Converged infrastructure management
Converged infrastructure represents a bundling of various data center systems -- such as storage, networking and servers -- that organizations can purchase all at once from a single supplier. Explore converged infrastructure management options such as DCIM, hybrid cloud and different management software to keep converged infrastructures running smoothly.
Top Stories
-
News
22 Mar 2022
FlexPod XCS brings cloud capabilities to data centers
FlexPod XCS, the latest NetApp and Cisco converged infrastructure appliance, expands support for hybrid cloud environments with hyperscaler integrations. Continue Reading
-
News
03 Mar 2022
Nutanix revenue increases, driven by hybrid cloud adoption
Benefiting from the growing user adoption of hybrid clouds and a significant increase in digital transformation projects, Nutanix second-quarter revenue jumped 19%. Continue Reading
-
Feature
07 Apr 2020
Open Compute Project influence, open source hardware gain momentum
With open source hardware more feasible than ever, catch up on how Open Compute Project consortium uses open source to develop more efficient server and infrastructure designs. Continue Reading
-
News
06 Apr 2020
Lenovo flash storage, Microsoft Azure eye mad rush to edge
New Lenovo ThinkAgile MX and Lenovo storage arrays target Microsoft cloud customers. Azure Stack HCI configuration mirrors qualified designs for VMware, Nutanix. Continue Reading
-
Tip
03 Apr 2020
What is Pivot3 Acuity Intelligence Engine for AI and automation?
The Acuity Intelligence Engine delivers advanced data and performance management to simplify data protection and system administration for Pivot3 hyper-convergence. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Mar 2020
Hyper-converged use cases beyond VM stacks: A hardware guide
Explore best hyper-converged appliance and cluster configurations for containers, machine/deep learning, streaming analytics and specific products supporting each of these workloads. Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 Mar 2020
What is AI-defined infrastructure, and does it work?
Software-driven hyper-converged, composable infrastructures and incorporation of AI technologies into compute and storage has brought more intelligence to enterprise IT than ever. Continue Reading
-
Tip
20 Mar 2020
Top hyper-converged infrastructure TCO factors to consider
A lot of factors for estimating hyper-converged total cost of ownership are fairly straightforward, others less so. Follow these guidelines to get started on this complex process. Continue Reading
-
Feature
17 Mar 2020
Disaggregated hyper-converged infrastructure vs. traditional HCI
A technical examination of what the pending demise of hyper-converged infrastructure 1.0 and rise of hyper-convergence 2.0 means for planning, buying, deployment and management. Continue Reading
-
Tip
10 Mar 2020
How HPE SimpliVity InfoSight hyper-converged analytics works
SimpliVity with InfoSight can predict and prevent hyper-convergence issues, take the guesswork out of capacity management, reduce support calls and lower operations expenses. Continue Reading
-
Infographic
09 Mar 2020
What's behind today's IT infrastructure modernization strategies?
See how businesses have altered operating environments, applications and processes to meet IT infrastructure modernization goals, their budgets and how far along they've gotten. Continue Reading
-
News
05 Mar 2020
HCI market grows as storage, servers shrink
Dell EMC and Hewlett Packard Enterprise say their storage and server revenues declined sharply last quarter, while hyper-converged infrastructure sales keep growing. Continue Reading
-
Infographic
21 Feb 2020
A guide to how digital transformation IT infrastructure works
Explore requirements, goals and issues around digital transformation plans and modern IT infrastructures such as hyper-converged, disaggregated hyper-converged and composable. Continue Reading
-
Tip
19 Feb 2020
Compare hyper-converged, converged infrastructure monitoring tools
Better monitor your hyper-converged infrastructure systems with tools from Zenoss, Uila, eG Innovations and ManageEngine than with the proprietary tools of hyper-converged vendors. Continue Reading
-
Feature
17 Feb 2020
Best hyper-converged systems win Products of the Year 2019
Datrium, Western Digital and HiveIO win praise for ground-breaking products that led the way in a year of hyper-converged and composable infrastructure evolution and change. Continue Reading
-
Tip
14 Feb 2020
What is Intel Rack Scale Design and how does it work?
