Accelerating the Deployment of Virtualized Applications in the Data Center
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Server virtualization is well-established in today’s data centers. Today’s hypervisors and virtualization tools offer the means to consolidate workloads, increase resiliency and lower operational costs. And this has led to the promise of huge efficiencies within the data center. However, this promise has only been partially realized—with enterprises and IT shops often finding the task of coordinating their server, storage and networking technologies dragging down their overall efficiency.
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Accelerating the Deployment of Virtualized Applications in the Data Center
- 1. Challenges of Today’s Virtualized Data Center Server virtualization is well-established in today’s data centers. Today’s hypervisors and virtualization tools offer the means to consolidate workloads, increase resiliency and lower operational costs. And this has led to the promise of huge efficiencies within the data center. However, this promise has only been partially realized—with enterprises and IT shops often finding the task of coordinating their server, storage and networking technologies dragging down their overall efficiency. Why is this? First, server virtualization does not exist in a vacuum. It must operate over the related storage and networking infrastructure. And even though a virtual machine can be provisioned in minutes, the administrator still needs to ensure that network and storage resources are properly configured for each virtual machine – requiring coordination across separate data center groups. Second, the applications themselves are sensitive to this underlying environment. That is, the infrastructure must be right-sized and configured properly for the application to ensure optimal application performance and efficiencies. And this does not even consider the planning, testing and validation required to deploy entirely new virtualized applications within the data center environment. What’s the upshot of this? It can take months for an enterprise to deploy a new service or make a change to their data center infrastructure. For example, Avaya research shows that 41% of companies take over a month to complete a network change. Coordination across multiple server, networking and storage teams often delays data center updates or new implementations. Delays are further compounded by the lack of in-house expertise or resources to help with the adoption of new data center technologies. Steps to a New Virtualized Application Deployment These challenges become more apparent when viewed through the lens of a new application deployment within a virtualized data center. Looking at the tasks involved, administrators must first analyze each new application in terms of the demands it will place on the server, storage and the underlying network avaya.com | 1 Accelerating the Deployment of Virtualized Applications in the Data Center Introducing Avaya Collaboration Pods Table of Contents Challenges of Today’s Virtualized Data Center............. 1 Steps to a New Virtualized Application Deployment........... 1 What If There Was Another Way? ............................................. 2 Avaya Collaboration Pods....... 2 Packaged Solutions to Address a Range of Application and Infrastructure Needs.................. 3 Avaya VENA Fabric Services for Dynamic, Simplified Networking ..................................4 Comprehensive Pod Management Services ..............4 Seamless Support for your Infrastructure................................ 5 Integrated Solutions for the Enterprise...................................... 5
- 2. avaya.com | 2 technologies. The need to involve multiple internal teams and multiple vendors only complicates this task. Once this analysis is complete and the application/ solutions architecture has been established, individual infrastructure components (e.g., servers, storage, network) must be tested with one another to ensure interoperability. Once tested, the total solution must further be fine- tuned for optimal performance of the new application. Needless to say, this whole process can take weeks or even months to complete. It also may require enterprises to draw on expertise that may not currently exist within the organization. What If There Was Another Way? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could: • Deploy a virtualized application in as little time as it takes to power up a rack of equipment? • Roll-out a complex solution without investing weeks/months designing, validating, integrating, testing and upgrading components? • Take advantage of a fully turnkey offer where the application inside is preconfigured according to Avaya best practices? • Manage all the server, network and storage resources seamlessly through integrated management? Avaya Collaboration Pods Avaya Collaboration Pods are turnkey solutions consisting of virtualized server, storage, networking and management components all fine-tuned to deliver maximum performance of Avaya application solutions over the underlying data center infrastructure. With fully integrated management and support, the solution enables rapid deployment of complex technologies, including virtualized applications and services, storage and networking, while simplifying the task of operating technologies from multiple vendors. Highlights • Combines best of breed server, storage, virtualization and networking components in easy-to-order, easy-to-deploy and ready-to-operate packages • Eliminates the planning, design, integration and testing required to deploy complex and disparate technologies within the data center • Avaya Collaboration Pods enable rapid deployment of complex data center technologies, including virtualized applications and services, storage and networking. • Eliminates the planning, design, integration and testing of disparate data center technologies while optimizing virtualized application performance
