EXPERT OPINION
2.
HCI is just software-
defined storage with
a hypervisor
Software-defined storage (SDS) vendors
have been coming out of the woodwork
with questionable HCI solutions that meet
the criteria for this myth ever since HCI
went mainstream. But, while the true HCI
solutions may include SDS, they are a
whole lot more than just that.
The signature of HCI solutions is its
simplification of virtualisation. SDS
solutions might help to simplify storage
to a certain extent, but they often aren’t
much more than an emulated SAN/NAS
solution. Many SDS solutions use Vendor
Specific Attributes (VSAs) to emulate SAN
for the hypervisors they support. This
means that SDS solutions are ultimately
very similar to a SAN in the overall
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complexity of the solution, defeating the
point of making it simpler.
True HCI solutions will automate a lot of
the configuration and management tasks
that make traditional DIY virtualisation so
complicated and hard to manage. That’s
why many HCI solutions are delivered
as purpose-built appliances where the
knowledge of the hardware supports even
greater automation. Automation such as
automatic storage pooling, rolling updates
and self-healing go far beyond the simpler
SDS solutions.
Those HCI solutions that also directly
integrate hypervisors, rather than using
third-party hypervisors, are the best
option. This level of integration allows for
more efficient data pathing and resource
utilisation. SDS solutions were already
supporting third-party hypervisors long
before the term HCI was even invented and
that simply doesn’t make the grade for HCI.
HCI SOLUTIONS
MAKE
VIRTUALISATION
EASIER TO DEPLOY,
MANAGE AND
GROW IN THE
FUTURE, WHICH
IS THEIR MOST
COMPELLING
VIRTUE.
Issue 11
41