Executing Large-Scale Data Center Transformation Projects ...€¦ · Large-scale data center...

Executing Large-ScaleData Center Transformation Projects with PlateSpin Migrate 12

WHITE PAPER: Executing Large-Scale Data Center Transformation Projects with PlateSpin Migrate 12

WHITE PAPER

Table of ContentsWhat are Data Center Transformation Projects? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Introduction to PlateSpin Migrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Best Practices for Executing Large-Scale Data Center Transformation Projects with PlateSpin Migrate 12 . . . . . . . .1

Architected to Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

About NetIQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

WHITE PAPER: Executing Large-Scale Data Center Transformation Projects with PlateSpin Migrate 12 | 1

What Are Data Center Transformation Projects?In today’s dynamic world, the need for cost reduction and the desire to increase operational efficiency have a constant impact on the organization of IT resources . Enterprises are relentlessly looking for better ways to manage infrastructure, systems and applications, and this often leads to the execution of projects where large numbers of workloads are moved from one platform or data center to another . Typical examples include the migration of physical servers onto a virtual platform, the migration of virtual machines from one virtual platform to another, the migration of on-premise workloads into a public or managed cloud, and traditional data center consolidations .

In this white paper, we’ll use workload as the aggregate term for an operating system with all the applications installed on it, all the patches and configuration settings, and also all the files or blocks that reside on its data volumes .

In the context of data center transformation projects, rebuilding a workload from scratch on a new platform is rarely a desired migration methodology . This is because rebuilding is a manual, slow and error-prone process that requires a vast amount of expensive testing to ensure that the new workload is built in exactly the same way as the original workload . A true workload migration, as performed by PlateSpin Migrate, streams the blocks or files of the original workload into a replica on the new platform . Using PlateSpin Migrate ensures that the new workload is built rapidly and automatically, and that it is 100 percent identical to the original workload . Workload migrations are an important element in many, if not all, of today’s data center transformation projects .

Introduction to PlateSpin MigratePlateSpin Migrate is a powerful workload portability solution that automates the process of moving workloads over the network between physical servers, virtual hosts and image archives . PlateSpin Migrate remotely decouples workloads from the underlying server hardware and streams them to and from physical or virtual hosts—all from a single point of control . It provides enterprises and service providers with a mature, proven solution for testing, migrating and rebalancing workloads across infrastructure boundaries, from desktops to data centers

Some of the key features in PlateSpin Migrate include:

• Anywhere to anywhere workload migration capabilities (physical and virtual systems)

• Support for Windows and Linux workloads

• Block-level and file-level replication

• Multiple workload synchronizations and test points before final cutover

• Ability to scale up to 40 concurrent migrations per PlateSpin Migrate server

• Industry-leading automation, including post-migration hooks and a command line interface (CLI)

Best Practices for Executing Large-Scale Data Center Transformation Projects with PlateSpin Migrate 12The main factors that contribute to a successful execution of large-scale data center transformation projects include cost-effectiveness and business user satisfaction . Speed of execution and automation mostly determine cost effectiveness; automation eliminates manual efforts and human error . Business user satisfaction largely depends on minimizing application downtime . Let’s investigate how PlateSpin Migrate 12 will help you excel in both areas .

A typical workload migration with PlateSpin Migrate requires two kinds of replications: full and incremental . Incremental replications are also called synchronizations . The first replication of the workload is almost always


a full replication: all blocks or files of the source workload are transferred to the target workload . During this process, the source workload is online and fully accessible to its business users .

Before bringing the source workload down and putting the target workload in production (this moment is called the cutover), a certain amount of testing is almost always required . With PlateSpin Migrate, this testing of the target workload can be done while the source workload is still online, in production . Also, there is no limit on how long you can test . Once you complete testing, an incremental replication is performed to synchronize the source and the target workload . You can repeat this process of testing and synchronizing any number of times . Once the test teams sign off on the target workload, they perform a final synchronization between source and target, after which the cutover takes place .

To reduce the time needed for workload synchronizations, the PlateSpin team developed a block-based transfer (BBT) driver for PlateSpin Migrate 12 . This driver is installed in the source workload, and it tracks blocks that are modified in between replications . When the synchronization window starts, the driver immediately identifies these “dirty” blocks and sends them to the target . This process dramatically reduces the time needed for a synchronization compared to previous versions of PlateSpin Migrate .

