[CentOS] VMWare GSX Server and CentOS

Thu Jan 11 21:26:07 UTC 2007
Joshua Gimer <jgimer at gmail.com>

I think that we are going to change directions. I am getting pretty much the
same feedback from everyone. Please if anyone has any other suggestions or
information, send it to me.

Thanks
Josh

On 1/10/07, Ross S. W. Walker <rwalker at medallion.com> wrote:
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: centos-bounces at centos.org
> > [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On Behalf Of Ross S. W. Walker
> > Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 12:07 AM
> > To: CentOS mailing list
> > Subject: RE: [CentOS] VMWare GSX Server and CentOS
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: centos-bounces at centos.org
> > > [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On Behalf Of John R Pierce
> > > Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 11:53 PM
> > > To: CentOS mailing list
> > > Subject: Re: [CentOS] VMWare GSX Server and CentOS
> > >
> > > Joshua Gimer wrote:
> > > > Has anyone had experience (good or bad) with VMWare GSX
> > > Server running
> > > > CentOS as a VM under high load?
> > > >
> > > > Here is the situation. We are planning on rolling out some
> > > new boxes
> > > > to replace an existing box. Currently this box (Sun V860)
> > > is running
> > > > web services, database services, mail for students, and is an
> > > > instructional box for compiling code, and web scripting
> > among other
> > > > things.
> > > >
> > > > We are planning on doing one of two things, either using
> > VMWare and
> > > > splitting up the services or using Solaris Zones. The
> > > box(s) has to be
> > > > able to access data stored on the SAN (Fiber Channel HBA's). The
> > > > boxes(VM's), or Zones would be split up accordingly:
> > > >
> > > > Database box: Oracle, Postgres, and  MySQL
> > > > Mail: Sendmail, POPS, and IMAPS (roughly 25,000 mailboxes)
> > > > Web: Apache, PHP, mod_ssl
> > > > Interactive Logins: Compilers and such.
> > > >
> > > > Any information about any experiences with VMWare and
> > CentOS, under
> > > > similar load would be helpful. I will probably make this
> > > same post on
> > > > the Sun Solaris Mailing List, and VMWare's forums. Thanks
> > > in advance!
> > >
> > > I dunno, but I'm curious why you want to run so many VMs' or
> > > zones?
> > > the database/mail/web stuff would probably all run most
> > > efficiently in
> > > the 'host' OS... I can see some advantages to running student
> > > interactive logins in a VM or zone for security isolation.
> > >
> > >
> > > its that, or I'd put the infrastructure things (email, school web,
> > > school databases) on a dedicated and secure hardware
> > > platform, then put
> > > all the instructional stuff on a seperate hardware platform.
> > >  I don't
> > > like having too many eggs in one basket.
> >
> > I agree keep the infrastructure stuff physically separate from the
> > student stuff. That said, say a 4 node cluster for
> > infrastructure stuff
> > running VMs on each node in a scenario where the other nodes can take
> > over VMs from a failed node. Have them run to Fiber storage
> > or some kind
> > of SAN and you should be all set.
> >
> > For student stuff you can run a separate cluster using VMs
> > for different
> > courses, maybe Vmware, maybe Xen whichever works for you.
> >
> > CentOS should be able to handle all that very well, it is
> > after all RHEL
> > and has been tuned for heavy duty workloads.
> >
> > -Ross
>
> Actually re-reading my post let me say the infrastructure cluster can
> run the database/mail/web on the host OS as the previous poster said and
> gain significant performance. Have the host services fail-over in the
> cluster for continuity.
>
> Xen/Vmare VMs for student course work is probably best as they can be
> rapidly deployed and varied in configuration.
>
> -Ross
>
>
> -Ross
>
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-- 
Thx
Joshua Gimer
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