Planning & Best Practice for Microsoft Virtualization
Lai Yoong SengMVP : Virtual [email protected] | www.ms4u.info
Objective and Takeaways
Virtualization PlanningBest Practice on
Hyper V Server Virtual Machine SQL Server Active Directory Exchange Server SharePoint
Argument
• Running server roles either as Virtual machine or a Physical machine ?
• Rules of Thumb:- It’s Depend !
Use MAPFollow Microsoft Best Practice on VirtualizationUnderstand Hyper V Feature and RequirementUnderstand Support Policy on Virtualization
or
Virtualize or Not Virtualize?• Suitable candidate
Low processorLow Memory
• Unsuitable candidate• High processor• High memory• High network use• External peripheral
Physical Server (16 GB RAM)
VM 1- 14 GB
Parent partition
(2 GB)
Physical Server (16 GB RAM)
VM 3- 4 GB
VM 1- 2 GB
VM 4- 4 GB
VM 2- 4 GB
Parent partition
(2 GB)
VS
Microsoft Assessment & Planning Toolkit (MAP) 5.5• Powerful inventory,
assessment and reporting tool to assess IT environment.
• Latest enhancement for virtualization:• Updated hardware library• Data collection and store every
5 minute• Significant usability
enhancements
Planning for Hyper V Host• Minimize risk to the parent partition
• Use server core• Just Hyper V Roles
• Two physical network adapter at a minimum
• 1 for management• 1 for VM• 1 for iSCSI• 1 for Live Migration
• Processor• Microsoft Support – 8 virtual processor per
physical processor core.8 : 1 ratio
• Memory• Allocate 2 GB RAM for parent partition.
Physical Server (16 GB RAM)
VM 3- 4 GB
VM 1- 2 GB
VM 4- 4 GB
VM 2- 4 GB
Parent partition
(2 GB)
Best Practice for Hyper V Host• Avoid Overloading the Server • No other roles install• Ensure High Speed Access to Storage • Avoid Mixing Virtual Machines that can and cannot use
Integration Services • Configure Anti-Virus to Bypass Hyper-V Processes and
Directories • Use Processor that has SLAT (Second Level Address
Translation)• AMD – RVI• Intel - EPT
Best Practice for Virtual Machine• Processor• Virtual CPU consideration ( 4 , 2 or 1 vCPU)• For example, given a dual
core physical server, you are limited to configuring two virtual processors for a VM. Performance will be degraded if assign more.
• Network• Install with Integration
Component “Enlightenments”
• Use Synthetic network card
Comparison of Virtual Hard Disk
Storage Fixed Disk or Pass Through Disk Virtual SCSI than IDE
Different Types of Disk
Best Practice for SQL Server• Supported
• SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, and SQL Server 2008 R2
• Virtualization Snapshot not supported
• High Availability• Guest Failover Clustering is supported for SQL
Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, and SQL Server 2008 R2 if the install operating system is running Windows Server 2008 or higher.
• Storage• Database has high I/O on Storage• Recommended to use Fixed Disk or Pass Through Disk.• RAID level – Operating system – RAID 1,Log File – RAID 1,Database – RAID 5.• OS – Fixed Disk, Log and Database use pass through disk
• Processor• Use SLAT processor – reduce processor overhead for VM memory mapping to physical memory.
Best Practice for Active Directory• Backup system state regularly. By default tombstone is 60 or
180 days• Do not pause DC for a long period.• Avoid single point of failure. Deploy multiple DC on multiple
host.
Best Practice for Exchange ServerSupported
Exchange 2007 with SP 1 and Exchange 2010Guest VM must be Windows Server 2008 SP2 or R2Exchange 2003 (with SP 2 and later) supported in Virtual Server 2005 R2
and SP1.Exchange Mailbox (not in DAG) – can be placed on a clustered Hyper V
and moved using Live MigrationOther roles – Client Access Server, Hub Transport -> supported but with
consideration.
Not Supported Not supported to run in clustered cluster configuration – Exchange DAG and
Exchange 2007 SP1 using CCR. Unified Messaging running in Virtual machine.
Best Practice for Exchange Server• Processor• Ratio is 2:1. Two virtual processor for each core• Reserved 2 cores for parent partition.
• For Example: 2 X 6 cores processor = 12 cores.• 12 cores – 2 cores (for parent partition ) = 10 cores• 10 cores X 2 = 20 virtual processor available for allocation.• If every vm is allocated 4 vcpu, then you can create 5 Virtual
machine.
