Virtual Datacenter
This page exists also in French.
Overview
A Virtual Datacenter (vDC) is a pool of resources including:
- computing capacity, expressed in GHz or in vCPU, and in amount of RAM,
- storage capacity for virtual disks of VMs,
- one (or more) vDC Edge Gateway (T1), providing connections to external networks (internet or BVPN), as well as internal networks to the vDC.
Computing capacity (CPU + RAM) and storage are available according to several classes of services.
A vDC corresponds to a service class and a resource allocation mode (PAYG or Allocation Pool). It is not possible to change the resource allocation mode of a vDC after its creation. If the Customer wishes to change the resource allocation mode of his vDC, then he must order a new vDC and migrate his vApps/VMs to it.
vDC specifications and performance classes
| Service class | Eco | Standard | High Performance | VOIP | |
| VM limits (vCPU / RAM / Storage) | 6 vCPU / 16G / 4 TB | 8 vCPU / 64G / 6 TB | 40 vCPU / 128G / 6 TB | 32 vCPU / 128G / 6 TB | |
| Usage | Windows VM
Dev, test, labs |
All | Big Data
Real time Intensive computing |
IPBX
Real time | |
| Allocation mode | PAYG & Allocation Pool | PAYG & Allocation Pool | PAYG and Allocation Pool | Reservation Pool | |
| One Room | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | |
| Dual Room | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | |
| HA Dual Room | △ | ▲ | ▲ | △ | |
| Billing mode | PAYG, Reserved et DRaaS | PAYG, Reserved et DRaaS | PAYG & Reserved | Reserved | |
| vCPU frequency | PAYG ou DRaaS | 2,2 GHz | 2,2 GHz | 2,2 GHz | 3 GHz |
| Reserved | 1,2 GHz mini | 1,2 GHz mini | 2,2 GHz | 3 GHz | |
For each class of service, the limits on the number of CPUs, RAM size or storage supported per VM are not technical limitations: it is possible to go beyond these limits. However, outside these limits, Orange Business cannot guarantee its contractual commitments (see Service Description, § “Service Limitations” for legal information).
In the VOIP class of service, the DRS settings in place disables vMotion (the automatic movement of a virtual machine from one physical server to another) and VMware HA (the automatic restart of a VM hosted on a physical server down on another physical server), in order to be compatible with the operating mode of the majority of IP telephony solutions. However, for maintenance purpose, the DRS Fully Automated (vMotion) may be activated during maintenance window to empty the ESXi which needs an upgrade.
Availability classes
On the Val de Reuil Datacenter campus, the NGP platform is deployed in two rooms, each being completely independent of the other (energy, cooling, networks), which makes it possible to offer several classes of availability for the VM of a vDC:
| Availability class | Number of vDC |
Configuration | VM location | Mecanism | Customer can choose the VM location | Impact on loss
of a room |
SLA
(vDC availability) |
| One Room | 1 | 1 vDC with a single storage policy | Not predictable | the VMs are randomly distributed over the 2 rooms according to the capacity rules. | no | All or part of the VMs are stopped | 99,95% |
| Dual Room | 1 | 1 vDC with two storage policies (one per room)
example:
|
Room 1 and Room 2 |
the VMs are located in a room thanks to the storage policy chosen to create them. | yes | VMs localized
in the faulty room are stopped |
99,95% |
| Dual Room | 2 | 2 vDCs each with a storage policy per room, for example:
|
Room 1 and Room 2 |
the VMs are located in a room thanks to the storage policy chosen to create them. | yes | VMs localized
in the faulty room are stopped |
99,95% |
| HA Dual Room | 1 | 1 vDC with a single Dual Room type storage policy (storage replicated between the 2 rooms) | Room 1 and Room 2 |
the VMs are randomly distributed over the 2 rooms according to the capacity rules, on extended clusters (compute + storage) | yes, with anti-affinity rules | Shutdown / restart VMs
of the faulty room |
99,99% |
The detailed description of Availability Classes is here: Availability classes
vDC resource management
The resource allocation of a vDC is chosen by the Customer. This allocation is defined when ordering the vDC, then modified as often as needed by the Customer.
A vDC's resource allocation is a "physical" limit that VMs cannot exceed in order to run.
