IDC investigates the transformation of IT delivery in the datacenter and the emerging role of pretested solutions that focus on unified, shared infrastructure. The paper focuses on the advent of converged infrastructure solutions that simplify the deployment and management of virtualized environments spanning server, storage, and networking components. The paper then takes a closer look at the FlexPod datacenter solution offered by NetApp and Cisco, with a focus on the VMware vSphere design configuration. IDC examines the importance of professional services to delivering the solution and the key role of a collaborative support model aimed at streamlining the support process for customers and channel partners.
Ar Accelerating Converged Infrastructure With Flexpod
1. WHITE P APER
Accelerating Converged Infrastructure with the FlexPod
Datacenter Solution and the Support Alliance
Sponsored by: NetApp
Brad Nisbet Rob Brothers
July 2011
IN THIS WHITE P APER
www.idc.com
IDC investigates the transformation of IT delivery in the datacenter and the emerging
role of pretested solutions that focus on unified, shared infrastructure. The paper
focuses on the advent of converged infrastructure solutions that simplify the
deployment and management of virtualized environments spanning server, storage,
F.508.935.4015
and networking components. The paper then takes a closer look at the FlexPod
datacenter solution offered by NetApp and Cisco, with a focus on the VMware
vSphere design configuration. IDC examines the importance of professional services
to delivering the solution and the key role of a collaborative support model aimed at
streamlining the support process for customers and channel partners.
P.508.872.8200
New Datacenter Challenges
The demands placed on today's IT organizations are accelerating on all fronts, with IT
executives and administrators feeling the pressure to address a variety of challenges
Global Headquarters: 5 Speen Street Framingham, MA 01701 USA
regarding growth, scalability, and management. From a business perspective,
organizations must consider increasing pressures to:
Reduce or eliminate capital expenditure
Streamline and develop more predictable operational expenditure
Rapidly deploy IT services to increasing numbers of internal and external users,
including a growing base of mobile users
Comply with regulatory and/or business governance mandates
Leverage the inherent value of business data through increased, real-time
analytics
From a technological and operational perspective, organizations must consider
increasing pressures to:
Offer a growing number and variety of applications across a wide range of users
and interoperability levels
Offer these applications securely with the appropriate permissions to users