Infrastructure Forum Meeting
AGENDA
9 February 2015
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Online/Conference Call
GoToMeeting Info. https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/648305897
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.
Dial +1 (267) 507-0017
Access Code: 648-305-897
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting
Meeting ID: 648-305-897
BYU Provo
LDSBC
BYU Hawaii
ICS
BYU Idaho
Mark Andersen
x Nyle Elison
Todd Berrett
x John Sutherland
Kaleb Kunzler
Neal Moss
Bruno Manate
Dan Rigdon
Shaun Sessions
Todd Smith
x
Jen Dalley
x
Brent Goodman
x
Parker Bradshaw
x
x Mike Tracy
Jamie-Lynn Meredith
Joseph Amos
David Te’o
x
x
Dan Wilson
x Stephen Parker
x Tony McCarty
x
x
Blake Grover
Peter Stilling
x
Prayer: Todd Berrett
Topics for Discussion:
1. Flash Storage Arrays (who is using them and how is it going?)
The group was curious to know how BYU-Hawaii is liking their Flash Storage Arrays.
Neal reported that they have had it just over a year are very happy with the results they
are seeing. The deduplication is averaging 58% to 20% depending on the types of files
being compressed. With VDI they are seeing a 60 to 1 rate. They are seeing 40 times
speed increases over their v7000 storage system. Media files like photos and video
seem to be the worst to compress.
Hawaii has all full production on a hybrid Tegile array. Their small one is 56TB raw. With
dedupe and compression they are seeing 110 terabyte usable.
How many gig can you push on a drive? Test measurements with v7000 pushing and
retrieving. Testing the Tegile and V7000 we saw 38.9 times more through put on Tegile
than we saw on the v7000. Is this tiered source? It is not tiered but it is a hybrid system
of flash and drive. DB’s have several LUN/Share block sizes. BD’s have requested 4K
block sizes and 8k block size share/LUNs. The majority oh share/LUNs are 32K block
size. They are running 2 Tegile systems – One for backup and storage and the other for
production. Their 2300 series has all the production stuff. The 2100 is used for backups.
They used to have a 64 terabyte system IBM prior to Tegile. The Tegile is giving us
120TB after dedupe and compression.
Page 1 of 4
BYU-Idaho is using some, but they are looking at getting 4-8 tomahawks this spring for
backup and speed. They will have some for tier 1 storage or ice.
2. BYU-Idaho Network Edge Upgrade
BYU-Idaho is working on replacing all of their edge equipment. If they are able to used
Cisco Capital, they will be able to implement the changes by the end of 2015. If they are
unable to get approval, they will do it in a phased approach over the next 3 years using
ITI funds. They will know by Friday after their presentation which option they will
implement. The upgrades include replacing the 6807 Chassis, IA boxes and switches
are still in discussion.
They currently have 2 VARs for their Cisco needs and are looking at moving to one
VAR. Mountain States and Cache Valley are their current providers and they have asked
them to submit bids for the next year. They should have RFPs ready by the 18th and
then will fine-tune the parts list for replacement.
3. Cisco VARs
Who do you have? What you like and what you don’t?
BYU: In general there is never anything perfect. Mountain States has been good to work
with. They have worked to get discounts, training, and have worked with us in the lab.
BYU-Hawaii: Has always had a positive experience with Mountain.
LDSBC: Cache Valley has always done well for them. They were significantly lower in
their bids for LDSBC. LDSBC has also been able to work off the Church’s negotiated
discount which if purchased by June it is valid for a year. Discount was on hardware, but
they did throw in some engineering as a bonus. In his experience, Cache Valley has
better engineers and the pricing is 50/50 between the two.
BYU-Idaho: Has worked well with both VARs, but they need to move to one company.
Smartnet has had some pain points caused by using 2 different companies.
4. Provo-LDSBC-Idaho Connectivity (343-link and other connectivity options)
BYU-Idaho brought up the idea of replacing the 343-link and wondered what it was being
used for and what the best direction for connectivity in the future.
LDSBC: Is investigating firing up a new Internet provider using Integra as a secondary
provider. They should be starting with a new provider in a week. Right now the provider
market is very aggressive with their pricing. They are getting a 10-gig pipe form Cogent
and a ___ pipe from Century Link for the same price as a 300 pipe into Integra. They are
using the Church’s dark fiber line so it is at no cost to them.
What type of connectivity are you expecting to see? What services are you still running
that need to be connected through the 343-link?
The important thing for LDSBC is that they are able to connect back to BYU-Idaho at
Page 2 of 4
high speeds for Disaster recovery and backup. This is currently happening through the
Integra 343-link, but could be done with another solution. They are currently in talks with
UEN for connectivity that may facilitate that. UEN talks may also facilitate connections
into BYU as well. Those talks are just starting, but the way looks similar to the 343-link
as far as bandwidth and a peer-to-peer connection.
What would require layer 2 connectivity?
We need a secure route (layer 2 could or a VPN session would accomplish that). We
need to be able to put a wrapper on information that is traveling over commodities. Use
Cases include sending business data domains and replicating it to BYU-Idaho for
backup and offsite replication. Telephone interconnectivity may also need this type of a
link, but if they had a layer 2 security with latency, LDSBC would consider the telephone
connectivity loss acceptable.
What other layer 2 dependencies do others have?
BYU-Idaho has an Adonis box that is uses it. There may be some layer 2 connectivity
with the Church, but we have not approached that. BYU-Idaho is not dependent on
anything.
BYU-Hawaii is not interested although they are increasing bandwidth and looking at
options.
BYU is not dependent on it.
It looks like that as long as we can meet the wrapping encryption requirement then we
can come up with any solution. It will need to have sufficient bandwidth and encryption.
Connection to UEN to Iron would be great if LDSBC could do that. Waiting to hear back
on options.
BYU Broadcasting is putting out to boarder and UEN and Iron are coming right out and
pushing gigs of data.
Recommendation: When LDSBC can get alternative in place, we can dismantle the
343-link.
Action Item: Kaleb and Shawn will coordinate LDSBC’s move off of the 343-link.
Action Item: Everyone review any gotchas your systems might have using the 343-like
if it were to be dismantled.
Dismantling this link will make a lot of people happy.
5. Palo Alto Update
Right now BYU is in a holding pattern. Palo Alto has a fix that they would like BYU to try,
but April may be the first opportunity they have to do anything. They may need to create
two paths before they can add loads. They may have to create a VLAN to VLAN cutover.
Page 3 of 4
Due to the problems that they have had, they may also be getting additional services at
a discounted rate for the next year.
6. Infrastructure Forum Face-to-face
The group reviewed the dates for the Face-to-Face in June and selected the dates
Wednesday, June 24th through Friday, June 26th. It was also decided that the meetings
will be held is Provo as LDSBC doesn’t have the capacity to host.
Action Item: Please submit your forum discussion topics to Shawn and Jen for review in
April.
7. Action Item Follow-up
 Action: Disaster Recovery collaboration (Tony)
 Action: IPv6 Training (Shawn)
 Action: Collaboration and alignment in cloud solutions committee
 Action: Vendor briefings for new BYU Managing Directors (Todd B)
8. Other
No additional issues at this time.
Next Meeting: Monday, 13 April 2015 CES Infrastructure Conference Call
Page 4 of 4