Virtualization project for a City in Northwest Iowa

By | January 31, 2014
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Virtualization  project for a City in Northwest Iowa

A smaller city in Northwest Iowa called and asked my current employer for to quote for a project.

Here are the details of the project:

  • Upgrade current Server to new Operating System
  • Provide a backup solution with offsite capabilities
  • Install and configure the latest version on Microsoft Exchange
  • Provide Security to the current network
  • Need the ability to work from remote locations
  • System need to have a 97% up-time
  • Provide support to their current network and systems

The first round of quotes were hardware quotes.  Then one day I called up the manager and talked to him about the up-time requirements.  We discussed if a RAID card or a motherboard failed in a single physical server it could be 2-3 days before the new parts and a technician could be onsite.  I then opened up the conversation to virtualization.

The manager listened to all the pros and cons.  The manager called a special meeting with the Board of Directors.  One person on the board that was all for new technology.  This member helped explain to the rest of the board about virtualization.  Two days later, we got a call from the manger asking for separate quotes for virtualization.

So here is where the fun begins.

This is a small city/town.  They have 14 computers total between the city and utilities.  We needed to find a reliable centralized storage solution for a minimal amount of money. So I turned to Cybernetics.  They had just introduced the iSAN 1000 with Dual Controllers with HA/redundancy.

iSAN1224

Cybernetics iSAN 1224

We prices the iSAN 1000 with eight 1TB 7.2K SATA Drives.  The retail price was well below $10,000.

Next was the vSphere/ESXi Hardware:

Dell R720

  • CPU E5-2640
  • 24 GB of memory
  • 2 – 500Gb Hard Drives
  • 2 – Dual Intel Cards

Firewall and Remote access:

  • SonicWALL NSA220
  • SonicWALL SRA 1600

I have both my CCNA and the Dell SonicWALL CSSA.  The firewall of choice for me is the Dell SonicWALL.

Exchange install

  • They have opted to go with Office 365 and the full office suite.

Backup solution

  • VEEAM Back Essentials
  • My Company is currently working with VEEAM to provide offsite DR for the city

The iSCSI SAN will be connected to two Dell 5524 Switches.  The iSCSI SAN will need good through put but little to no VLAN or management capabilities.  The Dell 55XX series switch are perfect for just that.

I recommend VMware vSphere Essentials Plus Kit.   This includes 6 Physical CPU license, vCenter,  and vMotion capabilities.  This kit also includes one year maintenance and support. I could not see this company growing over 3 physical ESXi boxes.

We sent the project documents to this City on a Thursday.  The following Monday the current production server had failed.  Their local tech support thought the power supply had failed.  They tried to replace it with and new power supply but the server would not boot.

On Wednesday we had a signed agreement and started the ordering process.  Ten days after we started the process, I was onsite installing the system and rebuilding their domain.

This was one of the fasted virtualization installs from start to finish.  I just hope the next one is not as fast.

In the next couple weeks I will post the diagram for this project.

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment.