Planning & Managing Change in Data Centres - Square · PDF filePlanning & Managing Change in Data Centres ... Storage, DBMS Hardware Infrastructure PCs, Network, Servers, UPS,

© Square Mile Systems1

Planning & Managing Change in Data Centres

David CuthbertsonMobile 07717 883177

[email protected]

BSc MBCS MIOD


House keeping

• Fire evacuation• Toilets• Refreshments• Mobile phones• Presentation material


Agenda9:15 Introductions9:30 Data Centre Management

David Cuthbertson, Square Mile10:00 Bringing Service Awareness to the Data Centre

Paul Dixon, LloydsTSB10:30 High Density Computing

Bob Wilson, Rittal

11:00 Coffee & Tea

11:25 Optimising Data Centre Power Andrew Gibson, Raritan

11:55 Planning and Managing Change David Cuthbertson, Square Mile

1:00 Buffet lunch


Square Mile Systems Overview

Fixed Infrastructure(Cabling, Power, Cabinets, Rooms, Buildings)

Hardware InfrastructurePCs, Network, Servers, UPS, Storage, Other

Virtual InfrastructurePCs, Network, Servers, Storage, DBMS

ApplicationsPC, server, mainframe, SOA

ServicesEnd user, infrastructure, supplier

Business ProcessesDepartmental, Company

What you have

What it does

Who it affects

How it is connected

Where it is

Who is responsible

When did it change

How much we have left

What are our costs

Are there single points of failure

UK based – Cirencester, Glos, UKSister company – AssetGen Ltd

Focus on applying asset & configuration management techniques to large infrastructures & data centres

Develop toolsets for end to end systems and service mapping – The AssetGen Range

Integrate existing CMDB / knowledge sources with other toolsets - All technologies!

Training, design, data capture, process development

Industry Bodies BCS Chairman – ITIL Specialist GroupBCS-DCSG – Data Centre Specialist GroupBICSIITSMF


Best Practices Training

• Practical Data Centre Management - Part 1– Managing the facility

• Practical Data Centre Management – Part 2– Managing the external interfaces – Change, ITIL, ISO27001, BS25999

• How to Map Services and Systems– Communicating change / incident impact (ITIL)

All courses are one day and can be held on site if desired

Next public courses PDCM 1 26th JanPDCM2 27th JanHTMSS 28th Jan


The AssetGen Toolsets

AssetGen ConnectPhysical Infrastructure

AssetGen SysMapLogical

Infrastructure

VISUALISATION



ApplicationsPC or server based

Virtual Infrastructure ComponentsPCs, Network, Servers, Storage, DBMS

Hardware Infrastructure ComponentsPCs, Network, Servers, UPS, Storage, Other



Data Centre Management Issues

• Technology– Challenges, opportunities

• Capacity– Space, power, cooling, connectivity, people

• Risk– Change, recovery, security, resilience, support

• Organisational– People, policies, processes, communication, cost


Technology Requirements

No. of Servers per cabinet 3-6 30-40Power Disipated per cab. 300-2kW 3kW - 25kWCurrent service to cabinet 16A 32 A or 3 phaseTypes of Equipment Servers Blade Servers

Monitor Power Distribution UnitsKVMs MidSpan Boxes

Power Strips Disk Arrays (Storage)UPS Smart Power Strips

Network types 100Base-T 1G, 10G, SANNo. of Cables Power 1 or 2 2 to 6(per server) Network 1 or 2 5 to 10

Total 20-30 300 - 400


New Technology Challenges

Sun Blade 8000 Blade Chassis– 4 Power supplies (N+1) 9kW– 3 chassis per rack

HP C7000 Blade Chassis– Up to 6 Power Supplies 13kW– 4 chassis per rack

Cisco Nexus Data Centre Switch– 3 Power Supplies 12kW


Same components, different approach


Understanding Position and Orientation

Raised Floor

Cold Air

FrontFront Front Front

Server

Warm Air Server

Hot AirServerMeltdown!

