VMware ESX VI3 and Meditech c/s 6.0 Implementation

[mnasir]

Hi

We are planning to implement our new HIS system on VI3 platform. I am hopping this thread will help me to collect many valuable information that I may need to decide, plan and design Meditech c/s 6.0 Focus /ESX architecture.

[admin]

My past employer was successful in virtualizing the Meditech application for a client. I wasn't involved with that particular project, but thru the grapevine, it was mentioned that you need to make sure that the VMware Tools are used to sync the VMs time clocks with the ESX hosts. Also, you'll need to do a complete VMware Tools install so that you can turn on a service called "VMware Descheduled Time Accounting Service". It is normally set to manual...and you'll want to set it to automatic and then start it up.

VMware has a white paper called "Timekeeping in Virtual Machines" that explains all of this as well as KB 1339 which explains how to get your ESX server's time clocks sync'd with an outside source using the NTP client.

Hope this helps,

Chris

[mnasir]

Chuss,

Thanks for your input, I have some questions that I need to clarify:

- Meditech c/s 6.0 runs on Windows server 2003 R2, in

my domain all member servers VM/non VM syncs their time to all 4 domain

controllers, and the root DC syncs its time with my non VM Red Hat NTP server

that syncs time with an external red hat clock. So I don't think any of the

servers running Meditech application will not have any issues, since they will

be member servers. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

- All the ESX server in our server farm syncs time with Non

VM internal NTP time server. And the hardware clock synchronizes with local

system time.

[admin]

If I read your post correctly, it looks like you have your VMs sync'ng with the Domain Controllers. If you take a look at this whitepaper:

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware_timekeeping.pdf

...it explains that the W32time service is not adequate enough to keep the VMs time in sync. They recommend that you disable the W32time service or hack the registry to prevent it from sync'ng with an outside source...in favor of having the VMware Tools service do the sync'ng. Coupled with the VMware Descheduled Time Accounting Service, your Meditech VMs should be able to keep accurate time.

Chris

[mnasir]

Thanks for the input.

[admin]

No problem. Perhaps others will add their tips and tricks with virtualizing Meditech.

Chris

[PEE_ES3]

Can you tell me which hospital was able to Virtualize Meditech? We are trying to Virtualize Meditech for the purpose of disaster recovery.

[admin]

I'll send you a private message...since I'm not sure if the hospital would appreciate this becoming public knowledge for some reason.

Chris

[dbeane]

I would love to hear more about this. We are looking to move from Meditech Magic to Client Server 6.0. I would like to know if Meditech still requires the spindle count like they do if you have physical machines. Could you also tell me who the hospital is that did this?

[SMartinSD]

I would like to get info from you as well. We have a Meditech environment running Magic OSAL. I would like to get this on VMWare. If you have documentation on implementations this would be greatly appreciated.

One of the items that concerns me is if this is on VMware, how remote managment of the server instance is done. Many other questions as well.

Thanks for your input.

Suzanne

[dconvery]

If you guys have access to VMworld 2008 presentations, HCA did a breakout on Meditech -> http://www.vmworld.com/static/sessions/2008/TA2607.html

Dave

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If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside.

Robert X. Cringely, InfoWorld magazine

[mnasir]

Thanks to all of you for sharing your valuable comments - We have successfully virtualized Meditech - http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/customers/08Q4_isv_vmw_Interfaith_medical_english.pdf

[vSeanClark]

I don't have specific info on 6.0, but I virtualized Meditech c/s 5 background servers in March of 2006. It was a resounding success with only one problem. We should have ignored their hardware specs and only do a single vCPU VM for background servers. We did 2 vCPUs according to their instructions and it was a wast of system resources and actually slowed the environment down a little bit. My understudy changed these over to single vCPUs a couple years later.

I also understand that he has since dipped his toe in the water with virtualizing file servers as well. Biggest advice there is to communicate in advance what you're doing with Bridgehead and get them to help advice on correct SAN integration software and scripts needed. They will give you crap about going rogue, but they and Meditech will eventually help you.

Holler if anyone has questions. I love helping folks virtualize their Meditech systems and sticking it to the high dollar and low value Meditech system integrators.

If you value your karma, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful".

Sean Clark - vExpert, VCP - -

[mnasir]

I haven't experienced any issues virtualizing Meditech file servers. We just had to make sure we provisioned the LUNs using physical RDMs to the file servers, so that Bridgehead can perform ISB/IDR. We have been live over 4 months -- no issues.

[mnasir]

I haven't experienced any issues virtualizing Meditech file servers. We just had to make sure we provisioned the LUNs using physical RDMs to the file servers, so that Bridgehead can perform ISB/IDR. We have been live over 4 months -- no issues.