Find out what Intel's Rack Scale Design architecture is and how its reference code and APIs enable Intel-partner products to compose on-demand virtual servers for specific workloads. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Feb 2020
Nutanix Karbon upgrade focuses on non-Kubernetes experts
Nutanix aims Karbon at 'mere mortals' who want to run Kubernetes in on-premises data centers, but it faces plenty of competitors preparing for containers that need persistent storage. Continue Reading
-
Feature
12 Feb 2020
Hyper-converged data center vendors innovate, evolve products
Review notable hyper-converged, HCI 2.0 and composable disaggregated product news to gain insight into data center convergence technology as you make infrastructure decisions. Continue Reading
-
Feature
10 Feb 2020
Hyper-converged and composable architectures transform IT
Hyper-convergence and up-and-coming HCI 2.0 and composable infrastructure can help you achieve your IT and business goals. See why, how and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
03 Feb 2020
Infrastructure modernization via hyper-convergence can equal success
How hyper-convergence can help modernize IT infrastructures to better meet challenges like the digital transformation of the business and the adoption of edge computing. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Jan 2020
Get to know Dell EMC hyper-converged infrastructure products
Gain insight into Dell EMC's hyper-converged portfolio, including VxRail and XC Series appliances, VxRack System Flex plus vSAN, VxFlex and Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct Ready Nodes. Continue Reading
-
Infographic
28 Jan 2020
Illustrated guide to hyper-converged edge computing
Hyper-converged systems can help reduce network strain by making it possible to send only the most valuable and relevant data to centralized remote data centers or the cloud. Continue Reading
-
News
27 Jan 2020
StorMagic SvSAN helps Sheetz hyper-converge at the edge
Retail chain Sheetz simplified its technology on the edge with StorMagic hyper-converged infrastructure software, reducing seven devices at each site to two servers running SvSAN. Continue Reading
-
Quiz
27 Jan 2020
Test your Nutanix hyper-converged infrastructure knowledge
Do you know what it takes to deploy, maintain and secure Nutanix hyper-converged hardware and software? Take our quiz to see how deep your Nutanix knowledge and expertise runs. Continue Reading
-
Answer
16 Jan 2020
Are attitudes toward edge computing architecture changing?
Edge computing has many advantages over the centralized running of applications and processing of data on premises and in the cloud. Are IT leaders getting the message, though? Continue Reading
-
Feature
15 Jan 2020
Why hyper-converged edge computing is coming into vogue
Hyper-convergence helps enterprises better provision applications at the network edge and more efficiently process enormous amounts of data generated by IoT devices and smart sensors. Continue Reading
-
Feature
10 Jan 2020
Features distinguish leading composable infrastructure systems
Before selecting a composable architecture, compare the different platforms' processing power, latency rates, supported IOPS, size and type of memory. Continue Reading
-
Tip
08 Jan 2020
AWS Outposts vs. Azure Stack vs. HCI
See how AWS Outposts vs. Microsoft Azure Stack hybrid cloud offerings work and where they can and cannot take the place of traditional hyper-converged infrastructures. Continue Reading
-
Feature
18 Dec 2019
How vSAN hyper-converged infrastructure software works
Delve into important aspects of VMware vSAN to help clarify its features and how it works to see if the hyper-converged infrastructure software is right for your organization. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
16 Dec 2019
How is HCI market fragmentation affecting buyers, vendors?
An increasingly crowded market and the technological limitations of standard HCI have led to innovative new takes on hyper-convergence to the benefit of vendors and buyers alike. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Dec 2019
Pivot3, Scale Computing HCI appliances zoom in on AI, edge
Pivot3 Acuity automates data protection for self-healing node rebuilds. New Scale Computing HE150 HCI systems combine M.2 NVMe SSD, Scale networking software and Intel mini-PCs. Continue Reading
-
Tip
11 Dec 2019
How pay-as-you-go hyper-converged hardware pricing works
With consumption-based pricing, vendors deploy an HCI on premises, while you pay a subscription fee. It promises to lower upfront costs and reduce headaches. But is it right for you? Continue Reading
-
Answer
09 Dec 2019
What does HCI 2.0 mean for hyper-convergence?