Cold Air Cold Air Cold Air


Hot & Cold Aisle TechniqueCeiling

Extractor

Raised Floor

Cold Air

Warm Air

Front Front FrontFront

Cold Air

“HOT”“COLD” “COLD”


In Practice – its more difficultCeiling

Extractor

Warm Air

Cold Air Cold Air

Raised Floor

Front Front

“HOT”“COLD” “COLD”

FrontFront

Recirculatingcurrents

Power TrayIncoming Cold Air Cable Tray

OverheadPower Tray

Recirculatingcurrents

Reduced airflow


Its not just a “room”

X

“Hot” “Cold” “Hot”


Power View

Loading

>6kW

2-6kW

<2kW


Different Power Views

LINK 10/100FEATURE

LANSERIAL

CURRENT��

ON = I OFF = U

BLINK = REMOTE

OUTLET #I/U TOGGLE

RESERVED

STATUS 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

100-240V

~

50~60Hz

1.2A

KVM

Servers

LINK 10/100FEATURE

LANSERIAL

CURRENT��

ON = I OFF = U

BLINK = REMOTE

OUTLET #I/U TOGGLE


Increasing System ComplexityDEALVIEW INTERNAL AUDITS

GLOBAL INS FUNDING PAYMENTS CASH

MANAGER CHECKBAL INCOMINGFUNDS

SECURE GH

SECURE EDI INVEST

Issue: Complex systems arenot easy to comprehend or validate


Common Sense

To manage change:

1. Establish a baseline2. Manage change using process3. Verify processes are working

Planning installs and moves is more complexOptimising power and cooling is now requiredPredicting change impact is taking longer due to increased risksManaging a data centre requires a proactive management style

Or… Disruption, delays, increased operating costs


Improving Controls

• Environment limits• Information sets - formal and informal • Working practices - formal and informal• Roles / responsibilities• Current issues• Establish priorities


The EU Code of Conduct on Data Centres

Proposed by the BCS-DCSG (Data Centre Specialist Group) to avoid unnecessary legislation. Submitted 19th November 2008. http://dcsg.bcs.org

Covers A. IT energy loadB. Facilities energy load

Aims Metrics to measure current efficiencySet energy efficiency targetsSupport procurement of energy saving componentsRecommend working practices

Obligations Data collected monthly, reported annually to EU


EU Code of Conduct – Best Practices

All practices categorised asA. OptionalB. ExpectedC. Expected for new installs or replacementD. Expected for new data centre build or significant refurbishment

Covers many issues – Cooling, power, devices, management, procurement, data storage


Summary

Data centres are becoming more complex, densities of cabling and equipment are increasing and the business impact of a failed change is greater. Plus the “green” issue

Changes in data centre management• Data centre teams (and managers) need additional skills• Complexity needs managing – capacity, connectivity, services• Working practices must evolve• Evidence of control over critical systems will be demanded

- internal teams, suppliers, outsource partners




Planning & Managing Change


Common Data Centre Challenges

1. Quickly determining the impact of infrastructure changes (planned or reactive)2. Speed of provisioning3. Knowing if we will exceed design limits for power, cooling or recovery capability4. Maintenance planning needs – UPS, PAT, load balancing, decommission5. Disparate data sources which overlap, disagree or have gaps

- Excel, BMS, Data Centre management tools, monitoring tools, inventory

6. Capacity management and supporting controls7. Optimising existing space and capacity 8. Interfaces with deployment, platform, service, partners, teams9. Skills of existing teams – technical, process10. Lack of integration with Configuration Management initiatives11. Articulation of management issues12. No baseline to manage from


Getting ComplexLINK 10/100

FEATURE

LAN SERIAL

CURRENT� � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

ON = I OFF = UBLIN K = REMOTE

OUTL ET #

I /U TOGGLE

RESERVED

STATUS 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

100-240V

~

50~60Hz

1.2A

KVM

Server

Firewall

Switch

Storage

LINK 10/100

FEATURE

LAN SERIAL

CURRENT� � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

ON = I OFF = UBLIN K = REMOTE

OUTL ET #

I /U TOGGLE

CopperFibrePower

Managing change at equipment level also requires management of connectivity!

