VMs Provisioned on JCU Infrastructure
HPRC have access to two VMware ESX server clusters which can host virtual machines for JCU researchers.
Cluster | Servers | Server Details - in brief | Common Disk Space | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DMZ | 4x(IBM 3850 M2) | 16x(2.93GHz, Intel), 128GB ECC memory | 3TB (FC) | ITR infrastructure - SLAs possible |
TEST | 2x(SUN X200 M2) | 8x(2.3GHz, AMD), 32GB ECC memory, 2x(240GB, 15K RPM SAS disk) | 4TB (iSCSI) | Test/Dev VMs only - no SLAs |
The server details column in the above table highlights per server capacity. Researchers must consult with HPRC (and ITR) staff before any form of VM provisioning will begin. An application form will need to be completed and approved if a service must be available at any given time (even if only 1 minute per day). The TEST cluster was built to meet ITR/HPC requirements for a truly test/dev environment - i.e., ITR/HPC staff can take down and rebuild these systems without having to check with customers. If service availability is important to you, do not request a VM on the TEST cluster.
From 2013, the default virtual resources assigned to a new VM will be:
O/S | CPU | Memory | Disk space |
|---|---|---|---|
Windows | 2 | 4GB | 40GB |
Linux (32-bit) | 1 | 2GB | 16GB |
Linux (64-bit) | 1 | 4GB | 40GB |
On the DMZ cluster, no more than 4 virtual CPUs and/or 16GB of memory will be assigned to a single VM.
On the TEST cluster, no more than 2 virtual CPUs and/or 4GB of memory will be assigned to a single VM.
The maximum amount of disk space that will be initially provisioned is 100GB - providing sufficient free space exists on the underlying storage array(s).
RedHat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6 is the default Linux O/S deployed. Other Linux variants will be considered if RHEL 6 is not suitable for the task. Requestors are responsible for purchasing licensing of commercial software (except RHEL) - on an ongoing basis, if necessary.
Windows 2012 Server is the default Windows O/S deployed. Requestors are responsible for purchasing all required licenses - on an ongoing basis, if necessary.
The following table contains indicate prices for Windows software - education pricing may exist and be cheaper:
O/S | Product | Indicative Price |
|---|---|---|
Windows 7 | Professional | $449 |
Windows 2012 | Standard + CAL | $882 |
Windows 2012 | Extra CALs (5-pack) | $215 |
Windows 2012 | Remote Desktop Services (5-pack) | $706 |
VMs in 'The Cloud'
HPRC staff do not mandate that your VMs be run on local infrastructure. A few cloud providers options are:
Of course, you may choose some other provider. The NeCTAR research cloud currently offers two free VMs to any interested researcher. For researchers with significant amounts of data movement, costs associated with movement of data out of a commercial datacentre may be significant. HPRC and ITR staff are available for advice on such decisions, if required.
HPRC staff would prefer all researchers interested in Windows services look to cloud providers. This is because Microsoft licensing is complicated and we aren't experts in licensing matters.