Dynamic Infrastructure
Encyclopedia
Dynamic Infrastructure is an information technology
paradigm concerning the design of data center
s so that the underlying hardware and software can respond dynamically to changing levels of demand in more fundamental and efficient ways than before. The paradigm is also known as Infrastructure 2.0 and Next Generation Data Center.
Top tier vendors promoting dynamic infrastructures include IBM
, Microsoft
, Sun
, Fujitsu
, HP and Dell
.
The basic premise of Dynamic Infrastructures is to leverage pooled IT resources to provide flexible IT capacity, enabling the seamless, real-time allocation of IT resources in line with demand from business processes. This is achieved by using server virtualization technology to pool computing resources wherever possible, and allocating these resources on-demand using automated tools. This allows for load balancing
and is a more efficient approach than keeping massive computing resources in reserve to run tasks that take place, for example, once a month, but are otherwise under-utilized.
Early examples of server-level Dynamic Infrastructures are the FlexFrame for SAP and FlexFrame for Oracle solutions introduced by Fujitsu Siemens Computers
(now Fujitsu
) in 2003. The FlexFrame approach is to dynamically assign servers to applications on demand, leveling peaks and enabling organizations to maximize the benefit from their IT investments.
Enterprises switching to Dynamic Infrastructures can also reduce costs, improve quality-of-service and make more efficient use of energy through reducing the number of standby or under-utilized machines in their data centers. Instead of the hot spare
principle of keeping second servers on standby to replace all production machines in contingencies for hardware- and software-related failures, Dynamic Infrastructures provide for failover from a smaller pool of spare machines. By reducing redundant capacity, organizations are enabled to make more efficient use of their IT budgets and devote greater proportions of their budget to physical and virtual production servers.
Dynamic Infrastructures may also be used to provide security and data protection when workloads are moved during migrations, provisioning
, enhancing performance or building co-location facilities.
Potential benefits of Dynamic Infrastructures include enhancing performance, scalability, system availability and uptime, increasing server utilization and the ability to perform routine maintenance on either physical or virtual systems all while minimizing interruption to business operations
and reducing cost for IT. Dynamic Infrastructures also provide the fundamental business continuity
and high availability
requirements to facilitate cloud
or grid computing
.
For networking companies, Infrastructure 2.0 refers to the ability of networks to keep up with the movement and scale requirements of new enterprise IT initiatives, especially virtualization and cloud computing. According to companies like Cisco, F5 Networks and Infoblox
, network automation and connectivity intelligence between networks, applications and endpoints will be required to reap the full benefits of virtualization and many types of cloud computing. This will require network management and infrastructure to be consolidated, enabling higher levels of dynamic control and connectivity between networks, systems and endpoints.
Organizations need an infrastructure that can propel them forward — not hold them back. Until now, many organizations have thought of physical infrastructure and IT infrastructure as separate. This meant, for example, that airports, roadways, buildings, power plants, and oil wells were managed in one way, while datacenters, PCs, cell phones, routers, and broadband devices were managed quite differently.
To succeed in today's world of instrumented, interconnected, and intelligent assets, a new approach is needed. Now, the infrastructure of atoms and the infrastructure of bits are merging into an intelligent, global, dynamic infrastructure. This convergence of business and IT assets requires an infrastructure that can measure and manage the lifecycle of assets that exist beyond the data center, throughout an organization's entire facilities as well as between one organization and another. The range of this approach is broader than ever before, and its effect on organizations is equally far-reaching.
Global organizations already have the foundation for a dynamic infrastructure that will bring together the business and IT infrastructure to create new possibilities. For example:
The key to a business and IT infrastructure that is "dynamic" is leveraging technologies, service delivery and acquisition models that optimize the infrastructure for efficiency and flexibility while transforming management to an automated service delivery and management model.
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
paradigm concerning the design of data center
Data center
A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems...
s so that the underlying hardware and software can respond dynamically to changing levels of demand in more fundamental and efficient ways than before. The paradigm is also known as Infrastructure 2.0 and Next Generation Data Center.
Top tier vendors promoting dynamic infrastructures include IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Sun
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
, Fujitsu
Fujitsu
is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
, HP and Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
.
The basic premise of Dynamic Infrastructures is to leverage pooled IT resources to provide flexible IT capacity, enabling the seamless, real-time allocation of IT resources in line with demand from business processes. This is achieved by using server virtualization technology to pool computing resources wherever possible, and allocating these resources on-demand using automated tools. This allows for load balancing
Load balancing (computing)
Load balancing is a computer networking methodology to distribute workload across multiple computers or a computer cluster, network links, central processing units, disk drives, or other resources, to achieve optimal resource utilization, maximize throughput, minimize response time, and avoid...
and is a more efficient approach than keeping massive computing resources in reserve to run tasks that take place, for example, once a month, but are otherwise under-utilized.
