Enterprise Windows Servers

The Enterprise Windows Team offers a lower cost, highly reliable Windows Server architecture to meet campus requirements.

Physical Servers

For resource-intensive applications that demand dedicated physical hardware, Dell blade server technology is the preferred solution. The standard blade configuration consists of two dual-core CPUs, 4 GB of memory, two built-in HBAs for fiber attached SAN storage, and redundant 1 GB network connections.

The Blade Server Provisioning service addresses the need for reliable and secure servers for UC Berkeley customers. The service leases standardized Dell servers from a pool managed and overseen by skilled system administrator technologists within the secure, redundant, and high-availability environment of the IST Data Center. Customers are able to operate and maintain their own server and applications remotely, or have IST staff perform that work under the System Administration service. A pool of blade servers allows for quick turnaround to customer requests (7-14 days versus 4 weeks for orders placed with Dell); a standard, flexible, and secure configuration; and consistent service and predictable pricing. The efficiencies gained from these features results in lower costs and rates for campus customers. The service structure and rates, under its capital depreciation schedule, anticipates and provides for the replacement (and likely upgrade) of servers as they approach the end of usable life.

Blade servers are newer generation, compact, self-contained servers installed vertically in an enclosure, and share services with other servers within that enclosure. Ten Dell 1855/1955 blade servers fit within an enclosure that provides shared services such as power, cooling, and networking. In addition to the shared services, this configuration minimizes cabling and reduces network connections, thus streamlining the overall computing environment and further lowering costs of operation. In addition, compared to horizontally mounted servers installed in current Data Center cabinets, Blade servers allow for 50% additional servers installed in the same physical space (30 blade servers in the space of 20 horizontally mounted ones). This results in an increased capacity and life expectancy for the current Data Center.

Virtual Servers

A Virtual Machine (VM) provisioning service (based upon the VMWare ESX version 3.0.2 technology) addresses two sets of interrelated needs for customers and IT service providers: customers' need for servers to host applications, web sites, collaboration environments and other technologies in secure, reliable, and easy-to-maintain environments; and IT providers' need to quickly provision servers in a cost-effective, flexible manner while utilizing existing infrastructure more effectively. Historically, customers requiring additional hosting capabilities had to purchase new hardware, or combine applications, when possible, in existing servers. Frequently, this required a substantial capital investment and increased operating costs (set-up, maintenance, monitoring, etc.) for heavily underutilized hardware. When combining incompatible applications within existing departmental servers the results were often system instabilities and corruptions, unnecessarily strained physical resources, and overall poor performance.

The deployment of Virtual Machines (VMs) is a cost-effective strategy that adds value to existing hardware infrastructure while addressing customer needs for a flexible, extensible, and secure hosting environment. Virtualization software creates a logical computing environment between a physical server (the hardware platform) and an operating system and applications that comprise a virtual machine. With virtualization software, the physical resources associated with one machine (e.g., CPU processing, RAM, and networking) can be partitioned (shared) among multiple virtual machines and allocated to specific VMs on an as-needed basis. For example, if a VM receives several requests for moderately complex calculations, the VM controlling software will temporarily allocate additional RAM to access needed data, expedite the processing, and then return those requests. Further, VMs are completely isolated from the host server and other VMs — data does not "leak" across VMs and, should one VM crash, other VMs remain unaffected. Virtual machines can run multiple operating systems and applications in isolation, side-by-side, on the same physical machine. This capability increases the effective utilization rate of physical machines by substantial amounts. In addition, virtual machines are encapsulated into files, making it possible to rapidly save, copy and provision a virtual machine. Full systems (fully configured operating systems, applications, BIOS and virtual hardware) can be moved, within seconds, from one physical server to another. This process, carried out continuously and automatically by the VM controlling software, results in nearly zero-downtime for planned or unexpected maintenance. Virtual Machines are especially apt for hosting development or testing spaces, collaboration and online publication tools, web sites, print and mailing list servers, file sharing, and other lower-demand applications, while more powerful physical servers are typically dedicated to high-demand applications or complex computing environments.

The service offers two configurations of virtual machines, standard and enhanced. To further customize each VM, customers will be able to purchase additional disk storage (standard or enhanced) at current rates as a pass-through cost. Customers are able to operate and maintain their own VM and applications remotely, or have IST staff perform that work under the System Administration service.

Each Standard VM will be configured with one CPU, 512 MB of RAM, 1 Gb network connection and 10 GB of standard disk storage. Enhanced machines will include 2 CPUs, 1 GB of RAM, a 1 Gb network connection, and 10 GB of enhanced disk storage. An enhanced machine provides increased flexibility for customers who may want to operate moderately demanding applications but don’t require the capabilities of a standalone server.

While 10 GB of disk storage is sufficient for each VM's operating system and low demand applications, we expect most customers to purchase additional storage to better address specific technical or operational needs. Additional standard or enhanced disk storage will be available at current storage rates as a pass-through cost to the customer.