VMworld 2008 - I'm getting excited....

BTW -the content catalog for VMworld is coming along, if you're interested in other EMC sessions/keynotes, just go here (you need a VMworld 2008 user account - if you don't have one, you can register here( http://www.vmworld.com/vmworld/registration.jspa?ref=EMC).   Once you're in, search for "EMC" in the company string - so far, there are 7 sessions (including the one where we talk with VMware and some other folks in a panel about how we use Lab Manager for process automation ourselves).   Sessions that will rock:

• the "Tier 1 Apps and SRM" one (session BC3096 - you need a login) session - there will be a live demo of SRM with Exchange 2007, Oracle, and potentially SAP if we can pull it off in time
• The Oracle one (session EA1961 - you need a login) is cool - we're showing how we can save more than 90% of the cost of a given customer's Oracle config by virtualizing, including the performance metrics we observed, and showing it live in action including an accelerated test/dev cycle.
• The management one (session AD3500 - you need to have a login) will be filed to the gills with neato demos, unveiling some of the integration work we've been doing with the VC and ESX APIs.
• The "VMware at Enterprise Scale" one (session PO3824 - you need to have a login)  is going to be cool.   To give you an idea, look at these pictures (equipment arriving, equipment racked) of what we're assembling for that session.  Use your imagination... We've got a TON of work between now an Sept (high, high risk), but are attacking it - it's a FUN project!!!!

 

 

While there are more than 3000 ESX servers all around EMC (and we use every VMware product under the sun for our own operations - we will be sharing info on that too in this VMworld session), and some of the Solutions labs have hundreds like I've shown here) - this is the the largest SINGULAR POC I know of.

Yes - that is 192 brand-new ESX 3.5u2 servers - each with 8 cores, 32GB of RAM rooling into the joint EMC/VMware/Cisco solution lab in Santa Clara.   There are another 100 or so servers still arriving to go into those spare racks, and there are seven cabinets worth of storage and next-gen switch gear... what oh what could we be working on? :-)

Comments

[Daniel Eason]

Grrrrrrrrr,

Unless I win the lottery i'm not going however I know it will be a smashing event as its got better every year since i went in 2006.

How cool would that lot of resource look in a DRS cluster!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mike Cu]

Gimme Gimme oh to have an eight of a rack of this.

Maybe to break to SMB someone needs to give you a $15K hardware budget

[Keith]

Unreal! Can't wait to see it in Vegas. Nexus has a couple of other VCP's going with me ironically who are also building our new POC's. Ours will be 3 half height racks featuring VI3x and NS20, etc. Ours are all on wheels and will be highlighted at Ingram's VTN show in Oct. at San Diego.

Obviously we're slightly smaller scale than your muscle. Go figure...

[Aaron Patten]

Chad you always had a flair for the dramatic :-)
Knock 'em dead at VMworld!

[Chad Sakac]

Keith - Big is nice, small is better - what you're doing represents a solution for SO MANY customers. What we're showing isn't just this big thingee (we know customers come in every shape/size), but that we need to do because people have told us "it can't be done!" :-)

Mike - we will be also showing an "all in" SMB solution - ESX, VC, servers remote office backup, DR, and an array - target pricepoint of $20K. EMC covers the gamut - hope to see you there!

Aaron - thanks :-)

[Nick]

I'd love to see how you guys intend to cool and power that density of servers. It's gotta be a furnace!!!

[Chad Sakac]

Nick, as part of the exercise, we are going to look at all aspects:

- technical feasibility first
- performance/scaling next
- how to minimize cost (including a TCO comparison with a traditional client deployment)
- and of course, power/space/HVAC.

Will share it all.