- 3. avaya.com | 3 • Optimizes the performance of virtualized applications and services across the underlying network, server and storage infrastructure though pre-configured, pre-tested packages • Allows integrated management and orchestration of solution components, while coordinating operations, troubleshooting and support • Delivers the infrastructure elements needed to create private or public cloud deployments • Provides scalable, pay as you grow options that quickly get you up to speed but also allow future expansion Avaya Collaboration Pods leverage best in class components commonly found in today’s data centers, including storage arrays from EMC, virtualization and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) software from VMware, and networking, management, real-time Unified Communications (UC) applications and integration from Avaya. As a pre-tested solution, they are particularly suited for budget and resource constrained enterprises that may not have the expertise or time to roll out complex data center technologies as part of a Unified Communications, Virtual Desktop or infrastructure deployment. They are also well-suited for regional tier 2 and 3 service providers looking to roll out Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) or Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) in a quick and easy way for faster time to market and revenue. Packaged Solutions to Address a Range of Application and Infrastructure Needs Avaya Collaboration Pods offer a flexible combination of services and infrastructure to fit your business needs. Two configurations (or pods) are available – each consisting of a rack with servers, storage, network and management components pre-assembled and ready to operate. • The Avaya Collaboration Pod for Aura® includes an Avaya Aura®application suite with related server, storage and networking components—all pre- assembled. This solution enables Avaya Aura unified communications applications—with features such as mobility, presence and video conferencing –to optimally run across the virtualized data center infrastructure. And it allows business to experience increased productivity through anytime, anywhere collaboration. The Collaboration Pod for Aura is highly scalable and can support thousands of end-users in a single packaged configuration. • Integrates best in class data center components, including storage arrays from EMC, virtualization and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) software from VMware, and networking, management and real-time Unified Communications applications from Avaya • A comprehensive management toolkit enables component-level monitoring, configuration and troubleshooting of both Avaya and third-party elements
- 4. avaya.com | 4 • The Avaya Collaboration Pod for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) includes VMware’s View product to simplify virtual desktop deployment. VMware View provides a consistent desktop experience for end users while allowing IT managers to reduce desktop maintenance costs and protect sensitive corporate data. Like the Collaboration Pod for Aura®, the Avaya Collaboration Pod for VDI integrates rack, and related server, storage, network and management elements. Each Pod also includes the Avaya Virtual Services Platform (VSP) 7000, an energy and space-efficient top of rack Ethernet Switching platform built to support fabric-based virtualized services and lossless environments. The VSP 7000 delivers 10 Gbps Ethernet connectivity along with a unique high-speed virtual interconnect capability ideally suited for the east-west traffic flows typical in data center server environments. Avaya VENA Fabric Services for Dynamic, Simplified Networking Avaya Collaboration Pods also incorporate Avaya Virtual Enterprise Network Architecture (VENA) Fabric Connect services for dynamic, simplified networking. Avaya Fabric Connect is based on an enhanced and extended implementation of the IEEE Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) standard. It allows for the creation of a virtualized network that acts as a dynamic, unified, self-aware fabric requiring only end-point provisioning. The result is a network that is both easier to manage and troubleshoot, while reducing the strain on networking resources and personnel. Comprehensive Pod Management Services Avaya Collaboration Pods come with a comprehensive management suite for monitoring and configuration of pod components. All Pods include Avaya’s Visualization Performance and Fault Manager (VPFM) with layered dashboards for health monitoring, performance, analytics and reporting on pod components. Pictorial views of the Pod further enable “drill down” to individual components and launch of Avaya or third-party managers (e.g., EMC’s Unisphere, VMware vCenter) for component-level monitoring, troubleshooting and configuration. The Collaboration Pod for Aura also includes Avaya System Manager for comprehensive Avaya Aura® application suite management.
- 5. © 2012 Avaya Inc. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks identified by ®, ™, or SM are registered marks, trademarks, and service marks, respectively, of Avaya Inc. 08/12 • DN7126 Seamless Support for your Infrastructure Avaya also acts as your single support contact for all Avaya Collaboration Pod components. This eliminates finger pointing and improves mean time to repair (MTTR). Integrated Solutions for the Enterprise By integrating multiple technologies, Avaya Collaboration Pods can simplify your IT operations, improve time to service and lower your deployment costs – and make a real difference in how your IT group operates. They can also speed private or public cloud roll-outs. Enterprises can now better focus on business innovation instead of the tasks of integrating, validating and managing their IT infrastructure. avaya.com | 5 About Avaya Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, networking and related services to companies of all sizes around the world. For more information please visit www.avaya.com.