HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.k. City File Servers and AccessoriesAGENDA ITEM: City File Servers and Accessories
AGENDA SECTION:
Consent
PREPARED BY: Jeff May, Finance Director
AGENDA NO. (p, IL.
ATTACHMENTS: Memo from IT Coordinator, Quote
Tabulation Worksheets
APPROVED BY:
Da.)
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Motion to approve moving forward with the purchase of the
hardware and software associated with the attached quotes for the replacement/upgrade of
the City's file servers and the addition of the Office Acoustic Sound Masking System.
4 ROSEMOUNT
CITY COUNCIL
City Council Meeting Date: December 15, 2009
ISSUE
The issue this evening is the replacement of the City's two main file servers.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
This item is on the agenda to take the next step in replacing the City's two main file servers. There is
money in the 2009 Equipment CIP budget for these expenditures. When Jayson Solberg, our IT
Coordinator, began the process of obtaining quotes for the project it became apparent very quickly in the
process that rather than getting one quote for the whole project that it would be to the City's advantage to
quote out separate components for two reasons. One, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to get any
competitive quotes if we tried to do it all in one piece. Two, the quotes we would receive if done in pieces
would be lower and the total sum of all parts would present a savings to the City.
Attached is a memo from Jayson Solberg, the IT Coordinator, listing reasons for the need to proceed
forward with the replacement /upgrade of the file servers. Jayson is available to answer any questions you
have prior to the meeting and will be present at the meeting as well.
Attached are 5 separate quote sheets for the servers and an additional quote sheet for Office Acoustic
Sound Masking (White Noise). This project would put a system to mask noise for certain work space
areas that can be very noisy and distracting. This is actually something that has been discussed for the last
few years. The total of all six quotes is $90,537.03 and, if approved, will still leave us approximately $5,500
under budget for IT equipment this year.
SUMMARY
Staff is recommending the Council authorize the purchase of the hardware and software addressed in the
attached quotes for the replacement /upgrade of the City's file servers.
DATE: December 9, 2009
TO: Jeff May, Finance Director
FROM Jayson Solberg, IT Coordinator
RE: Server Upgrade Recommendations
ISSUE
The City of Rosemount Server hardware is outdated and no longer meets the needs of the City's
demands. The servers are also out of warranty and will be costly to maintain. The typical life of a
physical server should be between 3 -4 years depending on the applications that are hosted on the
servers. Every server at the City Of Rosemount falls in this category except the new Phone server.
The other servers range from 4 to 7 years old.
BACKGROUND
Current Configuration
Currently the City is using eight physical servers to host third party applications all running on
Microsoft windows 2003 Server Platforms. These applications are: Microsoft Exchange (Email),
LaserFiche (Document Management System), Symantec Backup Exec (Date Retention/Recover)),
Blackberry Enterprise Server (Mobile Email), MaxEnterprise (Parks and Rec Scheduling), GIS
(geographic information system), EPO(Anti Virus Enterprise), ForeFront (Anti Virus for Exchange),
CarteGraph (Computerized Maintenance Management System), Citrix (Application Delivery), L3
Mobile Vision (Police Squad car Video), Web Server (Rosemount Intranet), Incode (Finance software),
FirePrograms (Fire Logging), SQL Server (Database hosting for GIS, CarteGraph, LaserFiche),
PermitWorks (Permit Application Software), Visual Studio (Database Development) and IIS (Web
Application hosting).
Email Server
Microsoft Exchange 2003 Standard has a limitation of a 75GB Message Store. Our current store size is
53GB. As email demands increase the City will quickly get to that 75GB mark My estimate would be
that we would reach that point in the next year. Due to the new phone system installed we are
beginning to save voicemails in outlook We will have to upgrade the operating system and Microsoft
Exchange 2003 before we reach that point. Email is being used much more often now that we have
the ability to fax, retrieve and listen to voicemails, and access all three from one single Outlook inbox.
