Virtualization, Cloud, Infrastructure and all that stuff in-between

This year VMware have changed the way they are planning the VMworld sessions, this year there is a list of sessions that are open to a public vote, Mark has a great post on the selection process here – I think it’s a great way to get the most wanted content at the event.

I submitted a session around my work with solid state storage for VMs and my popular vT.A.R.D.I.S lab environment which I’m happy to see has been opened up to public voting,

If you would like to see some live no-safety-net demos of the Uber vT.A.R.D.I.S (20 node virtual ESX clusters, 120 running nested virtual machines on 2 cheap physical boxes with replicating virtual SAN, and virtual layer 3 networking!) then feel free to vote 🙂

You can vote at this page (you’ll need a VMworld.com account which you can get here) I have submitted two sessions.

Details of my proposed sessions are;

Technology and Architecture

Title: Building a low-cost home lab, the virtual way

Session Id:TA6980

Abstract:

Ever wondered how you can run all that enterprise-scale goodness in your house in a way that others won’t complain about it? Then you need this session. Learn about how to use VMware vSphere and open source tech to build a lab with shared storage, layer 3 networking, replicating SANs and as many virtual hypervisors as you need for less than $1k USD. Want to build a 20 node ESXi cluster on 2 physical boxes? Or test out VDI scenarios, scripts and provisioning processes? Attend this session to find out how!

Type: Breakout Session

Track: Technology and Architecture

Speaker Detail: Speaker: Simon Gallagher

My second proposed session is around using consumer solid-state storage with some clever software to build highly performant solid-state virtual SANs, based around my work with the FusionIO cards, RAM disks and other consumer-grade SSD

Technology and Architecture

Title: Spinning disks are sooo 1970s – solid state is the future people!

Session Id: TA6981

Abstract:

“This is the future people, spinning disks are power hungry, slow and sooo 1970. It’s not just for enterprise-grade IT, see how to use software based vSAN, NAS and iSCSI technology to leverage consumer-grade solid-state DAS as shared cluster storage – use software features to creare your own low cost storage tiering and even replication. See live demonstrations of running virtual workloads from consumer-grade cost solid state storage; Including FusionIO, HP Lefthand VSA, OpenFiler”

Type: Breakout Session

Track: Technology and Architecture

Speaker Detail: Speaker: Simon Gallagher Company: vInf

It would be great to have the opportunity to take a bigger and better vT.A.R.D.I.S out on tour again and all of the proposed sessions in the various tracks look great, there are several that I look forward to seeing.

Maybe just vote to laugh at me trying to explain why I need all that kit whilst trying to get through airport security 🙂