Manage

Manage

Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.

• Top infrastructure modernization strategy challenges

  Increase the odds of IT modernization success by learning about the challenges and obstacles others have faced when attempting to modernize their infrastructure for their business. Continue Reading

• How to mold HCI appliances to workload requirements

  Ensure the hyper-converged infrastructure appliance you choose matches your workload requirements -- and not the other way around -- to maximize the benefits of hyper-convergence. Continue Reading

• Quickly repurpose HCI hardware for hosting virtual desktops

  Virtual desktops are tailored for remote work situations, and hyper-convergence makes a great VDI host that stands up quickly in a pinch. Consider these factors, though. Continue Reading

• HCI bolsters COVID-19 work-from-home infrastructure

  Redirecting hyper-converged systems or reusing older hardware can help organizations support a sudden influx of many more remote workers. Discover the challenges you might face. Continue Reading

• Two-pronged approach to scaling remote work infrastructure

  Hastily supporting large numbers of workers who all of a sudden find themselves at home requires quick thinking on the part of IT. Just as important is what you do afterward. Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Use cloud HCI as a stepping stone to hybrid cloud deployment

  More organizations are taking a hyper-converged infrastructure approach to deploying their hybrid clouds. Discover the motivation behind the strategy.Continue Reading

• 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

• Why composable infrastructure goes hand in hand with private cloud

  Some companies are opting out of SAN upgrades or costly converged systems in favor of composable architecture to build servers and storage on the fly. But will the concept take off?Continue Reading

• Essential hyper-converged cloud questions answered

  Hyper-convergence can help make taking a cloud or multi-cloud approach to your architecture easier to implement, manage and scale. Read on to find out how and why.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged integrated systems crucial to long-term HCI success

  No HCI platform exists in a silo. Learn why hyper-converged systems must communicate, interact and integrate with third-party management tools and the wider IT infrastructure.Continue Reading

• The hyper-converged network benefits from commingling HCI, SDN

  Merging software-defined networking with hyper-converged infrastructure platforms should simplify and ease the deployment, scaling and management of hyper-converged networks.Continue Reading

• 10 top tips to maximize hyper-converged infrastructure benefits

  The most-read hyper-converged tips of the past year represent a range of best practices for procuring and implementing HCI as all or part of your overall data center architecture.Continue Reading

• Examples of hypervisors and how they're supported in HCI products

  Hypervisor support in hyper-converged infrastructure has evolved over time. Find out how as we assess the past and current place of individual hypervisors in these architectures.Continue Reading

• Composable architecture keeps hardware flexibility

  With composable systems, an IT admin can get more choice from the devices on the back end and more choice on the devices it delivers the virtualized resources to.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged benefits and concerns for storage

  There is a lot of information out there on hyper-converged storage, and it can be difficult to get down to basics. Here are five common questions about hyper-convergence, answered.Continue Reading

• IT storage administrator sees more business than bytes

  The days of the storage guru may be winding down, and yet, while some storage skills have become obsolete, the storage administrator is no less important to bottom line.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged integrated systems ease VDI rollout

  Without the easy scalability of hyper-converged systems, a VDI rollout could stall on a traditional storage array system if user demand creates I/O bottlenecks.Continue Reading

• Planning your HCI storage needs is vital for VDI

  Accounting for storage and compute demands from both the IT infrastructure and the end users is vital when implementing any hyper-converged architecture for VDI.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged computing benefits outweighed CI for one manufacturer

  One multinational manufacturer chose hyper-converged platforms to complement its existing CI implementation as a way to reduce overhead and simplify its IT structure.Continue Reading

• How to build your own hyper-converged computing platform

  Building your own HCI stack is within reach if you have the hardware, choose the right software and find the in-house expertise to manage the parts. That's a big 'if.'Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of building your own hyper-converged platform

  Building your own HCI platform can save money and headaches around vendor lock-in, but your IT department needs the hardware and manpower to make it work.Continue Reading

• Ready for hyper-converged infrastructure appliances?

