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Having trouble managing data volume? Try converged infrastructure

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As a growing number of businesses across just about all industries adopt new tech trends like bring-your-own-device policies, big data analytics and the Internet of Things, the volume of information stored by such organizations is reaching increasingly high levels. The ability to collect and share data is more important than ever, but traditional information management systems have difficulties handling the rising workloads. In an attempt to manage the growing amounts of data, many companies have scaled their existing IT infrastructure by incorporating disparate systems on outdated technology. This creates overly complex IT environments and puts even more strain on storage setups and IT administrators.

So what are enterprises to do? The current business environment calls for faster and more agile access to critical data, and the systems being used now are complicated and detrimental to the health of a company. To gain the competitive advantages necessary to stay ahead of the game, many organizations are now deploying converged infrastructure.

Growing volumes of data can be better managed with a converged infrastructure. Growing volumes of data can be better managed with a converged infrastructure.

Moving to a converged infrastructure

“The integrated infrastructure market increased by nearly 34% in 2014.”

Instead of buying one-off machines and separate CPU, storage and network components and having to configure them all, converged infrastructure allows IT administrators to access an preconfigured, integrated experience in a box. A growing number of enterprises are seeing the advantages to implementing converged infrastructure, according to research firm IDC. In the second quarter of 2014, the integrated infrastructure and platforms market increased by nearly 34 percent year-over-year and revenue for the first half of 2014 rose 36 percent.

Converged systems scale out performance and capacity by virtualizing computing and storage power across multiple nodes. Data protection and failover are managed between the nodes, and clients typically must start with a minimum of three to account for availability. Once the system has been implemented, users can add nodes on an individual basis in order to increase storage and computing resources.

There are a variety of benefits to converged infrastructure:

  • Faster Provisioning: By employing a converged infrastructure model, a job that may have once required a provisioning time of three weeks can be cut down to less than an hour in some instances.
  • Lowers costs: With convergence, fewer single-use components are needed, and fewer components will be used in the data center overall. This decrease means fewer components to manage, troubleshoot and operate, as well as a reduction in the physical footprint of the data center or other IT facility.
  • Simpler management infrastructure: A converged infrastructure centralizes the management of servers, networks and storage, creating more streamlined daily maintenance. This requires less personnel and a lower knowledge base as opposed to traditional upkeep, freeing up skilled tech workers for more business-critical functions.
  • Quicker IT response: Creates a more agile way to respond to changes in the marketplace or with business priorities.
  • Reduced siloing of IT teams: Instead of managing storage and CPU separately, everything is done together. Fewer overall IT resources are needed with converged infrastructure and more knowledge and cross-training becomes available throughout the business.
  • Improved control: Control is now centralized and management of multiple functions and devices can take place at one time.
  • Scalability and flexibility: Allows the capacity of the entire data center or IT footprint to be quickly adjusted to meet client demands.

Converged infrastructure offers business considerable savings as opposed to traditional approaches. As the market continues to evolve, systems will become simplified and more third-party integrators will emerge to take over the task from in-house teams. This will lead to increased options and lower costs. Modern converged systems focus management on virtual machines, moving commodity computing resources and disks to the background. As the market continues to grow, more options will emerge that offer both options in combined nodes, enabling improved scalability. Sometimes referred to as hyperconvergence, this unites storage, computing a networking in a single unit around a hypervisor that takes care of all of the management duties.

With enterprise data volumes increasing all the time and as the need for reliable, agile and secure management solutions become more important, working with a third-party service provider to create a converged infrastructure solution is more often than not the best way for business to access competitive advantages.

Cloud IaaS market growing

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The cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service market is growing at an accelerated rate, with providers bringing in increased revenue, according to IT analyst firm Gartner.

A recent Gartner report found that global spending on cloud IaaS solutions will reach almost $16.5 billion in 2015, an increase of more than 32 percent from last year. As more businesses move an increasing number of workloads to the cloud, the market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 29 percent through 2019.

"10% of CIOs consider cloud IaaS their default infrastructure option."

