Your IT light is on: get revved up over a speedy new way to upgrade

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Lambert Allen
5 years ago
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2 1 1 Introduction Picture all of the parts that make up your IT infrastructure. Much like an automobile, each year manufacturers produce new models and update parts to make the latest data center faster and more efficient than the last. Preparing your car for the open highway is much like updating your IT foundation: there are many interacting parts to consider, and while you pore over the best map, the odometer ticks. Your IT light is on Like choosing an engine, an IT infrastructure is made up of interconnected parts: servers, storage and networking hardware paired with management and virtualization software that support the flow and processing of information. With the right platform, you can choose how you want your business to drive today, while keeping it well-oiled for any speed bumps tomorrow. All it takes is a good look underneath the hood. An assessment of your IT infrastructure helps you decide which parts to replace and which parts can stay.

3 2 2 Take your infrastructure for a tune-up When it s time to upgrade, getting a new system up and running can take months from mulling over hardware costs and deciding specs to deploying the solution. Then, development operations take days for provisioning, then configurations and then months of additional fine tuning. What if you could opt for a system integrated by design? Everything is pre-configured in the background. Gentlemen, start your engines the NGP has arrived The IBM PureFlex system is a member of a new family of expert-integrated systems called IBM PureSystems. PureFlex is a factory-integrated and optimized set of hardware. PureFlex allows you to build your system infrastructure with integrated management, automation and optimization expertise built in. It addresses complex business operational tasks (like manual set-up and provisioning) automatically and tunes your systems for optimal performance and resource efficiency. From design to purchase to maintenance, it s a pretty streamlined IT infrastructure deployment method. PureFlex comes in three pre-configured set-ups or built-to-order. A pre-configured PureFlex is like driving a brand new automobile off the lot. A built-to-order PureFlex is like dropping new parts and a bossy new powertrain into a classic car. Regardless, if you want to rip-and-replace your infrastructure or simply upgrade hardware, PureFlex can manage the new hardware and integrate nicely with the existing hardware. Depending on the configuration you choose, PureFlex is preconfigured for auto provisioning and scalability.

4 3 3 Under the hood of IBM PureFlex How does it work? On a technical level, it s codified best practices for presetting configuration options by type of selected web application (e.g. high availability, high security etc.) On a simple level, it s a pre-configured IT infrastructure in-a-box. The number one feature of this product is its simplicity. Simply order the servers, storage and networking hardware that s best for your organization and you receive a box carrying a fully integrated next-generation platform pre-loaded with management software. Then, power it up. You will notice a pre-loaded UI, work through a brief wizard and relax while the system recognizes the technology in the box. No connecting cables, entering worldwide names, zoning the infrastructure and all of that rack n stack. Your infrastructure can be fully operational within hours. In recent years, IBM has focused on open standards. While there is a need for integrating legacy and 3rd party solutions into infrastructure upgrades, IBM has made a hairpin turn with PureFlex because it s compatible across hypervisors, operating systems and open infrastructures. PureFlex is made up of several infrastructure parts that are usually integrated separately and at different stages: Chassis 14 half-wide bays for nodes Management Appliance Optional NGP spec sheet All configurations are Cloud-ready with addition of SmartCloud Entry software Choice of IBM POWER7 or Intel x86 processors Choice of PowerVM, KVM, VMware, or Microsoft Hyper-V Choice of AIX, IBM i, Microsoft Windows, and Linux from Red Hat or SUSE Any combination of POWER7/PowerVM and x86 with KVM, VMware or Hyper-V Compute nodes Power 2S/4S* x86 2S/4S Storage node V7000 Expansion inside or outside chassis Networking 10/40GbE, FCoE, IB 8/16Gb FC Expansion PCIe Captive Storage

5 4 4 How to order IBM PureFlex PureFlex can be built-to-order starting from the chassis, or you can order a chassis and any combination of servers, storage, networking and management. Individual components can be mixed, matched and integrated with optional management. IBM offers three pre-defined options: Express PureFlex The most affordable entry point and a starting line to integrate IBM PureFlex in a small area like QA or test DEV environment Standard PureFlex Adds a level of management to the infrastructure for application servers with supporting storage and networking and integration of additional cloud functionality Enterprise PureFlex Preconfigured for large enterprises buying a rack at a time. This set up includes redundancy for resilient operation, infrastructure for transactional and database systems and additional cloud functionality. PureFlex takes advantage of proven best practices and expertise for complex tasks learned from decades of client and partner engagements that IBM captured, lab-tested and optimized and then built into the system.

6 5 5 What does this mean for me? The IBM PureFlex system is cool because it automates most of the integration process suffered by IT. By combining hardware in an efficient manner, IBM has reduced the manual steps to integrate new hardware into an IT infrastructure; saving money, time and the sanity of IT resources. As part of IBM PureSystems suite (and to complement PureFlex), IBM also offers PureApplication, an application systems and software module that simplifies the management and provisioning of applications running on your PureFlex hardware. From beginning to virtualize or standardize, to moving the phase of optimization and automation, every business is somewhere along the road to Cloud computing. Regardless of your stage, you will need to take advantage of newer technology and better ways to manage your infrastructure. With a fully-integrated infrastructure in-a-box topped with pre-loaded management software, PureFlex is like the all-inclusive rest-stop on your road trip to an efficient infrastructure.

7 6 6 A better business Softchoice believes in helping build better businesses for our customers. Our goal is to help your organization become more successful, more productive and more competitive. Softchoice Services drives results by combining deep expertise and proven processes that correlate to your unique situation. Over 800 Softchoice assessment and advisory services completed in 2011 The Softchoice Assessment and Advisory teams specialize in identifying, analyzing and helping you evaluate technology opportunities so you have a clear picture of the implications for your business and can develop a comprehensive strategy that optimizes your data center investment. Softchoice s experienced team of certified experts is dedicated to helping you manage your technology challenges today. From design and planning to implementation, integration and migration, Softchoice s data center experts can help streamline your operations, improve availability, reliability and performance. How can you define a roadmap to success? Softchoice s data center advisory services connecting your business to technology opportunities by: Assessing your organization s existing physical environment Collecting and analyzing utilization metrics and modeling the physical infrastructure in a projected virtual environment Analyzing and interpreting financial payback metrics to determine the benefits of investing in virtualization Common Infrastructure Challenges: Length of time to get new hardware up and running Finding the right configuration for your business Hassle of manual fine tuning, maintenance and provisioning At Softchoice, we believe that any IT project must start with a good plan. Whatever the project, the only way to really understand the scope and breadth is by uncovering the current state, identifying potential roadblocks and mapping out the future in logical phases. Learn more about how Softchoice partners with customers so they can make informed decisions that reduce their risks and help them gain a competitive edge. Together we can develop solutions that drive a better business for you:» Contact us today for more information. Connect with us today

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