Server Infrastructure

Management
By Ngonga Nkuba
Bank of Zambia
 Agenda
What is a Server?

History and Evolution of Servers

Usage of Servers:

What Server infrastructure management involves

Top Server manufacturing companies

Top Server Operating Systems

Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank

Benefits of HCI

The Future of Server Administration

What is a Server?

A server is a computer or system that provides resources, data,

services, or programs to other computers, known as clients, over a
network

Servers have become an essential part of modern technology. They

are used for a wide range of purposes, including data storage,
communication, and cloud computing.
 History and Evolution of Servers

Servers have been around since the early days of computing. In the 1960s,
mainframe computers were used as servers to store and process data. These
early servers were large and expensive, and only large corporations and
government agencies could afford to use them.
As technology evolved, servers became smaller and more affordable. In the
1980s, personal computers became popular, and companies began using
them as servers for local networks. In the 1990s, the internet became widely
available, and servers were used to host websites and provide email services.
History and Evolution of Servers
2
With cloud computing and
virtualization, servers are more
powerful and versatile than ever
before. As technology
continues to evolve, servers will
undoubtedly play an
increasingly important role in
the digital age.
 Usage of Servers
Servers are used for a wide range of purposes, including:
1. Data Storage: Servers are used to store data, including documents, images, and videos.
2. Communication: Servers are used to provide email, chat, and other communication
services. They allow users to communicate with each other in real-time, no matter where
they are located.

3. Cloud Computing: Servers are used to provide cloud computing services, including
infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service
(SaaS). These services allow users to access computing resources on demand, without
having to invest in their own hardware.

4. Virtualization: Servers are used to provide virtualization services, allowing multiple

virtual machines to run on a single physical server.
 Usage of Servers 1
Servers are used for a wide range of purposes, including:
1. Data Storage: Servers are used to store data, including documents, images, and videos.
2. Communication: Servers are used to provide email, chat, and other communication
services. They allow users to communicate with each other in real-time, no matter where
they are located.

3. Cloud Computing: Servers are used to provide cloud computing services, including
infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service
(SaaS). These services allow users to access computing resources on demand, without
having to invest in their own hardware.

4. Virtualization: Servers are used to provide virtualization services, allowing multiple

virtual machines to run on a single physical server.
 Usage of Servers 2
5. Web servers: These servers are designed to host websites and web
applications.
6. Database servers: These servers are optimized for storing, managing, and
retrieving data from databases. They typically run database management
systems (DBMS) like MySQL, Oracle, or Microsoft SQL Server.
7. Application servers: These servers provide a runtime environment for
running applications. They can run on a variety of platforms and languages
like Java, .NET, or Python.
8. File servers: These servers are used to store and manage files and provide
access to them over a network. They may use a variety of protocols like
SMB, NFS, or FTP to allow clients to access shared files.
 Usage of Servers 3
9. Print servers: These servers are used to manage printing services on a
network. They typically run specialized software that can handle multiple print
requests from different clients and manage print queues.
10. DNS servers: These servers are used to resolve domain names into IP
addresses. They typically run a DNS server software like BIND or Windows
DNS Server.
10. Proxy servers: These servers act as intermediaries between clients and
other servers on a network. They can be used for caching content, filtering
requests, or enhancing security.
What Server Infrastructure Management Involves1
Server management encompasses various tasks to ensure servers run efficiently, securely and
reliably. Key aspects include:

Technical Management – Monitoring, Maintenance: Regular updates, patches, backups and

restarts, Troubleshooting: Performance optimization, Capacity planning

Security - Access control, Firewall configuration, Vulnerability scanning, Patch management,

Encryption
What Server Infrastructure Management Involves 2
Administrative Tasks - User management, Backup and recovery, License management,
Configuration management, Change management

Network and Infrastructure - Network configuration, Storage management,

Virtualization(Managing virtual machines and resources. Power management, Environmental
monitoring

Compliance and Governance - Regulatory compliance(Ensuring adherence to industry

regulations), Policy management, Auditing, Risk management, Disaster recovery( Planning for
business continuity)
Top Server Manufacturing Companies
1. Dell Technologies - PowerEdge rack servers, modular servers, tower servers, and
blade servers.

2. Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) - ProLiant rack and tower servers, Apollo

3. Lenovo - Lenovo offers a range of server solutions including ThinkSystem rack

servers, tower servers, blade servers, and high-density servers.

4. IBM - Power Systems servers, z Systems mainframes, and LinuxONE servers.

5. Cisco - UCS C-Series rack servers etc

6. Oracle - SPARC servers, x86 servers, and Engineered Systems.

7. Huawei
 Server Operating Systems
Windows Server
Linux (including Red Hat, CentOS, and Ubuntu)
VMware ESXi
Unix (including AIX, HP-UX, and Solaris)
Citrix Hypervisor
FreeBSD
Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank
 Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank 2
More examples of HP servers used in the bank
 Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank 3
HP Servers in cabinets
 Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank 4
About two years ago, we ran a project dabbed Server consolidation
during which we moved from HP servers to Nutanix HCI (Hyperconverged
Infrastructure) and Oracle Database Appliance.
So these two planforms dominate the current server infrastructure
landscape of the Bank.
Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is a software-defined system that
combines storage, compute, networking, and management into a single
platform. HCI can reduce complexity and costs, and improve the
scalability, flexibility, and agility of managing and deploying IT resources.
Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank 5
Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank 7
Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank 7
Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank 8
Arial view – Nutanix Server
Evolution and Usage of Servers in the Bank 8
ODA
 Benefits of HCI 1
1. Reduced Server footprint.
From about 110 physical servers(Boxes) to about 9 physical servers in one
Server room hosting all the applications of the bank. We therefore reduced
the number of cabinets housing servers from 12 to 2.
We have few physical serves on which we have configured in a cluster
running several Virtual Machines. It means, now we need very little space in
the server room. This also reduces the amount power required to run the
servers and the aircons.
 Benefits of HCI 2-Improved DR Capabilities
2. Improved Disaster Recovery Capabilities
 Benefits of HCI 3
3. Reduced Administrative Burden
 Benefits of HCI 3
3. Reduced Administrative Burden 2
 Benefits of HCI 3
3. Reduced Administrative Burden 3
 Benefits of HCI 3
3. Reduced Administrative Burden 4
 Benefits of HCI 4
4. Improved Agility
 Benefits of HCI 5
5. Improved backup capabilities
 Benefits of HCI 6
6. Improved Availability of Systems
 Benefits of HCI 7
[Link] Resource utilization

Because all nodes or physical severs are configure in a

cluster, they all contribute resources – RAM, CPU, storage
space in a pool

With standalone servers, underutilization of resources is

very common. A system that just needs for example 4
CPU cores, 16 GB RAM and 200 GB of hard disk space,
may be installed on on a physical server with 32 CP cores,
128 GB RAM and terabytes of hard disk space.

Such wastage is easily avoided in virtualized or HCI

environment.
 The Future of Server Administration
The future of server administration is likely to be shaped by several
ongoing trends in technology, particularly those related to:

Automation,

Cloud Computing,

Artificial Intelligence (AI),

And The Increasing Importance Of Cybersecurity.

These changes are expected to redefine the roles and skills required
of server administrators, making the field both more challenging and
more exciting.
Increased Automation
Cloud Computing
AI and Machine
Learning Integration
Emphasis on Security
and Compliance
Questions & Answers
Thank you
Ngonga Nkuba

ICT, Bank of Zambia