Early examples of server-level Dynamic Infrastructures are the FlexFrame for SAP and FlexFrame for Oracle solutions introduced by Fujitsu Siemens Computers
Fujitsu Siemens Computers
Fujitsu Siemens Computers B.V. was a Japanese and German IT vendor. The company was founded in 1999 as a 50/50 joint venture between Fujitsu Limited of Japan and Siemens AG of Germany...
(now Fujitsu
Fujitsu
is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
) in 2003. The FlexFrame approach is to dynamically assign servers to applications on demand, leveling peaks and enabling organizations to maximize the benefit from their IT investments.
Enterprises switching to Dynamic Infrastructures can also reduce costs, improve quality-of-service and make more efficient use of energy through reducing the number of standby or under-utilized machines in their data centers. Instead of the hot spare
Hot spare
A hot spare or hot standby is used as a failover mechanism to provide reliability in system configurations. The hot spare is active and connected as part of a working system. When a key component fails, the hot spare is switched into operation...
principle of keeping second servers on standby to replace all production machines in contingencies for hardware- and software-related failures, Dynamic Infrastructures provide for failover from a smaller pool of spare machines. By reducing redundant capacity, organizations are enabled to make more efficient use of their IT budgets and devote greater proportions of their budget to physical and virtual production servers.
Dynamic Infrastructures may also be used to provide security and data protection when workloads are moved during migrations, provisioning
Provisioning
In telecommunication, provisioning is the process of preparing and equipping a network to allow it to provide services to its users. In NS/EP telecommunications services, "provisioning" equates to "initiation" and includes altering the state of an existing priority service or capability.In a...
, enhancing performance or building co-location facilities.
Potential benefits of Dynamic Infrastructures include enhancing performance, scalability, system availability and uptime, increasing server utilization and the ability to perform routine maintenance on either physical or virtual systems all while minimizing interruption to business operations
Business operations
Business operations are those ongoing recurring activities involved in the running of a business for the purpose of producing value for the stakeholders...
and reducing cost for IT. Dynamic Infrastructures also provide the fundamental business continuity
Business continuity
Business continuity is the activity performed by an organization to ensure that critical business functions will be available to customers, suppliers, regulators, and other entities that must have access to those functions. These activities include many daily chores such as project management,...
and high availability
High availability
High availability is a system design approach and associated service implementation that ensures a prearranged level of operational performance will be met during a contractual measurement period....
requirements to facilitate cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
or grid computing
Grid computing
Grid computing is a term referring to the combination of computer resources from multiple administrative domains to reach a common goal. The grid can be thought of as a distributed system with non-interactive workloads that involve a large number of files...
.
Fujitsu's definition: "Dynamic Infrastructures enable customers to assign IT resources dynamically to services as required and to choose sourcing models which best fit their businesses. This brings IT flexibility and efficiency to the next level."
IBM's definition: “A dynamic infrastructure integrates business and IT assets and aligns them with the overall goals of the business while taking a smarter, new and more streamlined approach to helping improve service, reduce cost, and manage risk.”
For networking companies, Infrastructure 2.0 refers to the ability of networks to keep up with the movement and scale requirements of new enterprise IT initiatives, especially virtualization and cloud computing. According to companies like Cisco, F5 Networks and Infoblox
Infoblox
Infoblox, Inc. is a privately held developer and provider of enterprise network infrastructure automation software and hardware that provide DNS, DHCP, IPAM, and NCCM network services...
, network automation and connectivity intelligence between networks, applications and endpoints will be required to reap the full benefits of virtualization and many types of cloud computing. This will require network management and infrastructure to be consolidated, enabling higher levels of dynamic control and connectivity between networks, systems and endpoints.
Need for a holistic approach
Even in the face of global uncertainty, it is the infrastructure that continues to enable commerce and communications – the roads, networks, utilities, and technologies connecting and differentiating organizations, competitors and customers. The need therefore, is for a new type of infrastructure that:- Enables visibility, control and automation across all business and IT assets
- Is highly optimized to achieve more with less
- Addresses the information challenge
- Leverages flexible sourcing like clouds
- Manages and mitigates risks
Organizations need an infrastructure that can propel them forward — not hold them back. Until now, many organizations have thought of physical infrastructure and IT infrastructure as separate. This meant, for example, that airports, roadways, buildings, power plants, and oil wells were managed in one way, while datacenters, PCs, cell phones, routers, and broadband devices were managed quite differently.
To succeed in today's world of instrumented, interconnected, and intelligent assets, a new approach is needed. Now, the infrastructure of atoms and the infrastructure of bits are merging into an intelligent, global, dynamic infrastructure. This convergence of business and IT assets requires an infrastructure that can measure and manage the lifecycle of assets that exist beyond the data center, throughout an organization's entire facilities as well as between one organization and another. The range of this approach is broader than ever before, and its effect on organizations is equally far-reaching.
Benefits of having dynamic infrastructures
Dynamic infrastructures take advantage of intelligence gained across the network. By design, every dynamic infrastructure is service-oriented and focused on supporting and enabling the end users in a highly responsive way. It can utilize alternative sourcing approaches, like cloud computing to deliver new services with agility and speed.Global organizations already have the foundation for a dynamic infrastructure that will bring together the business and IT infrastructure to create new possibilities. For example:
- Transportation companies can optimize their vehicles' routes leveraging GPS and traffic information.