For example, voicemail can be forwarded to another recipient using Outlook The new Exchange
server runs on a 64bit system compared to a 32bit system on the old server. Exchange Server 2007
breaks through past memory and cache limitations for higher performance and increased scalability
even as mailboxes sizes grow to accommodate employees' demands for more storage. The resulting
reduction in input/output (I /O) increases storage utilization so you can optimize existing storage
investments or consider lower cost storage options. 64 bit systems do not have the RAM limitations of
32bit systems which is 4GB. The 64 bit version of Server 2003 Enterprise can handle up to 128GB of
RAM. Server 2008 Enterprise can handle up to 2TB. The ability of Exchange to address more RAM
has allowed for the actual number of input /output operations Per Second (IOPS) to disk to decrease
because more read operations can be handled by information that is cached in RAM. This means that
server will be doing less work, using less resources, and greatly reduces power consumption. Exchange
2007 also has built in Anti Virus, Anti Spam, and Anti Phishing which exchange 2003 does not. This
combined with our current Anti Virus, Anti Spam and Anti Phishing applications greatly reduces the
risks of virus attacks and phishing scams.
Finance Software
Incode is being used by the Finance Department for the daily accounting tasks. According to the
software vendor (Tyler Technologies, Inc.), the City of Rosemount needs to update to a newer version.
The old version will be unsupported next year. Our current hardware that this software runs on will not
be able to handle the new version due to processer speeds (Xeon Dual Core Processor needed) and
RAM requirements are 4GB or greater. The City does not have a server that meets these requirements.
Document Management Software
LaserFiche is currently running on an old server that does not meet the requirements for the
application to run efficiently. The current hardware only has 2GB of RAM. LaserFiche runs most
efficiently at 4GB. We have looked at upgrading the RAM but it will cost over $1,000. A new server is
about $4,000 to support this application. It is not in the City's best interest to put $1,000 into a server
that is out of warranty and over 5 years old.
DISK SPACE- STORAGE
We are running out of Disk Space on our File Server. We have 40GB left. The old way of storing data
on servers would be replaced with a storage solution called a storage area network (SAN). This allows
IT staff to take snapshots of servers throughout the day. If a user deletes a file during the day we no
longer have to restore from tape. IT staff just restores from the last known time that the file was not
deleted. The disk drives are housed in a unit separate from the servers. This allows a much more
redundancy when it comes to hard drive failure. Key benefits:
1. Reduce operational burden
Creating storage -based snapshots with EqualLogic PS Series arrays provides reliable, non-
disruptive backup. With the automated iSCSI SAN solution we can backup from a central
storage pool, easing the operational burden of both backup and restore while enabling business
continuity for users.
2. Eliminate backup window, minimize disruption
Our current backup runs for almost 10 hours. Many applications are brought offline or into a
significantly degraded state during our backup. In contrast, snapshots are created quickly
within seconds in a good implementation and efficiently. This reduces application disruption
to minutes and enables improved service levels even during backup.
3. Automate backup
Using the EqualLogic PS Series we can take snapshots instantly or schedule them to be taken
automatically. This allows users to enjoy assured data integrity and high reliability without
constant manual intervention. Users can also mount snapshots with read/write capabilities for
automated use or integration with restore applications.
4. Create virtually unlimited snapshots and consistency sets
Dell EqualLogic arrays support up to 512 snapshots per volume, thousands per array, and read
only or read -write configurations. Additionally, simultaneous snapshots of multiple volumes can
be taken to protect all volumes associated with applications.
2
SERVER UPGRADE PLAN
The server project plan is to replace six physical servers with Virtual Servers that run on two physical
servers. The Police video server is separate from this project and is being upgraded in early January,
2010. The benefits of virtual servers compared to physical servers are:
Features and Benefits of Virtualization of Servers
Virtualization dramatically improves the efficiency and availability of resources and applications in our
organization.
Run multiple operating systems on a single computer including Windows, Linux and more.
Reduce capital costs by increasing energy efficiency and requiring less hardware and increasing your
server to administrator ratio. 2 physical servers compared to 7. Which means we will eliminate the
power consumption of 5 physical servers.
Ensure your enterprise applications perform with the highest availability and performance
Build up business continuitythrough improved disaster recovery solutions and deliver high availability
throughout the datacenter
Improve enterprise desktop management control with faster deployment of desktops and fewer
support calls due to application conflicts
The following sections explain the key benefits of virtual machine technology: isolation,
standardization, consolidation, ease of testing, and mobility.
