Private cloud – based on which OS?

Private cloud? But how to do it?

Let’s begin with the hardware:

VServer1 is a 4U server with 4×2,2Ghz Ouadcore Opterons ( socket F, 38GB DDR2 ECC reg. memory and a Highpoint 3220 SATA RAID Controller with 6x 1TB and 2x 250GB ( all hot swap ). 2x onboard NIC’s, a quad port Intel NIC and a dual port Intel NIC.

VServer2 is a 1U server with 2×2,2Ghz Dualcore Opterons ( socket 940 ), 8GB DDR1 ECC reg. and an onboard SCSI RAID Controller with 3x 73GB SCA2 10k Disks ( hot swap ), also it have got a 2x onboard NIC’s and it would be possible to add an extra NIC via PCI-X ( single or dual port ).

VServer3 is a 1U system with 1x3Ghz Dualcore Xeon (socket 775), 8GB of DDR2 ECC and 4x 750GB SATA. Networking will be 4x onboard Intel NIC’s and if need I’m able to add a single or dual port PCI-X NIC.

Storage1 is 2U equipped with a single socket 775 Quadcore with 2,6Ghz, 8GB DDR2 ECC, 2x Intel onboard NIC’s and 2x PCI-X 133 dual port Broadcom NIC’s – more could be added… An Adaptec 5805 with 6x 2TB SATA and 2x 300GB SAS is handling the storage(8x hotswap).  The OS is running from a 40GB SSD RAID1 connect to the motherboard.

Storage2 is 2U Server with 2x2Ghz Dualcore Xeons ( socket 479 ), 12GB DDR2 ECC reg., 2x Intel onboard NIC’s, if need it would be possible to add up to 2 PCI-X 133 dual port Boardcom NIC’s ( I’think I’ll do this ). Same as in Storage1 this system is based on an Adaptec 5805 with 7x 1.5TB Disks. The OS run’s from a RAID1 based on 2x 750GB SATA disk.

Unused 1U node: 1xAM2+ Black Edition 3×2,1Ghz with 4 to 6GB of memory and 2x 80GB SATA or IDE at RAID1. One onboard Realtek NIC and a second one could be a PCIe x1 NIC from Broadcom.

All system could be switcht with SLA and SFT over multiple switches.

So far about the hardware..

What I want to build is a private cloud with high availability. VM’s should be movable during the regular work without rebooting the systems. Here is a problem with VMWare because every VServer got different hardware – meaning the CPU’s.  With Xen or Hyper-V it would be possible.

Anyway most of virtual machines will be Windows Servers. The following task I need to get at HA with storage redundancy:

• SQL Server 2005
• SQL Server 2008
• 2x Sharepoint
• 1x Exchange 2010
• 1x Streaming Server
• 2x Domain Controller
• 2x Webserver
• 1x WSUS Proxy Server and WSUS
• 2x Astaro virtual gateways
• 1x TMG Server
• Several Windows VM’s for CIRTEX
• 2 to 3 unix/linux VM’s

I could do it the old way with every VM at least 2 times at least at 2 ESX but that will still leave a single point of failure with main and backup storage… which I would like to avoid. DatacoreX for storage virtualization is not an option – it’s simple to expensive. It’s possible to reconfigure the storage server the way that they have 100% the same disks, but same motherboard etc. isn’t possible only a configuration in which both will have nearly the same performance. The main problems are the Astaro virtual gateways if I would use Hyper-V. Multiple hardware appliances aren’t an option.  And what would be a nice redundant and high available solution for the storage servers? And what is the best solution for this mixed hardware architectures?

So which OS should or shouldn’t I choose with which advantages and disadvantages? Or something total different from my ideas?

If you have questions feel free to ask. It would be nice if you could tell me your ideas etc.

MAFRI