VSLM expands standard virtual server management to include the associated business processes. So, for example, enabling end-users to use their web browser to request a particular virtual server, the order to be passed through an approval process before being automatically provisioned and handled to the end-user.

VirtualCenter monitors and stores the vital statistics of each host and virtual server. Variables such as memory and processor usage are shown on a "dash board gauge" while allowing the user to "drill down" to graphs that show usage over time. All data stored by VirtualController can be downloaded in real-time into Microsoft Excel, SQL databases, or third party charge-back systems, enabling the creation of complex reports.

Access control to physical servers is traditionally enforced by a mixed of user authentication and access control systems, such as Microsoft's Active Directory (AD), along with physical locks and doors. VirtualController provides a virtual equivalent: Policy-based access control ensures that only authorized users have access to; "physical" control of the Virtual Server (power on/off, etc.), cloning, moving, and remote desktop.

VirtualController enables individual virtual servers to be categorized. Each virtual server can belong to multiple categories. So, for example, a category called "Department" and another called "Data Center" can be user defined, and then virtual servers can be assigned to the relevant Department and Data Center location. Users can then be given access rights to particular categories of virtual servers by assigning access policies. These policies can be built on top of existing AD Groups without needing to touch the AD schema.

Fail-over provides protection against an unexpected hardware failure on a host server by rebooting the affected virtual servers on another host. This is complementary to "live migration" of virtual servers which requires the origin host server to running throughout the process.

Fail-over requires the host servers to be connected to a common storage system. For VMware ESX this would be a SAN with a shared LUN. For VMware GSX for Windows or Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 this would either be Windows Clustering with shared SCSI based (SCSI, FC, or iSCSI) storage, or a NAS drive.

VirtualController regularly ping checks the host operating system (Console OS for ESX). If it fails to respond then it goes on to ping test all running virtual servers on that host to ensure the host has indeed failed, before generating SNMP and email alarms, and then manually or automatically failing the affected virtual servers across to the next available host server, and restarting them.

Protection against failure of a physical server by ping checking that host, and if it fails to respond to a predetermined number of pings, VitualController automatically starts the appropriate virtual server.

VirtualController can manage the failover of virtual or physical servers from a main to a standby site. For virtual to virtual failover of VMware ESX based virtual servers it is necessary to have mirrored SANs with the virtual server disk files automatically mirrored by the SAN system from the main to the standby site either on a continuous or asynchronous basis.

VirtualController: Runs as either a virtual server or as a Windows application. It manages virtual servers running under VMware ESX, GSX for Windows, and Microsoft Virtual Server 2005. It is compatible with VMware VirtualCenter, while providing unique additional functionality such as VSML, fail-over and DR.

Two versions are available; one runs as an application under Windows 2003, the other is a virtual server that requires a virtualization layer (VMware ESX, GSX for Windows or Microsoft Virtual Server 2005). Both versions require the following resources: Pentium IV (or equivalent) 1500 MHz or faster, 1512 Mbytes of memory, 700 Mbytes of hard drive space, bridge network connection.

Host Agent: A Host Agent is installed on each physical server that is being remotely managed by VirtualController. The Leostream Host Agent for Windows is compatible with Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4) and Windows Server 2003. The Leostream Host Agent for ESX is compatible with VMware ESX Server v2.5.

Each VirtualController is capable of managing 25 thousand virtual servers and two thousand host servers, as well as handling 20 to 200 operations per second, depending on the hardware platform. A single operation could be stopping a virtual server or receiving one sample of performance data from a host.

To deploy the Leostream system, download the VirtualController either as a virtual server disk image, register it with the virtualization software, and start it, or simply install the Windows application. Then install the appropriate Host Agent on each host server and set the IP address of the VirtualController. The Host Agents will auto discover all of the virtual servers and report them.

External interfaces for; Microsoft Active Directory, LDAP, XML-RPC control API, Controller logging, IBM Autonomic Computing, Web query, SNMP.

To purchase, evaluate or obtain more information about Leostream VirtualController, contact Five IT directly on +44 (0)845 123 2913 or email sales@FiveIT.co.uk.

VMware, GSX Server, and ESX Server are trademarks of VMware, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.