1. Consolidation, Virtualization and DR
Karl Horvath, Ph.D. Director of IT and CIO
Gwynedd-Mercy College
January 14, 2010
Consolidation, Virtualization and DR - Karl Horvath, Ph.D. - Director of Institutional Technology - CIO - Gwynedd-Mercy College –

2. The Problem: Disparate and unwieldy infrastructure
Inconsistent and insufficient support
Disorganized data centers
No failover, redundancy or DR
Old back up system inefficient and costly
Outdated and Expensive systems
Consolidation, Virtualization and DR - Karl Horvath, Ph.D. - Director of Institutional Technology - CIO - Gwynedd-Mercy College –

3. consolidation: Eliminate non-essential systems and servers
Reduce to essential core systems
Retain vendor for remote DR of some systems
Spend IT funding wisely on replacement systems
Consolidate based on services and function
Virtual server system and SAN established
Eliminate one data center
Electricity and air conditioning cost savings
Improve response and support
Consolidation, Virtualization and DR - Karl Horvath, Ph.D. - Director of Institutional Technology - CIO - Gwynedd-Mercy College –

4. VIRTUAL MACHINES: Run multiple operating systems on a single server
Isolated and independent VMs (apps and systems)
Requires less hardware and increased energy savings
Improved server to admin ratio
Improved application availability and performance
Experimented with desktop management and control
Redesign building blocks of IT infrastructure
Consolidation, Virtualization and DR - Karl Horvath, Ph.D. - Director of Institutional Technology - CIO - Gwynedd-Mercy College –

5. DISASTER RECOVERY: Old back up system inefficient and costly
Leverage redesigned data center and remote campus
Acquire inexpensive storage/web ISP services
Purchase and rotate solid state storage devices
Decrease vendor pickup and tape storage
Improve response for data loss and system failure
Combine in-house and external resources
Consolidation, Virtualization and DR - Karl Horvath, Ph.D. - Director of Institutional Technology - CIO - Gwynedd-Mercy College –

6. Previous Configuration Current Configuration
Distribution
Server 2
Other Servers
Data Center 1
Physically Secure
Good Cooling
Fire Suppression
Data Center 2
Not Physically Secure
No Fire Suppression
ISP
Firewall
Router
Core
File Server 1
File Server 2
Server 1
Internet
Internet
Distribution
Blade Servers
VM / SAN
ISP
Firewall
Router
Core
Data Center 1
Physically Secure
Good Cooling
Fire Suppression
Condense all server operations to blade server technology.  Mitigates physical security risks.
Remote Campus Data Center
Fiber to
Remote
Campus
Consolidation, Virtualization and DR - Karl Horvath, Ph.D. - Director of Institutional Technology - CIO - Gwynedd-Mercy College –

7. Outcome: Efficient and effective systems for minimal expense
Minimize downtime and burden on IT staff
Green Data Center financial and social benefits
Decrease licensing costs increase physical space
Data center operating cost cut by 40 percent
Redesign building blocks of IT infrastructure
Consolidation, Virtualization and DR - Karl Horvath, Ph.D. - Director of Institutional Technology - CIO - Gwynedd-Mercy College –

8. BEFORE Expensive Mild Chaos
8 Racks
~8 Tons Cooling Load
~500 Amps
600 sq-ft floor space
Mix of hardware (server-class; desktop-class; some out of warranty; “free” VMs; storage islands)
Costly, risky
Stressed staff
AFTER Cost-Effective Order
4 Racks
~4 Tons Cooling Load
~400 Amps
250 sq-ft floor space
Standardized hardware (server class; blades; all under warranty; VMWare Infrastructure; SAN)
Less costly, reduced risk
Happier staff
Consolidation, Virtualization and DR - Karl Horvath, Ph.D. - Director of Institutional Technology - CIO - Gwynedd-Mercy College –

9. THANK YOU. Karl Horvath, Ph. D
THANK YOU ! Karl Horvath, Ph.D. Director of IT and CIO Gwynedd-Mercy College