Avaya and VMware 3

[Vidmine]

I am in the planning stage of upgrading from 6.3 to 7.
We have VMware in our data center that currently houses our windows environment.
In conversations with our vendor they are pushing the Avaya virtual appliance.
I get the reasoning but what are the drawbacks with putting everything on my vm hardware verses the Avaya appliance?

 

[dialtonebone]

AVP/VSP = supported solution hardware AND software. If you have maintenance and a part fails you or your BP will take care of the issue. This is the modern solution for an "all in one" box where the phone system is still it's own black box/single solution.

You host your own VM = supported software, you bring the hardware and maintain it yourself. Hardware failure is now through your (hopefully) existing methods/maintenance with other companies. This is a more modern approach where many customers have switched to virtual appliances.

Both are great solutions, but you have to look deeper to figure which one is best for your organization.

 

[Vidmine]

Thanks Randy,
I like the idea of keeping my phone system separate.
However we do have a good vm solution here and is well managed and maintained.
Looks like more homework for me,

 

[AuraPS]

Hi Vidmine,

There is no problem deploying R7 on your own VMware environment provided you have the resources (reservations) as set out in the build docs. I have seen many customers go for this solution without issues, as randy mentions you are responsible for the hardware though

good luck with it all

avaya@aura-ps.co.uk

 

[Vidmine]

Thanks,
In your experience how much finger pointing between Avaya and VM guys do you run into?
I can see the benefits of both options, leaning toward the total Avaya solution, keeping the phone hardware separate and less opportunity for a potential issue turning into a finger pointing match.

 

[pmcginty]

Biggest thing Avaya will bark at is ensuring you keep the resource reservations in place. It breaks their system if it isn't set.

 

[dialtonebone]

Like the guy above me said - resource reservations are the biggest piece. Yes, certain products will run without the reservations in place (or reduced). No, they are not supported. VMWare tools lets you check from the VM itself so there isn't any hiding it either.

Rarely do I run into a finger pointing issue between VMWare and the Avaya sides. I definitely run into that with the general networking side but it's nothing a PCAP doesn't solve.

 

[DAVIDPAYNE]

AS pmcginty says Avaya needs resource reservations in order to work correctly. And once you start to add up all of the reservations, it may end up be a lot cheaper to go physical over VM. Will it work with out the reservation, maybe, but you may have issue getting support.

 

[pmcginty]

If Avaya wrote code correctly it wouldn't need reservations. This is 2018 after all.....

 

[jimbojimbo]

I would go VM if at all possible. Resources change with each release. Customers upgrading System Manager to 7.1.2 on DL360G7 now have to go back and add memory. Legacy hardware works but is no longer supported.

Several of my customers have installed a separate VMware cluster just for Voice applications. VMware also allows you to install third party where AVP does not.

AVP is a bastardized version of ESXi with several pitfalls and does not fit into the standard VMware support model. I wish they never developed the product and went with standard VMware instead.

 

[cal3500]

avp is very slow and cumbersome