  The storage piece of the HCI market is complex and confusing. Know the most important features to consider as you evaluate your options.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged infrastructure products give data centers a boost

  Hyper-converged products take your data center and network to new heights by leveraging industry-first infrastructure innovations to improve storage and more.Continue Reading

• The age of data center convergence gives storage a boost

  Convergence takes the emphasis from complexity and expense of enterprise-class storage by making it simple, agile and reducing total cost of ownership.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged system: Should you build it or buy it?

  You can build your own hyper-converged infrastructure without purchasing an appliance from a vendor, and the DIY movement could have a ripple effect on the whole HCI market.Continue Reading

• Do the benefits of hyper-convergence outweigh the drawbacks?

  Much has been said about the inability to scale storage separately from other resources in a hyper-converged system, but are there any advantages to treating storage in this way?Continue Reading

• Data center convergence and the role of storage

  Storage might be the most important component in converged infrastructure. See where storage fits in a converged data center and how you should approach implementation.Continue Reading

• Get hyped for top hyper-converged technology use cases

  Hyper-converged infrastructure systems aren't a good fit for small businesses or demanding workloads. Businesses must consider their needs before jumping into a new server stack.Continue Reading

• Converged vs. hyper-converged infrastructure: The bottom line

  Is your infrastructure more suited to a converged or hyper-converged system? Both approaches use virtualization, but software and hardware need to be factored in.Continue Reading

• How to approach hyper-converged architecture vendors and lock-in

  With the transformation of the nascent hyper-converged market, it's important to stay flexible when choosing a product, as the technology continues to improve and develop.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged technology lock-in: Good, bad or indifferent?

  There are downsides to the technology lock-in that comes with implementing hyper-converged infrastructure, but getting all your products from one vendor isn't necessarily a negative.Continue Reading

• Improve your vendor independence in hyper-converged and CI systems

  Your best bet at avoiding vendor lock-in with hyper-converged and converged infrastructure systems may be a DIY approach. Explore offerings from several top vendors.Continue Reading

• IT infrastructure costs can add up with hyper-converged systems

  On the surface, hyper-converged systems may seem budget-friendly. But watch out for pricey feature options that can increase overall costs as you build.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged infrastructure benefits vs. CI and public cloud

  Hyper-converged and converged systems are not the only choices for running enterprise workloads. Operating in the public cloud may prove to be a better fit for your organization.Continue Reading

• Which workloads should you run on hyper-converged platforms?

  VDI, tier-one apps and ROBOs are solid choices to run on hyper-converged systems, but companies should find other resources to support some needy applications.Continue Reading

• Prepare your environment for HCI platform installation

  Deploying an HCI stack is a transformation in IT infrastructure management. Admins must get VMs in order and plan the migration to get data centers ready for HCI.Continue Reading

• How to land hyper-converged and converged infrastructure jobs

  If you have the technical skills to run a converged or hyper-converged architecture, reading the interviewer is the only thing standing between you and the job you want.Continue Reading

• Selling hyper-converged computing to upper management

  If you want to use hyper-converged infrastructure in your company, getting approval -- and budget -- from higher-ups is the first step. Highlight simplicity, agility and TCO.Continue Reading

• How HCI vendors threaten innovation opportunities

  Deploying HCI gives IT shops one throat to choke when something goes wrong. But when a new tech advancement comes about, admins must wait on HCI vendors to catch up.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged platform configuration key to success in SMBs

  Big companies that must support hundreds of VMs and scale quickly are prime HCI customers, but small companies can buy a smaller configuration and reap hyper-convergence benefits.Continue Reading

• Predicting hyper-converged infrastructure vendors' next moves

  What's up for HCI vendors in 2017? SearchConvergedInfrastructure's expert contributors expect a busy year, including acquisitions and evolution in the way products are offered.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged hardware to become more powerful, modular in 2017

  As converged and hyper-converged infrastructure find more enterprise use cases, one may start to look more like the other.Continue Reading