A VM will be able to start if the following two conditions are met:
- ∑ vCPUs of VMs already started + number of vCPUs of the VM to start ≤ total allocation in number of vCPUs of the vDC
- ∑ of RAM of VMs already started + amount of RAM of the VM to be started ≤ total RAM allocation of the vDC
Allocation mode of compute
The allocation of a vDC's resources to the VMs it hosts can be done according to 3 modes:
- PAYG
- Allocation Pool
- Reservation Pool
PAYG
In this allocation mode, the resources are expressed in number of vCPUs (= Limit in GHz / vCPU frequency) and in GB of RAM. In a vDC configured in PAYG mode, the resource allocation of a VM is done at the VM level. When the VM starts, its vCPU and RAM allocation is subtracted from the total amount allocated to the vDC. A VM can never consume more than its allocation. This is a limit.
The billing method adopted is then pay-per-use (PAYG).
Allocation Pool
In this allocation mode, the resources are expressed in GHz and GB of RAM. These resources are a maximum usage limit with a guaranteed minimum reservation. Resource allocation for all VMs is done globally when creating the VDC. Unlike PAYG, there is no limit per VM and its consumption can be adjusted according to the needs and the total use of the VMs of the VDC (without exceeding the total limit).
For resource allocation (see § 6.1.3 above), the frequency of the vCPU is defined by the Customer in reserved billing mode, when ordering the vDC, with a minimum of 1.2 GHz.
The Allocation Pool mode allows the vCPU of a VM initially configured to consume up to the maximum value provided by a physical process (example: 2.2 GHz). This burst effect will activate under certain conditions:
- A VM under heavy CPU load occasionally requires additional power
- There are still GHz available (not consumed) in the vDC.
This allocation mode is recommended for vDCs whose VMs are permanently on.
Reservation Pool
In this allocation mode, the resources are expressed in GHz and GB of RAM. But unlike the Allocation Pool mode, it is a firm reservation and therefore just as much a guaranteed minimum as well as a guaranteed maximum reservation. The allocation of reserved resources (therefore guaranteed minimum) of a VM is done this time individually VM by VM by the administrator of the organization throughout the life of the VDC. It is a fine and total control by the administrator of the organization of his resource.
The resources allocated to each VM are 100% guaranteed for the VMs, which requires proper sizing when defining the VDC so that all VMs intended to work can start.
This resource allocation principle is used for VOIP-type vDCs, which allows telephony or videoconferencing applications to operate with the maximum possible isolation from their environment.
Notes
- One would think that the "Reservation pool" mode is equivalent to the "Allocation Pool" mode where one would have reserved 100% of the limit. This is not the case because only the "Reservation Pool" mode allows reservation at the VM level.
- However, if you want to reserve as much as the limit without ever having the need to reserve at the VM level, you can take an "allocation pool" mode (this is not recommended for VOIP type applications).
Billing mode of compute
Two billing modes are available.
| Billing mode | PAYG (per per use) & DRaaS | Reserved |
| Resource allocation | PAYG | Allocation Pool
Reservation Pool |
| Billing | resources allocated to the started VM | 100% of the vDC resources |
Billing mode "PAYG" & "DRaaS"
| PAYG & DRaaS | Compute | RAM |
| Resources billed (WU) | vCPU | GB |
| Quantities invoiced | Number of vCPUs allocated to each started VM
x number of minutes / day |
Amount of RAM allocated to each started VM
x number of minutes / day |
The time of use is counted by the minute.
A vDC in DRaaS mode is used when setting up VM replication between the Customer's private infrastructure (On Premise) and the Cloud Avenue platform.
Billing mode "Reserved"
In this model, all the GHz and RAM resources of the vDC are billed at a flat rate. This principle allows the Customer to benefit from more attractive rates.
| Reserved | Compute | RAM |
| Resources billed (WU) | GHz | GB |
| Quantities invoiced | Quantity of GHz allocated to the vDC x number of days / month |
Quantity of RAM allocated to the vDC x number of days / month |
Example
A vDC of 34 GHz and 20 GB of RAM is subscribed in Reserved mode. The monthly billing for this vDC is calculated as follows:
- 34 GHz x unit price x 30 days x 24h
- 20 GB of RAM x unit price x 30 days x 24h
This model also allows the client to choose their level of over-allocation. For example, by choosing a 1.7 GHz vCPU, it will be possible to start 20 VMs of 1 vCPU and 1 GB of RAM. And the most CPU-intensive VMs will then be able to draw on the GHz that are not consumed by the least active VMs (Burst effect), but within the limit:
- GHz available globally in the vDC (34 GHz)
- physical CPU frequency: 2.2 GHz.
Return to Services catalogue