{"id":8105,"date":"2016-10-24T09:00:31","date_gmt":"2016-10-24T16:00:31","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2024-03-07T17:16:25","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T01:16:25","slug":"microsoft-and-intel-squeezed-hyper-convergence-into-the-overhead-bin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows-server\/blog\/2016\/10\/24\/microsoft-and-intel-squeezed-hyper-convergence-into-the-overhead-bin\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft and Intel squeezed hyper-convergence into the overhead bin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post was authored by Cosmos Darwin, Program Manager, Windows Server.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Challenge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Windows Server team, we tend to focus on going big. Our enterprise customers and service providers are increasingly relying on Windows as the foundation of their software-defined datacenters, and needless to say, our hyperscale public cloud Azure does too. Recent big announcements like support for 24 TB of memory per server<\/span><\/a> with Hyper-V, or 6+ million IOPS per cluster<\/span><\/a> with Storage Spaces Direct, or delivering 50 Gb\/s of throughput per virtual machine<\/span><\/a> with Software-Defined Networking are the proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what can these same features in Windows Server do for smaller deployments? Those known in the IT industry as Remote-Office \/ Branch-Office (\u201cROBO\u201d) \u2013 think retail stores, restaurants, bank branches or private practices, remote industrial or constructions sites, and more. After all, their basic requirement isn\u2019t so different \u2013 they need high availability for mission-critical apps, with rock-solid storage for those apps. And generally, they need it to be local<\/em>, so they can operate \u2013 process transactions, or look up a patient\u2019s records \u2013 even when their Internet connection is flaky or non-existent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For these deployments, cost is paramount. Major retail chains operate thousands, or tens of thousands, of locations. This multiplier makes IT budgets extremely sensitive to the per-unit cost of each system. The simplicity and savings of hyper-convergence \u2013 using the same servers to provide compute and storage<\/em> \u2013 present an attractive solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this in mind,\u00a0under the auspices of Project Kepler-47<\/em>, we set about going small<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Both<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This tiny two-server cluster packs powerful compute and spacious storage into one cubic foot.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet Kepler-47<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe storage is flash-accelerated, the chips are Intel Xeon, and the memory is error-correcting DDR4 \u2013 no compromises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resulting prototype \u2013 and it\u2019s just that, a prototype<\/em> \u2013 was revealed at Microsoft Ignite 2016 last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Project<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kepler-47 on expo floor at Microsoft Ignite 2016 in Atlanta.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our configuration, this tiny two-server cluster provides over 20 TB of available storage capacity, and over 50 GB of available memory for a handful of mid-sized virtual machines. The storage is flash-accelerated, the chips are Intel Xeon, and the memory is error-correcting DDR4 \u2013 no compromises. The storage is mirrored to tolerate hardware failures \u2013 drive or server \u2013 with continuous availability. And if one server goes down or needs maintenance, virtual machines live migrate to the other server with no appreciable downtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kepler<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kepler-47 is 45% smaller than standard 2U rack servers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of size, Kepler-47 is barely one cubic foot \u2013 45% smaller than standard 2U rack servers. For perspective, this means both servers fit readily in one carry-on bag in the overhead bin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We bought (almost) every part online at retail prices. The total cost for each server was just $1,101. This excludes the drives, which we salvaged from around the office, and which could vary wildly in price depending on your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Retail<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each Kepler-47 server cost just $1,101 retail, excluding drives.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kepler-47 is comprised of two servers, each running Windows Server 2016 Datacenter. The servers form one hyper-converged Failover Cluster<\/span><\/a>, with the new Cloud Witness<\/span><\/a> as the low-cost, low-footprint quorum technology. The cluster provides high availability to Hyper-V<\/a> virtual machines (which may also run Windows, at no additional licensing cost), and Storage Spaces Direct<\/span><\/a> provides fast and fault tolerant storage using just the local drives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional fault tolerance can be achieved using new features such as Storage Replica<\/span><\/a> with Azure Site Recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, Kepler-47 does not use traditional Ethernet networking between the servers, eliminating the need for costly high-speed network adapters and switches. Instead, it uses Intel Thunderbolt\u2122 3 over a USB Type-C connector, which provides up to 20 Gb\/s (or up to 40 Gb\/s when utilizing display and data together!) \u2013 plenty for replicating storage and live migrating virtual machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To pull this off, we partnered with our friends at Intel, who furnished us with pre-release PCIe add-in-cards for Thunderbolt\u2122 3 and a proof-of-concept driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Intel<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kepler-47 does not use traditional Ethernet between the servers; instead, it uses Intel Thunderbolt\u2122 3 over USB Type-C.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To our delight, it worked like a charm \u2013 here\u2019s the Networks view in Failover Cluster Manager. Thanks, Intel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Failover<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Networks view in Failover Cluster Manager, showing Thunderbolt\u2122 Networking.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Thunderbolt\u2122 3 is already in widespread use in laptops and other devices, this kind of server application is new, and it\u2019s one of the main reasons Kepler-47 is strictly<\/em> a prototype. It also boots from USB 3 DOM, which isn\u2019t yet supported, and has no host-bus adapter (HBA) nor SAS expander, both of which are currently required for Storage Spaces Direct to leverage SCSI Enclosure Services (SES) for slot identification. However, it otherwise passes all our validation and testing and, as far as we can tell, works flawlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(In case you missed it, support for Storage Spaces Direct clusters with just two servers was announced at Ignite!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parts List<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ok, now for the juicy details. Since Ignite, we have been asked repeatedly what parts we used. Here you go:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kepler<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key parts of Kepler-47.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Function<\/em><\/td>Product<\/em><\/td>Cost<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Motherboard<\/strong><\/td>ASRock C236 WSI<\/span><\/a><\/td>$ 199.00<\/td><\/tr>