Or monitoring results can’t be interpreted


What Do We Need To Know?

• Device Inventory– Anything that takes up space, power or is connected through cabling– Includes daughter cards, blades, KVMs, power strips, patch panels etc.

• Space– Amount of space taken up by components– Position and orientation within computer room

• Connectivity– Power– Network– SAN– Other

• Coordination with other data sources– Service, ownership, monitoring etc.


Practical Issues

• Who owns the problem of creating and maintaining an end to end data centre knowledge base?– Facilities?– IT Data Centre teams?– Platform teams?– Service management?– Development teams?

• Where do you start?– People– Process – Toolsets

Is this going to be solved by ITIL configuration management and a CMDB?


Different Teams, Different Focus


ServiceManagement

DataCentre

NetworksLAN/SAN

Applications

Mid-range Servers

Systems

DesktopsIMAC


ApplicationsPC, server, mainframe, SOA

Virtual InfrastructurePCs, Network, Servers, Storage, DBMS




Network Connectivity VariationsServer Switch

PP/FB PP

PP/FB PP PP

PP PPPP PPPP/FB

Server Cabinet

Switch Cabinet

1. Point to Point

2. Intercabinet link

3. Cabinet to wiring zone

4. Between rooms, areasVertical Wiring

Patch cable

Storage Terminated in patch panel


In Reality

• Many informal practices and walking databases• Lack of clarity around ownership and interfaces between

projects/operations teams• Complexity of infrastructure documented in many disparate

formats– Power, networks, storage, space, servers, etc.– Data sets centred on teams– End to end view difficult to get

• Funds for projects, not for management


Moving Forward

Before After

Excel

Word

Visio

ExcelExcel

Visio

Visio

Word

Word

Word

WordVisio

Visio

Visio

Excel

AssetGenSystem

DifferentViews

Reduce effortShare informationRe-use dataStandardisationTrustedProject/Operations useHome/central working

Visio

Excel

Word


The AssetGen Range



Infrastructure



ApplicationsPC or server based

Virtual Infrastructure ComponentsPCs, Network, Servers, Storage, DBMS

Hardware Infrastructure ComponentsPCs, Network, Servers, UPS, Storage, Other



AssetGen In More Detail

SysMapExpert

Service MappingVisualisation- visio, netViz

SearchingImpact formsPath tracingRack diagramsCapacity - space, power, portsInventoryWorkflow Audit trails

WebBrowser



Infrastructure

MS SQL Database

Service DeskCMDB

(if suitable)

refresh

MonitoringDiscovery

AssetSpreadsheets

refresh

PC

Planner Space planningVisualisation - visio, netViz

Impact Analysis


AssetGen Planner



Infrastructure

MS SQL Database

AssetGen Planner

Data Center Planning

1. Impact Analysis

2. Space Planning

3. Visio Diagrams

4. Capacity Reporting

Location and rack changeLAN/SAN//Power connectivityMultiple services and software

Finding equipment spaceLAN/SAN//Power resourcesDesign criteria

Top down floor plansRack layoutsEmbedded device data / hyperlinks

Space and Power capacityLAN/SAN//Power resources


Change ImpactBusiness Processes

Departmental, Company


ApplicationsPC, server, mainframe, SOA Stage 2

Service ImpactVirtual Infrastructure

PCs, Network, Servers, Storage, DBMS


Stage 1Hardware

ImpactFixed Infrastructure

(Cabling, Power, Cabinets, Rooms, Buildings)


