IT Infrastructure Consolidation and Virtualization

Consolidation and virtualization technologies make it possible to implement the concept of a service-oriented infrastructure (SOI) capable of ensuring effective utilization of available resources, fast and flexible adaptation of the hardware platform to business requirements, and a transition to a modern resource model of IT infrastructure building founded in the principle of "a separate virtual platform (operating environment) for each business application".

A service-oriented infrastructure:

ensures the required guaranteed levels of IT services;
ensures easy servicing and scaling of the IT infrastructure;
reduces deployment times of new services in the IT system;
optimizes IT infrastructure deployment and support costs;
allows forecasting resource needs and substantiating IT costs.

The guarantee of successful project implementation is clearly regulated operation based on methods that have accumulated the experience of De Novo experts, best practices and recognized techniques of the leading vendors. In the course of the project, the client’s IT specialists will attend seminars that will introduce them to project techniques and proposed solutions. A distinguishing feature of De Novo methods is the possibility to model solutions at its own laboratory.

A standard IT infrastructure consolidation and virtualization project comprises a complex of interconnected sub-projects with their own business value, which in some cases can be implemented as separate projects.

At the examination phase, project team members gather all information required for subsequent development of the solution: determine the project framework and goals, gather and systematize information on the current status of the computing and software infrastructure, and note down business needs. The resulting report includes an assessment of the computing infrastructure, the degree to which it meets business needs and the maturity model, recommendations for eliminating shortcomings or raising effectiveness, and technical assignment for subsystem design.

At the design phase, De Novo develop and defend a technical solution concept according to the approved technical assignment, rough and detailed designs for a consolidated software and hardware platform (a hardware platform, virtual computing infrastructure, control systems, hardware monitoring and virtual infrastructure systems). At this phase the client receives specifications of components and operations (making it possible to initiate the delivery of the required components by De Novo or other vendor) as well as a detailed plan of acceptance trials.

At the deployment phase, De Novo experts perform installation in keeping with the detailed designs for the implementation of the software and hardware complex. Once completed, they are followed by acceptance trials demonstrating the complex functionality and modeling failures. The same phase involves preparation of operating manuals detailing the functional configuration and component settings, standard administration procedures, and actions to be undertaken in the event of component or unit failures.

The complex is put into operation in two stages: beta testing and industrial launch. De Novo specialists will support the launch, participating in the migration of services to a new software and hardware platform or providing a negotiated level of service at the given stage to guarantee specific response times in the event of incidents or emergencies.

A logical completion of the computing infrastructure consolidation and virtualization project is an assessment of the degree to which expectations were met (achievement of project goals) and the business value of the implemented project for the client.

Technologies used

For its computing infrastructure consolidation and virtualization projects, De Novo uses:
Software virtualization technologies for standard architecture servers;
Hardware virtualization technologies for Power and SPARC servers;
Consolidation technologies—blade servers (horizontal consolidation), SMP systems (vertical consolidation);
Data storage networks;
Tools for hardware control and management automation.

Links to associated products

An effective and reliable software and hardware platform for services and application sin an IT system is only one component of the complex of solutions underlying the business of a modern company. A reliable engineering infrastructure, an effective data security system, a comprehensive system for managing and monitoring the entire infrastructure make it possible to raise the company's IT infrastructure to a qualitatively new level of the maturity model.

Solutions that can be effective jointly with a computing infrastructure consolidation and virtualization project:

Workstation virtualization;
Design and deployment of a centralized data security system (backup and archiving);
Design and implementation of IT infrastructure management and monitoring systems;
Design and implementation of platforms for critical business applications;
Building a failsafe engineering infrastructure of a data center;
Advanced service support for the computing and engineering infrastructure;
Design and deployment of a network resource authorization and management system based on Microsoft Active Directory;
Design and deployment of a messaging system based on Microsoft Exchange Server 2007;
Design and deployment of corporate portals based on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007;
Design and deployment of a configuration management system based on Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007.