Deliverables Your Company Has Been Allocated An Unlimited Bu ✓ Solved

Deliverablesyou Company Has Been Allocated An Unlimited Budget To Move

Deliverables you company has been allocated an unlimited budget to move to a virtualization infrastructure. The current IT infrastructure exists on bare metal with no virtualization implemented at all. The current infrastructure contains the following components: 2 x Windows 2008 R2 Domain Controllers, 2 x Exchange 2013 Servers, 1 x SQL 2012 Server, 1 x Red Hat 7.0 Apache Server, 2 x Windows 2008 R2 Servers as File Servers.

Your task is to do the following:

  1. Provide a cost and description of the new hardware you will be implementing
  2. Develop a migration plan to move all current infrastructure to virtualization (this also means zero downtime)
  3. Identify and upgrade the old operating systems and software in the current infrastructure
  4. Expand the current infrastructure to include new technologies (e.g., an MDM solution)

Sample Paper For Above instruction

The transformation of an enterprise's IT infrastructure from physical servers to a comprehensive virtualization environment offers significant benefits, including cost efficiency, scalability, enhanced disaster recovery, and improved resource utilization. This paper provides a detailed plan for migrating an existing physical infrastructure, which comprises servers running outdated operating systems and traditional hardware, to a fully virtualized setup with minimal to zero downtime. Additionally, it addresses the upgrade of legacy systems and expansion with modern technologies like Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions.

1. Hardware Specification and Cost Analysis

In transitioning to a virtualized environment, selecting appropriate hardware is crucial. Given the unlimited budget, enterprise-grade servers with high-performance capabilities should be employed. For this scenario, two Dell PowerEdge R940xa servers equipped with Intel Xeon Gold 6132 processors (32 cores per CPU), 512 GB of DDR4 RAM, and redundant NVMe SSD storage are recommended. These servers support large-scale virtualization and provide scalability for future expansion.

The costs for each server are approximately $25,000, including redundancy and network interface cards. For redundancy and load balancing, a minimum of two servers is essential, which totals approximately $50,000. Additional components include network switches, storage area network (SAN) infrastructure for shared storage, and backup solutions, which could add another $20,000. Overall, the hardware investment would be around $70,000, ensuring ample capacity and future scalability.

2. Migration Plan to Virtualization with Zero Downtime

Achieving a zero-downtime migration involves meticulous planning, utilizing live migration features of enterprise virtualization platforms like VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V. The migration plan includes:

  • Assessment and Inventory: Catalog all existing servers, applications, dependencies, and resource requirements.
  • Hardware Preparation: Deploy the new physical hardware in parallel with existing systems, ensuring network configurations, storage, and security protocols are aligned.
  • Virtualization Platform Setup: Install and configure the chosen hypervisor (e.g., VMware vSphere) with shared storage accessible to all host servers.
  • Server Virtualization: Use live migration tools such as vMotion or Hyper-V Live Migration to transfer virtual instances from physical servers to the new virtual machines, minimizing downtime.
  • Testing and Validation: After migration, perform comprehensive testing to verify the functionality of all services, including Active Directory, Exchange, SQL, and web services.
  • Cutover and Monitoring: Schedule the migration during low-usage hours with thorough communication to stakeholders. Employ real-time monitoring to address issues promptly.

This plan leverages the live migration capabilities to transfer workloads without service interruption, ensuring zero downtime throughout the entire process.

3. Operating System and Software Upgrades

The current infrastructure contains outdated operating systems such as Windows Server 2008 R2 and Red Hat 7.0. Upgrading these systems is essential for security, compliance, and compatibility with modern applications. The recommended upgrades include:

  • Windows Servers: Upgrade Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2016 or 2019. This provides improved security, management, and virtualization features. Migration paths include in-place upgrades where supported or clean installs with data migration.
  • Red Hat Linux: Upgrade Red Hat 7.0 to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 or later, which offers enhanced security, containerization support, and longer support lifecycle.
  • Application Compatibility: Ensure that Exchange 2013 is upgraded or migrated to Exchange 2019, and SQL Server 2012 upgraded to SQL Server 2019 to support modern features and security patches.

These upgrades involve scheduled migrations, data backups, and testing to prevent data loss and minimize disruptions. Automation tools like Windows Server Migration Tools and Red Hat's Ansible can facilitate these transitions.

4. Integration of New Technologies: MDM and Beyond

Expanding the infrastructure with contemporary solutions increases operational efficiency and security. Incorporating a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system such as Microsoft Endpoint Manager allows centralized management of mobile devices, enforcing security policies, and facilitating remote wipe or device locking. This enhances BYOD policies and ensures compliance.

Additional technological expansions can include integrating a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system, deploying a cloud-based disaster recovery solution, and implementing automation tools for infrastructure management using platforms like Ansible or Terraform. These augmentations prepare the company for scalable growth, enhanced security, and efficient operations in a modern, hybrid environment.

Conclusion

The strategic move to a virtualized infrastructure, supported by modern hardware and upgraded systems, presents a pathway towards increased operational flexibility, security, and cost-efficiency. With a detailed plan ensuring minimal disruption and future-ready expansion, the company can transition seamlessly into the era of cloud-compatible, scalable, and secure IT operations. Adoption of new technologies such as MDM further aligns the infrastructure with contemporary business needs, fostering agility and security in a competitive landscape.

References

  • Gami, V., & Chand, S. (2020). Virtualization Technologies and Their Impact on Data Center Security. Journal of Cloud Computing, 9(1), 12-29.
  • Hsu, T. (2018). Implementing Zero Downtime Migrations for Legacy Systems. Enterprise IT Magazine, 22(4), 34-41.
  • Kim, J., & Lee, D. (2021). Modern Data Center Design with Virtualization and Cloud Integration. International Journal of Cloud Computing, 15(3), 78-89.
  • Microsoft. (2019). Microsoft Endpoint Manager and MDM Strategies. Microsoft Documentation. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/endpoint-manager
  • Red Hat. (2020). Upgrading Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Red Hat Developer. https://developers.redhat.com/articles/upgrading-rhel
  • Simmons, P. (2019). Strategies for Zero Downtime Data Center Migration. Network World, 36-42.
  • VMware, Inc. (2022). VMware vSphere Live Migration Best Practices. VMware White Paper. https://www.vmware.com/resources
  • Williams, R. (2022). Future-Proofing Data Centers with Scalable Hardware. Tech Trends Journal, 17(2), 45-51.
  • Zhang, X., & Wang, Y. (2021). Automation in Infrastructure Management Using Ansible. Journal of Systems and Software, 173, 110930.
  • Zoho Corporation. (2020). Network Security and Infrastructure Expansion. Zoho Tech Solutions. https://www.zoho.com/

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