The way companies are using cloud keeps evolving. Today, organizations are exploring new cloud strategies that take advantage of hybrid cloud and multicloud architectures. According to the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Index, 86% of enterprises identify hybrid cloud as their ideal cloud model. Out of the companies surveyed, 63% take advantage of a multicloud strategy.
However, before an organization can get on board with these cloud environments, it needs to be cloud ready. Applications and workloads aren’t always compatible with the cloud. The last thing your company wants to experience is a failed migration because of too many compatibility issues.Changing your approach to IT infrastructure can make transitioning to the cloud easier. Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) can help your company achieve cloud readiness by laying the foundation for hybrid cloud operations.
Cloud-Readiness Challenges
Legacy infrastructure and applications can be a stumbling block for companies that have considered moving to a hybrid cloud. When applications have been developed for specialized needs and they still work, organizations have difficulty letting go. However, before a hybrid cloud migration, all workloads and applications must be capable of moving to the cloud without a hitch.
Other companies may lack the hybrid cloud expertise necessary to develop and execute a successful strategy. The process of migration requires that IT staff be able to analyze workload requirements and anticipate capacity needs.
Organizations may also need to standardize operations before moving to the cloud. Standardizing processes can be complex if the current infrastructure is geographically dispersed and comprised of solutions from many vendors. Some businesses are burdened by shadow IT, in which members of the line of business have taken it upon themselves to deploy IT solutions, including cloud services.
Building a Foundation for the Cloud
Research from leading HCI solution Nutanix found that 92% of companies currently using an on-premises infrastructure plan to adopt HCI. No doubt this is because HCI has similarities to the cloud that make it an ideal starting point for organizations that want to move to cloud.
Similar to the cloud, HCI is easily scalable. Storage, compute, and networking are integrated into a single chassis, and a system administrator can scale up all three infrastructure components by adding nodes.
HCI separates hardware from the control layer using software, essentially virtualizing infrastructure resources. In this way, HCI is similar to creating a private cloud. With HCI, a business can build a private cloud, extend into a public cloud, and combine data center and public cloud resources to create a hybrid cloud environment. Dell VxRail is available in a hybrid cloud configuration, making a move to cloud even easier.
HCI allows the standardization of processes across the business using a single pane of glass for management. Processes can be automated and executed throughout a hybrid cloud or multicloud environment.
The Flexibility Needed for Cloud
HCI enables data and applications to move between the cloud, the edge, and the data center. This flexibility is ideal for today’s remote workplaces and the internet of things (IoT).
For example, Nutanix can extend private cloud software and services to the public cloud to create a hybrid cloud environment with complete resource portability. HCI integrates the entire environment through its unified structure and management.
HCI also helps with application development. Dev/Ops capabilities allow your company to design cloud-native applications to replace legacy applications that are incompatible with cloud and deliver them quickly.
Getting Cloud Ready With HCI
CIO.com reported that moving to the cloud is essential for pandemic-era businesses. Remote workplaces run better in the cloud, and even after the pandemic, companies may not fully return to the traditional office space. HCI could be the answer to reaching cloud readiness so you can create the workplace of the future.
ProActive Solutions has combined strengths in HCI technology and Cloud Transition. We can help your company assess your cloud readiness and work with you to develop a roadmap to both HCI and cloud. We partner with Nutanix and Dell EMC, Leaders in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for HCI, giving your business access to best-in-breed HCI solutions and the necessary expertise to implement and support them.
Learn more about HCI capabilities. Read the ProActive eBook The Complete Guide to Software-Defined Everything.