• What to expect from HCI software vendors in 2017

  Hyper-converged software vendors have historically worked only with specific hardware makers, but a more open market could simplify and drive down the cost of deploying HCI.Continue Reading

• What's to come for CI, HCI products and vendors in 2017

  Market consolidation and cloud integration are inevitable for many burgeoning technologies. HCI and converged products are no different.Continue Reading

• Benefits of hyper-convergence and how to take advantage of them

  There are numerous reasons to implement hyper-converged infrastructure for storage, but there are various steps shops must take before they can reap what they've sown.Continue Reading

• Use a software-defined storage vendor to avoid lock-in

  Vendor lock-in is one downside to buying a prepackaged hyper-converged infrastructure product. But selecting a software option could avoid the problem.Continue Reading

• How will the hyper-converged data center affect storage admin roles?

  Despite easier provisioning and policy-based management, the unique knowledge held by storage administrators remains essential in the age of hyper-convergence.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged architectures receive value from deduplication process

  As capacity becomes cheaper, some storage administrators might assume deduplication is less relevant. But in hyper-converged data centers, the technology is as important as ever.Continue Reading

• Convergence offers single pane-of-glass management to ease IT burden

  Managing discrete technology components as a combined entity offers benefits beyond just ease of use. IT service contract management can also be streamlined.Continue Reading

• How to support resource-hungry VMs on hyper-converged infrastructure

  VMs that run big applications on hyper-converged infrastructures suck resources from the whole cluster, but splitting a demanding app among VMs can improve performance for all.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged data center changes infrastructure upgrades

  Hyper-converged platforms allow customers to purchase more resources as their environments grow, eliminating the costly hardware refreshes of traditional environments.Continue Reading

• How the hyper-converged appliance market has exploded

  The hyper-converged appliance market has exploded thanks to their fast deployment and easy management that overcome their limitations.Continue Reading

• Enhance hyper-converged platform performance with tuning

  A hyper-converged platform eliminates the need for most performance tuning with an integrated platform joined by one network. But tuning can still improve performance.Continue Reading

• Reasons to hyper-converge your architecture

  If you plan to kick off 2016 by hyper-converging your infrastructure, storage expert George Crump outlines the benefits of such a project, as well as some areas of concern.Continue Reading

• Evaluate hyper-converged platform flash storage in four steps

  Many hyper-converged platforms today include a mix of flash and HDD, and flash might be a more cost-effective way to add performance to your environment than you think.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged software benefits include cost, flexibility

  Software-only hyper-converged architectures are popular for organizations looking to save money, but an adequate IT staff is necessary for installation and troubleshooting.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged system challenges: Performance, integration

  Larger enterprises may run into more challenges with a hyper-converged system than smaller enterprises, but both should look out for compatibility and performance issues.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged technology options include software, flash

  Analyst George Crump discusses how flexibility, cost and performance differ in the hyper-converged technology options that are available in the market today.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged architecture replication impacts performance

  Replication in a hyper-converged architecture allows for more flexible data mobility, but the technology can take a toll on performance and available capacity.Continue Reading

• Increase storage capacity in hyper-converged systems

  Hyper-converged systems make it easy to increase storage capacity, but that also means you could be paying for unneeded compute resources.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged architecture configuration issues

  No hyper-converged architecture setup is alike, but there are some universal steps that can be followed with most vendor products. Brien Posey explains in this tip.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged architecture deployment: Areas of concern

  A hyper-converged architecture is meant to be simple to install, but a smooth deployment depends on proper planning.Continue Reading

• How are hyper-converged vendors providing DR?

  Brien Posey explains how hyper-converged systems are used for DR and which vendors are offering it in this expert answer.Continue Reading

• Take server virtualization storage head-on with converged storage

  Converged systems and hyper-converged storage systems can ease the pain one of the most challenging aspects of VM storage: complex provisioning.Continue Reading

• data center infrastructure management

  Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) is the convergence of IT and data center facilities functions within an organization.Continue Reading

• data center infrastructure management (DCIM)

  Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) is the convergence of IT and data center facilities functions within an organization.Continue Reading