Please note that JavaScript and style sheet are used in this website,
Due to unadaptability of the style sheet with the browser used in your computer, pages may not look as original.
Even in such a case, however, the contents can be used safely.
Technical Details
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Resource pool management | Network, storage, and server resources are pooled for centralized management. The pooled resources can be assigned as appropriate based on service user requests. |
| Provisioning and orchestration | Not only does MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation enable the deployment of virtual servers and the assignment of physical machines, but it also automates all the setup tasks needed to make those machines available for the actual work, from storage assignment and network configuration to the installation and monitoring setup of applications. * The network provisioning process, including the OpenFlow network, can be automated. |
| Monitoring | A hypervisor and virtual machine fault monitoring function is provided for administrators. Also, virtual machine performance data can be collected and accumulated for viewing by service users. |
| Performance analysis (option) | A performance analysis function based on NEC's unique invariant analysis technology is provided to enable automatic detection of silent failures that are difficult to find with threshold monitoring. |
| Patch application (option) | For administrators, a function is provided that automates the process of applying a patch to a specified hypervisor program at a specified time. |
| Software repository | <For administrators> VM templates, OS patches, and middleware required for virtual server deployment is managed in a centralized manner so that they can be shared among multiple data centers in a distributed environment. <For service users> (options) Service users can bring in their own virtual machine images and incorporate those images into the MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation environment to build virtual machines (bring-in VMs). |
| Custom monitoring for service users | A monitoring function is provided as a SaaS for service users. Service users can customize the CPU, memory, disk, and middleware monitoring for the assigned virtual machines. |
Resource pool management
MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation integrates diverse kinds of ICT resources in a multivendor environment, from servers, networks, and storages to existing assets, into a resource pool to enable them to be managed in a centralized manner.
It automates the management of the ICT resource usage status (reserved, not used, in use, etc.) and allows the availability of resources to be grasped in real time, which leads to increased efficiency in resource use and minimized inventory.
MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation also provides the "sub resource pool" function, which allows the resource pool to be divided into smaller units, each to be used by a specific department or for a specific type of job. Giving each department a certain level of limited management authority for the resource pool makes it possible for individual departments to operate the cloud environment in a flexible, practical manner, just as if they have their own ICT resources.
Provisioning and orchestration
MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation not only enables virtual machine deployment and physical machine assignment but also automates all the setup tasks needed to make those virtual machines available for the actual work, from storage assignment and network configuration to the installation and monitoring setup of applications.
This eliminates the need for the ICT resource administrator to perform the setup and other related tasks, allowing users to start to use resources for their business as soon as the resources are assigned to them.
What's more, NEC-verified provisioning scenarios (automation procedures) are provided as standard features, making practical configuration scenarios readily available. By using GUI-based editing functions, these scenarios can easily be customized as appropriate for specific business needs.
MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation also supports the provisioning of storage devices (NetApp, EMC, etc.) and network devices (Fortinet, Cisco, A10 Networks, etc.) in a multivendor environment.
Automating network operation with OpenFlow and SDN technologies
The load of changing network settings when assigning or moving virtual servers is a serious problem in a cloud environment where configuration changes are made frequently.
MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation is one of the first cloud infrastructure products to adopt the software-defined networking (SDN) concept of controlling networks with software. By interacting with NEC's OpenFlow-based ProgrammableFlow Controller PF6800, it enables centralized management of virtual servers and networks. This makes it possible to automate the construction and operation of not only servers and storages but networks as well, leading to shorter lead time for service delivery and reduced management load for network administrators.
Virtual resources are automatically assigned from the resource pool to meet virtual server assignment requests from individual users according to a predefined policy. A virtual network is created for each tenant via the ProgrammableFlow Controller, and the setup of OpenFlow-enabled switches is automated. In addition, the setup of virtualization-enabled firewalls and load balancers, the creation of virtual servers, and the assignment of storages are automated based on preset scenarios.
Furthermore, the use of the OpenFlow technology makes it possible to assign virtual servers according to the requests of service users, without worrying about the constraints of the network devices and other physical resources.
Monitoring
A set of functions is provided to enable integrated monitoring of the entire cloud system including business systems implemented on virtual machines. Silent failure detection, identification of the failure impact scope, automated troubleshooting, and many other monitoring functions help minimize the system down time and ensure high availability required for mission-critical systems.
Performance analysis (option)
MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation collects the performance data of the entire cloud system automatically, enabling real-time performance analysis. All that is required for this automatic analysis is to input performance data as numerical values. This eliminates the need for special knowledge of performance analysis and a complex setup process, easing the burden on system administrators.
Using NEC's unique invariant analysis technology for performance analysis, MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation can detect performance degradation and other silent failures that are difficult to find with conventional threshold-based failure monitoring methods. Furthermore, it displays pie charts and maps showing the causes of detected silent failures and the scope of their impact. This leads to a substantial reduction in the time required for cause analysis.
Patch application (option)
MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation enables a commercial software package, proprietary application, security patch, or other type of patch to be distributed to multiple destinations at the same time. Distribution destinations can be specified flexibly (e.g., distributing a patch to a specified group of terminals or to the terminals in a list extracted from search results). It is also possible to choose between unconditional distribution and optional distribution depending on the purpose of the patch. The progress of distribution can be monitored by using a list.
Software repository
When data centers are distributed across a wide area, the VM templates, OS patches, middleware, and other software resources necessary for virtual server deployment need to be managed individually by each data center. Daily management tasks, such as patch updates, impose a considerable burden on administrators.
MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation integrates these software resources into a software repository (shared storage) for centralized management, enabling them to be shared by data centers distributed across a wide area. Once a software resource is registered in this repository, it can be provisioned from any data center, which helps reduce the management costs of administrators.
<For service users> (options)
Virtual machine templates, OS images, middleware, and other software resources that users have used in their existing environments can be registered in this software repository. This allows users to incorporate the virtual machine images created in their existing virtual environments into the MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation-managed environment and build multiple virtual machines easily (bring-in VMs).
Custom monitoring for service users
MasterScope Virtual DataCenter Automation provides service users with a monitoring function as a SaaS for monitoring assigned virtual machines. When the administrator installs monitoring software to a virtual machine and makes it available as an operation and management appliance, service users can readily start monitoring without the need to prepare any dedicated machine for monitoring.
Service users can customize the monitoring contents in terms of the CPU, memory, disk, Oracle, SQLServer, SAP, and other types of middleware.
