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UCL Data Centres Infrastructure Design: James Clements Emma Cardinal-Richards

UCL has an extensive dark fibre network connecting data centers across multiple campuses. The document outlines UCL's design process for upgrading their data center infrastructure to improve simplicity, failure tolerance, and symmetry. Key elements of the new design include active-active disaster recovery between data centers with no cross-dependency, auto-failover capabilities, and converged networking and security zones.

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Akram M. Almotaa
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117 views23 pages

UCL Data Centres Infrastructure Design: James Clements Emma Cardinal-Richards

UCL has an extensive dark fibre network connecting data centers across multiple campuses. The document outlines UCL's design process for upgrading their data center infrastructure to improve simplicity, failure tolerance, and symmetry. Key elements of the new design include active-active disaster recovery between data centers with no cross-dependency, auto-failover capabilities, and converged networking and security zones.

Uploaded by

Akram M. Almotaa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UCL Data Centres

Infrastructure Design

James Clements
Emma Cardinal-Richards
Areas Covered
• Background
• Design Process
• Routing and Site Connectivity
• Application Delivery Controllers
• Switching
• Storage
• Security
Background

• Extensive dark fibre network


• One logical data centre
• Simplicity for applications
• Stretched failure
Design Process

• Requirements Gathering
• Current State
• Vision
• Plan
• Design Validation
• Business Validation
The White Paper: Key elements
• Active-Active
• Disaster Recovery
• No Cross DC Dependency
• Symmetric architecture where possible
• Auto-failover where possible
• Converged Networking where available
Campus
Network
Routing
(Logical)
Routing
(Physical)
SLB Current State

• Cisco Application Control Engine Service Modules

Application Delivery Controllers


• Essential for multi-site data centres
• PoC market leaders
• F5 solution selected
Future State - GSLB

• DNS-Based multi-site
load balancing
• Active/Active
• Client location
• Load distribution
• Site failover
Future State - SLB

• No need to use the


ADC to route
• Service
optimisations
• Delegated
administration
Switching
Current State
Switching –
Production Design
• Leaf Spine Architecture
• Nexus 5K
• Fabricpath
• VPC+
• Dynamic FCoE
Infrastructure Platform Vision

• New (but familiar) VM hosting platform


• New (but familiar) storage platform
• Decoupling the DCs
Torrington Place # Torrington Place 1 Wolfson House Slough

• Partially new software stack


Storage Area Networking (SAN)

• Converged Networking (FCoE)


• Collaborative working
• Keeping existing storage design concepts
• Dynamic FCoE over FabricPath
• SANs existing within 1 Data Centre
• Cisco Data Centre Network Manager
Security from a ISG view
Security –
Network Style
Security Zones TORRINGTON
SLOUGH INTERNET INTERNET

Simplified! PLACE

FIREWALL FIREWALL

DATACENTRE DATACENTRE

CAMPUS CAMPUS

RESEARCH RESEARCH
Standardised Service Design

• Separate IP space per datacentre for both IPv4 and


IPv6
• Symmetrical networks
• Standardisation
• Layered application design
• Security
VPN

Service Layers

Application Delivery Controller


Clients / External Access
Blocked by firewall by default
Presentation Layer

Management Layer
Application Layer

Additional Service Layer

Data Layer

Key Client Traffic Service Traffic (direct or load balanced) Management Traffic
Current Layer New
Applications
Ad-hoc ACLs Network Security Firewall, ACLs, Zoned, Secured
Application specific, secured by Networking Layout Standard, Secure by Design, IPv6 Ready,
application, complex Consistent
Not Required Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) F5 BigIP GTM
Cisco ACE Server Load Balancing (SLB) F5 BigIP LTM
Split HA/BH Stacks, Non-representative Hardware Stacks Single Converged Stack, Representative
Development Development
VMware vSphere ESXi Virtualisation VMware vSphere ESXi
VMware vSphere ESXi Virtual Mobility SRM or Zerto or Veeam
Not Used Virtualisation Insights VMware Operations Manager
IBM HS22/23 Blades in BladeCentre-H Virtualisation Hardware Lenovo x240 Blades in Flex Chassis
Separate Ethernet/Storage Network Interconnect Converged Network Adaptors
IBM DS5100/v7000 G1/SVC Storage IBM v7000 G2/SVC
Synchronous Everywhere Storage Replication Asynchronous
IBM/Brocade Fibre Channel SAN Storage Networking Cisco Nexus Converged
Cisco Catalyst Ethernet Networking Cisco Nexus Converged Network
One Logical Site across Two Physical Physical Location Two Distinct Physical Sites
Physical Data Centres
</presentation>

• Thanks to all the (uncredited!) people from whom we


have ‘borrowed’ drawings, photos etc.

• Even more thanks to all at JISC/Janet and Infinity who


have been very understanding and accommodating of
our shifting requirements and sometimes unusual
requests.
Contact

James Clements
Network Core Services Manager
[email protected]
Emma Cardinal-Richards
Senior Network Architect
[email protected]

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