CPU<\/strong><\/td>Intel Xeon E3-1235L v5 25w 4C4T 2.0Ghz<\/span><\/a><\/td>$ 283.00<\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>32 GB (2 x 16 GB) Black Diamond ECC DDR4-2133<\/span><\/a><\/td>$ 208.99<\/td><\/tr>
Boot Device<\/strong><\/td>Innodisk 32 GB USB 3 DOM<\/span><\/a><\/td>$   29.33<\/td><\/tr>
Storage (Cache)<\/strong><\/td>2 x 200 GB Intel S3700 2.5\u201d SATA SSD<\/span><\/a><\/td>\/<\/td><\/tr>
Storage (Capacity)<\/strong><\/td>6 x 4 TB Toshiba MG03ACA400 3.5\u201d SATA HDD<\/span><\/a><\/td>\/<\/td><\/tr>
Networking (Adapter)<\/strong><\/td>Intel Thunderbolt\u2122 3 JHL6540 PCIe Gen 3 x4 Controller Chip<\/span><\/a><\/td>\/<\/td><\/tr>
Networking (Cable)<\/strong><\/td>Cable Matters 0.5m 20 Gb\/s USB Type-C \/ Thunderbolt\u2122 3<\/span><\/a><\/td>$  17.99*<\/td><\/tr>
SATA Cables<\/strong><\/td>8 x SuperMicro CBL-0481L<\/span><\/a><\/td>$   13.20<\/td><\/tr>
Chassis<\/strong><\/td>U-NAS NSC-800<\/span><\/a><\/td>$ 199.99<\/td><\/tr>
Power Supply<\/strong><\/td>ASPower 400W Super Quiet 1U<\/span><\/a><\/td>$ 119.99<\/td><\/tr>
Heatsink<\/strong><\/td>Dynatron K2 75mm 2 Ball CPU Fan<\/span><\/a><\/td>$   34.99<\/td><\/tr>
Thermal Pads<\/strong><\/td>StarTech Heatsink Thermal Transfer Pads (Set of 5)<\/span><\/a><\/td>$    6.28*<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

* Just one needed for both servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practical Notes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The ASRock C236 WSI motherboard is the only one we could locate that is mini-ITX form factor, has eight SATA ports, and supports server-class processors and error-correcting memory with SATA hot-plug. The E3-1235L v5 is just 25 watts, which helps keep Kepler-47 very quiet. (Dan has been running it literally<\/em> on his desk since last month, and he hasn\u2019t complained yet.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having spent all our SATA ports on the storage, we needed to boot from something else. We were delighted to spot the USB 3 header on the motherboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U-NAS NSC-800 chassis is not the cheapest option. You could go cheaper. However, it features an aluminum outer casing, steel frame, and rubberized drive trays \u2013 the quality appealed to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We actually had to order two sets of SATA cables \u2013 the first were not malleable enough to weave their way around the tight corners from the board to the drive bays in our chassis. The second set we got are flat and 30 AWG, and they work great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, we had to confront physical limitations on the heatsink \u2013 the fan we use is barely 2.7 cm tall, to fit in the chassis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We salvaged the drives we used, for cache and capacity, from other systems in our test lab. In the case of the SSDs, they\u2019re several years old and discontinued, so it\u2019s not clear how to accurately price them. In the future, we imagine ROBO deployments of Storage Spaces Direct will vary tremendously in the drives they use \u2013 we chose 4 TB HDDs, but some folks may only need 1 TB, or may want 10 TB. This is why we aren\u2019t focusing on the price of the drives themselves \u2013 it\u2019s really up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the Thunderbolt\u2122 3 controller chip in PCIe add-in-card form factor was pre-release, for development purposes only. It was graciously provided to us by our friends at Intel. They have cited a price-tag of $8.55 for the chip, but not made us pay yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With Project Kepler-47<\/em>, we used Storage Spaces Direct and Windows Server 2016 to build an unprecedentedly low-cost high availability solution to meet remote-office, branch-office needs. It delivers the simplicity and savings of hyper-convergence, with compute and storage in a single two-server cluster, with next to no networking gear, that is very budget friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you or is your organization interested in this type of solution? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post was authored by Cosmos Darwin, Program Manager, Windows Server. The Challenge In the Windows Server team, we tend to focus on going big. Our enterprise customers and service providers are increasingly relying on Windows as the foundation of their software-defined datacenters, and needless to say, our hyperscale public cloud Azure does too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":20692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"msxcm_post_with_no_image":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_classifai_error":"","_classifai_text_to_speech_error":"","footnotes":""},"post_tag":[],"product":[],"content-type":[964],"solution":[1015],"coauthors":[926],"class_list":["post-8105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","content-type-updates","solution-storage","review-flag-1593580427-982","review-flag-1593580409-206","review-flag-1593580418-473","review-flag-1593580770-929","review-flag-1-1593580431-223","review-flag-2-1593580436-936","review-flag-3-1593580441-66","review-flag-4-1593580446-763","review-flag-5-1593580451-829","review-flag-6-1593580456-819","review-flag-7-1593580462-674","review-flag-8-1593580467-311","review-flag-lever-1593580264-78","review-flag-new-1593580246-692"],"yoast_head":"\nMicrosoft and Intel squeezed hyper-convergence into the overhead bin | Microsoft Windows Server Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows-server\/blog\/2016\/10\/24\/microsoft-and-intel-squeezed-hyper-convergence-into-the-overhead-bin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Microsoft and Intel squeezed hyper-convergence into the overhead bin | Microsoft Windows Server Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This post was authored by Cosmos Darwin, Program Manager, Windows Server. 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