ID:

BM39 (VMworld 2007)

Session:

Providing High Availability at Low Cost — How Save Mart used VMware Infrastructure 3 Starter Edition

Presenter:

AccessFlow

Duplicating Save Mart's existing server architect to accommodate 132 recently acquired stores would have required four new servers per store. This approach lacked the manageability and resiliency that Save Mart's business model requires. Instead, Save Mart extended the organization's data center virtual infrastructure to encompass the store environment. While the up-front cost was a little lower, the overall benefits made virtualization a compelling option. Estimated power and cooling cost savings for the 132 stores came to $800,000 over five years. Using a $1,200 NAS device to eliminate backup tapes saved another $260,000.
Redundant servers eliminated the panic, stress and waste of time entailed when IT staff scurried to resolve a down physical server within a 4-hour SLA. The virtual machines are administered through the central VirtualCenter console. Automating backups saved $1M in store personnel time over five years.