This document discusses virtualizing SharePoint 2010 and SQL Server. It recommends setting up 5 servers in a failover cluster with shared storage for high availability. SQL Server should be configured on 2 virtual servers in the cluster with shared storage for failover capabilities. Virtualizing SharePoint servers allows adding more servers as needed without impact to administration. Key considerations include storage space, connection speed to storage, and network load balancing across host servers.

1. SharePoint 2010 & Virtualisation
Alan Richards

2. About Me
• Information Systems Manager @ West Hatch High School
• Worked in education for over 17 years
• Led teams in the early adoption of Microsoft systems
• Regular presenter at events
• SharePoint MVP

3. Topics
• Virtualisation quickie
• SQL
• SharePoint

4. Virtualisation Quickie
• Multiple virtual machines on a host
• Shared resources
– Network
– Memory
– CPU

5. Virtualisation Quickie
• Centralised Storage
– Failover cluster
– Redundancy
– Live Migration

6. How It Stacks Up

7. Failover Cluster
• 5 Servers in a failover cluster
– Setup storage
• LUNS
• Connection
– Install Hyper-V & Failover clustering roles and features
– Validate cluster
• Runs tests
• Simulates failures
• Required for Microsoft support
– Create cluster

8. Management

9. SQL Virtualisation
• Core to your SharePoint farm
• SQL fail = SharePoint fail
– Node failover not DB
– Patching
– Service Packs

10. SQL Virtualisation
• 2 x SQL virtual servers
• Shared storage
– Failover cluster
• Has to be validated
– Live migration

11. SQL Virtualisation
• Failover cluster manager
– MSTDC
– SQL Server

12. SQL Virtualisation
• Witness disk
• MSDTC storage
• SQL Server storage

13. SQL Virtualisation
• Key considerations
– Storage space
– Setting up LUNS
– Speed of connection to storage
– Specific setup for failover cluster

14. SharePoint Virtualisation
• Same install process as on physical machines
• Connect central admin to the virtualised SQL
• No difference in administration
• As many SharePoint servers as you want / need

15. SharePoint Virtualisation
• Key considerations
– Load balance WFE’s as in a normal environment
– Network load on host(s)

17. arichards@edutechnow.com
www.edutechnow.com
twitter.com/arichards_Saruk
youtube.com/arichardssaruk