Last year the absolute growth of public IaaS workloads surpassed on-premise workload growth of any type for the first time, the Gartner report revealed. According to a survey of CIOs conducted by Gartner, cloud IaaS is considered an infrastructure option by 83 percent of CIOs and 10 percent already consider it their default choice.

This growth in the IaaS market is also causing a consolidation of service providers, according to Gartner vice president and distinguished analyst Lydia Leong. The market is rapidly revolving around a small number of trusted service providers, so IT buyers will need to select their vendors carefully.

"We urge buyers to be extremely cautious when selecting providers; ask specific and detailed questions about the provider's roadmap for the service, and seek contractual commitments that do not permit the provider to modify substantially or to discontinue the offering without at least 12 months' notice," said Leong.

The cloud IaaS market is growing and providers are consolidating.The cloud IaaS market is growing and providers are consolidating.

IaaS proves a versatile tool
Cloud IaaS solutions can be put to work for practically any use case that can reasonably be hosted on virtual servers, but the most common are development and testing environments, high performance computers and batch processing, Web-based apps and non-mission-critical internal business applications. Gartner suggests that businesses adopting a cloud IaaS solution operate in two essential modes, otherwise known as bimodal IT. This allows them to keep sight of what is needed to maintain IT operations while at the same time innovating with new, digital possibilities.

"Cloud IaaS can now be used to run most workloads, although not every provider can run every type of workload well," said Leong. "Cloud IaaS is not a commodity. Providers vary significantly in their features, performance, cost and business terms. Although in theory, cloud IaaS has very little lock-in, in truth, cloud IaaS is not merely a matter of hardware rental, but an entire data centre ecosystem as a service. The more you use its management capabilities, the more value you will receive from the offering, but the more you will be tied to that particular service offering."

When first starting, most organizations deploy cloud IaaS for mode 2, agile IT projects that may be on the periphery of the organization's IT needs but can still have a major impact for the business. As the company becomes more comfortable with its use of IaaS overtime, some organizations may choose to use it in Mode 1, for traditional IT projects.

As time goes on, many enterprises, especially those in the mid-market, will likely migrate away from operating their own computing facilities and instead host their workloads in a data center run by a service provider and rely primarily on infrastructure in the cloud.

There's more to data center security than you think

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When it comes to computers and technology, there is one thing at the forefront of everyone's minds these days: security. This idea is especially critical when talking about data centers, as digital, physical and structural security are all critical to operations.

There are a variety of different security concerns when it comes to data centers, from compliance requirements to building security to protections against the weather. Businesses need to make themselves aware of the security precautions taken by their data center service provider and carefully consider three areas of security before choosing a facility.

"Businesses need to carefully consider three areas of security when choosing a data center."

Physical
Most people think digital security is the only concern when it comes to data centers, but if the power supply cuts out or a tornado tears the facility down, that can be even more debilitating than a data breach. Consider these physical aspects when choosing a data center:

  • A secure location: The site needs to be located a good distance away from company headquarters and out of the path of natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes.
  • Redundant utilities: A secure facility will employ two separate sources for critical utilities, being able to trace electricity back to two unique substations.
  • Controlled building access: Make sure the data center has security guards in place and a limited number of entry points into the building, as well as security cameras and gates to keep out unwanted visitors.
There are many different security concerns that must be addressed when choosing a <a data-cke-saved-href=There are many different security concerns that must be addressed when choosing a data center.

Digital
While the physical considerations of a computing facility are very important to the overall security of the building, digital security precautions must also be taken in order to protect the files stored within.

  • Implement two factor authentication: Biometric identification is increasingly being used in data centers as a second layer of security to ensure only the appropriate people are handling certain information.
  • Encrypt data in motion: Encryption is a necessity when working within distributed computing environments where application workloads communicate across both private and public networks.
  • Meets multiple regulatory compliance requirements: Make sure any data center being utilized meets the necessary guidelines to be compliant with industry regulations for the sector you're operating in.

Structural
Separate from physical and digital security measures, steps must be taken to build security into a data center's infrastructure to create a robust protection strategy and atmosphere of defense.

