Category: virtualization archive

  • Observations with the Active Memory metric in vSphere

    The subject of memory management of Operating Systems in vSphere is an enormously broad, and complex topic that has been covered quite well over the years. With all of that great information, there are characteristics with some of the metrics given that still seem to befuddle users. One of those metrics provided to us courtesy…

  • Getting the big IT purchase approved

    IT organizations are faced with a tantalizing array of options when it comes to hardware and software solutions. But long before anything can ever be deployed, it has to be purchased, which means at some point it had to be approved. Sometimes deploying a solution is easy compared to getting it approved. But how does…

  • Testing InfiniBand in the home lab with PernixData FVP

    One of the reasons I find the latest trends in datacenter architectures so interesting is the innovative approaches used to address deficiencies associated with more traditional arrangements. These innovations have been able to drive more of what almost everyone needs; better storage performance and better scalability. The caveat to some of these newer arrangements is…

  • Practical tips for a Veeam Backup and Recovery deployment

    I’ve been using Veeam Backup and Recovery in my production environment for a while now, and in hindsight, it was one of the best investments we’ve ever made in our IT infrastructure. It has completely changed the operational overhead of protecting our VMs, and the data they serve up. Using a data protection solution that…

  • Shameless Seattle VMUG meeting plug–January 2014 edition

    For all of you VMware Admins and enthusiasts in the greater Seattle area, here is a fantastic opportunity to get out of the office for a little bit, meet some new people that do the same thing you do, and learn a little something along way. First, here are the details so you can carve…

  • Using the Cisco SG300-20 Layer 3 switch in a home lab

    One of the goals when building up my home lab a few years ago was to emulate a simple production environment that would give me a good platform to learn and experiment with. I’m a big fan of nested labs, and use one on my laptop often. But there are times when you need real…

  • Effects of introducing write-back caching with PernixData FVP

    Implementing new technology that solves real problems is great. It is exciting, and you get to stand on the shoulders of the smart folks who dreamed up the solution. But with all of that glory comes new design and operation elements that may have been introduced. This isn’t a bad thing. It is just different.…

  • Using a new tool to discover old problems

    It is interesting what can be discovered when storage is accelerated. Virtual machines that were previously restricted by the underperforming arrays now get to breath freely.  They are given the ability to pass storage I/O as quickly as the processor needs. In other words, the applications that need the CPU cycles get to dictate your…

  • Observations of PernixData FVP in a production environment

    Since my last post, "Accelerating storage using PernixData’s FVP. A perspective from customer #0001" I’ve had a number of people ask me questions on what type of improvements I’ve seen with FVP.  Well, let’s take a look at how it is performing. The cluster I’ve applied FVP to is dedicated for the purpose of compiling…

  • Accelerating storage using PernixData’s FVP. A perspective from customer #0001

    Recently, I described in "Hunting down unnecessary I/O before you buy that next storage solution" the efforts around addressing "technical debt" that was contributing to unnecessary I/O. The goal was to get better performance out of my storage infrastructure. It’s been a worthwhile endeavor that I would recommend to anyone, but at the end of…