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When it comes to storage infrastructure, companies are looking to find the ideal solution that will offer both lower operating costs and increased performance. There are many advanced solutions on the market, offering both many advantages and disadvantages. However, technology evolves and changes. What was effective a couple of years ago is outdated today.
One of the best solutions for data centers today is the implementation of hyper-converged infrastructure which is being used by a growing number of different companies.
We will talk about what this solution is and what benefits it offers. In addition, we will look at the best vendors of hyper converged appliances on the market today.
About HCI
Such an infrastructure is a system that provides companies with the ability to integrate various technologies. In addition, the advantage of infrastructure is that by using one main channel, specialists can manage technology within one system. This system, which IT specialists can manage using one software, integrates three important components.
These are the components:
- Compute;
- Network;
- Storage;
- VMs.
In addition to ease of management, this innovative solution makes it easier for companies to stop worrying about what hardware needs to be installed to make things work. The bottom line is that to work with this architecture, companies need only the usual equipment that they already use. As companies need to increase productivity, they only need to add nodes. It’s easy, fast, and can be done when needed.
No limits on scalability
No previous solution offers professionals the convenience that HCI offers in increasing virtualized workloads. If earlier, due to the increase in workloads, specialists had to resort to using separate storage networks, then this innovative solution eliminates such difficulties.
This architecture is convenient because it does not limit specialists in their actions. If the volume of loads needs to be increased, they only need to use additional nodes that connect to standard equipment.
Improving data center efficiency
Various systems, devices, equipment, and much more that was necessary for data centers are no longer needed. With this solution, companies can change the way their data centers look and make them more efficient.
First, there is no need to continue to maintain the huge number of devices previously used. HCI keeps the number of required devices to a minimum. There is only a need for standard equipment. Thus, companies can modernize their storage, getting rid of outdated and inefficient solutions.
Increasing flexibility and reducing costs
Usually, companies have a large staff of employees dealing with data storage issues. Moreover, companies had to look for specialists with deep knowledge of various data-related issues. Each employee is responsible for their scope of work and this leads to the fact that companies lose their flexibility. Using this infrastructure, companies can reduce the amount of equipment and thereby eliminate the need for a large number of specialists.
Since the infrastructure is managed through a single system that combines everything, IT experts of a wide profile can now deal with management issues.
Because this innovative solution is one of the most effective, companies can choose from the very best supplier of the appliance on the market. Let’s consider appliances your company may want to consider.
Top appliances
Starwind HCA
The company offers an ideal solution for both small businesses and large businesses. The main advantage is that you have the opportunity to get excellent value for money since other vendors offer the same solution at a higher price. The proposed device works on 2 servers. It also offers 2 nodes. This is due to security in unforeseen cases. In an emergency, when one node fails, the second one is connected, which does not allow any failures. Unlike other vendors who typically need 3-4 nodes for proper High Availability, StarWind achieves this on 2, making it exceptionally cost-effective in the long run.
This device has a single management console that allows you to monitor performance. Small businesses that don’t have much capital can benefit as the company offers free setup as well as comprehensive deployment support.
Nutanix AOS
When working with high-performance applications, you can take advantage of this excellent solution. When working, a virtual server is created, which allows companies to expand as necessary and increase resources. Using the hypervisor of this company, businesses can run on most systems, including Windows as well as Linux.
In addition to being able to contact the company’s support staff, the company also offers a learning platform. Thus, you get a set of training materials that your IT specialists may need to deploy the system. Although this innovative solution is quite expensive, many companies are seeing an improvement in performance, which is a big deal for them.
NetApp HCI
The solution offered by this company is based on a hybrid cloud as well as on-premises infrastructure. This allows various companies to work with different cloud environments, as well as any kind of workload.
The advantage of this device is that specialists can access the system from different locations. In addition, there is an option to take advantage of other solutions such as cloud backup, which provides an additional layer of security.
Moreover, you may have the ability to individually scale your resources. This applies to both storage and computing resources. Thus, if cost reduction is the most important thing for you, then this is your ideal choice.
Cisco HyperFlex
Many companies prefer the Cisco device because it offers excellent speed as well as low latency. For many businesses, these two characteristics are of the utmost importance given their significant workloads.
One of the most important advantages is that it is easy to set up. Thus, companies can quickly start using it. By managing various important data, users can create multiple data stores.
Conclusion
When looking to modernize your data center, you will want to find the best solution for both performance and value. To date, the only option that offers many benefits for various companies is hyper-converged infrastructure.
It offers companies reduced operating costs, scalability whenever needed, and a host of other benefits. When choosing a device, you should rely on the best solutions on the market today.
