In the ever-evolving landscape of education in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN) stands as a crucial pillar, ensuring that learning continues uninterrupted, even in the face of unprecedented challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic tested BdREN’s resilience and ingenuity, forcing a rapid pivot to virtual education to maintain continuity for students nationwide.
The Challenge: Affordable Virtual Learning:
As lockdowns shuttered classrooms, Zoom became an essential tool for virtual education. However, providing this service at an affordable rate posed a significant challenge in a lower-economic country like Bangladesh. BdREN sought to convince mobile operators to offer cheaper data packages for Zoom usage, but these efforts were thwarted by the fact that Zoom traffic was routed internationally. The mobile operators were firm: if the traffic remained within the country, they might reconsider.
The Solution: On-Premise Zoom Infrastructure:
Determined to bring Zoom traffic within national borders, BdREN decided to implement an on-premise Zoom infrastructure within their data center. This ambitious project required the deployment of approximately 250 virtual servers, each functioning as a Multimedia Router (MMR) to handle the video conferencing needs, to tackle at least 1000 classes during peak hours.
Initially, BdREN attempted to deploy these virtual machines using VMware ESXi, then BdREN’s existing virtualization platform. However, they soon encountered compatibility issues due to hardware versions. Moreover, the memory consumptions of ESXi was significantly high which posed significant challenges to their deployment plans.
Transition to Proxmox: Removal of the Stumbling Blocks
In their quest for a more flexible and cost-effective solution, BdREN explored Proxmox, an open-source KVM-based virtualization environment. The transition to Proxmox proved to be transformative. Not only did it resolve the hardware compatibility issues, but also optimized resource utilization significantly better than VMware vCenter. Using the same hardware, BdREN discovered they could create more than 1.5 times the number of virtual machines compared to that of using VMware ESXi.
Proxmox’s open-source nature provided additional financial relief, eliminating licensing costs associated with VMware. Its built-in backup systems further enhanced cost savings by negating the need for expensive third-party backup solutions.
Embracing Advanced Features:
Proxmox came equipped with advanced features like Software Defined Networking (SDN), Software Defined Storage (SDS) and virtual firewalls. These capabilities allowed BdREN to build a full-fledged Software Defined Data Center (SDDC), providing a robust and scalable infrastructure.
With these tools, BdREN could not only meet the immediate needs of on-premise Zoom hosting but also lay the groundwork for future technological advancements. The SDN and SDS features enabled more efficient network and storage management, while virtual firewalls ensured robust security for the entire system.
Scaling laaS Offerings:
Beyond meeting immediate needs, BdREN saw the potential to enhance its Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offerings. Previously, these cloud services provided to member institutions were based on VMware ESXi. Recognizing the cost-benefit advantage of Proxmox, BdREN began migrating its entire IaaS platform to Proxmox, ensuring a more efficient, scalable and economical solution for educational institutions across Bangladesh.
The Transition Process:
The migration process was carefully planned to minimize disruption. Despite VMware’s extensive features and functionalities, BdREN prioritized the essential requirements and conducted a thorough cost-benefit analysis. The results were clear: Proxmox offered the most sustainable and financially prudent path forward. This strategic move ensured that BdREN could continue to provide robust cloud services without compromising on quality or efficiency.
A Vision for the Future:
Today, BdREN’s data center is moving forward with the activity of virtual machines powered by Proxmox. The transition has not only provided a reliable solution for onpremise Zoom but has also empowered BdREN to offer enhanced cloud services to its member institutions. The shift to Proxmox symbolizes BdREN’s commitment to innovation, efficiency and sustainability.
In a world where education is the cornerstone of progress, BdREN’s strategic decisions during the pandemic have laid a solid foundation for the future. By embracing Proxmox, BdREN has demonstrated that even in the face of adversity, with the right blend of determination and technology, it is possible to turn challenges into opportunities and build a brighter, more connected future for the students of Bangladesh.
