The VCAP5-DCD tests how to follow a design process and the ability to develop solutions using a design methodology. The following question is created to help practice creating a structure / process to answer any scenario based project question in the exam and more Importantly real projects. The Exam is a mixture of technical knowledge and design experience.
**********************************************************************************************************************
You are a VMware architect working for a large consultancy.
You have been assigned a new client – a medium sized publishing house and have been sent the below pre-qualifying information from the technical pre-sales consultant after their 1 day workshop help a week ago. You are due on site the following day.
The company consist of 8 sites, with site to site links of 100 mb.
7 sites are branch offices consisting of 1 server providing Activve Directory, windows Updates, DHCP, DNS, File and Print services.
The main site has a comms room for servers comprising of 7 42 U server racks
The company are currently revisiting the network links (5 months left on current contract)
All servers are more than 3 years old and are currently in paid after sales annual support (paid for another 4 months).
The company platform has grown organically over the past 4 years. There is a very little documentation and due to recent staff restructuring the current team members are relativity new to the platform.
An initial 3rd party vendor capacity planning tool was used to produce a capacity assessment. This was run for an initial 24 hour period.
The report has given the following information
59 Physical Servers with a mixture of windows 2003 & 2008 R2
No shared storage 0r backup devices at present.
Aggregated Resource Values
| IOPS | 3701 at 95%, 3949 at 99% and 5280 at peak |
| Read/Write Ratio | 89% and 11% |
| Total Storage Capacity: | 31250 GB |
| Free Storage Capacity | 6839 GB |
| Memory | Capacity 368 GB – Average 147 Gb – Peak 239 |
| Total Cores | 210 |
| Total Processors | 108 |
| CPU Aggregate | 118.0 Ghz |
- The company is looking to cut costs and consolidate technology to 1 single site where possible.
- The solution should last 3 years with a roadmap for longer strategy.
- The system must perform at least as good as it is today.
- The platform must be scalable with ease to add resources.
- Backup and DR much be factored into the solution
- RTO of 1 Day, and RPO – 4 hours in new solution.
- There are plans to implement a failover site within 2 years and a possible VDI with 8 months following this consolidation project.
Questions
- What are the technical phases for a project such as this from a technical perspective?
- How would the server containment be calculated?
- What options are available to the client for the project with regards to minimising testing and impact to the business?
- What information is missing to form a complete assessment?
Tasks to complete and Documentation Creation
- Highlight the project vision.
- Draw a conceptual diagram.
- List the Requirements, Risks , Constraints.
- Draw a logical diagram pre and post migration.
- Construct a high level implementation plan to install and P2V the platform.
- Highlight the main design choices to consider for each component of the logical diagram.
How will the logical design transition to a physical design. What information would be required to complete this phase of design?