Like composable infrastructure, next-gen hyper-convergence promises to ease procurement and management by, among other things, enabling users to add disparate IT resources independently. Continue Reading
-
News
03 Dec 2019
HCI storage adoption rises as array sales slip
Dell goes against the grain by increasing storage sales, but much of its gains came from hyper-converged and data protection products rather than traditional primary storage arrays. Continue Reading
-
Answer
26 Nov 2019
5 reasons why hyper-converged infrastructure could be right for you
The reasons for going hyper-converged vary. Often, however, organizations deploy HCI technology to effectively address one or more of the five issues outlined in this article. Continue Reading
-
Tip
25 Nov 2019
Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct simplifies converged, HCI storage
Storage Spaces Direct in Windows Server packages several different Microsoft technologies to lower TCO and simplify storage in converged and hyper-converged deployments. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
14 Nov 2019
Explore compelling benefits of hyper-converged infrastructure
Better support remote office/branch office environments and address budgetary, efficiency, scaling and operational challenges with hyper-converged infrastructure. Continue Reading
-
Feature
14 Nov 2019
Get to know Nutanix hyper-converged infrastructure products in-depth
Nutanix products are major players in the hyper-convergence market. As a pioneer, Nutanix introduced one of the first HCIs and has modified and expanded its offerings ever since. Continue Reading
-
Infographic
13 Nov 2019
Converged vs. hyper-converged infrastructure requirements
Companies considering convergence should compare the features, benefits and limitations of CI and HCI, and look at which workloads drive organizations to data center convergence. Continue Reading
-
Answer
12 Nov 2019
Are Nutanix products hyper-converged hardware, software or cloud?
Nutanix may still offer branded appliances, but there is a lot more to the hyper-converged infrastructure pioneer's product offerings than that nowadays. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Nov 2019
Dell EMC PowerOne, On Demand add cloud-like pricing
Dell EMC expands storage-as-a-service pricing, launches PowerOne converged stack for IT users looking for the "Holy Grail" of cloud pricing and on-premises management. Continue Reading
-
Tip
07 Nov 2019
Manage Windows Server HCI with Windows Admin Center
Download and install Microsoft's free and easy-to-use Windows Admin Center to manage local and remote Windows Server-based hyper-converged infrastructure clusters. Continue Reading
-
Answer
06 Nov 2019
Which converged infrastructure vendors are businesses considering?
Today's fast-paced business landscape has led enterprises to increasingly turn to convergence vendors. See why, which they are choosing and who leads the market. Continue Reading
- 06 Nov 2019
-
Infographic
06 Nov 2019
Illustrated guide to VMware vSAN HCI configuration and features
VMware vSAN software benefits enterprises by tightly integrating, virtualizing and pooling server resources to ease infrastructure deployment, management and implementation. Continue Reading
-
Feature
06 Nov 2019
Everything you need to know about composable infrastructure
Composability abstracts resources as services that can be dynamically composed and recomposed for specific applications. Learn about its many advantages, and why it isn't for everyone. Continue Reading
-
News
04 Nov 2019
Dell EMC upgrades VxRail appliances for AI, SAP HANA
As hyperconverged infrastructure use cases expand, Dell EMC adds analytics, flash and network management to VxRail platform built on PowerEdge servers. Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 Oct 2019
Essential VxRail appliance hyper-converged questions answered
Find out what you need to know as you investigate if Dell EMC VxRail HCI with vSAN hyper-converged software meets the needs of your organization's workloads and use cases. Continue Reading
-
Quiz
29 Oct 2019
Put your VMware vSAN HCI knowledge to the test
Do you know what it takes to deploy, maintain and secure a VMware vSAN-based hyper-converged infrastructure? Take our quiz to see how deep your vSAN knowledge and expertise runs. Continue Reading
-
News
28 Oct 2019
HPE brings InfoSight AI to SimpliVity HCI
