VMworld 2011 Video interview Update

It is close! Just 18 days before I take off to Las Vegas to visit VMworld an celebrate my first VMworld Lustrum

VMworld 2006 Los Angeles was my first VMworld and first visit to the US and I loved it! On Partner day we were surprised by a slide in the keynote that showed our company.

Ever since that day me personally and the company I worked for embraced VMware and it’s products.

This year we want to bring home some off the great atmosphere and the love for the VMware products that is so typical for VMworld. And as mentioned in an earlier post me and some colleague’s will do a series of video interviews and impressions. I am proud to share with you I can add two off the most respected community members to the list:

Duncan Epping and Frank Denneman

And remember after years off bringing gadgets home we will bring gadgets and syrup waffels TO Vmworld! This is an unique made in Holland Delfts Blue decorated USB card. And the syrup waffels are from my hometown Gouda.

 

See you all in Vegas!

VMworld I love it!

VMworld 2011 4 weeks!

VMworld 2011 Las Vegas is almost there!

Today my co-worker Sven Huisman uploaded the video’s for the keynote we shooted yesterday. if we will not be a part off the Keynote video we sure had fun making them!

Wind, rain, umbrella and laughter made it fun and challenging!

We also did a try out with the Video cam and microphone for the Video interviews we will do @ VMworld. What we are planning is a series of interviews we will publish on several blogs and websites.

Some names we already have on our list:

• David Bieneman CEO off LiquidwareLabs
• Paul Jones WW Partner Business Manager for VMware at HP
• Scott Herold  Director – Virtualization Strategy at Quest Software
• Calvin Zito the HP Storageguy and Storage Social Media Manager at HP

We are proud to have such a line up! and for every scoop or interesting piece off information we will reward this person with a unique gadget! This limited Edition Delfts Blauw USB Tile will be the most wanted gadget in Las Vegas!

So watch the PQR team attending VMworld!

• Peter van den Bosch @petervdnbosch
• Sven Huisman @svenh
• Martijn van Well
• Han Rademaker
• Ruben Spruyt @rspruijt

 

See you in Vegas!

Voting for Adjusting to the Virtual Datacenter a VMworld session

This year I will be visiting VMworld US for the fifth time. In the last 5 years I met several great people from the industry that I have great respect for. Among them are several Dutch, Belgium  and US guys. Scott Herold is one off them, we had some great conversations over the years and I even borrowed some of his ideas for example the 1-2-punch backup strategy with Quest vRanger formely Vizioncore.

Part off my responsibility is to develop new business opportunities for Storage, Data management, Hardware, Networking and server Virtualization. One of the opportunities is with Quest vFoglight. A view months ago I presented @ a local Quest event about this great software.

Quest invited me to speak from a partner perspective. I agreed with one condition, I also wanted to share my disadvantages. Scott Herold who works for Quest reviewed my presentation and we also discussed the way IT people look at the Datacenter. We agreed on a firm statement that Virtualization is the Core off the Datacenter.

A Few days later Scott invited me to participate in a VMworld presentation that he would like to present. I am excited to get this opportunity and hope you al would help us to get enough votes!

So vote for this session!

1502 Adjusting to the Virtual Datacenter

Session details:

As virtualization increases in maturity, more and more organizations want to optimize their datacenter efficiency. The rampant growth and adoption of virtualization is not without its price. Due to the ease and simplicity of in which systems can be provisioned, many organizations find that keeping up with the growth is a never-ending, unwinnable battle. For this reason, we often see a slow-down of further virtual adoption as these companies become 35% virtual in their infrastructure. In 2011 we are finally starting to see companies break through this barrier and hit levels of 50% or higher of virtual to physical infrastructure. The organizations that hit these higher maturity levels are able to for almost one single reason: they understand that virtualization is the datacenter of the future, and is no longer an exception, or one-off technology that is implemented in their environment.

Speakers:

Scott Herold

Blogger

VMGuru.com

Scott Herold leads product design and architecture for Quest’s Virtualization Management Division. With more than a decade of industry experience in operating system, network, security and storage design, Scott is a pioneer in architecting advanced virtualization solutions. Scott also is the co-author of two best-selling books, "VMWare ESX Server: Advanced Technical Design Guide," and "VMWare Infrastructure 3: Advanced Technical Design Guide."