1. Isolation
One of the key reasons to employ virtualization is to isolate applications from each other.
Running everything on one machine would be great if it all worked, but many times it results in
undesirable interactions or even outright conflicts. The cause often is software problems or
business requirements, such as the need for isolated security. Virtual machines allow you to
isolate each application (or group of applications) in its own sandbox environment.. If one
virtual machine goes down due to application or operating system error, the others continue
running, providing services your business needs to function smoothly.
2. Standardization
Another key benefit virtual machines provide is standardization. The hardware that is presented
to the guest operating system is uniform for the most part, usually with the CPU being the only
component that is "pass- through" in the sense that the guest sees what is on the host. A
standardized hardware platform reduces support costs and increases the share of IT resources
that you can devote to accomplishing goals that give your business a competitive advantage.
The reason behind this is the fact that we only upgrade two physical servers. Not the seven
physical servers that we currently have. We can run up to six virtual servers on one physical
server. So when the city needs to add a server we just create a virtual server and by purchasing
licensing and software we can deploy a new server. No physical server has to be purchased.
3. Consolidation
Virtual machines also increase utilization and promote consolidation. Consolidation of servers
results in easier management and decreased hardware costs. The drawback of consolidation is
increased susceptibility to hardware failures and increased impact from those failures. However,
the risk and negative impact can be mitigated with failover setups where virtual machines on
two different physical machines monitor each other with each one ready to take over for the
other. Using virtual machines should not require more physical machines and usually will result
in fewer physical machines. This is a great boon because setting up and maintaining physical
3
hardware is messy and time consuming. On top of that, physical servers consume power. With
electricity rising in cost, power savings translate into larger and larger financial savings.
4. Ease of Testing
Virtual machines let you test scenarios easily. What this means is that administrators can test
software installations and updates on test servers. Eliminating the need for downtime. This
also can be performed during normal business hours. This helps alleviate the need for
administrators to work nights and weekends while users are not using the systems.
5. Mobility
Virtual machines are easy to move between physical machines. Most of the virtual machine
software on the market today stores a whole disk in the guest environment as a single file in the
host environment. Snapshot and rollback capabilities are implemented by storing the change in
state in a separate file in the host information. Having a single file represent an entire guest
environment disk promotes the mobility of virtual machines. Transferring the virtual machine
to another physical machine is as easy as moving the virtual disk file and some configuration
files to the other physical machine. Deploying another copy of a virtual machine is the same as
transferring a virtual machine, except that instead of moving the files, you copy them. Multiple
deployments of a single virtual machine are much easier to achieve than multiple deployments
of an operating system on a physical machine.
4
Servers to be replaced:
ROSEMOUNTWEB(DL360) BECOMES VIRTUAL- PHYSICAL BOX BECOMES VMCENTER
ROSEMOUNTCTX1(DL380) STAYS SAME- MOVED TO VIRTUAL AFTER OTHER SERVERS ARE
WORKING
ROSEMOUNT2(ML350) DOMAIN CONTROLLER BECOMES GIS SERVER, BACKUP TO OWN TAPE
ROSEMOUNT4(Intel) BECOMES VIRTUAL- BOX DECOMMISSIONED