Change Impact Analysis - Example

1.Start Point

2. Initial Inventory

3. Trace Connectivity

4. List Target Devices

5. Hardware Impact

Stage 1Identify Hardware Impact

Endpoint Tracing

7. Select Impact Criteria

8. Select Dependency

9. Service Impact

6. Manual De-Select

10. Import List (Excel)

Stage 2Identify Service Impact

(Optional)


PDU

Hosts Power Strips

Circuit Breakers

IntegratedRacks

Active Equipment

Hosts

Hosts Hosts

SAN LAN

PowerDependency

Direct Connect

PDU or Room Power Down Example

NetworkDependency


Infrastructure Upgrade Example

Hosts

Hosts

Hosts

Hosts

Hosts

Core Switches toBe upgraded

Edge Switches


Change Freeze Example

Host B

Power Strips

Critical Hosts

Host A Host C

SAN LAN

Host D Host E

BackupBladeChassis

Supporting Infrastructure

Identify the supporting infrastructure for a critical service!


Finding Suitable Space

How to quickly find and reserve suitable cabinet space- Project needs or specific equipment installs

May involve a combination of design criteria1. Room and cabinet selection2. Available local connectivity3. Power consumption4. Standardised design criteria


Generating Visio Diagrams

Quick and easy distribution of rack and device details

1. Room ViewsTop down views for overlay onto grids, cable runs etc.Embedding of cabinet dataHyperlinks into AssetGen Connect

2. Cabinet ViewsRack views with colour coding of work order statusSelect individual, groups, rooms, buildingsEmbedding of device data Hyperlinks into AssetGen Connect and AssetGen SysMap


Room View – Example

01-01

1095

01-02

505

01-03

2405

01-04

5655

01-05

2405

01-06

2055

01-07

7455

01-08

1705

01-09

1455

01-10

5

02-01

1095

02-02

505

02-03

255

02-04

255

02-05

3505

02-06

255

02-07

1555

02-08

2255

02-09

2755

02-10

5

Each Cabinet has hyperlink and data embedded from AssetGen

Icon shows if Cabinet is within power budget

Double- Click on cabinet to go to rack

view


Cabinet View ExampleFront

PP01-03-01

SVR-BHAM-010301

UK_BIRM_UX01

SERVERWIN0001

Rear

Birmingham | Call Centre - UK | Computer Room | 01-03

Power strips and devices positioned

automatically

Device data embedded

automatically

Colour coding shows work

order in progress

Hyperlinks back to Connect or

SysMap


AssetGen Planner – Topology Views

Automated generation of topology views to quickly show resilience, single points of failure and paths

• Technology or platform views– Power infrastructure– LAN/SAN/WAN Network

• User selection of location, equipment and connectivity– Multi-technology views– Supporting infrastructure for critical systems

• Output in Visio


Return on Investment

• Direct Cost Benefits– Unused inventory– Audits– Site surveys– Optimising resources – space, power, cooling, connectivity– Less reactive troubleshooting – Team workload for coordinating and planning changes– Capacity management and reporting

• Indirect Cost Benefits– Cost of disruption on business users and customers– Confidence in controls and reporting


Typical Approach to Baseline a Data Centre

• Fixed Infrastructure– Power, Cabling, Cabinets, Rooms etc.

• Active Components– Servers, Networks, Storage, Firewalls, Software, Services

• Map dependencies between all– Patching, power, LAN, SAN, WAN, data flows, process steps


Planning and Managing Change Summary

• Changing requirements for Data Centre management• Seen the latest technology that can cover

– Space– Power– Connectivity– Workflow– Links into service management data

• Understand where Square Mile can help– People Skills and communication– Process Techniques and practices– Toolsets AssetGen and integration

Documents

Planning & Managing Change in Data Centres - Square · PDF filePlanning & Managing Change in Data Centres ... Storage, DBMS Hardware Infrastructure PCs, Network, Servers, UPS,