Rising Demands of

Technology Infrastructure

Meeting the challenges and needs of our teachers and learners

Presenters

Presenters:

Lester S. Stoltzfus Director of TechnologyLampeter-Strasburg School DistrictPO Box 428, 1600 Book RoadLampeter, PA 17537-0428717-464-3311 X=1072 (office)lester_stoltzfus@l-spioneers.org (e-mail)www.L-Spioneers.org (web site)

Ron Reyer, Jr.Director of TechnologyBethel Park School District301 Church Rd.Bethel Park, PA 15102412-854-8418 (office)reyer.ron@bpsd.org (e-mail)www.bpsd.org (web site)

Dilbert Daily Strip: 2009-12-08: http://www.dilbert.com/strips/comic/2009-12-08/

Infrastructure planning

Why are demands rising?

National Educational Technology Plan 2010Infrastructure: Access and Enable"An essential component of the learning model is a comprehensive infrastructure for learning that provides every student, educator, and level of our education system with the resources they need when and where they are needed. The underlying principle is that infrastructure includes people, processes, learning resources, policies, and sustainable models for continuous improvement in addition to broadband connectivity, servers, software, management systems, and administration tools. Building this infrastructure is a far-reaching project that will demand concerted and coordinated effort."

http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010-execsumm.pdf

Why are demands rising?

http://www.pdesas.org/module/assessment/keystone.aspx

Why are demands rising?

BYOD - Bring Your Own Device

● Security infrastructure investments

● Wireless and wired network provisioning

● Virtual desktop presentation technologies

● Internet bandwidth and filtering for mobilehttp://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/sites/edtechmagazine.com.k12/files/111331-wp-k12-byod-df.pdf

What are our options?

● Do nothing● Purchase traditional rack servers or

proprietary appliance-based solutions● Invest in infrastructure that can be flexibly

purposed● Partner with the local IU for as many

services as are offered or meeting your needs

● Go "cloud"

Flexibly purposed infrastructure

● Virtualization - servers and desktops● Clustering - servers like lightbulbs● Storage Area Networks (SAN)● Boot servers from SAN (stateless servers)● Backup to SAN (eliminate tape)● Controller based wireless● Cohesive network switching

Virtualization

● Allows near instant creation of servers● Can permit server creep - (careful of your new found

ability...)

● Better uses physical server capacity by increasing density - (new servers are too powerful to be completely used without virtualizing multiple servers on one "box")

● Virtualization facilitates easy backup and restore of servers via "snapshots"

● Virtualization makes it possible to place servers on a SAN

Server clustering

● Think Christmas light bulbs instead of servers● Each physical server acts as part of a pooled

resource● If one server dies the rest of the string stays

lit albeit a tiny bit "dimmer" or slower● If the student information system server is a

virtual server instance that lives anywhere on a "cluster of servers". If one server fails the virtual server continues to survive; maybe slower but it does not stop

Clustering visualized

SAN (Storage Area

Network)

Virtualization software

Virtualization software

Virtualization software

Virtualization software

Virtualization software

Clustering Software

Vserver Vserver VserverVserverVserverVserverVserverVserverVserver Vserver

Clustering failover

SAN (Storage Area

Network)

Virtualization software

Virtualization software

Virtualization software

Virtualization software

Virtualization software

Clustering Software

Vserver Vserver Vserver

VserverVserver

VserverVserverVserverVserver Vserver

Partner with an IU

For a some school districts economy of scale can be a challenge when building out infrastructure - your IU may be a resourcePAIUNET.org - Disaster Recoveryhttp://paiunetdr.org/Pages/Services.aspx

IU13 - Server Colocationhttp://www.iu13.org/CommunityRegionandState/Pages/VirtualServerHosting.aspx

At GB and 10GB speeds your data center may not need to be located entirely in your district

Go CLOUD

● Google Apps and Docs● Microsoft Office 365● Off site hosted services; i.e.

Blackboard, Wikispaces, Safari Montage, Study Island, District web site, etc.

http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/education/http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/academic/

Other Considerations

● Backup● Wireless● Data center cooling, power, backup power

and fire suppression● Phone systems● Video security and access control● Client strategy (BYOD, 1 to 1, thin clients, Mix

and match, etc.● Staffing (best suited for its own presentation)

Backup

● How much data are you able to backup? and how long do you need to keep it?

