Transcript Diapositive 1

TITLE
Data center centralization and operation via virtual hosted workstations
leads to performance improvement and hardware location independence
J. Bocarro (SNC-Lavalin) / Client: HQ Transénergie
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Introduction
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• Hydro Québec Transénergie owns and
operates the transmission network for the
entire province of Québec
• Business streamlining initiatives let to
restructuring options for the operations of the
network
• While restructuring was mandated,
improvement in performance, reduction of
maintenance costs as well as security
concerns were equally emphasized along
with the restructure process
Introduction Pre-Centralization
•Seven Control Centres + backup sites
• Geographically distributed according to
region
•Seven Maintenance Centres
• At the Control Centre
•Pre-production test sites
•Training site
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Introduction
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• The core concept of centralizing hardware and
software maintenance was seen as key to
realizing the business goals
• The what, when, how, why were subject of a
feasibility study.
• The study was performed validating various
architecture and technologies as well as
investigation of implementation strategies.
• Result : Citrix thin client architecture would
best meet performance optimization, reduction
of hardware , maintenance time reductions
and increased security goals
Feasibility Study
Identify Key elements or categories
• Virtual workstation – thin client
• Architecture based on master and backup
sites with a single database ( Fusion of
databases)
• How to communicate with Field RTU’s?
• Integration with External systems
(distribution, production, weather, etc…)
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Feasibility Study Categories
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Virtual
Workstation
Category1
Category 2
External
Systems
Control
Centre 1
Control
Centre 2
External
Systems
Category 4
Category 4
RTU’s
Category 3
Feasibility Study Strategy
For each category:
•
Current state versus business objective
•
Prototype the proposed solutions
•
Reuse technology or processes from
prototyping
•
Identify any Software development
required
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Feasibility Study: Category 1:
Remote Display Workstations
Hardware / architecture considerations
• “Hollow PC” with appropriate graphic
capability
• Servers , powerful enough to support multiple
clients
• Thin client technology
• Best technology available to satisfy the
requirements
• Infrastructure requirements and costs
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Feasibility Study:
Remote Display Workstations – Solutions considered
Jetro
Tarantella Sun
Secure Global
Desktop
Software 4.2
DAT Panther
Ericom
WebConnect
HOBLink JWT
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Citrix
Customer
Requirements
4 screens
Resolution 1920x1200
Terminal Server Presentation
Server
No
No
No
No
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Exceed on
Demand
24 bit colour
Information Base
Remote Session Protocol
Terminal Server MetaFrame 4
RDP
ICA
Jetro
Tarantella
DAT Panther
Ericom
WebConnect
HOBLink JWT
Exceed on
Demand
ICA/RDP
RDP/X
RDP
RDP
RDP
eod
$40-160
35$/user
400$/server
$80
$150
$150
$300
n/a
n/a
15%
n/a
$305 US or
Cost/user
Applicable to All
solutions
$700US (with
Access suite)
Annual User cost
Licence type
Major Characteistics
Applicable to All
solutions
$40-50
1st year free $16
2 years free (18)
following
Both
conc.
conc.
conc.
conc.
conc.
Both
conc.
Terminal Server
MetaFrame 4
Jetro
Tarantella
DAT Panther
Ericom
WebConnect
HOBLink JWT
Exceed on
Demand
Publication of Applications
Seamless Windows
Balanced Resource usage
non
Advanced ED extra
No
Study – UI Prototype
• Based on Client criteria, and the
preliminary analysis , the Windows / Citrix
server with “hollow” PC was selected.
• Prototype was constructed and
performance tests were performed with a
large representative database and number
of users.
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Feasibility Study: Category 3
RTU Communications
 RTU connect to one single centre.
Prototype testing led to IP/HSTC as
preferred communications. But > 350 out
of the ~550 RTU’s can communicate via IP
• Basis of study:
• Status Quo – Serial lines ( actual)
• Conversion of ADCCP messages from IP to ??