Peter Van Den Bosch

Unit Manager

PQR

Working in IT since 1999, studied Technical Information. started at Centric IT Solutions in various functions left the company in 2005. Joined PQR as a VMware Virtualization Specialist became the architect of several twin datacenters at the local and central government. Worked with VMware on several PSO engagements was rewarded with the EMEA VAC partner off the year in 2009. Currently working as a Unit manager managing a team of highly skilled professionals with a focus on Storage, Back-up, Networking, Hardware and Server Virtualization.

Part 2: Demo of vCloud Technology Stack

Second day off the vCloud Lighthouse initiative. As before everything is under NDA so I can only state my personal opinions about the technology.

So today only a Demo! I love Demo’s

VMware vCloud Director has a Web based interface that shows only that what is for you in the role you have. In this case the user can only deploy some general available Apps. Deployment is always a vApp not a single VM, although a vApp could exist with just one VM. A vApp could also exist from several parts of computing or building parts. During the building process off a vApp it is also possible to edit, build or create VM’s.

 

 

There are 3 leases.  The vApp lease expires, and the VMs are shutdown.  Then the vApp storage lease starts.  When the vApp storage lease expires, the vApp is either forcibly deleted, or marked for deletion by an admin. The catalog also has a lease.

vApp’s in vSphere are not the same as vApp’s in vCloud director.

is is possible to configure granular access control for users in vCloud Director.

Want to use a name that is more recognizable for users? Configure this!

 

Nice info but would really get my hands on it!

May 10 next session.

Today first part of the vCloud Essentials Architectural Overview

Everything is under NDA! but i will share my view on this initiative.
It is always nice to be trained by the best off the best at VMware! Today Ford Donald Cloud Architect, and some off his college’s.
VMware definition off Cloud Computing:
"Cloud Computing is a approach to computing that leverages the efficient pooling of on-demand, self-managed virtual infrastructure consumed as a service"

vApp is not a thing but a way off looking at something and building solutions around it. But is a vApp not simply a IT Service? I do think so and that matches with a statement a recently heard about IT Budget spending in the next decade.

IT budget will no longer be spent on just Hardware and software but will be spent on IT Services.Considerations will be made per IT services. Ask yourself "will i be able to host this service in my Private cloud or is it possible to get the same Service level in the Cloud?"

What i would like is the possibility to add a web part in my vCloud director that shows me the things i would like to know about the IT Service. Just as if it was a vApp.
VMware answers that is is possible with some scripting!

It is getting better al the time

More info next time!

VMware vCloud direct

Next week i wil start my on line training and participation in the VMware Lighthouse project. After everything training session i wil blog my experiences here.
My goal is to implement vCloud director in the PQR demo enviroment.

Keep coming back every wednesday for more updates!

Grtz, PeterB

My HPTF 2010 Las Vegas conclusion

THE DATA CENTER OF THE FUTURE WILL BE BUILT ON A CONVERGED INFRASTRUCTURE

I agree and i also think that HP is on the right track but…

I miss things that i think should be fully integrated in this Converged infrastructure, what about back-up, security and Monitoring?

As i blogged before, in the virtualized infrastructure it is very important to think about security. Not only virus scanning or protection but also data security. What is the best option to protect my files or servers? this must be discussed from day one! And Monitoring, pro Active, Trend Analyses, Capacity management and Billing what tooling is there?

These things i did not heard about in the keynotes or sessions, hope this will be the next step in the Converged revolution.

Second Conclusion:

Las Vegas is to Hot in June….

Third Conclusion:

HP do not forget the Partners, partners in EMEA added value to the HP hard and software. It looks like HP is adding it’s on value by developing Services as complete solutions. I hope this will not destroy the Value Add partners work!

Last Day HPTF rethinking Las Vegas after recuperating a Jetlag

Last day at a seminar is usually the toughest one for me. Tired off all new impressions that must be placed in the proper context it is for me a struggle to come trough the day.

Not this time! throughout the week i looked at all different components in the Converged infrastructure and today i want to put them in the right place and see the overview. For the first session i was on the Waiting list so i went in early to be the fist in line and i was lucky

1483 Configuring Virtual Connect for vSphere

Hands on lab on how to configure a Virtual connect Flex 10 setup for a  virtual infrastructure. Not a simple cookbook how to click and type but this time just an sheet with the end result! A new way to do a Hands-on lab that really was useful for the first introduction.

I am impressed with the possibilities within Virtual Connect Flex 10, here are some advantages:

• The implementation cost and management burden of 10GbE infrastructure become more feasible.
• It is easier to aggregate multiple 1Gb data flows and fully utilize 10Gb bandwidth.

• The ability to adjust bandwidth for partitioned data flow is more cost efficient and easier to manage.

