HP BLc7000 Onboard Administrator Option 412142-B21#0D1 Dépliant
Codici prodotto
412142-B21#0D1
Can Continental keep up this performance consistently?
It’s not easy, given fluctuating fuel prices and
challenging economic conditions around the world.
Technology needs to provide a major boost, according
to the Go Forward Plan. Its role at Continental is to cut
costs—and enhance service levels.
It’s not easy, given fluctuating fuel prices and
challenging economic conditions around the world.
Technology needs to provide a major boost, according
to the Go Forward Plan. Its role at Continental is to cut
costs—and enhance service levels.
Headwinds: lack of power
Server virtualization became a possibility just in time,
says Richard Wilson, manager, enterprise engineering
at Continental Airlines.
Server virtualization became a possibility just in time,
says Richard Wilson, manager, enterprise engineering
at Continental Airlines.
The problem was that the airline’s main data center
in Houston had 1,100 servers and “has maxed out
on power available for servers,” Wilson explains.
“Adding to our power capacity would cost the airline
in the high six or low seven figures. Building out the
data center or migrating to a co-located facility would
cost millions of dollars. Meanwhile, almost all our
physical servers had a CPU utilization of less than
5 percent.”
in Houston had 1,100 servers and “has maxed out
on power available for servers,” Wilson explains.
“Adding to our power capacity would cost the airline
in the high six or low seven figures. Building out the
data center or migrating to a co-located facility would
cost millions of dollars. Meanwhile, almost all our
physical servers had a CPU utilization of less than
5 percent.”
That’s expensive. Research shows that a typical x86
server consumes 30 to 40 percent of maximum power
even when it’s producing no work at all.
server consumes 30 to 40 percent of maximum power
even when it’s producing no work at all.
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Virtualization: 50 percent off
The team responded by virtualizing servers. Two
years ago Continental chose Hyper-V technology from
Microsoft as a virtualization platform over VMware.
One reason is that the airline is a close partner and
Technology Adoption Program (TAP) participant
with Microsoft.
The team responded by virtualizing servers. Two
years ago Continental chose Hyper-V technology from
Microsoft as a virtualization platform over VMware.
One reason is that the airline is a close partner and
Technology Adoption Program (TAP) participant
with Microsoft.
“As a result,” Wilson explains, “our help desk and the
rest of the IT staff have deep expertise in Microsoft
solutions. We want a single source for support.
Because Microsoft owns the hypervisor OS software
and all the other pieces on it, things are simplified.”
rest of the IT staff have deep expertise in Microsoft
solutions. We want a single source for support.
Because Microsoft owns the hypervisor OS software
and all the other pieces on it, things are simplified.”
Hyper-V also delivers roughly 50 percent lower
licensing costs than VMware, Wilson projects. Hyper-V
technology can be freely deployed when purchasing
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition.
“That’s three to four times the cost of the Standard
Edition, without Hyper-V. But I can easily put 10 or
more VMs on the Datacenter Edition without additional
licenses. If we were to use VMware, we would have to
license each VM, and its operating system.”
licensing costs than VMware, Wilson projects. Hyper-V
technology can be freely deployed when purchasing
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition.
“That’s three to four times the cost of the Standard
Edition, without Hyper-V. But I can easily put 10 or
more VMs on the Datacenter Edition without additional
licenses. If we were to use VMware, we would have to
license each VM, and its operating system.”
Streamlining management with HP BladeSystem
To host Hyper-V, the team has standardized on
HP BladeSystem. “We looked at blades from other
vendors,” Wilson says. “None had anywhere near
the features we found with the HP BladeSystem c7000
Enclosure and the ProLiant BL460c server blades that
go in it.”
To host Hyper-V, the team has standardized on
HP BladeSystem. “We looked at blades from other
vendors,” Wilson says. “None had anywhere near
the features we found with the HP BladeSystem c7000
Enclosure and the ProLiant BL460c server blades that
go in it.”
One of those features is the HP Onboard
Administrator. “We can see everything that’s going
on with the server, from power to thermal to the serial
number on the BIOS,” Wilson notes. “We can pretty
much manage everything from one central location,
and get a deep-level view into all aspects of our
infrastructure and even our software.”
Administrator. “We can see everything that’s going
on with the server, from power to thermal to the serial
number on the BIOS,” Wilson notes. “We can pretty
much manage everything from one central location,
and get a deep-level view into all aspects of our
infrastructure and even our software.”
Using predefined images or scripts, the team
provisions HP server blades faster. “With HP Rapid
Deployment Pack (RDP), a component of the HP Insight
Control Environment for BladeSystem, we can install
a physical server OS in about 30 minutes,” says
Wilson. “Doing that manually would probably take
three hours. RDP also ensures that our standards and
settings are implemented across the board, for a
higher level of accuracy in the build process.”
provisions HP server blades faster. “With HP Rapid
Deployment Pack (RDP), a component of the HP Insight
Control Environment for BladeSystem, we can install
a physical server OS in about 30 minutes,” says
Wilson. “Doing that manually would probably take
three hours. RDP also ensures that our standards and
settings are implemented across the board, for a
higher level of accuracy in the build process.”
The migration to virtualized servers is occurring in
phases. “Our plan is to virtualize everything we
possibly can,” Wilson says. “We’ve reduced the
number of physical servers by about 40. We’ve been
able to add 60 more servers and they fit in the space
of three physical servers. Our CPU utilization has
increased 10-fold from 5 percent to over 50 percent.
With Hyper-V on HP BladeSystem, we’re now able to
stay in our current data center, avoiding millions of
dollars in capital investments, and getting much more
return on our existing power infrastructure.”
phases. “Our plan is to virtualize everything we
possibly can,” Wilson says. “We’ve reduced the
number of physical servers by about 40. We’ve been
able to add 60 more servers and they fit in the space
of three physical servers. Our CPU utilization has
increased 10-fold from 5 percent to over 50 percent.
With Hyper-V on HP BladeSystem, we’re now able to
stay in our current data center, avoiding millions of
dollars in capital investments, and getting much more
return on our existing power infrastructure.”
Compute capacity has been expanded 10-fold without
a corresponding increase in power.
a corresponding increase in power.
Continental is using HP Thermal Logic, which is the
ability to monitor, pool, share, and match power
use to demand; balance performance, power, and
cooling according to the task at hand; and cap power
and cooling levels at the most efficient level for the
required level of performance.
ability to monitor, pool, share, and match power
use to demand; balance performance, power, and
cooling according to the task at hand; and cap power
and cooling levels at the most efficient level for the
required level of performance.
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AllBusiness, a D&B Company. “10 Ways to Save Energy in Your Data
Center”, by Chris Loeffler, May 1, 2008.
About Continental
Airlines
Continental Airlines
(www.continental.com) is
the fifth largest airline in the
world. With more than 42,000
employees operating 2,800
daily departures throughout the
Americas, Europe, and Asia,
Continental carries approximately
67 million passengers per year
and consistently earns awards
and critical acclaim for its
operations and corporate culture.
“With virtualization on HP BladeSystem, we
have the flexibility to perform maintenance
without downtime and begin projects we
wouldn’t otherwise have the funding to start.”
Richard Wilson, Manager, Enterprise
Engineering, Continental Airlines
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