Hyperconverged Infrastructure
What is Hyperconverged Infrastructure?
Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is a software-defined, unified system that combines all the elements of a traditional data center: storage, compute, networking, and management. This integrated solution uses software and x86 servers to replace expensive, purpose-built hardware. With hyperconverged infrastructure, you’ll decrease data center complexity and increase scalability.
Traditional three-tier architecture is expensive to build, complex to operate, and difficult to scale. Don't wait on the IT infrastructure that can support your modern application demands. Adopt HCI without losing control, increasing costs, or compromising security.
Hyperconverged Infrastructure Explained
Introduction to HCI
Learn more about hyperconverged infrastructure, the benefits of making the switch, and how to get started.
Watch the Video (2:22)
Three Reasons to Adopt HCI
What is hyperconvergence? Discover what’s involved and why organizations across industries are consolidating to help reduce complexity, cost and risk.
Read the eBookHow Does Hyperconverged Infrastructure Work?
Four tightly integrated software components make up a hyperconverged platform:
- Storage virtualization
- Compute virtualization
- Networking virtualization
- Advanced management capabilities including automation
The virtualization software abstracts and pools underlying resources, then dynamically allocates them to applications running in VMs or containers. Configuration is based on policies aligned with the applications, eliminating the need for complicated constructs like LUNs and volumes.
What Is the Difference Between Hyperconverged and Converged Infrastructure?
Hyperconverged and converged IT infrastructures both integrate the four components of a data center. While hyperconverged systems accomplish this through software, making it hardware-agnostic, converged solutions rely on hardware. A converged infrastructure data center uses many of the same products as traditional IT, just with a simplified architecture and easier management.
What Can You Do with HCI?
- Build a private cloud: Deploy cloud-like infrastructure on-premises with lower costs, more control, and improved security. Choose from multiple hardware possibilities from our certified partners.
- Extend to public cloud: Choose an as-a-service option from the largest HCI cloud ecosystem for faster speed of deployment and less time spent managing infrastructure.
- Achieve true hybrid cloud: Manage a mix of VM- and container-based applications, deployed across a mix of data center, public cloud and edge environments with VMware hybrid cloud.
Advantages of Hyperconvergence vs. Traditional, Three-Tier Architecture
HCI transforms the traditional IT operational model with simple, unified management of resources. This results in:
Increased IT Efficiency
Eliminate manual processes and the need for siloed operational expertise on your team. Now, a single, converged IT team can monitor and manage resources and improve storage capabilities. Plus, with HCI, IT resources are presented as pools of storage that can be dynamically allocated to deliver the right amount of capacity, performance, and protection.
Better Storage, Lower Cost
Reduce your CAPEX by using a scale-up/scale-out architecture that requires only industry-standard x86 servers, not expensive, purpose-built networking. Then simply add capacity as needed with no disruptions. With HCI, you avoid vendor lock-in and eliminate overprovisioning, meaning greatly reduced infrastructure spending across your data center.
Greater Ability to Scale
Be more responsive to rapidly changing business needs. Set up hardware in a few hours; spin up workloads in minutes. Accelerate the performance of business-critical applications like relational databases. HCI scales better than traditional infrastructure. It enables a future-proof IT environment that allows you to scale up and scale out to easily meet specific application needs.
What Impact Can HCI Have on Your Organization?
Hear more about the key benefits of HCI compared to more traditional architectures. VMware’s Lee Caswell and IDC’s Eric Burgener discuss how to enable ease of management, deployment, scaling, and more.
Evaluating Hyperconverged Infrastructure? Three Questions to Ask
How does the HCI solution make IT teams more efficient?
Eliminating traditional IT silos and managing everything from a single tool means lower OPEX and CAPEX for your IT infrastructure. And with HCI, you don’t have to sacrifice security, flexibility or scalability. But some solutions make capitalizing on HCI efficiency easier than others. Learn why VMware has the most HCI customers in production worldwide in this infographic.
How will HCI integrate with your existing environment?
To deliver on its potential, a hyperconverged infrastructure solution shouldn’t be tied to a specific hardware platform. VMware HCI allows you the freedom to choose your preferred platform, fully integrate with your existing infrastructure, and protect and optimize existing investments.