HPE brings technologies from two 2017 acquisitions -- predictive analytics and hyper-convergences -- together with InfoSight on SimpliVity in hopes of giving SimpliVity a sales jolt. Continue Reading
-
Feature
25 Oct 2019
What enterprises look for with converged data center projects
Learn about the state of the convergence market and what enterprises require for CI and HCI projects, the workloads they intend to run and which vendors are highest on their buying lists. Continue Reading
-
Tip
21 Oct 2019
How VCF on VxRail helps achieve hybrid cloud victory
Virtual Cloud Foundation on VxRail combines VMware software-defined private cloud technology with Dell EMC hyper-converged hardware to create an extensive hybrid cloud platform. Continue Reading
-
News
15 Oct 2019
Steel company mines value with Scale Computing HC3 cluster
Harrison Steel Castings outgrew its converged system and swapped it out for Scale Computing HC3 hyper-converged infrastructure, which uses open source KVM virtualization. Continue Reading
-
Tip
14 Oct 2019
Composable infrastructure techniques for the real world
Automating your composable infrastructure engenders flexibility that enables enterprises to reshape the data center and keep pace with today's cultural and technological shifts. Continue Reading
-
Tip
09 Oct 2019
Top tips for moving workloads to hyper-converged technology
Take security and management seriously when migrating workloads to HCI. Closely evaluate supporting systems -- and the applications and hyper-converged system itself --- as well. Continue Reading
-
Tip
04 Oct 2019
Selection criteria for converged data protection
See if a converged backup product will meet your needs by exploring the features you should consider before investing in this relatively new kind of data protection platform. Continue Reading
-
Infographic
23 Sep 2019
Illustrated history of the converged data center
Data center convergence emerged as an alternative to the traditional data center and it continues to evolve. Learn more about CI, HCI and composable infrastructure in this infographic. Continue Reading
-
Quiz
17 Sep 2019
Put your composable infrastructure knowledge to the test
Are you up to speed on composable disaggregated infrastructure and technology? Take our quiz to find out if you know how composability works and how it can benefit you. Continue Reading
-
Feature
13 Sep 2019
How to address HCI's resource provisioning challenges
Provisioning in hyper-convergence is often imbalanced. Integrating more powerful, higher-capacity nodes with HCI software or taking a more hybrid approach can help. Continue Reading
- 13 Sep 2019
-
Tip
11 Sep 2019
How Cisco and Nexenta software defines storage for HyperFlex HCI
See how Nexenta's virtual storage appliance software can extend Cisco HyperFlex HCI storage capabilities without additional hardware or complex system reconfigurations. Continue Reading
-
Tip
10 Sep 2019
A close look at different types of hyper-converged architectures
Learn more about the major kinds of hyper-converged infrastructure available as we explore the evolution of HCI from basic storage-compute nodes to newer disaggregated types. Continue Reading
-
Tip
05 Sep 2019
Explore Robin hyper-converged Kubernetes for containerized apps
Robin Systems new scalable and agile Kubernetes HCI platform aims to take the pain out of deploying and managing complex data-intensive systems in a containerized environment. Continue Reading
-
News
04 Sep 2019
VMware vSAN HCI: Complete stack or 'vaporware'?
VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger says vSAN is crushing Nutanix, while Nutanix CEO Dheeraj Pandey says VMware sells 'vaporware' -- but users say they like the integrated stack for HCI. Continue Reading
-
Answer
28 Aug 2019
Top hyper-converged platform features to look for in an HCI system
Know software compatibility, maximum scalability and long-term potential of hardware support from vendors before buying a hyper-converged infrastructure system. Continue Reading
-
News
28 Aug 2019
VMware vSAN HCI users share cloud strategies, battle scars
Hyper-converged infrastructure has meant change to IT organizations, and VMware vSAN customers consider evolving their cloud plans in an age of hybrid and multi-cloud options. Continue Reading
-
Answer
27 Aug 2019
What hyper-converged network details should I consider?