  • Anticipate changes to workloads: Enterprise applications are not static entities, but are instead workloads that move from one location to another and must be monitored as they go. Utilizing adaptive security measures allows workloads to move freely while enabling IT administrators to focus on other business-critical operations.
  • Future-proof application development: Make sure security solutions are deployed that can stay consistent across private and public cloud platforms so the same level of protection will be maintained no matter where the apps run.
  • Audit application interactions: Periodically take stock of the traffic flowing between the individual workloads that make up each application. This will provide enterprises with a comprehensive view of the interactions taking place, as well as any connection requests from outside entities that may be popping up.

There’s more to data center security than you think

/in , , , , /by

When it comes to computers and technology, there is one thing at the forefront of everyone's minds these days: security. This idea is especially critical when talking about data centers, as digital, physical and structural security are all critical to operations.

There are a variety of different security concerns when it comes to data centers, from compliance requirements to building security to protections against the weather. Businesses need to make themselves aware of the security precautions taken by their data center service provider and carefully consider three areas of security before choosing a facility.

"Businesses need to carefully consider three areas of security when choosing a data center."

Physical
Most people think digital security is the only concern when it comes to data centers, but if the power supply cuts out or a tornado tears the facility down, that can be even more debilitating than a data breach. Consider these physical aspects when choosing a data center:

  • A secure location: The site needs to be located a good distance away from company headquarters and out of the path of natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes.
  • Redundant utilities: A secure facility will employ two separate sources for critical utilities, being able to trace electricity back to two unique substations.
  • Controlled building access: Make sure the data center has security guards in place and a limited number of entry points into the building, as well as security cameras and gates to keep out unwanted visitors.
There are many different security concerns that must be addressed when choosing a <a data-cke-saved-href=There are many different security concerns that must be addressed when choosing a data center.

Digital
While the physical considerations of a computing facility are very important to the overall security of the building, digital security precautions must also be taken in order to protect the files stored within.

  • Implement two factor authentication: Biometric identification is increasingly being used in data centers as a second layer of security to ensure only the appropriate people are handling certain information.
  • Encrypt data in motion: Encryption is a necessity when working within distributed computing environments where application workloads communicate across both private and public networks.
  • Meets multiple regulatory compliance requirements: Make sure any data center being utilized meets the necessary guidelines to be compliant with industry regulations for the sector you're operating in.

Structural
Separate from physical and digital security measures, steps must be taken to build security into a data center's infrastructure to create a robust protection strategy and atmosphere of defense.

  • Anticipate changes to workloads: Enterprise applications are not static entities, but are instead workloads that move from one location to another and must be monitored as they go. Utilizing adaptive security measures allows workloads to move freely while enabling IT administrators to focus on other business-critical operations.
  • Future-proof application development: Make sure security solutions are deployed that can stay consistent across private and public cloud platforms so the same level of protection will be maintained no matter where the apps run.
  • Audit application interactions: Periodically take stock of the traffic flowing between the individual workloads that make up each application. This will provide enterprises with a comprehensive view of the interactions taking place, as well as any connection requests from outside entities that may be popping up.

Top 3 IT trends impacting data center infrastructure

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As technology continues to play an increasingly large role in the enterprise, the investment in infrastructure to sustain the necessary hardware and software has become overwhelming for many organizations, especially those in the public sector. Managing in-house IT systems without the help of an expert third party can sometimes be incredibly expensive and complicated, and few agencies have the budget or manpower to address server sprawl or maintain outdated systems and infrastructure components on their own. Conversely, while many organizations are offloading assets to the public cloud, such a strategy involves giving up a lot of control and direct oversight over data, something that government agencies simply can't do.

In order to cope with growing technological demands, many public sector organizations are now looking to take advantage of emerging IT trends – hybrid cloud computing, mobility, big data –  to offload their data center operations. State and local agencies are beginning to take advantage of the increased capabilities these new innovations offer by modernizing their data center technologies and applying hybrid cloud services wherever possible. These changes help to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their data center infrastructure, as well as protect against hardware and software failure.