Can the HCI solution efficiently and cost-effectively grow when, where and how you need it?
Data center scaling can be a costly, complicated process. VMware HCI is designed for simplicity and scalability for rapidly changing business needs. Only VMware has the complete set of offerings for a fully software-defined data center in production today.
Benefits of VMware Hyperconverged Infrastructure
Broadest Flexibility
Ensure a common operating environment across hybrid cloud with vSphere, the industry-leading virtualization platform.
- Get certified solutions with your preferred vendor
- Use existing virtualization tools
- Ensure consistent operations from edge to core to cloud
Simple Evolution to Full Stack HCI
Transform your environment smoothly with vSAN, the only vSphere-embedded, flash-optimized storage for virtual machines and containers.
- Stay native to your hypervisor and leading clouds
- Protect and optimize current investments
- Reduce TCO by as much as 50%
Intrinsic Security
Gain a complete L2–L7 networking and security and virtualization platform with NSX Data Center.
- Ensure intrinsic security, with data protection at rest and in flight
- Bring one-click provisioning to your networking and security services
- Defend against lateral threats across multi-cloud environments
Multi-Cloud Capabilities
Get a modern platform for infrastructure automation, consistent operations, and governance with vRealize Suite, the leading cloud system management software.
- Access infrastructure and application resources easily, on any cloud
- Unify resources under policy-based management
- Choose from hundreds of public cloud providers
Hyperconverged Infrastructure Solutions for Business Continuity
Enable remote working with an agile IT platform that scales both on premises and to the public cloud and simplifies disaster recovery.
Read Solution OverviewvSAN is the Leading Software for HCI
Seamlessly evolve to a modern data center with VMware, the #1 choice for hyperconverged infrastructure. VMware vSAN is the only vSphere-native storage software for private and public cloud deployments. Ensure a consistent operating experience plus all-flash performance and unlock a key building block of a complete digital foundation.
See why VMware is once again positioned as a Leader in the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant for Hyperconverged Infrastructure.
Customer Success with VMware Hyperconverged Infrastructure
HCI is well suited to a wide range of use cases, from business‐critical applications (BCAs) and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to disaster recovery and more. See how VMware-powered HCI delivers simplicity, cost savings and scalability for our customers.
Anytime, Anywhere Deployment for Cubic
“We’re using vSAN for hyperconverged infrastructure because of its reliability; it’s stable and lives depend on it. VMware systems are designed to just keep running…it’s an unstoppable system.”
– Tom Lynott, Director of Software Architecture
Watch the Video (2:22)
Harro Höfliger Achieves Greater Agility with Hyperconverged Infrastructure
“Overall, we’re extremely satisfied with the performance, high availability, manageability and scalability of our new hyper- converged infrastructure, thanks to the Fujitsu Integrated System PRIMEFLEX for VMware vSAN.”
- Karsten Ehrlich, Division Leader of IT, Harro Höfliger
Read the Case Study
Angel MedFlight Saves Patients’ Lives at 40,000 Feet
“Without VMware, I don't think that we would have the up time or the reliability to be able to perform what we do at 40,000 feet on a global scale and do what we do best, save patient lives.”
- Paul Green, CIO, Angel MedFlight
Watch the Video (2:37)
Get Started with Hyperconverged Infrastructure
Request Your Free HCI Assessment
Ready to get started on the simplest path toward hyperconverged infrastructure and hybrid cloud? Start by evaluating the readiness of your current environment for HCI with a free, online assessment.
More About Hyperconverged Infrastructure
Check out the infographic to see why more organizations are making the switch to address today’s IT challenges.
Learn more about the only vSphere-native, flash-optimized storage for private and public cloud deployments.
Understand what HCI is all about, how you can get started, and where you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck in this Dummies guide.
Find out which factors to consider when deploying hyperconverged infrastructure, explore the countless options, and then choose the one that’s right for you.
Join the Conversation
Follow us on Twitter @vmwarevsan and @VxRail, and learn more about HCI and vSAN on the Virtual Blocks blog.