Changing from 3-tier systems to a Hyperconverged Infrastructure
A hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is a software-defined layer that consolidates and manages the computing, networking, storage, of a traditional data system, providing a simple, scalable, and affordable data centre solution. With a hyperconverged infrastructure, it eliminates the need for separate storage, networking, and computing systems, whilst at the same time controlled through a single GUI.
How a Hyperconverged Infrastructure Can Benefit Your Business
Deploying a hyperconverged infrastructure will benefit your business by offering enhanced data security, streamlined management, and optimised scalability. But provides the invaluable ability to utilise the power of the cloud to deliver a flexible public and private cloud platform; This simple approach provides the security to create, store, and migrate data directly to and from the cloud or your on-premise hybrid cloud platform.
How does HCI work?
A hyperconverged infrastructure relies on a software layer called a software defined infrastructure, it is this software that provides all the management and replaces the costly and complex data centre stack. With HCI, there is no need for separate servers, storage networks or virtualisation. Because HCI is comprised of a cluster of nodes and is completely scalable; A hyperconverged infrastructure gives you the ability to start small and add nodes as more storage is required. Alternatively, you can cut scale down your HCI system, removing company data and applications which are no longer necessary.
A hyperconverged infrastructure makes the management of all virtual machines and their features incredibly simple; Because each software-defined element of your technological infrastructure is accessible through the hypervisor, files and applications may be easily shared. The federated management capabilities offered through HCI, in combination with the consolidation of your software defined infrastructure, brings an end to the frustrating inefficiencies that are often experienced with traditional data centres in terms of management, flexibility, maintenance and future upgrades. Astoundingly, this superior system will even significantly reduce your IT costs, saving your company money to be allotted elsewhere. The scalablity available through HCI gives you the ability to grow over time or scale down the information stored within your hyperconverged infrastructure as needed.
HCI Data Protection
Due to the unique nature of a hyperconverged infrastructure data is written across multiple nodes as replicas. Depending on the number of nodes in the cluster you could have 2 to 5 copies of the data spread across the nodes, unlike a normal RAID array where a single copy of the data exists.
As each node has its own, storage, networking, compute and memory it has the ability to handle a data request on its own i.e. write a block of data, once this task is completed this information is then replicated across the other nodes in order to safeguard the data. Should a node(s) fail based on the cluster configuration everything will continue to operate as normal.
Thanks to this wonderful technology, you will no longer have to worry about vital data becoming lost or inaccessible in the event of an IT emergency; This ensures the business and its employees will always have access to important files and programs on any device working within the HCI system. All too often, businesses lose valuable productivity time, potential profits, and even clients due to hardware errors; Luckily, with HCI and the use of the cloud, you can eliminate this risk to provide 100% data availability.
Why choose HCI?
Today, many companies favour a hyperconverged infrastructure due to the impressive range of features on offer. Despite the technologically advanced nature of HCI, it is a low-cost, low-maintenance system that will provide your company with a far more simplified technological infrastructure that can be expanded for capacity, performance or both, simply by adding additional nodes. Once a new node is added the software defined layer then takes care of the data management i.e. migrate older files to slower disk.
An HCI is sure to drastically minimise the need for IT maintenance, while maximising your business’s production and profits. And with such ease of operation, a hyperconverged infrastructure will allow you to spend less time worrying about your company’s technological infrastructure, these appliances ship fully integrated, tested, and configured so that you can dramatically accelerate your time to value and reduce your infrastructure maintenance and provide the ability to focus on building a bigger, more successful business.
Certified Solution
We provide HCI solutions that are completely certified and supported by all the following vendors:
Hyperconverged Infrastructure use cases
Below are some of the typical use cases for HCI.
- Run VM’s to provide continuous data availability and protection
- Create a VDI infrastructure
- Build a public/private cloud to control infrastructure costs
- Provide Block or File storage to your existing infrastructure
- General Purpose Workloads – File/Print, Database, Application Server
- Test & Dev
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Data Analytics
- IoT – Edge Servers
When you choose a hyperconverged infrastructure a business can finally replace expensive and outdated purpose-built hardware with a modern and efficient software-defined system, all while reducing your company’s IT costs.
Features of a Hyperconverged Infrastructure
The efficient and cost-effective hyperconverged infrastructure is full of valuable features:
- Consolidate the existing 3-tier approach to storage, servers, and networking to create a more compact and reliable system
- Eliminate the need for outdated and costly separate storage and computing systems
- Federated management capabilities which allow you to easily share applications and files with your employees
- Build and deploy an on-site cloud-like infrastructure to lower your company’s costs and increase security
- Expand to the public cloud, allowing for more rapid deployment and more efficient management
- Utilise a hybrid cloud, allowing you to manage both VM-based and container-based applications
- Create, store, and migrate data directly to and from the cloud
- Take advantage of enhanced data security through Azure Backup, Azure Monitor, Azure Site Recovery, and the Azure Security Centre
- Deploy and run Microsoft Windows and Linux virtual machines from your HCI data centre
- Simplify your company’s technological infrastructure while minimising IT maintenance costs
- Virtually implement changes, saving your business valuable time and increasing your productivity potential
Modernise Your Business with a Hyperconverged Infrastructure
With the extreme flexibility, savings, and efficiency that HCI has to offer businesses, it is no surprise that so many companies have chosen to throw out their traditional 3-tier software-defined systems and have made the switch to a hyperconverged infrastructure. The incredibly valuable features and benefits available through HCI provide you with the optimised security your company needs, as well as the systematic simplicity you want.
With the federated management capabilities that are possible through HCI, securely sharing important company applications and data has never been easier. The extreme scalability offered through this system gives you the flexibility of expanding or reducing your HCI storage over time, ensuring that you are never paying to store unneeded data. When you choose a hyperconverged infrastructure, you give your business a well-deserved advantage over companies that are still relying on outdated technology. Stop stifling your business’s growth and begin to reap the benefits of a hyperconverged infrastructure today.
Performance
Depending on the type of Hyperconverged Infrastructure deployed you can have any combination of the following:
- All flash using SSD or NVMe storage
- Hybrid using the above plus hard disks
- Build an HCI for high capacity using hard disks
- Migrate data from slower tiers to faster tiers from on-premise or the cloud to provide elastic storage
Summary
At Fortuna we provide several hyperconverged solutions to suit all businesses and requirements, for example a business might have a requirement to provide back up to branch offices or require continuous up-time for an e-commerce system.
If you want to manage and update your infrastructure from a mobile device then why not call us on 01256 331614 or email solutions@fortunadata.com to find out more. Thanks for reading.