Mobility
Public sector IT administrators find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place with new mobile technologies, as they offer employees a variety of benefits but also present widespread security and infrastructure challenges. Network strain, increased bandwidth demands, additional storage needs and more strict security measures all become necessary when an increased number of mobile devices are put to work within an organization. Most public sector IT departments do not have the human or fiscal resources necessary to improve and secure mobile access as they are already at their limits trying to support current data center operations. To solve this problem, many organizations are employing virtualized machines and storage to keep up with the bandwidth demands and user expectations.

Hybrid cloud computing
The ability of cloud solutions – when properly paired with on-premises options – to reduce server sprawl and maintenance worries are drawing many government agencies to the technology, and many have adopted cloud services for all of their routine business processes. A survey of government IT executives conducted last year by American City & County magazine revealed that almost half of all respondents utilized cloud services, with the most common use case being email and data storage. Participants reported experiencing a number of advantages after employing a cloud platform, including better accessibility from mobile devices, reduced IT infrastructure build-out and maintenance cost and improved management efficiency. While many government agencies aren't able to use public cloud providers because they do not hold the necessary state and local certifications, alternative solutions like colocation and shared private cloud environments are rapidly being employed. 

Big data
With so many business functions revolving around the Internet these days, government agencies and public sector organizations are dealing with massive amounts of data on a daily basis. The advent of big data analytics is making these data stockpiles incredibly useful by allowing groups to improve efficiency and decision-making, as well as creating a better understanding of citizens' needs. However, most agencies have less than half of the necessary storage capacity and computing power to effectively leverage their big data initiatives, according to the American City & County survey.

A major hurdle when employing data analytics is sufficiently meeting federal, state and local regulations regarding the proper collection and storage of data. In order to effectively secure their information, IT departments should look to utilize a tiered storage model. Each tier is dictated by specific spending, access and capacity requirements, providing each type of data with the right amount of access and security, which is generally more cost effective. Different categories of data are assigned to different types of storage solutions, placing the most sensitive information that is frequently accessed in storage from which it can be retrieved easily and data that is less critical would be kept in lower storage.

Increasing focus on data center infrastructure
Taking advantage of the hybrid cloud, mobility and big data can completely transform public sector IT operations, but changes must be made to data center infrastructure. Agencies can improve the way they manage their computing facilit​ies and boost data center efficiency by making enhancements in key areas like power usage, virtualization, data storage and network infrastructure. Changes in any of these categories would contribute to the improved efficiency, performance and cost savings of data center infrastructure, as well as creating more resilient facility. 

Big data causing big changes in the enterprise

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A lot of IT buzzwords get thrown around without there ever really being any context as to what the technology does for a business or how many companies are actually utilizing it. For 2015, that buzzword is definitely “big data”. It pops up everywhere, but what is the real picture? According to a recent study by EMC, big data is more than just a buzzword, it’s a necessary tool for enterprise success.

The recent report “Big & Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven Business” sponsored by Capgemini revealed that a growing number of companies are investing in big data initiatives and are seeing positive results. According to the study, 70 percent of IT decision-makers believe their organization’s ability to extract value from big data is critical to their future success. Another 65 percent said that they risk becoming irrelevant or losing a competitive advantage if they don’t utilize big data.

Businesses bracing for shifts as big data takes hold
The study, which included interviews with more than 1,000 senior executives and decision-makers across nine industries in 10 countries, provides a variety of insights into how companies are responding to the changes big data has brought to the enterprise. More than half of respondents believe that investments in big data will outstrip past investment in information management over the next three years. This is due in part to the fact that 63 percent of participants believe the monetization of data could potentially become as valuable as existing products and services. This is especially true among those in the telecommunications sector, where 83 percent of respondents agreed with the statement.

One of the most significant statistics is the fact that 47 percent of senior executives believe their organizations’ IT systems are not properly optimized to allow business decision-makers to do their jobs effectively. These executives reported seeing a need for increasing the cadence of their IT systems’ improvement to keep up with the increasing client, supplier and stakeholder requirements outside of their organizations.

In order to accommodate all of the changes brought about by the increased use of big data, businesses will need to ensure that their data center solutions and IT infrastructure are up to the challenge. Working with a trusted service provider to upgrade infrastructure and improve data center performance is the most reliable way to ensure that new big data initiatives will be implemented successfully.