Operations Manager integration with Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO)

Performance and Resource Optimization—known simply as PRO—is a new feature in Virtual Machine Manager 2008 that supports workload- and application-aware resource optimization within a virtualized environment. Based on performance and health data provided by PRO-enabled management packs in System Center Operations Manager 2007, PRO can automatically or manually implement PRO tips, recommendations for minimizing downtime and accelerating time to resolution.

Utilizing the deep monitoring capabilities of System Center Operations Manager 2007, PRO enables administrators to establish remedial actions for VMM to execute if poor performance or pending hardware failures are identified in hardware, operating systems or applications. As an open and extensible platform, PRO encourages partners to design custom management packs that promote compatibility of their products and solutions with PRO’s powerful management capabilities.

Benefits

• It's a powerful and valuable feature as the result of integration between SCOM (OpsMgr) and SCVMM; 
• It's a software package that leverages the System Center Operations Manager framework, which enables Microsoft partners (software and hardware vendors) to deliver value-added service and solution to our mutual customers; 
• Contains a connector piece that accelerates the communications between OpsMgr and SCVMM, and management packs with specific policies that VMM is called to take actions on; 
• Provides values of minimizing downtime, accelerating time to resolution, and, for advanced users with carefully designed policies, achieving self-healing / auto-recovery / hands-free management experience;
• The Virtual Machine Manager 2008 console can be used in conjunction with Operations Manager 2007 to indicate areas where physical and virtual resources can be run more efficiently.

How does it work?

To explain how PRO works, let's use a simulated scenario to describe the system behaviours and the user experience. From the image above, you can see how VMM PRO reacts to the event that is monitored and reported by OpsMgr.

Assume that we have a three-node cluster with some HA VMs running on each, and the cluster is managed by a VMM server integrated with OpsMgr. When the resources of a VM peak out on host #1 below on the very left, OpsMgr detects the defined threshold is reached and immediately notifies SCVMM. 

A PRO tip pops up on the SCVMM admin console. 

Depending on the setting, either manual or auto approval of the action recommended (in this case, Move-VM) would move the VM to the highest rated host (per our intelligent placement), in this case, the host server in the middle with the least load.

About Management Packs

Management packs let users integrate domain-specific knowledge directly into Virtual Machine Manager. Microsoft's partners deliver management packs to support the PRO feature.

Based on XML code, management packs help IT administrators or Microsoft's partners monitor specific network components or customized applications. Microsoft provides an authoring tool in Operations Manager 2007 to create them. Previously, in Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005, the predecessor to System Center 2007, Microsoft used a proprietary format (called .AKM) for the management packs.

About System Center Consultants from Miles Consulting Corp

MCC System Center Experts are Microsoft Certified Consultants who have gained extensive experience after installing, managing and optimizing countless System Center products for numerous clients. Since Miles Consulting Corp is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, our Virtual Machine Manager Experts and Operations Manager Professionals have access to specialized information and training on System Center products. Call 866-844-5055 so our System Center Specialists can give you a free assessment.