Henry David Thoreau, in “Walden,” noted “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” Sounds great, but like so much out there, is a lot harder to actually do than say. But what if there were a way to practice our Thoreau in the data center with just one addition? There’s such an addition in play right now, and it’s called hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI). HCI actually has a lot to offer, which is why firms like NetApp are putting it to use in its FlexPod line of converged infrastructure solutions. But what exactly can HCI do for your data center infrastructure?

How To ‘Thoreau’ Your Data Center Infrastructure with HCI

HCI can deliver great value, especially in terms of simplifying data center infrastructure.

Consolidating management. With HCI, it’s actually possible to take the normally-separate functions of computing, networking, and storage and bring these all together under a single umbrella. The umbrella in question, often a software-managed appliance, can then be better brought to use as needed. This has some knock-on effects like simplifying firmware updates.

Lowered costs. Consolidating management means reduced man hours spent on management. But HCI also delivers value in other ways, including lowering the overall data center footprint by making at least some of it software-based, as well as dropping power and cooling costs since there’s less hardware required to do the same job.

Better flexibility. HCI opens up the opportunity to engage in scalable practices, meaning that capacity can be purchased only as it’s needed. That means less hard infrastructure going in when more capacity is needed, shifting costs from hefty capital expenditures to more modest, predictable operational expenditures.

Simplified disaster recovery. No one wants to go through a fire, earthquake, or similar disaster. HCI allows for greater use of virtual machines that can carry on in the event of a disaster. Plus, when something less disastrous than a fire hits, like a server failure, the problem can often be cleared up with one call to one vendor.

What If You Need More Help with HCI and Your Data Center Infrastructure?

Simple doesn’t always mean easy; anyone who’s ever tried to simplify knows that. When your simplification efforts prove harder than expected, there’s help waiting for you at Emcon IT. We support companies like NetApp, who’s already using HCI, as well as companies like Dell EMC and HP 3Par. HCI can bring a lot of value to data center infrastructure. When you want to put it to use yourself, drop us a line to get started.