Hyper-converged systems: The compact data center

The data center of a business traditionally consists of multiple components: Network, storage, computers, and (in the best case) backup/disaster recovery. All of these aspects run separately from one another on different hardware and with individual software solutions. Administrators manage the components independently. The complexity and individuality of each piece make the use of specialists required. A network administrator is not able to perform storage management at the same time.

Corporate IT that’s built in such a way is a solid system that works very well if it’s managed and maintained properly. At the same time, though, it’s also very rigid and can only be changed with a great deal of effort. New components are expensive, which is why those in charge usually only purchase them in longer cycles. If it becomes clear that the existing means no longer meet requirements, then the newly acquired equipment should be used for at least the next few years. Capacities need to be provided in advance, not just when they are required.

Such a system also reacts sensitively to changes. When setting up IT, administrators use a great deal of energy and nerves to coordinate all of the elements so that they can work together smoothly. New components need to be added with caution because they could disrupt the technical equilibrium.

In comparison, converged structures have individual components that are more closely combined in a common framework or application. The components generally remain independent of one another, however, work together hand-in-hand. They’re coordinated in advance by the provider of the complete system, which guarantees smooth interaction. IT no longer has to deal with painstakingly adapting individual hardware components.

It also has organizational advantages: Converged systems generally ensure more order in the server room. The different hardware components are accommodated in server cabinets with direct connections to one another. However, they’re still independent, individual parts that have to be maintained – and by the appropriate personnel. When it comes time to upgrade the hardware, extensions aren’t easy to add on. The entire system must be modified. In this aspect, converged systems don’t differ from their traditional predecessors.

HCI reduces the complexity of data centers, resulting in an increase in efficiency and productivity on various levels.

• Administration: The composition of the IT team is fundamentally changed by the setup of a hyper-converged infrastructure. A traditional data center is characterized by many independent solutions. Network, storage, and computer activities are all handled separately - not just when it comes to supplying the appropriate hardware. The management of this system is also divided up among various IT experts. Each task has its own specialist staff member. With HCI, everything runs on the same interface. All monitoring operations can take place in the same location. At the same time, this ensures that generalists are in demand instead of specialists. They have to deal with the infrastructure as a whole, rather than exclusively handling partial aspects. Ultimately, this also means that the IT department’s staffing requirements will decrease.
   
• Setup: HCI is an all-in-one solution. This is based mainly on the idea of plug-and-play: The system arrives, is connected to the power supply, and works. Further setting adjustments are still necessary, of course, but the provider takes care of the lion’s share before delivery. This also helps ease the transition from a traditional system to a hyper-converged solution.
   
• Modification: Hyper-converged systems are simpler to customize than a traditional infrastructure. For this, it’s necessary to scale the size of systems to suspicion. This means that components are created with the intention that they won’t fully exploit performance in the future. At the time of setup, the conditions for an effective utilization are often not yet available, so resources remain unused for a long time. If everything then needs to be upgraded again, it’s a very expensive and labor-intensive process. HCI, on the other hand, can be retrofitted much more easily: Extensions can be purchased relatively easily for the system and integrated without IT failure. You simply need to integrate another node into the system. This can be done within a few hours, instead of over several weeks.
   
• Cost: By reducing the number of admin staff, being set up more quickly, and being easier to expand, HCI reduces costs when compared to a traditional system. Acquisition is also much cheaper in most cases. There are also fewer operating costs since the process saves energy. The price of individual solutions varies, though: The hardware itself isn’t a major expense, but providers can be paid to set it up. The software, which needs to be extremely powerful to run the HCI virtualization, has its price. In the long run, though, it should pay off.
   
• Security: It’s been shown that hyper-converged systems have much less downtime than traditional systems. In addition, the necessary conditions for backups and restores are already installed and automated. Redundancy is created with the coupling of two nodes. Since all components are virtually represented within the infrastructure, you can exchange entire appliances without data loss or system failures.
   
