Ibm Reference Configuration For Vmware On System X With Smartcloud Entry

IBM® SmartCloudTM Entry provides a fully integrated software stack for transforming a virtualized environment to a cloud environment. The intuitive self-service portal allows users to get up and running quickly. Built-in workload metering and additional tools enable tight controls and planning. The IBM Reference Configuration for VMware on IBM System x® with SmartCloud Entry provides an affordable, easy to deploy, private cloud architecture with configurations based on leading-edge technology from IBM, VMware, and Juniper Networks. The reference configuration is for midsized companies that need simpler and affordable IT solutions, without compromising on functionality. IBM and VMware, world leaders in enterprise-class IT solutions, are now bringing IT solutions tailored to the midmarket. This IBM RedpaperTM publication provides setup, configuration, and deployment details for the reference configuration and is intended for IT professionals who are familiar with software and hardware setup and configuration.

Distributed computing has been transformed with the introduction of virtualization technology. This has driven a re-architecture of traditional data center workload placement. In 2012, IBM® announced IBM PureSystemsTM, a new offering based on preconfigured software, servers, and storage that form an expert integrated system. Expert integrated systems now combine traditional IT resources into a single optimized solution, with prepackaged components including servers, storage devices, networking equipment, and software. With this evolution of technology, we move from discrete, siloed, and underutilized IT resources to shared resource pools. This IBM Redbooks® publication can help you install, tailor, and configure IBM SmartCloud® Entry on the IBM PureFlexTM System offering. This book is intended for anyone who wants to learn more about cloud computing with IBM SmartCloud Entry and offerings based on IBM Flex SystemTM elements.

This IBM® RedpaperTM publication provides a brief overview of cloud technology, and describes how, from a user perspective, IBM SmartCloudTM Entry can help you access the benefits of the cloud. In particular, the product provides a comprehensive cloud software stack with capabilities that you otherwise might need to purchase separately as multiple products from multiple vendors. Businesses with an existing virtualized platform (IBM Power SystemsTM with PowerVM® or IBM System x with VMware vSphere) can be transformed to a private cloud. IBM SmartCloud Entry makes this transformation possible. IBM SmartCloud Entry integrates with the IBM PureFlexTM System, so that clients with PureFlex System can also experience easier cloud-ready deployments. IBM SmartCloud Entry adds a self-service, user portal, and basic metering to your existing virtualized platform. Overall, IBM SmartCloud Entry delivers improved service levels and fast time-to-value results for receiving the benefits of a private cloud infrastructure. The four use cases demonstrate how easily IBM SmartCloud Entry can be deployed and the possibilities for improved efficiencies in your organization. The cases demonstrate cloud deployment in PureFlex, VMware, Power Systems and x86 environments, and a telecom company. Also described are two IBM SmartCloud Entry processes, showing the ease of provisioning and installing with this product. This paper is directed at decision-makers, such as CFOs, CIOs, CEOs, IT managers, systems administrators, enterprise architects, systems architects, and IBM Business Partners. Presales and post-sales technical staff can benefit from discussing this paper with clients and potential clients.

This IBM® RedpaperTM publication provides deployment guidelines, workload estimates, and preferred practices for clients who want a proven IBM technology stack for VMware environments. The result is a Reference Architecture for Virtualized Environments (RAVE) that uses VMware vSphere, IBM System x® or IBM BladeCenter® server, IBM System Networking, and IBM System Storage® N series as a storage foundation. The reference architecture can be used as a foundation to create dynamic cloud solutions and make full use of underlying storage features and functions. This paper provides a blueprint that illustrates how clients can create a virtualized infrastructure and storage cloud to help address current and future data storage business requirements. It explores the solutions that IBM offers to create a storage cloud solution addressing client needs. This paper also shows how the Reference Architecture for Virtualized Environments and the extensive experience of IBM in cloud computing, services, proven technologies, and products support a Smart Storage Cloud solution that is designed for your storage optimization efforts. When used as the storage foundation, System Storage N series offers unified storage solutions. These solutions provide industry-leading technologies for storage efficiencies, instantaneous virtual machine and data store cloning for virtual servers and virtual desktops, and virtual data center backup and business continuance solutions. This paper is for anyone who wants to learn how to successfully deploy a virtualized environment. It is also written for anyone who wants to understand how IBM addresses data storage and compute challenges with IBM System Storage N series solutions with IBM servers and networking solutions. This paper is suitable for IT architects, business partners, IBM clients, storage solution integrators, and IBM sales representatives.