No longer a second-class citizen to compute and storage, networking is now integral to most HCIs. Keep in mind certain networking facts when adopting hyper-convergence, however. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
16 Aug 2019
3 elements to consider for a hybrid cloud deployment
Hybrid cloud uptake is increasing, as organizations demand greater infrastructure freedom across on- and off-premises environments and more control over the application layer. Continue Reading
-
Tip
15 Aug 2019
How to choose hyper-converged backup for data protection
Data protection is essential for any hyper-converged infrastructure. How you back up data -- natively, agentless or using agents -- depends on your environment and other factors. Continue Reading
-
Infographic
14 Aug 2019
How composable disaggregated infrastructure works
Familiarize yourself with how composable infrastructure works, core characteristics and benefits, and what enterprises hope to gain from this infrastructure-as-code delivery model. Continue Reading
-
News
13 Aug 2019
Scale Computing HC3 gaining an enterprise foothold, CEO says
Scale Computing founder and CEO Jeff Ready claims demand for HC3 is pulling the vendor into more enterprise use cases as edge-created data prompts companies to consolidate IT. Continue Reading
-
Feature
12 Aug 2019
Composable architecture extends the reach of disaggregation
In composable architecture, IT components are broken apart and reassembled for specific applications. They can provide more flexibility than converged or hyper-converged systems. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
08 Aug 2019
Larger, expandable HCI nodes bring big infrastructure benefits
Discover why a larger node strategy enables enterprises to better consolidate workloads in a hyper-converged infrastructure environment while reducing complexity and cost. Continue Reading
- 08 Aug 2019
-
Opinion
08 Aug 2019
When converged and hyper-converged -- and cloud -- converge
Price, ease of management and use cases should determine if you use hyper-converged, converged infrastructure or on-premises public cloud stacks. There are differences, however. Continue Reading
- 08 Aug 2019
-
Answer
31 Jul 2019
How do I measure overall TCO when comparing HCI vendors?
Comparing the TCO of deploying different HCI vendors' platforms makes it likelier you'll pick the right one for your organization. Start the process with our checklist. Continue Reading
-
Quiz
29 Jul 2019
Put your hyper-converged cloud knowledge to the test
Are you up to speed on clouds built on hyper-converged infrastructure platforms and technology? Take our quiz to find out if you know how they work and their benefits. Continue Reading
-
News
24 Jul 2019
Beer maker brews up cloud alternative with Dell EMC VxRail
With breweries in Colorado and North Carolina, New Belgium Brewing Co. moved shared production apps from cloud to local cluster of Dell EMC hyper-converged infrastructure. Continue Reading
-
Tip
22 Jul 2019
Deploying a hyper-converged cluster with mismatched hardware
Software HCI implementations make it possible to build HCI clusters from mismatched hardware. Even so, see why matched hardware can make deployment easier to manage and maintain. Continue Reading
-
News
17 Jul 2019
VMware vSAN HCI multi-cloud setup keeps ambulance airbound
Angel MedFlight runs a multi-cloud setup, using a customer-built app and hyper-converged infrastructure built on VMware vSAN software and HPE ProLiant servers. Continue Reading
-
Feature
17 Jul 2019
Words to go: Composable disaggregated infrastructure glossary
Dig into these terms to get a sense of composable infrastructure and what its disaggregated server capabilities can bring to your IT environment and application workloads. Continue Reading
-
Answer
15 Jul 2019
Erasure coding vs. RAID: Pros and cons for hyper-convergence
Hyper-converged systems, like any other, require data protection. We describe using RAID and erasure coding for hyper-convergence to help you pick the best option for your HCI. Continue Reading
-
Tip
12 Jul 2019
3 ways to deploy hyper-converged infrastructure
An HCI deployment can be done in one of three ways -- full replacement, side-by-side or per application -- each with pluses and minus, depending on requirements and resources. Continue Reading
-
Tip
28 Jun 2019
6 top hyper-converged infrastructure management tips
These tips address specific aspects of HCI management and illustrate ways to better integrate these systems with third-party tools and overall IT infrastructure. Continue Reading
-
Tip
25 Jun 2019