• Speed: Hyper-converged infrastructures also offer the advantage of higher speeds in particular areas. The deduplication process, in particular, can be more effectively controlled. Since all virtual machines use the same code, it’s easier to eliminate duplicate data. The problem of I/O blender effects is also minimized because the systems are fully compatible and designed for virtualization.

Time and time again, IT teams that rely on traditional infrastructure find themselves without solutions when problems arise - the providers simply blame each other for the error instead. Whose fault it is hardly matters to the affected company, as they just want to get the problem resolved as quickly as possible. This situation can’t occur with hyper-converged all-in-one solutions. There’s only one providerresponsible for system functions. Even if they use components from other manufacturers, they remain the person of contact and are solely responsible for solutions.

Space and energy requirements are minimized, especially for small operations. Hyper-converged servers are built very small and have nothing to do with the traditional giant storage cabinets. The energy consumption is also lower, which is why these systems are considered to be environmentally friendly - keyword: Green IT.

If you decide on a hyper-converged system, you receive an all-in-one solution - everything from one provider. But this also means that you’re completely dependent on that server (vendor lock-in). If the manufacturer should turn out to be unreliable or even discontinue operation, it can be catastrophic for the company’s IT infrastructure. You also won’t be able to simply switch to a new manufacturer for extensions. Chaos in the server room would be inevitable.

This also goes for when companies try to upgrade their existing infrastructure with hyper-converged systems. This is not how the system is designed: HCI should replace existing hardware, not extend it. The transfer from one solution to another is relatively easy to manage but for companies that have been working with traditional infrastructure for years, it means making a clean break. The hardware into which a great deal of energy and money was invested becomes obsolete along with the move. You have to be aware of this when choosing HCI.

One alleged benefit of the system can also be construed as negative: the flexible extendibility. To customize the data center to fit increased requirements, a complete appliance is added to the infrastructure. This product does include a complete package computer, storage, and network, though. If you really only need more storage space, though, you still have to order an entire package - and this can’t be customized. Providers of hyper-converged systems offer products of various sizes, but this type of data center is exactly the type that is supposed to avoid precisely fitting custom settings.

HCI and cloud technology look very similar at first glance since they’re based on the same principle of virtualization: Better use of resources and easier work for users. Both technologies function with virtual machines that provide services. But the difference is primarily in the location and the given advantages and disadvantages of the products. While the cloud service is occasionally located far away from the customer (depending on the provider, even on a different continent), the hyper-converged system is found in its own nearby room and is under the company’s own control.

The question of whether your company should choose to have its own data center with hyper-converged infrastructure depends on the requirements of the company in question. Small companies that don’t have their own IT department are already in good hands with cloud providers. HCI is the right solution, though, for those who think on a larger scale as far as IT is concerned and don’t want to hand the control of their data over to others under any circumstances.

The major advantage of hyper-converged infrastructure is the simplification of IT: more room, less manufacturer chaos, less management effort. The new systems, which are based on the familiar technology, follow the goals of converged infrastructure and extend it by virtualizing all components. This no longer has much to do with a traditional data center, so the change can sometimes upset the entire system and personnel structure.

The benefits of hyper-converged infrastructures are very tempting for small as well as large companies. Good scalability paired with simplified monitoring and management makes it reasonable for all users. For founders and any company that’s just starting up its IT operations, HCI should be the right choice. The situation is different if there’s already a fully equipped data center with a well-trained IT team. The out-of-the-box systems aren’t intended for integration and require no technological knowledge. If you have to completely replace existing storage, server, and network hardware while simultaneously restructuring the team, then the migration isn’t as appealing.

Developments in the IT market are difficult to predict, otherwise, there wouldn’t have been such frequent miscalculations regarding demand and development speeds in the past. It’s quite probable, though, that virtualization processes won’t lose their importance in the future, so HCI shouldn’t simply be dismissed as current hype. A step in this direction - which doesn’t necessarily mean hyper-convergence - is essential for any company in the long term. The right time for making such a transition, though, is up to the individual company and IT specialists, who ought to exercise plenty of caution.