Converged infrastructure (CI) enables businesses to streamline their processes and boost performance. Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) takes these achievements to a higher level: it helps companies to become more like the cloud and deliver IT as a service. From this article, you’ll get to know about the essence and benefits of hyperconvergence. You’ll find out how it differs from convergence and why your business might be interested in this concept.
How Does Converged Infrastructure Function
Converged infrastructure (CI) is a hardware-based approach to converging storage and processes. It facilitates complex deployments as well as minimizes expenses and compatibility issues. It operates with building blocks.
Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is a software-based approach to converging storage and processes. It typically suggests deployment on commodity components. The prefix “hyper” here doesn’t mean that this concept is superior to converged infrastructures. Sometimes, the term “ultra-converged” can be used as a synonym.
Before we start talking about hyper-converged infrastructure appliance, let’s analyze how converged architecture functions. It means that storage is attached directly to the physical server. Such an approach can ensure just as high a speed of work as hyperconverged alternatives. Storage media of various kinds (HDD, flash, NVMe, etc.) are used in this scenario, with the key identification of them being direct-attached storage..
If your infrastructure is hyperconverged, you’ll be relying on a storage controller. It will run as a service on every node in the cluster. The servers that will store your not-too-crucial data are called “cold” or “warm” storage (depending on their aim). The ones that keep the data that’s vital to you are referred to as “hot storage”.
Here are the primary arguments in favor of converged infrastructure:
- Build-your-owny solution. It consists of standalone parts that you can use separately from all the infrastructure. That might enable you to cut down costs.
- Maximum agility and efficiency. You’ll be able to control all your IT components in a granular fashion and control each aspect independently, putting it to a specifically assigned role and function.
- Enhanced coordination. You’ll be able to better coordinate the interaction of all the components of your business: technology, processes and people. This might be a major challenge for companies that stick to legacy data center management.
- Ease of purchase, deployment and use. You can choose your own adventure: opt for the storage, server, networking items and scale them one component at a time as you need it.
- As your business grows, you’ll be able to flexibly scale only those components of your infrastructure that are vital for growth. The rest of the infrastructure will remain fully functional.
Converged infrastructure might have many benefits — but hyperconvergence might be able to offer even better opportunities for your business.
The Meaning of the “Hyperconverged Infrastructure” Term
While converged infrastructure is focused on hardware, its hyperconverged counterpart is defined by software. It’s impossible to break down this technology into standalone components because it’s completely integrated. Converged infrastructure, by contrast, means that you can separate each server and use it as a discrete building block.
Here are the key advantages of hyperconverged infrastructure:
- Reduced costs.
- Enhanced performance. It becomes easier to purchase, deploy, maintain and manage the technology. Your team’s productivity will increase, which should lead to revenue growth. You should be able to release more products.
- Excellent efficiency. This technology enables you to save IOPS, eliminate duplicate services and devices and offload intensive processing from x86 processors. At any moment, you can get access to as many CPU resources as your business requires.
- Lack of discrete IT components. The fewer moving elements there are in your infrastructure, the less frequent you’ll have troubles with your hardware.
- Streamlined control. You’ll be able to control all virtual environments through a unified user-friendly interface. Such an approach will require minimum effort from your side and will boost your productivity. You’ll become less prone to buying and provisioning more items than you need.
- Superb mobility. You’ll achieve this goal thanks to being focused on virtual machines and apps.
- Easy scaling. When you want to scale, it should be enough to include more units into your infrastructure.
- No third-party replication and backup. You won’t need to outsource backup professionals. You’ll be able to carry out all the necessary operations between your sites.
Hyperconverged infrastructure is believed to be the future of data center design. The earlier you adopt it, the quicker you should be able to get a competitive edge over your rivals.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you found this article informative and now you better understand the essence and advantages of hyperconvergence. This technology enables you to take your data management to the next level. You should appreciate streamlined control, enhanced efficiency and improved performance of your business processes. You’ll benefit from reduced costs, increased mobility and an opportunity to scale on demand.
