The Polish Institute of experimental biology of Nenchki installed the virtualization platform based on Cisco technology

The institute of experimental biology of Nenchki of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) set the information technology platform, best in the class, based on the unified environment of calculations of Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS™). It gave to institute the chance to consolidate physical servers on the virtual platform and to provide protection of the data. This solution represents the integrated high-performance scalable infrastructure of a data processing center with high-speed and simple centralized operation by all its components. The network together with a server framework makes the uniform level of virtualization on which the uniform policy of technical support of Cisco acts.

Virtual infrastructure of DPC is used for storage of important research data, including the pictures made using a microscope, and made by the staff of institute of the three-dimensional atlas of a brain of small mammals. Besides, the new virtualization platform allows to automate completely information and technology processes and to accelerate implementation of IT services (by the IT as Service method) for the institute and other research divisions of PAN. This platform considerably reduces response time, loads resources better and provides more quick access to the data and materials which are kept in electronic depositary and in external databases.

The virtualization platform gives to institute the chance to offer cloud services to other research organizations. This platform the Warsaw consortium Biocentrum Ochota consisting of six research centers began to use one of the first. Using a new solution research institutes of the Polish academy of Sciences can build the integrated infrastructure and also create, expand and integrate different databases.

The repository of the PAN digital libraries providing to researchers, scientists and students access to digital data is going to use the new platform. The digitized research works, archive materials, scientific documentation and pieces of cultural heritage from 16 libraries of the Polish research institutes are stored in a repository. The consortium is going to digitize more than 25 thousand objects from meetings of these libraries and to provide to everyone access to digital copies through a web repository.

The unrolled IT infrastructure represents homogeneous perfectly scalable environment with a possibility of further expansion for connection of the new research institutes and laboratories which are now at a construction stage.

The server framework is based on the solution Cisco UCS. It supports a set of servers and saves current expenses due to low power consumption, the simplified centralized operation and reduction of cable connections.

The architecture of the unified environment of calculations Cisco UCS includes network 10 Gigabit Ethernet, servers of x86 and a management system which supports the virtualized environment and can quickly and flexibly redistribute disk and network resources in a data processing center. The unified matrix of switching of Cisco® Unified Fabric using technology 10 Gigabit Ethernet for all types of connections is the cornerstone of network (Ethernet and the Fibre Channel with the Fiber Channel over Ethernet standard). The integrated management system of Cisco UCS Manager gives the chance to manage all platform as a unified environment. A system has the graphic user interface, the text interface and the application programming interface of XML API for integration into other solutions set at the customer. Features of a system allow to create an environment for the new application within several minutes.

The solution Cisco VN-Link gives the chance to pass to completely virtualized environment without loss of control over a configuration, performance and security of network, separate operating systems and virtual machines. The technology of an extended memory Cisco Extended Memory allows to expand memory of the x86 server (Nehalem-EP/Westmere-EP with 4-6 cores) to 384 GB using economic modules 8 GB RAM.

The local network is built based on the Cisco switches Nexus 7000. The modular, completely distributed high-performance solution Cisco Nexus 7000 can grow and develop in process of growth and development of needs of the customer. For switching at the access level Cisco Catalyst® 2960 devices are used.

Virtual infrastructure is based on the software of VMware vSphere 4.1. During implementation of the project on seven physical servers 40 virtual servers were installed. Solutions of VMware allow to redistribute in the dynamic mode resources between virtual servers and also, without switching-off virtual machines, to transfer them from one physical server to another. All process of transfer takes about 30 seconds and happens imperceptibly for end users.