Essential Guide

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Consumption-based, pay-for-what-you-use IT as a service

Compiled by:Ron Karjian
Last updated:August 2019

Editor's note

With all the diverse technologies created for today's data center, the idea of managing all computing resources from one control panel was once considered a pipe dream. Not any longer. It's now possible to make the data center completely programmable.

As hyper-converged evolves into composable infrastructure to support virtual, physical and containerized workloads, CIOs have the power and flexibility to combine compute, storage and networking into one framework on premises and in the cloud. In other words, IT infrastructure can be more flexible, manageable and scalable, without necessarily leaning on IT pros for every technology decision.

Composable infrastructure's software-centric approach allows CIOs to build an infrastructure that can quickly and easily scale on demand to meet the growing needs of their business, as their companies digitally transform in the race to gain a competitive edge.

In this essential guide, we examine the evolution of this relatively new technology, including its ability to support traditional needs as well as highly dynamic environments. We also compare composable architectures to converged and hyper-converged options, explore consumption issues and weigh the advantages of operating in a hybrid cloud environment.

1Composable infrastructure's reach into the data center

Composable infrastructure and its ability to support virtual, physical and containerized workloads provide CIOs the power and flexibility to combine compute, storage and networking into one framework in a hybrid cloud environment. Composable infrastructure also provides value to companies with the unique computing demands presented by big data analytics, AI and machine learning. Additionally, applications and data can integrate with the underlying infrastructure and self-manage their resource needs, without human intervention during routine operations to help IT empower developers to move at their own speed.

2Benefits of converged, hyper-converged and composable architectures

Even though some data centers are evolving into composable architectures, converged and hyper-converged infrastructures remain viable options for the data center. IT leaders need to understand the pros and cons of each platform to ensure their infrastructures can grow along with the business.

3Hybrid cloud heightens infrastructure flexibility

With the ability to operate as one framework on premises and in the cloud, composable infrastructure is more flexible, manageable and scalable. The latest composable products can help companies scale on demand, all with a pay-as-you-go approach. This flexible, consumption-based pricing combined with the ability to burst into the cloud when demand spikes can help IT leaders control usage costs and optimize performance, while retaining strict security, compliance and access control.