It is a given that CIOs must look to bring together their back-end resources to better serve business users in the digital age. Without taking a converged approach to data centre management, the employees in your organisation will not be able to make the most of information and technology. By taking a holistic stance to IT resources, your business can embrace the future with confidence.
There are many factors that will play a crucial role in the success of a convergence strategy. CIOs, of course, must receive buy-in for their new approach from the very highest levels of senior management. Any large-scale integration project is likely to flounder unless the rest of the c-suite can see the benefits of the initiative, and are prepared to back this approach with cash.
Technology chiefs themselves must be brave enough to lead a converged approach. They must show the IT team how resources can be brought together. And they must work with colleagues across the organisation to demonstrate how convergence can produce better results for the company, not just in terms of cost effectiveness but in also in terms of business efficiency.
Most importantly of all, technology chiefs and their teams must have access to specialist software and hardware that will help create a smarter, integrated platform for business change. As CIOs and their partners move forward on this journey, what types of tools will help IT leaders to improve data centre monitoring and management? More specifically, what types of business benefits can technology chiefs expect to see as automation begins to take hold?
Tools to improve data centre monitoring and management
It is now de rigour that businesses take digital technology seriously. Customers are choosing to connect with the business across a broader range of channels, devices and apps than ever before. Just as organisations must focus on the digital transformation, they need to pay similar attention to the infrastructure that helps support front-end services.
CIOs, as the guardians of information technology, need to take bold decisions. A more agile and responsive infrastructure helps drive better business outcomes. By building that infrastructure, the business can feel ready for the types of changes as more devices continue to connect to the network, such as a result of the growing influence of wearable computing and the Internet of Things. Establishing readiness relies on the careful management and monitoring of servers, storage and networks.
The best tools allow IT managers to take more control over server and storage resources. HP OneView, for example, simplifies day-to-day infrastructure management. Rather than being hamstrung by time-consuming operational tasks, IT managers can pool and allocate software-defined and physical resources through a single, user-friendly interface. It is an approach that means change management, configuration consistency and system software updates no longer have to be a time-intensive activity.
In fact, research suggests IT professionals using OneView spend 96 per cent less time configuring infrastructure resources when compared to traditional deployment methods. The technology is also easier to maintain and manage once it is up and running. Research from industry analyst Demartek suggests OneView is up to nine times faster in terms of problem identification and resolution than similar platforms from other providers.
OneView lets IT managers keep a watchful eye over internal infrastructure resources. Unlike other management tools that focus on the devices, HP OneView focuses on how your business really works. By allying OneView to an integrated approach, like HP ConvergedSystem, the IT management team can start to provision resources quickly, meeting the fast pace of change in modern business objectives. ConvergedSystem offers compute, storage, networking and software in a single box. Not only is the hardware integrated, it is easy to deploy.
ConvergedSystem revolves around pre-validated and factory-tested configurations that can be implemented in weeks, instead of months. Once established, new services that meet customer demands can be set up in minutes, rather than hours. IDG research suggests ConvergedSystem servers take 96 per cent less time to configure. They also rely on 50 per cent less management tools, meaning support IT staff have more time to focus on business – rather than day-to-day operational – concerns.
From storage to the cloud
If your business is looking to focus on storage, then HP 3PAR StoreServ will give your business the kind of data centre resources that are integrated, flexible and ready for change. HP 3PAR provides a next generation storage platform that combines all-flash capabilities, and multi-protocol workload support, with a converged management framework. 3PAR includes a range of models that focus on Tier-1 data services that bring mission-critical resiliency, without a compromise in flexibility or quality of service. Analyst Gartner says HP’s 3PAR storage architecture provides a cost-effective approach, as well as robust reliability that can be supported with solid warranty terms, including a five-year SSD warranty and six 9s (99.9999 per cent) availability guarantees.
Gartner also refers to HP’s extensive channel presence, global sales ability and a substantial customer base, which is complemented by worldwide support. Researcher ESG, meanwhile, directs attention to the cutting-edge nature of 3PAR technology, referring to the de-duplication and indexing of metadata, through to the thin provisioning approach. Most crucially of all, 3PAR storage allows your business to eliminate the silos that often stand between legacy ways of working and the agility required for the New Style of IT.
Flash-optimised data storage requires an equally fresh strategy for backup. One great example is HP StoreOnce, which works alongside leading flash storage and offers a secure backup and recovery solution. The business benefits of the technology are such that analyst Gartner ranked StoreOnce as a leader in its Magic Quadrant report for target de-duplication backup appliances last year. The approach allows the business to feel confident that service levels are being met and that its valuable data is not at risk.
Data storage, of course, is not just confined to the internal data centre. Engaged CIOs recognise that executives need to source their own solutions on-demand to meet new business challenges. The biggest providers work as true partners to CIOs. They help the business make a smooth transition to the cloud, whether that movement includes specific elements of provision, such as testing and development, or comprehensive areas of IT, including production environments.
HP is one such partner. Its Matrix Operating Environment provides specialist cloud management software to build and manage infrastructure as a service. HP’s Cloud Service Automation (CSA), on the other hand, focuses on application and infrastructure provisioning for cloud services. It is also worth remembering that both Matrix and CSA tools are heterogeneous and can be used to help manage the existing IT environment, as well as cloud services.
The business benefits of an automated approach to convergence
Convergence can seem a tough end game for CIOs who are confronted by a broad range of servers, systems and services. Yet the basic message for IT leaders is that reaching a successful conclusion does not have to be a complex process, By calling on specialist technologies and automation tools, CIOs can start to create integrated and workload-optimised systems that can eliminate the traditional infrastructure silos which still characterise many organisations, whether they are large or small.
Leading providers like HP provide a range of ways for IT managers to create an automated approach to resource convergence. That strategy might focus on the server level, such as in the case of 3PAR and related backup technology StoreOnce. Or it might take a holistic view, using the combined approach of OneView to offer a top view management layer across servers, networks and storage. As we have seen above, the strategy can even extend beyond the internal data centre – and back again – by using specialist methods, such as Matrix Operating Environment and Cloud Service Automation.
Such broad options mean that, when the business is confronted by a sudden need to change, the IT infrastructure is ready. That change might be related to the development of new customer services and digital technologies, such as social media and collaborative tools. However, it might also be related to specific back end projects, such as the end-of-life of Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Next-generation architectures from HP, such as 3PAR StoreServ, can be used to enhance and simplify any virtualised client or server project.
Conclusion: Partnering for a brighter future
The business environment continues to change at a rapid pace, often as a result of digitally enabled transformations at the front end of IT services. That change can create huge concerns for technology chiefs who fear their back end systems will not be ready to cope with the fast-changing demands of the digital era. The great news, for IT managers, is that trusted partners can help, especially those providers who are experts in helping organisations to automate the management of data centre resources.
By implementing a modern technology platform, your IT team can spend less time on support issues and expend more effort on the innovative areas that will really provide a competitive edge to the business. ESG research says HP’s converged approach to server deployment can produce a 217 per cent increase in IT staff savings versus when compared to rival providers. By working with a partner, your business can also reap the benefits.