ROSEMOUNT5 (ML350) MOVES TO VIRTUAL PHYSICAL BOX BECOMES ROSEMOUNT7
ROSEMOUNT7 -BOX DECOMMISSIONED- ROSEMOUNT5 PHYSICAL BOX WILL BE USED FOR THIS
SNAP2- REPLACED BY SAN
ROSEMOUNT8- REPLACED BY POLICE DEPARTMENT LINUX BOX
NEW VIRTUAL SERVERS:
ROSEMOUNT2- DOMAIN CONTROLLER, BACKUPS, DNS, DHCP, FILE SERVER,
PRINT SERVER STRAIGHT PULL
ROSEMOUNT4- LASERFICHE- STRAIGHT PULL
ROSEMOUNT5- EXCHANGE 2007, FOREFRONT, SECONDARY DC -NEW BUILD
ROSEMOUNTWEB- WEBSERVER, IIS- STRAIGHT PULL
RSMT -AV- ANTI VIRUS, WSUS STRAIGHT PULL
ROSEMOUNTCTXI CITRIX
NEW PHYSICAL SERVER:
ROSEMOUNT1- GIS, Backup Domain Controller, SQL, CarteGraph
SERVERS BEING RECYCLED•
ROSEMOUNT8- Year Built 2005
ROSEMOUNT7- Year Built 2004
ROSEM OUNT4- Year Built 2004
SNAP2- Year Built 2002
5
Project Item: Servers
Department:
Quotes Received By (Date): NOV 24 2009
Is there a local (Rosemount) vendor available: Yes No
Account Number(s) to be Used:
Notes Explanations:
Finance
207 49007 -01- 589.00 Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Company Total Quote
1 DELL $16,648.99
2 CDWG $19,683.38
3 WSCAI $13,912.99
4 CIT $18,951.00
5 SUCCESS COMPUTER CONSULTING $17,794.69
6
7
8
Staff's Recommended Quote WSCAI
City Administrator Date
H :IServer ProjectlQuote Review Form servers.xls
Project Item: VMWARE
Department: Finance
Quotes Received By (Date): NOV 24 2009
Is there a focal (Rosemount) vendor available: Yes No
Account Number(s) to be Used: 207- 49007 -01- 587.00 Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Company Total Quote
1 CIT $25,568.78
2 Success Computer Consulting $28,866.94
3 Next Level Cafe Did Not Bid
4
5
6
7
Staff's Recommended Quote CIT
Notes Explanations:
City Administrator Date
H:IServer ProjectlQuote Review Form vmware.xls
STORAGE SOLUTION
Project Item:
Department:
Quotes Received By (Date): NOV 24 2009
Is there a local (Rosemount) vendor available: Yes No
Account Number(s) to be Used: 207 49007 -01- 589.00 Budgeted: Yes No
Finance
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Company Total Quote
1 DELL $41,264.44
2 CIT $36,989.44
3 SUCCESS COMPUTER CONSULTING $21,591.96
4
5
6
7
Staffs Recommended Quote CIT
City Administrator Date
Notes Explanations:
After extensive research I have come to the conclusion that the CIT option
will be in the City's best interest regarding performance, managability and
upgradeability in the future. See attached performance bench marks.
The IBM DS3300 is more compareable to the Dell MD3000i not the Dell
PS4000e. That is why the cost is so different.
H:IServer ProjectlQuote Review Form storage.xls
PROCURVE SWITCH
Project Item:
Department: Finance
Quotes Received By (Date): NOV 24 2009
Is there a local (Rosemount) vendor available: Yes No
Account Number(s) to be Used: 207 49007 -01- 589.00 Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Company
1 CIT
2 WSCAI
3
4
5
6
7
Notes Explanations:
Total Quote
$4,926.94
$4,935.49
Staffs Recommended Quote CIT
City Administrator Date
H:IServer ProjectlQuote Review Form PROCURVE SWITCH.x!s
TAPE BACKUP
Project Item:
Department:
Quotes Received By (Date): NOV 24 2009
Is there a local (Rosemount) vendor available: Yes No
Account Number(s) to be Used:
Notes Explanations:
Finance
207 49007 -01- 589.00 Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Company Total Quote
1 CIT $2,640.88
2 WSCAI $2,781.96
3 CDWG $2,674.27
4 SUCCESS COMPUTER CONSULTING $3,304.56
5
6
7
Staff's Recommended Quote CIT
City Administrator Date
H:IServer ProjectlQuote Review Form Tape Backup.xls
Project I Item:
Department: Finance
Quotes Received By (Date): NOV 24 2009
Is there a local (Rosemount) vendor available: Yes No
Account Number(s) to be Used:
Company
1 CIT
2 MARCO
3
4
5
6
7
OFFICE ACOUSTIC SOUND MASKING
Notes Explanations:
207 49007 -01- 587.00 Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Budgeted: Yes No
Total Quote
$7,032.99
$6,498.00
Staffs Recommended Quote MARCO
City Administrator Date
H :IServer ProjectlQuote Review Form white noise.x /s