Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is an advanced IT framework that is becoming increasingly relevant in the modern technology world. It is a software-centric architecture that combines various IT components into a tightly integrated system. This approach offers numerous advantages, from cost savings to operational efficiency. HCI not only saves space in the data center, but also reduces power consumption and heat output. This can further reduce costs and enables companies to remain agile and adaptable.
Hyperconverged infrastructure, often referred to as HCI, is an IT framework based on a software-centric architecture. It combines traditional silo-like IT components such as storage, computing power, and networking into a software-centric architecture where processors, storage, networking, and virtualization are closely intertwined. Instead of complex and expensive traditional infrastructures, a platform is used that runs on industry-standard servers with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. This allows companies to start small and grow gradually. The software running on each server node distributes all functions across the entire cluster, resulting in superior performance and resilience.
With the rapid changes in business models and technology requirements, companies need to remain agile and adaptable. HCI meets this requirement by simplifying IT operations, reducing costs, and enabling faster deployment of services. It bridges the gap between traditional infrastructure and public cloud services, allowing IT teams to deliver IT services with the speed and efficiency of public cloud services.
In the early days of IT development, components such as servers, storage systems, and networks were separate. They each required specialized teams for management, maintenance, and upgrades. This led to inefficient resource use and increased management effort. Hyperconverged infrastructures are an evolution of converged infrastructures, in which hardware and software are also bundled together. Traditional monolithic storage systems, such as Storage Area Network (SAN) or Network Attached Storage (NAS), which formed their own silos in the data center, are replaced by software-defined storage systems in hyperconverged infrastructures.
Vom konvergierten zum hyperkonvergierten System Konvergierte Systeme versuchten, einige dieser Probleme zu lösen, indem sie Computing und Speicher in einem System zusammenführten. HCI hingegen kombiniert alle diese Elemente in einem Software-zentrierten Ansatz, was zu einer noch stärker integrierten, flexiblen und skalierbaren Lösung führt.
Hyperconverged infrastructure, often referred to as HCI, is an IT framework based on a software-centric architecture. It combines traditional silo-like IT components such as storage, computing power, and networking into a software-centric architecture where processors, storage, networking, and virtualization are closely intertwined. Instead of complex and expensive traditional infrastructures, a platform is used that runs on industry-standard servers with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. This allows companies to start small and grow gradually. The software running on each server node distributes all functions across the entire cluster, resulting in superior performance and resilience.
With the rapid changes in business models and technology requirements, companies need to remain agile and adaptable. HCI meets this requirement by simplifying IT operations, reducing costs, and enabling faster deployment of services. It bridges the gap between traditional infrastructure and public cloud services, allowing IT teams to deliver IT services with the speed and efficiency of public cloud services.
In the early days of IT development, components such as servers, storage systems, and networks were separate. They each required specialized teams for management, maintenance, and upgrades. This led to inefficient resource use and increased management effort. Hyperconverged infrastructures are an evolution of converged infrastructures, in which hardware and software are also bundled together. Traditional monolithic storage systems, such as Storage Area Network (SAN) or Network Attached Storage (NAS), which formed their own silos in the data center, are replaced by software-defined storage systems in hyperconverged infrastructures.
Vom konvergierten zum hyperkonvergierten System Konvergierte Systeme versuchten, einige dieser Probleme zu lösen, indem sie Computing und Speicher in einem System zusammenführten. HCI hingegen kombiniert alle diese Elemente in einem Software-zentrierten Ansatz, was zu einer noch stärker integrierten, flexiblen und skalierbaren Lösung führt.
Virtual machines and their role are at the core of HCI. Virtualization, which replaces physical servers with virtual machines (VMs), allows multiple operating systems and applications to run on a single physical server, leading to better resource utilization.