Know the risk of hyper-converged vendor lock-in, myths and facts
The risk of HCI vendor lock-in is real. The reason why is different than you might think, however. See how it often comes down to financial, not technical, limitations in this article. Continue Reading
-
Feature
24 Jun 2019
Docker Containers as a Service deployment simplified on HPE Synergy
Reference Configuration guides the deployment of the complete Docker-based Containers-as-a-Service platform on HPE Synergy composable infrastructure to simplify container use. Continue Reading
-
News
20 Jun 2019
HPE SimpliVity gets new features, competition
HPE exec says vendor's HCI strategy is 'SimpliVity, SimpliVity, SimpliVity' -- but don't forget HPE's competitive Nutanix and Nimble Storage dHCI products. Continue Reading
-
News
18 Jun 2019
HPE unveils Nimble dHCI, InfoSight on SimpliVity HCI
Is disaggregated HCI a thing? Hewlett Packard Enterprise says yes, with its new Nimble Storage-ProLiant server combo that looks more like converged infrastructure than hyper-converged. Continue Reading
-
Answer
18 Jun 2019
HCI management layer vs. native hypervisor management
See why inherent differences between hyper-converged and native hypervisor management tools tend to make one better suited for managing virtualized HCI resources than the other. Continue Reading
-
News
17 Jun 2019
Scale Computing HC3 hyper-converged hardware gets edgy
Scale Computing 1U edge nodes allow easy deployment by retailers in multiple sites that lack on-site IT. The Scale Computing storage layer removes the need for RAID-based data protection in the box. Continue Reading
-
Answer
13 Jun 2019
Essential hyper-converged backup, data protection questions to ask
Procure a hyper-converged infrastructure, and you'll need to protect the data residing in that environment. Ask and answer these questions to determine the best HCI backup approach for your organization. Continue Reading
-
News
03 Jun 2019
HCI market: Dell and VMware gain, as Nutanix stumbles
HCI pioneer Nutanix's revenue slid last quarter, as it goes through a business transition and greater competition from Dell appliances and VMware HCI software. Continue Reading
-
News
03 Jun 2019
New Toshiba M.2 SSD targets composable infrastructure
Toshiba takes aim at composable infrastructures, data centers and high-end workstations with new low-power, small-form-factor 2 TB M.2 SSD that uses dense 96-layer 3D NAND flash. Continue Reading
-
News
31 May 2019
HiveIO releases Hive Fabric virtualization framework update
Hive Fabric 7.3 has four main updates. New features enable admins to install GPUs, control acceleration, add multiple defined networks and manage server memory. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 May 2019
The vSAN stretched cluster type spreads HCI love for HA, DR
VMware vSAN stretched clusters enable admins to spread hyper-converged infrastructures across two physical locations. Learn more about them and their benefits. Continue Reading
-
Answer
29 May 2019
HCI hardware or hyper-converged software: Which is better for me?
Appliance-based hyper-convergence integrates software with hardware, while software-only HCI enables you to use the hardware of your choice. Each type has pluses and minuses. Continue Reading
-
Tip
14 May 2019
3 hyper-converged cloud infrastructure benefits
A hyper-converged cloud enables IT managers to overcome the challenges of managing compute, storage and network resources as separate tiers and move to the cloud in stages. Continue Reading
-
News
09 May 2019
Nutanix fights VMware with AHV hypervisor, cloud support
In the battle for HCI supremacy, Nutanix has hyper-converged history and now AHV, while VMware has virtualization dominance and a boost from its parent Dell's server hardware. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
09 May 2019
Hyper-converged infrastructure benefits by reducing IT complexity
Businesses turn to hyper-convergence to reduce data center complexity so IT can more directly support business goals and capitalize on the value of data. Continue Reading
-
Infographic
08 May 2019
Enterprise adoption of hyper-converged storage gains traction
Hyper-convergence may be on the upswing, but concerns about vendor lock-in, integration and the independent scaling of resources, including storage, limit its appeal for some. Continue Reading
-
News
08 May 2019
With Nutanix Mine, HCI vet adds converged secondary storage
Nutanix prepares to launch its Mine converged secondary storage appliances as it expands beyond primary storage with an architecture that Cohesity and Rubrik have adopted. Continue Reading