• Storage• Supported disk – Fixed Disk & Pass through disk. • Virtual SCSI (pass through/fixed disk)
Guidelines – Edge and Hub Transport
Virtual ProcessorShould configured up to 4 virtual processor
Virtual Memory1GB allocated for each virtual processor.That’s mean 4vcpu = 4 GB of RAM
Ratio1 Hub Transport for every 5 Mailbox server. 1 Hub VM: 5 MBX VM
Guidelines – Client Access Server (CAS)Virtual Processor
Should be allocated to 4 virtual processor
Virtual MemoryFor each processor, should be allocated 2GB of RAMThat’s mean 4 vCPU = 8 GB of RAM
RatioRecommended ratio 3 CAS VM for every 4 Mailbox server VM3 CAS VM: 4 Mailbox VM
Guidelines – Client Access Server /HubVirtual Processor
Maximum 4vCPU
Virtual Memory2GB per processor CoreExample:- 4vcpu, then (2 X 4)= 8 GB of RAM
Ratio1 CAS/Hub VM : 1 MBX VM
Virtual ProcessorRecommended 4 vCPU
Virtual Memory4GB + 3-30MB per mailbox.Example:- 500 Mailbox with 30MB per mailbox = 14.6
GB 14.6 + 4GB 18.6 GB
Guidelines – Mailbox Roles
Best Practice for SharePoint• Processor• Ratio of 1:1 of virtual to logical
processor• Reserved : 2 cores for the
parent partition• For Example: 2 Processor with 6
cores each.• 2 X 6 cores = 12 cores• 12 cores – 2 cores (parent
partition) = 10 cores• 10 cores = 10 virtual processor.
• Storage• Fixed disk or pass through disk• SCSI disk more efficient than
IDE. Recommended SAS.
Best Practice for SharePoint
• Network• Install Integration Services• Don’t use Emulation Device . • Use IPv4 on guest VM. Disable IPv6.
• Memory• Provide Adequate Memory• Don’t use a lot of paging. Memory is faster than Disk• Understand NUMA.• Resource utilization can vary
• Disable Time synchronization integration services
Understand NUMA• Stand for Non-Uniform Memory Access Boundaries.• Exist at the hardware level
• Problem in today environment:• Virtual guest that are allocated more memory within a single NUMA
memory boundary.• NUMA boundary vary by processor and motherboard vendor• NUMA Boundary = Total amount of memory / Total number of cores
• Example:-• Two Quad Core processor with 48GB of RAM• 2 X 4core = 8 cores• NUMA Boundary = 48 GB of RAM / 8 cores• NUMA Boundary = 6 GB• Allocating more than 6GB for a single guest VM would result in performance
drop.
Guidelines- Web Server Role in SharePointMemory
Generally Memory IntensiveEspecially on Dynamic Compression and Optimization
StorageLess I/O IntensiveMake no difference if running on pass through disk but
good for STSADM backup, IIS Logging, Usage Processing and Diagnostic.
RedundancyDistribute two or more hosts
Guidelines-Query & Index Server in SharePointProcessor
High processing Use SLAT processor
Memory and Storage Are I/O intensive and memory intensive. Use pass through disk Should separate Index & Query Server to avoid I/O Contention. Or
put Query and Index Content on separate diskNetwork
Network IntensiveRedundancy
Deploy on two or more hosts
Guidelines- Application Server in SharePointMemory and StorageNot memory and I/O intensiveUse Fixed Disk
Guidelines- Database Server in SharePointMemory, Processor, Storage, Network
High Intensive Prefer Pass-through Disk Provide as much RAM and CPU as possible
Redundancy Distribute across two or more physical host
Recommendation Avoid Virtualization. Run in Physical Server
What We Covered?
• After watching this webcast, you should be able toPlanning on VirtualizationUse the recommended best practice for • Hyper V• Virtual Machine• SQL Server• Active Directory• Exchange Server• Sharepoint
Resources• Lai’s Blog• www.ms4u.info
• Support Policy on Microsoft Application• SharePoint-
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-my/library/ff621103(en-us).aspx • Exchange
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-my/library/cc794548(en-us,EXCHG.80).aspx • Active Directory
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888794 • SQL Server
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956893
• Guest operating system support• http://
www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/hyperv-supported-guest-os.aspx