In HCI systems, storage is virtualized through software-defined storage systems and distributed across the entire cluster. This eliminates the need for external storage arrays and enables easier scaling and management. The task of the storage software is to provide the hard disks (DAS – Direct Attached Storage) or SSD media directly connected to the system in the form of a virtual pool for the applications. Another advantage is that in the cluster, data is not only distributed but also replicated multiple times. For example, in a 4-node HCI cluster, 2 hard drives and an entire server can fail without affecting the operation of the virtual servers. This makes the storage system very robust and highly available. Therefore, data security is a high priority!
The network is also virtualized, allowing network resources and services to be dynamically allocated to VMs. This enables optimized data transmission and improves performance and reliability. With the use of Software-defined Networking (SDN), it becomes possible to completely separate tenants from each other. This offers the advantage that services can be provided independently of location across multiple data centers. Another benefit of SDN is the ability to support very high bandwidths, especially in the range of 50GE and 100GE.
With HCI, the management of all IT components is simplified through a central interface. This reduces administrative effort and facilitates upgrades, monitoring, and troubleshooting. The management layer allows for centralized management of all HCI resources, making separate management solutions unnecessary.
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By combining resources into a single system, HCI simplifies the IT infrastructure. This leads to reduced administrative effort and a faster response to business requirements.
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By combining resources into a single system, HCI simplifies the IT infrastructure. This leads to reduced administrative effort and a faster response to business requirements.
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By consolidating resources and unifying management, companies can reduce costs in terms of hardware, energy, and personnel.
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With built-in snapshot and replication features, HCI systems offer improved data recovery and business continuity capabilities. A particular feature to highlight in this context is the concept of “Stretched Clusters”. A Stretched Cluster in the Azure Stack HCI environment provides a disaster recovery solution that enables automatic failover to quickly restore production without the need for manual intervention. This uses storage replication to replicate volumes for disaster recovery across sites, keeping all servers synchronized.
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The transition to HCI can lead to challenges in older IT environments or data centers, especially when it comes to implementing or replacing existing technologies.
When comparing HCI with other solutions, it is important to consider the entire life cycle. This includes not only acquisition and operating costs, but also costs for maintenance, training and possible future upgrades. In many cases, it turns out that HCI can be more economical over the entire life cycle.
HCI is ideal for many business requirements, especially when flexibility and scalability are required. However, there are scenarios, especially in very large or specialized environments, where other solutions may be preferred.
Traditional vs. converged vs. hyperconverged infrastructures: While traditional infrastructures consist of independent components, converged systems offer some integration of resources. HCI, however, integrates all major components into a single, software-defined system that is easier to manage and scale.
While HCI is suitable for many companies, extremely large environments or specialized applications may benefit from more traditional or specialized solutions. The answer to this is primarily through individual consultation with dyonix to determine which solution is optimal for each customer. An example of this would be a customer who has a high demand for computing power but requires relatively little storage. In such a case, a convergent solution might be more suitable. The same technology stack, such as S2D and Hyper-V, can be used, but in separate systems.
Cost efficiency and return on investment (ROI): By consolidating resources and reducing administrative overheads, companies can achieve significant savings. If these benefits are offset against the initial investment, an attractive ROI can be achieved over a predefined period of time.
The architecture sector can benefit considerably from the implementation of HCI systems, especially in large international projects. A striking example of this is the renowned architecture firm JSWD Architekten. Two HCI clusters have been set up for this company, one in Cologne and another in Berlin. This technological infrastructure enables the teams in Cologne and Berlin to work together seamlessly and efficiently on extensive construction projects. In addition, the HCI system has enabled smooth cooperation with a partner architecture firm in Barcelona. Despite the geographical distances, the entire project team works collaboratively on designs that are hosted centrally on the HCI cluster in Berlin. This underlines the potential of HCI to overcome geographical barriers and create a seamless, integrated working environment for complex projects.
Hyperconverged infrastructure has revolutionized the landscape of IT infrastructures, providing organizations with the flexibility, scalability and simplicity they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced business world. It’s important to consider the specific needs and circumstances of each organization, but in many cases, HCI can provide a powerful and economical solution.
