Building a Modern Data Center - ActualTech Media

1 Building a Modern Data CenterPrinciples and Strategies of DesignWritten by Scott D. Lowe, James Green and David DavisIn partnership withWritten byScott D. Lowe, James Green and David Davis Partners, ActualTech MediaPrinciples and Strategies of DesignBUILDING A Modern DATA CENTERP rinciples & Strategies of DesignBuilding a Modern Data Center Principles and Strategies of DesignAuthor: Editor: Scott D. Lowe, ActualTech Media James Green, ActualTech MediaDavid Davis, ActualTech MediaHilary Kirchner, Dream Write CreativeCover Design: atlantis Computing Layout: Braeden Black, Avalon Media ProductionsProject Manager: Geordie Carswell, ActualTech Media Copyright 2016 by atlantis Computing All rights reserved.

2 This book or any portion there of may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Printed in the United States of America First Printing, 2016 ISBN 978-1-943952-07-6 ActualTech Media Okatie Village Ste 103-157 Bluffton, SC 29909 USA of ContentsForeword xiiiChapter 1: Introduction 14IT Is Changing.

3 And It Must ..14 Simplification Is the New Black..15 Focus on Cost Reduction..17 Focus on Customer Service and the Business..19 Adapt or Die ..20 Flattening of the IT Organization ..21IT as an Operational Expense ..22 Chapter 2: Data Center Evolution 25A History of the Modern Data Center ..26 The Rise of the Monolithic Storage Array ..27 The Virtualization of Compute Software Defined Servers ..33 The No-Spin Zone: The Move from Disk to Flash ..38 The Fall of the Monolithic Storage Array.

4 41 The Emergence of Convergence ..44 The Role of Cloud ..47 Cloud Types ..47 Cloud Drivers ..49 Chapter 3: Emerging Data Center Trends 53 The Emergence of SDDC ..53 Commoditization of Hardware ..54 Shift to Software Defined Compute ..56 Shift to Software Defined Storage ..57 Shift to Software Defined Networking ..59 Shift to Software Defined Security ..60 The Parallel Paths of SDS and Hyperconvergence ..61ivThe Details of SDS ..62 What Is Hyperconverged Infrastructure?.

5 65 The Relationship Between SDS and HCI ..68 The Role of Flash in Hyperconvergence ..69 Where Are We Now? ..71 Chapter 4: Modern IT Business Requirements 76 The Business Requirement Challenge ..76 Risk ..78 Assurance, Business Continuity, and Disaster Recovery..80 The Regulatory Landscape ..82 Avoiding Lock-In (Hypervisor, Storage, Server)..83 Changing the Perception of IT ..84 Cost..86 Changing Budgetary Landscape ..86 The Changing Career Landscape..88 Complexity ..90 Agility and Performance.

6 92 Automation and Orchestration ..93 Self-Service..95 The Data Growth Challenge ..97 Resiliency and Availability ..98 Chapter 5: Making Your Data Center Agile: Principles & Strategies 101 Think Big .. 102 Start Small .. 104 Move Fast..106 Chapter 6: Transforming Your Data Center 113 Align the Data Center and Business Needs .. 114 Where to Address the Low-Hanging Fruit .. 115 Test/Dev .. 117 Remote/Branch Offices .. 118vServer Virtualization .. 120 Big Data/Analytics.

7 121 Disaster Recovery .. 123 Virtual Desktop Infrastructure .. 124 How to Adobt SDDC ..125 Software Defined Compute .. 126 Software Defined Storage .. 128 Software Defined Networking .. 130 Simplification .. 131 Eliminate Monolithic Storage Systems ..132 Implement Opportunistic Hyperconvergence .. 134 Management .. 135 Full Stack Management .. 135 Key Features .. 136 Chapter 7: Software Defined Storage 141 The SDS Landscape .. 142 What Is Software Defined Storage?

8 142 What Isn t Software Defined Storage? .. 144 SDS Compared to Traditional Storage .. 144 SDS Requirements .. 146 Abstraction, Pooling, and Storage Virtualization .. 146 Advanced Data Services .. 151 Resilience/Data Protection .. 160 Chapter 8: Hyperconverged Infrastructure 165 Hyperconvergence Defined..166 Hyperconvergence Implementation Options .. 168 SDS in Hyperconvergence .. 168 The Hyperconvergence Design Model .. 169 Virtual Storage Appliances .. 171 Appliance vs.

9 Software/Reference Architecture .. 174 Hypervisor Choice .. 176viServer Hardware Choice .. 177 The Question of Scale .. 178 Scale Up Defined .. 178 Scale Out (Linear Scalability) Defined .. 179Do You Have Scale Up and Scale Out Options? .. 179 Chapter 9: From the Field: Software Defined Storage & Hyperconverged Infrastructure 2016 182 Technology Domain Knowledge .. 184 Virtualization Penetration .. 185 Hypervisor Usage..187 Storage Capacity .. 191 Data Growth .. 195 Storage Performance..198 Current Storage Systems.

10 199 The Form Factor Debate .. 202 Business Workload Support .. 203 Remote Office and Branch Office Support .. 204 Flash Storage Deployment .. 205 Software Defined Storage and Hyperconverged Infrastructure Deployment Intent .. 206 Software Defined Storage and Hyperconverged Infrastructure Deployment Experience .. 207 Hyperconverged Infrastructure or Software Defined Storage Deployment Timeframe..208 Software Defined Storage and Hyperconverged Infrastructure Decision Criteria..209 Chapter 10: IT Transformation 211 The Challenge.