• Send IP messages from Business Centre (BC)
via the CIT
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Study: criteria
Communications
• CSICO card to “translate” ADCCP frames
then send over IP
• Needed more infrastructure
• Protocol converter
• Too costly
• Convert X25 to IP
• Labour intensive - modifications at each RTU
SMP
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Study: criteria
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Communications:
• Keep the Front End processors at the BC’s,
capitalizing on the sync-async., conversion
capability of the DAC .
• This was the selected solution
Selected Communications architecture14
SOP2
SOP1
CIT
Interréseau HSTC
SOA
PAT
Boîte de distribution
liens séries dédiés
SMP
ST
Feasibility Study: Communications with External
systems - Category 4
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2 major groups:
• Communications via ICCP
• Communications with Distribution
• The major issues was ensuring adequate
processing for the “fused” databases and sufficient
bandwidth.
• For communication with Distribution, an
enhancement to the protocol scanner was deemed
necessary to permit processing multiple distribution
posts
Feasibility Study: Category 2
Software Developments
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•User interface/graphics
• Accommodation for Citrix – memo buttons,
selection , pointers, printing
• Graphical object and navigation
enhancements for performance
• Alarm Browsers
• Outage Scheduling(OSS) - filters for
combined employee databases
• Pre-switching modifications for combined
network
Fused site/hardware Configuration
Final configuration
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Deployment Strategy
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• Database fusion
• Upgrade the Computer hardware
• Additional CPU, memory, etc..
• Remove server /workstation hardware from
existing control centre ( to become a BC)
• Install software in pre-production site
• Prepare control Centre (CIT)
• Communications testing
• Citrix Configuration
• Proceed with cut-over from old to new CIT
Problems encountered
Major categories:
•Graphical
•Event Identification
•Performance
•Operational
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Graphical Issues
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• Number of users per Citrix server
• Client limit the number/server in addition to
“Client -assigning software”
• Citrix-related issues to printing, pointing
indicators, screen management
• Resolved with configuration/trial error and some
software modifications
• Performance due to Citrix for remote
centres
• Resolved at the graphical software level
Event Identification
• With Citrix server – multiple user to the
server – there was no obvious method to
correctly associate user to control action
• Software modification was necessary to
associate user to action
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Performance
3 Areas:
• Communications
• Graphical
• Application
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Performance - Communications
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• Majority of problems related to “traffic”
volume. Telecommunications infrastructure
modified as a result:
• External Communications Links from the
Broadcast LAN moved
• Deployed NIC Teaming
• Ie: FEP, Distribution , ICCP other external links
Performance Graphical
•Causes
• Increased numbers of graphical objects
/per schematic
• Increased traffic due to fused database
• Resolved:
• Software modifications at the graphical object
layer
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Performance: Applications
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• Due to usage of certain Operators multiple windows of
same application were opened causing large CPU usage
of servers while not affecting the Citrix server. Eg ( 75
windows of same application for a single user)
• Client would not accept a limit!
• Previous local workstation probably had the same
problem but the user was sensitized to the issue, and in
the worst case, only the PC would “freeze” and not the
application
• Resolved: Further optimization of selected dynamic objects
and server modification
Problems - Operational
• Fusing the database ”inadvertently” fused
the network.
• Problems with Operating practices
• Problems with PSV applications
• Resolved:
• Modifications to the applications
• Operator practices enforced
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Operational and Commercial Benefits 27
Operational:
• Re-localization of servers to maintenance
centres reduces down-time in case of
computer maintenance
• Creation of “natural” backup in case of
hazardous conditions for Operators
Commercial Benefits
• Reduction of numbers of personnel needed to
operate system during vacation, holiday periods
 Localization of computing hardware leads to
reduction of hardware inventory, spares, and
overall maintenance costs.
• Installation of software updates is easier as
software needs only to be installed on servers and
not on numerous PC’s
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Conclusion
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The implementation of Citrix permitted the
following:
•
•
•
•
•
Centralization of computer Hardware
Control-centre location independence from
Hardware
Cost savings in terms of maintenance and
updates
Cost savings in terms of personnel assignments
Operational advantage in terms of co-workassistance, and natural backup