This IBM® RedpaperTM publication describes our newest product for helping businesses enter the world of cloud technology: IBM SmartCloud® Entry, Version 3.1. This software includes the IBM Common Cloud Stack, which is powered by open source OpenStack from the OpenStack Foundation. These products work together to help you move your business to the cloud. This paper explains the ways that you can take advantage of this extensive and powerful technology. With the power of cloud computing, you can enhance your existing services, extend your market reach, and create new markets for your services. IBM SmartCloud Entry V3.1 is easy to use, even for first-time cloud service users. It can enable you to benefit from cloud technology in less time and with less effort than you might think. This Redpaper features two scenarios that demonstrate the ease of carrying out processes with IBM SmartCloud Entry software. The information is directed to two primary audiences. Chapter 1 is directed mainly to decision-makers, such as CEOs, CIOs, and CFOs, who need to know about cloud technology and the power that it offers. The remainder of the paper is directed to IT professionals, such as information architects, business intelligence administrators, and database administrators, who need to know about the functions and capabilities of SmartCloud Entry and Common Cloud Stack.

In a traditional deployment model, software is installed on a physical server, and it is configured for the particular data center environment. The cloud deployment model requires that the dependency on a specific hardware configuration is severed. This IBM® Redbooks® publication guides you through the transition from the traditional application deployment model to the cloud-friendly deployment model. It explains how to achieve these goals by packaging the software stacks into industry standard virtual appliances. A key part of this transition involves using the IBM Image Construction and Composition Tool. This tool is the IBM tool for creating virtualized workloads that target several private cloud deployment platforms, including platforms from IBM and not from IBM. In fact, this tool is unique in its ability to support such a wide range of cloud offerings. It is also the only tool in the marketplace that can create virtual appliances for both x86 and IBM Power hardware architectures. This book provides an in-depth look at the capabilities and internal workings of Image Construction and Composition Tool. It focuses on the capabilities of this tool, which target the virtualization and cloud offerings of IBM Systems and Technology Group. These offerings include IBM Systems Director VMControlTM, IBM SmartCloud® Entry, and IBM PureFlexTM System with IBM Flex System ManagerTM appliance. The Image Construction and Composition Tool also has a much richer set of capabilities. Specifically, it supports IBM Workload Deployer, IBM PureApplicationTM Systems, and IBM SmartCloud Provisioning. This publication targets software architects, cloud solutions architects, and cloud administrators. Its goal is to provide you with the expert-level skills required to package the existing and newly created applications into self-configurable, smart virtual appliances. Related publication: Smart Virtual Appliances Made Easy with IBM Image Construction and Composition Tool, TIPS1037

Distributed computing has been transformed with the introduction of virtualization technology. This has driven a re-architecture of traditional data center workload placement. In 2012, IBM® announced IBM PureSystems, a new offering based on preconfigured software, servers, and storage that form an expert integrated system. Expert integrated systems now combine traditional IT resources into a single optimized solution, with prepackaged components including servers, storage devices, networking equipment, and software. With this evolution of technology, we move from discrete, siloed, and underutilized IT resources to shared resource pools. This IBM Redbooks® publication can help you install, tailor, and configure IBM SmartCloud® Entry on the IBM PureFlex System offering. This book is intended for anyone who wants to learn more about cloud computing with IBM SmartCloud Entry and offerings based on IBM Flex System elements.

To meet today's complex and ever-changing business demands, you need a solid foundation of compute, storage, networking, and software resources that is simple to deploy and can quickly and automatically adapt to changing conditions. You also need to be able to take advantage of broad expertise and proven preferred practices in systems management, applications, hardware maintenance, and more. The IBM® Flex SystemTM p260 and p460 Compute Nodes are IBM Power SystemsTM servers optimized for virtualization, performance, and efficiency. The nodes support IBM AIX®, IBM i, or Linux operating environments, and are designed to run various workloads in IBM PureFlexTM System. This IBM Redbooks® publication is a comprehensive guide to IBM PureFlex System and the Power Systems compute nodes. We introduce the offerings and describe the compute nodes in detail. We then describe planning and implementation steps and go through some of the key the management features of the IBM Flex System Manager management node. This book is for customers, IBM Business Partners, and IBM technical specialists that want to understand the new offerings and to plan and implement an IBM Flex System installation that involves the Power Systems compute nodes.