 

Just what is Virtual Connect? Read the HP site! What i found very useful is the full integration with VMware vCenter Management Server. Virtualization at the top!

Third Day HPTF

Today some sessions were cancelled unfortunately, so i spend the morning at the Market place.

First step in was the VMware boot, i really don’t now why they were present here, if you do not like to be here stay away! Uninterested and not listening to any comment.

I am always interested in Security for virtual environments and after waiting for two years for a good solution i was hoping to finally receive some good information. MacAfee was open about there solutions and i believe on the right path. The technical solutions and licensing reorganization are looking promising. As i wrote before it al depends on what kind of desktops or servers you are planning to use. Symantec would talk about it, everything is classified… so i told them what i was hoping for and the only thing he could say is that i was on the right track. Sometimes security in the server or desktop but with a much smaller client, if you use non-persistent desktops security outside the desktop but as a plug-in in the dVswitch instead. a centralized management server and hubs where necessary. MacAfee says they will release there stuff Q4 and Symantec says…….

Lots of new stuff that i was able to see behind the black wall under NDA most off the things i cannot talk about just ask me face to face if you are able to what the new EVA, Proliant, All in one and software features are. One small slip off the tong… as a VMware guy i am there will be a vCenter HP network integration available soon.

HP will offer to costumers a All in one VDI solution based on HP hardware and a hypervisor platform that you only can buy as a service for about 700 dollars. Where does the HP partners fit in here? Are we going to be able to implement these solutions for HP i am really curious about that!

And what about a service to migrate storage with a special switch that is able to migrate from FC to ISCSI and vice versa. Not NFS only block based storage migrations are possible.

It is all about Converged infrastructures, Blade Matrix, Virtual Connect Flex 10.

The keynote was planned at the end off the day, the part i liked best was the things Prith Banerjee was talking about, what is happening in the HP labs really is rocket science. The sea of sensors brings great opportunities!

 

Last but not least the Venue party, great music from Roger Daltry! He maybe a bit older but blow the roof off the building!

Second day HPTF

this morning 8:30AM the second day for HPTF started, kickoff was a keynote where HP, Microsoft, Intell en Broadcom told us about their warm relationship. HP announced a lot of new hardware! Superdome, blades, storage, networking and software to mange this all.
Microsoft Citrix and HP are working on a VDI initiative and intel and Broadcom are making their devices faster, smaller and cheaper.
Good informative keynote.
Next up for me is a technical session:
First session 1557 Best Practices for a Healthy VMware Environment
Session about how to check the health off a VMware environment.
The tool used here is the VMware Health Analyzer, not sold separately but as a part of a HP Service. Some screenshots and a short demo after 10 minutes it was done.. the whole room was laughing this was the shortest less informative session I ever attended on a seminar.
Second session 1666 Best practices for Enterprise IP SANs P4000 SAN, (formerly LeftHand)
Session about P4000 san’s from two costumers later on I will visit the demo on the marketplace.
First costumer MCS Mortgage Contracting Services.
Several datacenters with almost all HP products, 100% uptime over the last seven years but upgraded several times without disruption. Datacenters containing VMware ESX servers, stand-alone servers. Two Datacenters Tampa en Dallas. Wan replication for storage management with San IQ. For backup several techniques are used, snapshotting, replication B2D etc.
Second Costumer Norwegian Cruise lines
Shows a movie off the Cruise ship Epic wauw impressive!
Two on board datacenters, 20TB storage for each datacenter. Must be replicated, high available and reliable. 5 HP P4500 nodes en several ESX hosts. Company has chosen for P4000 because of ultimate way to do failover in case off Node or Side failover.
Both companies stories are impressive, really well thought solutions!

Third Session 1852 Securing Virtual Desktop Environments
Costumer experiences for securing a Virtual desktop environment.

Good session, a guy from MacAfee presented a well thought look into VDI infrastructures and the way the Techniques are used present time and could be in the nearby future. It is all about choice. Are your VDI desktops persistent, or non-persistent? Streamed, virtualized or locally installed software. Every decision in the architecture finally helps you make a choice what is best. What I learned from this session is that during the whole decision-making period you should include the way to implement security.

Fourth Session 1526 Tips and Tricks on Building VMware ESX 4 (vSphere) with HP c-Class Blades, Virtuall connect.
Not a really strong session I was hoping for more. Things that were told were common business for me nothing surprising. I even think the presenter did not make the right choices sometimes.
That is the serious part for today, next up is the Connect Tweet up and the Dutch HP guys are taking us out for dinner.