- Facilities organizations can secure access to locations and track the movement of assets by leveraging RFID technology.
- Production environments can monitor and manage presses, valves and assembly equipment through embedded electronics.
- Technology systems can be optimized for energy efficiency, managing spikes in demand, and ensuring disaster recovery readiness.
- Communications companies can better monitor usage by location, user or function, and optimize routing to enhance user experience.
- Utility companies can reduce energy usage with a "smart grid."
Virtualized applications can reduce the cost of testing, packaging and supporting an application by 60%, and they reduced overall TCO by 5% to 7% in our model.
– Source: Gartner – "TCO of Traditional Software Distribution vs. Application Virtualization" / Michael A Silver, Terrence Cosgrove, Mark A Margevicious, Brian Gammage / 16 April 2008
While green issues are a primary driver in 10% of current data center outsourcing and hosting initiatives, cost reductions initiatives are a driver 47% of the time and are now aligned well with green goals. Combining the two means that at least 57% of data center outsourcing and hosting initiatives are driven by green.
– Source: Gartner – "Green IT Services as a Catalyst for Cost Optimization." / Kurt Potter / 4 December 2008
"By 2013, more than 50% of midsize organizations and more than 75% of large enterprises will implement layered recovery architectures."
– Source: Gartner – "Predicts 2009: Business Continuity Management Juggles Standardization, Cost and Outsourcing Risk"). / Roberta J Witty, John P Morency, Dave Russell, Donna Scott, Rober Desisto / 28 January 2009
The key to a business and IT infrastructure that is "dynamic" is leveraging technologies, service delivery and acquisition models that optimize the infrastructure for efficiency and flexibility while transforming management to an automated service delivery and management model.
See also
- Converged InfrastructureConverged InfrastructureConverged infrastructure packages multiple information technology components into a single, optimized computing solution. Components of a converged infrastructure solution include servers, data storage devices, networking equipment and software for IT infrastructure management, automation and...
- Platform virtualization
- ProvisioningProvisioningIn telecommunication, provisioning is the process of preparing and equipping a network to allow it to provide services to its users. In NS/EP telecommunications services, "provisioning" equates to "initiation" and includes altering the state of an existing priority service or capability.In a...
- Data migrationData migrationData migration is the process of transferring data between storage types, formats, or computer systems. Data migration is usually performed programmatically to achieve an automated migration, freeing up human resources from tedious tasks...
- WAN optimizationWAN OptimizationWAN optimization is a collection of techniques for increasing data-transfer efficiencies across wide-area networks. In 2008, the WAN optimization market was estimated to be $1 billion , and it will grow to $4.4 billion according to Gartner, a technology research firm.The most common measures of...
- Data CenterData centerA data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems...
- Business continuityBusiness continuityBusiness continuity is the activity performed by an organization to ensure that critical business functions will be available to customers, suppliers, regulators, and other entities that must have access to those functions. These activities include many daily chores such as project management,...
- Disaster recoveryDisaster recoveryDisaster recovery is the process, policies and procedures related to preparing for recovery or continuation of technology infrastructure critical to an organization after a natural or human-induced disaster. Disaster recovery is a subset of business continuity...
- Cloud computingCloud computingCloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
- Grid computingGrid computingGrid computing is a term referring to the combination of computer resources from multiple administrative domains to reach a common goal. The grid can be thought of as a distributed system with non-interactive workloads that involve a large number of files...
- Utility computingUtility computingUtility computing is the packaging of computing resources, such as computation, storage and services, as a metered service similar to a traditional public utility...
External links
- IBM Dynamic Infrastructure IBM Dynamic Infrastructure
- HP Converged Infrastructure HP Converged Infrastructure
- Fujitsu Dynamic Infrastructures http://ts.fujitsu.com/it_trends/dynamic_infrastructures/index.html
- Dell Converged Infrastructure
- Infrastructure 2.0 Panel with Cisco, F5, VMware at Future in Review Conference May 2009 http://vimeo.com/4891610
- IDC 4th Annual Dynamic Infrastructure Conference (Event) http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=IDC_P15254
- Infrastructure 2.0 blog http://www.infra20.com
- Microsoft Realizing the potential for dynamic infrastructure
- Seeking Alpha The Network Industry Needs a New Vision — Infrastructure 2.0
- National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center http://www.sandia.gov/nisac/diisa.html
- Sun Dynamic Infrastructure Suite http://www.sun.com/service/dynamicinfrastructure/index.jsp
- NEC Dynamic It Takes a Dynamic Infrastructure to sustain growth while staying green
- Technorati Dynamic Infrastructure, Dynamic Infrastructure
- Reuters.com, NEC and Promark Deliver The Dynamic Infrastructure (March 17, 2008)
- Bizvoicemagazine.com, Dynamic Infrastructures: Taking Business Continuity to the Next Level (September, 2008)
- Sun Dynamic Infrastructures Wiki