Posted on 06 April 2011 by Tony
Overview: I was reading Michael Noel’s article on “Going Virtual with SharePoint 2010″, it is a good read and is very useful in pointing out how to virtualise. My key point here would be don’t virtualise SQL Server you just won’t get the
IOPS to make it worthwhile.
Nearly 2 years ago I was speaking to the lead architect for a big FTSE 100 enterprise who heavily use SharePoint 2007 at the time. His key message was don’t virtualise the WFE’s, I disagreed with him which apparently wasn’t a good idea but outside of his single point his claims were not worth accepting. His key point was you will get a 10-15% (a guess) performance increase using physical over VMWare on the same hardware. Michael Noel states “Generally, the virtualization overhead required to run virtual servers is only 5 percent”. I can’t see any discernable degradation but there will be some performance hit by using a hypervisor. His farm was rather large but I feel he just didn’t trust virtualisation. Today it’s pretty main stream to put you WFE’s and application servers on a VM platform. Especially if it’s done correctly as outlined in Michael’s article the minor pass thru resource lost is easily made up for with flexibility that VM’s offer you namely:
- Hardware become cheaper you can easily up size you VM’s on new hardware with more resources as time move on, you don’t need to add more servers to the farm. I have had several clients start with a part of there business using SharePoint, it’s much easier to setup a resilient infrastructure that can be moved over servers using VMotion and upgrade the hardware.
- Additional servers are easy to add to the farm as you simply add a new VM onto your hardware. This is pretty minor but you don’t need to do purchasing and the hard yards associate with hardware additions. If the company has the resources (CPU, memory and disk) it simple to request more VMs or additional resources to existing VM’s. With the cost of hardware halving every 18 months it’s a no brainer if your organisation can move to virtualised servers.
- Disaster recovery is only improved, you may have a bit backup for DR but being able to pull down machines and move them is always useful.
Preferences:
I use HyperV at home as I have only 2 servers and my technet licences give it to me for free. I merely spin up machines and install the roles I require. I even VM my AD & SQL box for development.
On production environments it is HyperV or VMWare for me. It comes down to you engineers experience and preference. If it is a greenfield project and licencing costs are not a concern I lead my clients to VMWare as I know it better and know it performs and is maintainable. Saying that I have setup farms using HyperV, this is generally for smaller institutions and it works brilliantly.
Tip: Separate physical network cards for each VM & don’t put SQL on a VM.
Tip: Follow Michael Noel’s article when virtualising your SharePoint farm and get a virtualisation expert to help you do the setup.
References:
http://www.sharepointproconnections.com/article/sharepoint/Going-Virtual-with-SharePoint-2010.aspx
http://blog.sharepointsite.co.uk/2010/12/sharepoint-2010-boundries-and.html
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Posted on 09 April 2010 by Tony
Can MS Sharepoint (specifically 2010) use PHP? And if so, to what extent? Is it difficult to integrate the two or does the admin have to struggle with getting them to play nice?
Beyond this, what is the easiest way to customize a sharepoint site visually? I’m a graphic designer more-so than a sharepoint architect, so you can see my dilemma. Thanks!
Chosen Answer:
If you can manually add text, then yes. CMS is simply a transfer stream from your computer to the host server.
Good Luck!
If you need further assistance/advice, feel free to contact me.
by: Chris B
on: 15th April 10
Posted on 16 July 2008 by
I’m a Senior Software Developer with some architecture skills. In fact I’ve attempted to design and lead our new CRM redevelopment. Things are going ok, although, not everything has been designed perfectly as I’d like. Anyway, I’ve been at this company for 8 years, started as a Programmer. There is no technical person above me, only a Dev Manager, Project Manager and GM of IT (CIO)… How do I progress my career??? I’m chasing dollar signs here and need to get ahead. I’m thinking of moving to the US or Europe to gain broader experience…. I’m not liking the coding work these days, I think 10 years of it is enough. What can I do? Sharepoint developers get a stack of money, but we’ve only just got sharepoint and I’m not involved in the project. Hmmm, so many questions and paths, not sure what to do… I’m thinking the only way is up the chain, but how do I get there??? I need to somehow score an Architect position where there is a Chief Architect………..
Chosen Answer:
Better, you consult some architect consaltant for suitable job
by: Anantha P
on: 10th November 08
Posted on 01 March 2008 by Tony
Hi, do you know the average of the payroll for a microsoft sharepoint consultant working as an employee for a company??
Chosen Answer:
Salaries vary by company, location, experience, etc.
The best place to research salaries is at simply hired (http://www.simplyhired.com/a/salary/home). For example you would put in the title “SharePoint Architect” and then the location and it will display the average salary for that specific title as well as similar job titles in that area.
by: MOSS07
on: 10th February 10
Posted on 01 March 2008 by
Hi, I wanna know what is the average rate (payroll) for a microsoft sharepoint architect or consultant working as an employee for a company??
thanks
Chosen Answer:
Salaries vary by company, location, experience, etc.
The best place to research salaries is at simply hired (http://www.simplyhired.com/a/salary/home… For example you would put in the title “SharePoint Architect” and then the location and it will display the average salary for that specific title as well as similar job titles in that area.
by: MOSS07
on: 14th March 08
Posted on 27 January 2007 by Tony
I’m looking for someone that knows how to develop SharePoint sites.
Chosen Answer:
Post your requirements on www.dice.com and you should hear back from many experts. Even more if you offer it as a telecommuting position.
by: MinstrelInTheGallery
on: 3rd February 07
