers to pick up sessions from any other server

vice applications and keeping system adminis-

OS and application image. The Ardence Data

in the environment if a server should fail.

tration and operating costs low.

Center Edition administration console gives

Immediate rollout and rollback capabilities

administrators point-and-click control to boot

help create a flexible and dynamic server

Pete Downing is a senior product manager and

different operating systems and server configu-

infrastructure.

solutions architect at Ardence, a Citrix Company.

rations, or to bring another server into a cluster

Transform the data center into a business

His many credentials include Microsoft Certified

at peak traffic times. Maintenance is easy:

enabler. The data center moves from a cost

Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified Systems

administrators simply patch the virtual image

center to a business enabler with the ability

Administrator (MCSA), and Microsoft Certified

and then stream this image to all servers.

to meet SLAs quickly and flexibly. Scalability

Systems Engineer (MCSE).

Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, August 2007. Copyright 2007 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

www.dell.com/powersolutions

63