Data centers are changing with time. In recent years, IT architecture has completely changed. Data centers are replacing old practices with new innovative solutions. These new solutions help them in managing their cooling, space, and power. Thus, these new solutions are helping data center operators in saving money. The data center’s importance is going to increase with time. Every company is using the internet for delivering its services. Thus, they need someone to handle their data and resources. It is important to adopt new data center practices. This will help data centers in growing their business.
The data center industry is rapidly changing with time. New innovations like CI and HCI are already changing the industry. Most people think that both infrastructures are similar. But, there is a major difference between both solutions. In this article, we are going to discuss both the infrastructure.
Definition of Converged Infrastructure (CI)
Converged Infrastructure is pretty similar to old computing infrastructure. The idea actually originates from the old computing infrastructure. In the starting days of computing, the mainframe unit was the most important unit. The mainframe unit was responsible for handling all the storage. You can use it for processing your raw data. The mainframe unit was also responsible for all the networking functions. Thus, the mainframe unit was the heart of the computing infrastructure. This infrastructure was also known as an “all-in-one” infrastructure. Most companies were using this infrastructure. The technology was very limited at that time. Also, the mainframe infrastructure was available to very few enterprises.
Mainframes were famous till the 1980s. But, microprocessors changed the computing industry. Microprocessors can do most of the computing functions. It uses separate devices for performing different functions. You can use storage devices for storing your data. Also, you can use networking devices for handling networking functions. This allowed IT managers to manage all the equipment independently. Most enterprises started using this infrastructure. This was a cost-effective alternative to old computing infrastructure.
However, this approach had many problems. It was difficult to manage separate hardware. Also, it was inefficient to manage so many different devices. Companies needed more space, cooling, and power for managing their hardware. This forced the data center operators to look for a new approach.
Converged Infrastructure (CI) Advantages
CI is an innovative hardware-defined approach. It combines all the important solutions in one single package. This package is similar to the mainframe computer that we used in the 1980s. You can control all the resources from a centralized system. This will help you in reducing the costs of cabling. If you have fewer resources in your data center, then power costs will also go down.
CI has a modular design. Thus, it is very easy to scale it up. You can easily increase the memory, storage or computing power of your data center. All you need to do is add some modules to your main system. Converged infrastructure is very easy to manage. Thus, CI is perfect for cloud application architecture. You can easily integrate it with your hybrid or private cloud.
Definition of Hyper-converged Infrastructure (HCI)
HCI is pretty similar to Converged Infrastructure or CI. Just like CI, hyper-converged infrastructure combines the main functions in a single system. The main difference is that HCI is a software-defined solution. But, Converged Infrastructure is a hardware-based solution.
HCI uses virtualization technology. It divides the data center resources into software-defined or virtual blocks. You can easily scale it up. The hardware that supports the HCI is mostly managed by a different vendor. Thus, this infrastructure is mostly used by small and medium-sized companies. You don’t need to invest in new hardware for increasing your storage capacity.
Hyper-converged infrastructure is more flexible and scalable when compared to other infrastructures. It is also compatible with most of the cloud computing solutions. Most of the companies are already using cloud technology for meeting their needs. Thus, hyper-converged infrastructure is a perfect solution for most companies. Some of the advantages of using CI and HCI are:
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Simple
If you are using HCI or CI, then you can access all your resources from one system. This will help you in streamlining your data center operations. You can automate most of the important networking functions by using the software. Also, you need very few devices to manage your data center. This will allow your IT staff to focus on more important things. They will have more time to monitor your network.
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Cost
Both solutions can reduce your infrastructure costs. If you are a big enterprise, then these solutions can save millions of dollars. You need less hardware to manage your data center. Thus, you also need less cabling equipment. This will reduce cooling and power costs. Both solutions are modular in nature. Hence, you can easily scale up your infrastructure. This will allow you to grow your network capacity according to your business needs.
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Flexible
Both solutions are flexible when compared to old infrastructure solutions. You need less hardware for your data center. Also, you need fewer resources to manage your data center. This will allow you to be more responsive and proactive. You can easily scale up your resources. It will also allow you to integrate your cloud with your data center solutions. Thus, you can use cloud bursting for increasing your computing resources.
Conclusion
The data center industry is changing with time. Companies are generating a huge amount of data. Thus, data center operators are looking for new solutions for managing data centers. HCI and CI are becoming famous over time. You can easily manage your resources from a single system. Also, these infrastructures will help you in saving money. You can easily manage your storage and power demands. It is important to use energy-efficient solutions in the future. Thus, CI and HCI are going to play an important role in the future. If you want more tips regarding data center solutions, then you can contact Bleuwire.
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