I have a client that will have the need for about 20 LINUX Machines performing several functions. Some database driven servers, some servers will be pushing/pulling data from business partners.
Typically they have had a server for each function running on PC's. They have nothing in place for backup processes.
What I would like to do is get an environment together so that they could run VM's on a couple of different servers. If that one server would go down, they would have a way to get the VM's from the failed server on-line ASAP.
I am little new to VM, but understand the concept. We have a couple of VM's running LINUX servers for them now. We are running RHEL VM sessions of a WINDOWS server.
I would also like to be able migrate those VM's into a more enterprising solution.
Money is an object but my client seems to have an endless supply of it so would like to put something very robust together for them
Something that might be able to span data-centers!
For what you want, like ArunRaju says, you need a couple of ESX host servers beefy enough to run the VM's you want + you need a common storage platform (SAN, NAS, etc) and you need Virtual Center to control all these things so that if one host server fails, etc vCenter can migrate and/or start up the VM on the other box. Plus of course don't forget you need to be able to back all this stuff up ... so add that to your todo list. Don't forget to also ensure your ESX hosts have resilient network uplinks to the your switching infrastructure i.e. follow VMWare best practices.
All these things are not to be taken lightly. Setting up this type of environment requires some considered thought, because when it comes to virtualization, you sort of do put all your eggs in one basket and if one thing fails or goes wrong ... you can lose your entire infrastructure. This is the other side of the virtualization. I say this, because sometimes people get so carried away with the power and ease of virtualization, they forget about the very bad aspects to it (that is if you don't take steps to prevent / anticipate it). There are hundreds of questions on this board where people have deleted a VMFS volume containing all their VM's with no backups. I would shudder to think of my job prospects at my present employer if that had to happen to me at work. This is not me being negative on virtualization ... just being realistic that sometimes things go wrong.
Othewise, Virtualization is fun ... can't wait to moving all our stuff to ESX. (We have dual redundant everything, including SAN!) :-)