● Backup sets, incremental vs. full● How much space do you need / have?● Determining your backup "window"● Is your backup off site?● When was the last time you audited your

backups (verified successful restore)?● Backing up to restore servers vs. restoring

data

● Coverage vs. simultaneous device throughput capacity

● The "wireless controller"● A, B, G and N● When N really isn't N● Wireless security - WEP, WPA/WPA2,

LEAP/PEAP● Open wireless - what are the risks?● Bring your own device - wireless authentication

vs. filter authentication

Wireless

Wireless throughput visualized

Gig Switch

Network

WAP WAP WAP WAP WAP WAP

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Wireless throughput explained

At first look wireless throughput appears to be simple division - more devices at slower speeds = more devices...

Wireless access points work like hubs and not switches - one device talks at a time so the sooner a device finishes using access point the sooner the next device can start. Speed and total throughput matters.

Max devices per AP 30 - 60

Data center cooling

And how cold does a data center need to be?● 3.414 BTU per Watt● One Kilowatt equals 3,415 BTU per hour● One Ton of cooling equal 12,000 BTU per

hour● "Average" 4 CPU server at 120v and 7 amps

= 840 watts (volts times amps = watts)http://www.informationdestination.cengage.com/ReferenceContent/HVACR/Useful%20HVAC%20Values%20and%20Multipliers.pdf

http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19088-01/v445.srvr/819-5730-10/envireq.html#81868

Data center power

How much power does your data center need?● Note the voltage and add the amperage on

each device● Multiple 120v - 20 amp circuits● Multiple 208v - 30+ amp circuits● "Circuit diversity" and multiple equipment

power supplies● Backup power UPS units AND backup generator● Test and document shut down procedures -

how long does shut down and restart take?

Fire Suppression

What you will hopefully never need if your cooling system(s) let you down● Wet pipe - basic and typical sprinkler system● Preaction - advanced sprinkler system with

safeguards (no water in the pipe until at two or more events are detected; i.e. smoke + heat)

● Gaseous Agent - Halon or other inert smothering gas

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/security/the-mystical-world-of-data-center-fire-suppression/4113

Data center monitoring

How well do and your IT staff sleep at night?● Server monitoring (Active Xperts, Solar

Winds, etc.)○ Servers, storage systems, switchgear, monitor the

monitor● Server room monitoring (Pager Plus, APC,

etc.)○ Room temp, rack temp, humidity, water on the

floor, smoke and power● Who has access to your data center?

Clustering resources

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831579.aspx

Failover Clustering Overview

Applies To: Windows Server 2012

This topic provides an overview of the Failover Clustering feature in Windows Server 2012. Failover clusters provide high availability and scalability to many server workloads. These include server applications such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Hyper-V, Microsoft SQL Server, and file servers. The server applications can run on physical servers or virtual machines.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732181(v=ws.10).aspx

Hyper-V: Using Hyper-V and Failover Clustering

Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

Scenario overview

The Hyper-V role enables you to create a virtualized server computing environment using a technology that is part of the Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating system. This solution is provided through Hyper-V. You can use a virtualized computing environment to improve the efficiency of your computing resources and improve server availability without using as many physical computers as you would need in a failover configuration that uses only physical computers.

The Failover Clustering feature enables you to create and manage failover clusters. A failover cluster is a group of independent computers that work together to increase the availability of applications and services. The clustered servers (called nodes) are connected by physical cables and by software. If one of the cluster

nodes fails, another node begins to provide service (a process known as failover). Users experience a minimum of disruptions in service.

http://www.vmware.com/products/datacenter-virtualization/vsphere/high-availability.html

Build a Flexible, Efficient Datacenter

VMware vSphere is the industry-leading virtualization platform for building cloud infrastructures. vSphere enables you to run your business-critical applications confidently to meet your most demanding service level agreements at the lowest TCO.

Additional references

http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/technology-in-education/

In depth backup considerations from an auditor's perspectivehttp://www.isaca.org/Journal/Past-Issues/2011/Volume-6/Pages/What-Every-IT-Auditor-Should-Know-About-Backup-and-Recovery.aspx

Overview of the four main wireless standardshttp://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wireless80211/a/aa80211standard.htm

802.11N and WEP cannot yield max throughputhttp://forums.ruckuswireless.com/forums/6/topics/675

Additional references cont.

Data center design considerations per Oraclehttp://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19088-01/v445.srvr/819-5730-10/powcool.html

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/get-it-done-calculate-heat-dissipation-for-better-server-room-design/5031678?tag=content;siu-container