To ensure 100 percent data consistency between the source and the target, it’s considered a best practice to shut down the business services on the source workload during the final synchronization . Shutting down the services ensures that no data changes are being made while the final deltas are transferred from the source to the target workload . Multiple previous synchronizations interleaved with testing will ensure that the overall service downtime during the final synchronization and cutover is kept to an absolute minimum (usually a couple of minutes) and, equally important, that the downtime of the services is predictable: the final synchronization should not take longer than any of the previous synchronizations .

In some organizations, even a couple of minutes of downtime is not acceptable, especially during the workweek . In this case, all workload cutovers need to be performed during one or more weekends . Because weekend labor is expensive, it’s most cost-effective to execute as many cutovers as possible during any one weekend . With PlateSpin Migrate 12, maximizing the amount of cutovers in one weekend can be done by staging multiple workload replications over time in the days and weeks leading up to the cutover weekend .

Image 1: Scheduling a workload for replication is easy and wizard-driven in PlateSpin Migrate 12


Staging a workload means that, at some point in time before the cutover weekend, a full replication is performed for the workload, and that a schedule is set up for automatic synchronizations . A schedule will typically synchronize the target workload with the source workload once per day, at night . Multiple workloads can be staged like this, until the batch contains enough workloads to fill a whole weekend with cutovers . Scheduling replications is a new feature in PlateSpin Migrate 12, specifically designed to maximize efficiency when executing large-scale data center transformation projects .

As the cutover weekend approaches, any workload can be tested anytime with the new PlateSpin Migrate 12 “Test Cutover” action . This action brings the target workload up on the production network with a changed IP address or in a sandboxed network with the same IP address, with just a few simple clicks . After testing is complete, the workload is brought down, and the replication schedule resumes: the target workload is synchronized with the source, and all modifications made during testing are erased .

During the cutover weekend, all efforts are concentrated on doing the final synchronizations for all staged workloads, followed by their cutovers . Once more, because the workloads have been replicating regularly and automatically during the days or weeks leading up to the cutover weekend, and because the BBT driver has continuously tracked “dirty” blocks on the source workload, the amount of time needed for each of these operations is extremely predictable and short .

After the cutover weekend, a new cycle of scheduled replications can be started .

Image 2: Maximizing data center transformation project efficiency


Architected to ScalePlateSpin Migrate uses Microsoft SQL Server as its database back end . In earlier releases, each PlateSpin Migrate server needed its own database server . With PlateSpin Migrate 12, however, multiple migration servers can now share the same SQL Server instance . This makes it easier to scale migration servers horizontally . One PlateSpin Migrate 12 migration server can typically administer a couple of hundred migrations, forty of which can be actively running and replicating in parallel . For large projects, NetIQ recommends spreading the total number of migrations over multiple horizontally scaled PlateSpin Migrate 12 servers .

ConclusionLarge-scale data center transformation projects often include many workload migrations, ranging from a couple of hundred, to several thousand migrations . PlateSpin Migrate 12 allows project managers to schedule batches of replicating workloads, which can then be rapidly cut over during working hours or weekends, when business users are not using the applications that reside on the workloads . By doing this, PlateSpin Migrate 12 enables enterprises and service providers to dramatically increase speed of execution, cost-effectiveness and business user satisfaction when performing large-scale data center transformation projects .

Image 3: PlateSpin Migrate 12 Scalability


About NetIQNetIQ is a global enterprise software company that meets the demands of hybrid IT with solutions for identity and access management, security and data center management . Using our solutions, customers and partners can capitalize on the opportunities in today’s complex and ever-changing IT landscape . By aligning technologies and service delivery methods, our customers can properly secure, manage and measure the many computing services operating across its physical, virtual and cloud computing environments . By doing this, they are better able to provide strategic value at the speed of business .

Learn more about our award-winning software solutions at www .netiq .com .

This document could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors . Changes are periodically made to the information herein . These changes may be incorporated in new editions of this document . NetIQ Corporation may make improvements in or changes to the software described in this document at any time .

Copyright © 2015 NetIQ Corporation and its affiliates . All Rights Reserved .

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