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Virtual Problems, Real Solutions
A quick Google search on "network virtualization" generates nearly 7 million hits. All of the major IT publications have touted the technology, and according to Forrester Research, 55 percent of all firms will have implemented it in some fashion by the end of the year with another 29 percent planning budgets.*
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IT professionals from both the network and data center sides of the equation clearly see the benefits of virtualization—from cost savings to energy conservation—as being well worth the cost of admission. Still, as many enterprises are discovering, virtualization technologies bring with them a new set of problems, not least of which is an inability to thoroughly monitor, analyze, and troubleshoot virtual communications.
Read Enterprise Management Associates' impact brief
The Gap
A closer look at how data flows to, from, and between virtual machines reveals concerns. Hypothetically, let's say we're running one multi-tier application comprising a virtual machine for the web server, one for middleware, and one for the database, within a single virtual host. Through traditional analysis methods and the use of a SPAN or TAP, we can analyze all traffic travelling from the virtual host to the physical world and vice-versa.
But what about the critical communications running between virtual machines within the host? With traditional monitoring methods, we're left in the dark.
One solution is to run probe software on a new virtual machine within the host. By setting to promiscuous mode the vSwitch on the virtual host within which the VM containing our probe is running, we make all traffic passing through the virtual switch visible to that probe. While this allows for stats, trending, and other analysis data to be accessed via an external console, we are still unable to leverage technologies such as retrospective network analysis or have an integrated view of virtual and physical network performance.
Read our new virtualization white paper
Reaching the Unreachable
The new Virtual TAP technology from Network Instruments, included in our Multi- and Expert Probe software, solves this problem. The Virtual TAP creates and pushes perfect copies of all internal traffic out to analyzers, IDSs, and other purpose-built devices. This means organizations no longer have to settle for real-time analysis, but can apply the power of retrospective network analysis (RNA) devices like GigaStor to capture all virtual and physical network data for later troubleshooting. Application performance can now be better monitored, and security threats caused when one virtual machine infects another can be avoided.
With virtual machine conversations now as accessible as any between physical devices, organizations can apply Network Instruments' entire suite of solutions to virtual environments. Use the logical grouping functions of Observer Reporting Server to monitor aggregate performance statistics on all virtual web, middleware, and database servers, for example, or apply Expert Analysis and run trending reports.
The performance management world is buzzing. See what others have to say about the new Network Instruments virtual solution.
Enterprise Management Associates Impact Brief
Network Instruments Virtualization White Paper
Virtual Strategy Magazine Podcast
Why Network Managers should care about VMs – Jim Frey
Visit the Network Instruments Virtual Monitoring page.
* Forrester Research, Inc. The State Of Emerging Enterprise Hardware Trends: 2008 To 2009, Feb. 27, 2009 |
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Why Virtual?
Over half of organizations have implemented virtualization technology in some way, and more will soon join them. We at Network Instruments have joined the march by addressing visibility concerns in virtual environments with our new Virtual TAP technology. But what is it about virtualization that has network professionals stirring? Is virtualization all it's cracked up to be? |
While virtualization niches include application virtualization, software streaming, and storage virtualization, networkers are often concerned with the broader categories of server and desktop virtualization. The former allows multiple virtual machines such as multi-tier application servers to reside on a single physical host, while the latter allows multiple users to access full desktop environments from any PC. There are several upsides to these technologies.
The most obvious benefit of virtualization is physical—more virtual servers on fewer physical hosts means each server is utilized to a higher degree. Physical space requirements decrease dramatically, as do hardware costs. This may also translate into energy savings, which in turn equates to further cost benefits.
Improved business continuity is another major plus. Simply put, virtual environments are easier to recover after disaster strikes. Additionally, maintenance, whether planned or unplanned, takes less time and fewer resources in both desktop and server environments.
The ability to unfetter vital business operations from the physical world also brings enhanced agility. With virtualization, organizations can respond rapidly to changing business landscapes and roll out new products and services faster. Even so, the picture isn't all sunshine and roses.
While there are certain security perks to virtualization, there are also concerns about the ease of accessing multiple servers or desktops within a host for malicious purposes. Viruses and malware can be spread quickly from one VM within a host to others. In the desktop world, the accessing of proprietary data by multiple remote users presents further challenges.
Virtualization can simplify networking in terms of space savings and ease of access, but it adds complexity to monitoring, analysis, and troubleshooting. Inter-device conversations that are easy to access and direct to purpose-built devices in the physical world are now hidden within a host. The inability to properly view and manage these communications can have security and performance consequences.
Thus far it seems that the benefits of virtualization outweigh potential risks for most organizations, and that the technology allows networkers to get creative and build solutions that best fit their needs. Whether and to what extreme you adopt virtualization in your organization depends upon careful weighing of the issues. What's certain is that virtualization requires new levels of awareness and more versatile troubleshooting solutions. The Network Instruments Virtual TAP provides companies the same insight and peace of mind they had in the physical world, by bringing information formerly locked behind the virtual wall into the light. |
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Setting up the Virtual TAP
The Virtual TAP capabilities now included with our Multi- and Expert software probes will have you breathing easy in no time. Gone are the days when conversations between virtual machines within a host were off limits or could only be accessed in terms of analyzer statistics. You now have the ability to push copies of all internal traffic out to the physical world for storage, monitoring, analysis, troubleshooting, and security applications. |
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