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COVID-19 and the IT sector: Challenges and Opportunities

The year of the pandemic – that is how many of us will remember 2020 for generations to come. Challenging circumstances brought by the sudden and devastating spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has made us witness the world making quick changes to remote working, businesses struggling to survive, the distress of social distancing rules, the emotional rollercoaster for people isolating, an overall crisis for health systems and the economy of countries, no matter where you were in the world.


When reflecting on what it has meant so far, however, we must realise that it’s not all doom and gloom. As Albert Einstein once said, “in the midst of every crisis lied a great opportunity”. The crisis has prompted companies to reinvent and accelerate digital plans, to adopt new technologies and sales models in order to adapt and survive – and for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to step up to support businesses and employees in every way possible.


On the other hand, let’s also not forget what the changes have meant for the health of our ecosystems. With industries across varied sectors forced to work remotely and shut down operations, the changes have led to benefits for the environment – and we could argue that such break was something that our planet was desperately in need of.


Even now, as we start to see our way out of this situation, it’s hard to believe how it all happened. For most countries, it was a similar case: we were hearing news about a new virus spreading in China; and before we knew more about it, the virus arrived in our own territories. It seemed unlikely, and yet, a few days later, the virus was quickly spreading, and lockdown restrictions came into effect for almost every nation in the globe. Millions of workers around the world had to leave the office and make a quick switch to remote working, without much notice at all.


In the initial stages of lockdown, MSPs had to work around the clock to help customers that weren’t ready for flexible working, to enable people to work from home. As every other industry and business type, MSPs also encountered challenges. Not being able to help a client on-site can sometimes significantly affect the speed of project delivery. So, adjustments had to be made, wherever possible, to deliver services remotely, as quickly and seamlessly as possible.


“We are all in this together” is a phrase that became widespread in the UK. IT professionals, like many other sectors, had to support each other, and they have been working together as a community, to assist clients, businesses, and the wider public, since working from home was suddenly imposed for the vast majority. In the technology space, there is a lot of knowledge to share and to work with, which has led to many tech leaders and companies offering free advice, webinars and other tools to help with the struggles that have risen in the midst of the pandemic.


Shifting priorities based on customer needs


In the initial stages of the pandemic, MSPs played a critical role providing small and medium sized businesses with the tools and the IT infrastructure to keep their business running. Enabling office-based workers to continue their work from home was only the first step, however.


The sudden shift to remote working has required new tools and exposed new security vulnerabilities. All around the world, we saw an increasing number of cyber-attacks and threats taking place. Remote working means many people were using personal computers for work and business purposes, and so, products that are designed to keep personal computers protected became essential.


MSPs have also focused on increasing security measures for protecting password and identities for customers. Passwords on their own are not secure enough and can be easily compromised, so it has been a case of quickly deploying password management and Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), also known as two-factor authentication (2FA). MFA immediately increases security and ensures that clients’ accounts are significantly less likely to be compromised. In a few simple steps, IT providers can deploy MFA to help protect an organisation against breaches due to lost or stolen credentials.


Beyond helping employees to work from home securely, MSPs have assisted companies in implementing cloud-based applications, and managing access and restrictions to certain applications, especially for furloughed staff.


Embracing opportunities in the post-pandemic landscape


The spread of Covid-19 has made remote working the new norm, but how likely is this to become a permanent thing? Many employers and workers have started to believe that working from home will become more and more common for employees, even after the threat of the virus is gone. It’s difficult to know what the final picture will be, but it’s remains a fact that, as offices gradually re-open after lockdown, employers are increasingly looking at new ways of flexible working.


Many organisations that have been forced to work from home have been functioning remotely with little to no issue, so it stands to reason that the future of work will become more flexible. Video-calls, online training sessions, webinars, online meetings, it all sounds too familiar now, doesn’t it?


Remote working was already popular, though for a long time it wasn’t much more than a much-appreciated working benefit offered by employers, as part of the ‘job perks’ package. The pandemic only accelerated the need for remote working capabilities, and now telecommuting seems to be taking over as the new norm.


The IT landscape has mutated, and quite possibly it has changed for good. Technology leaders will have to continue to listen to the evolving needs and demands of the users and the markets in which they operate. For MSPs, it means the crisis is bringing opportunities to provide value to clients seeking support for enhanced mobility and flexible working. Now that work-from-home setups are in place, there’s room for improving remote access solutions and security measures.


Cloud migrations, which are expected to increase after the pandemic, present an opportunity for remote employees to improve collaboration and business resiliency. There will be a push towards more robust cloud-based solutions, and these migrations are likely to become one of the top opportunities for the months to come to drive revenue for MSPs, as well as VoIP solutions, business continuity and hardware sales.


The pandemic seems to have accelerated the demand for cloud services and security solutions. MSPs will play an important role in finding the best solutions for every business type, to enable them to work more flexibly and effectively. IT providers will be increasingly tasked with the job of securing devices and protecting employees as they work remotely, especially for SMBs.

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OTHER ARTICLES
Application Infrastructure, Application Storage

Orchestration of Infrastructure in a Hybrid Environment

Article | July 19, 2023

The cloud has dispelled many myths and self-made barriers during the past ten years. The utilization of cloud infrastructure keeps proving the innovators right. The cloud has experienced tremendous adoption, leading to the development of our most pervasive - and disorderly - IT infrastructure systems. This move calls for a new level of infrastructure orchestration to manage the complexity of changing hybrid systems. There are many challenges involved in moving from an on-premises-only architecture to a cloud environment. IT operations teams must manage a considerably more complex overall environment due to this hybrid IT approach. Because of the variable nature of the cloud, IT directors have discovered fast that what worked to manage on-premises infrastructures may not always be applicable. Utilize Infrastructure as Code Tools to Provide Cloud Infrastructure as a Service IT has traditionally managed infrastructure orchestration and automation for business tools and platforms. Service orchestration and automation platforms (SOAPs) let non-IT workers turn on and off cloud infrastructure while IT maintains control. End-users are empowered with automated workflows that spin up infrastructure on-demand instead of opening a ticket for every request and waiting on the helpdesk or cloud service team. Automation benefits both end-users and ITOps. Users gain speed, and IT decides which cloud provider and how much cloud infrastructure is used. Give End Users Access to Code, Low Code, or No Code Modern SOAP lets citizen automators access workflow automation by preference or competence. SOAPs allow end-users to utilize code or no-code, depending on their preference. SOAPs let end-users access automation through Microsoft Teams, Slack, and ServiceNow. Developers and technical team members can access the platform's scripts and code. As enterprises outgrow their legacy systems, infrastructure orchestration solutions become essential. Using a service orchestration and automation platform is one way to manage complicated infrastructures. SOAPs are built for hybrid IT environments and will help organizations master multi-cloud and on-premises tools.

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Hyper-Converged Infrastructure

Top Books to Consider for Adoption of Hyper-Converged Infrastructure

Article | October 3, 2023

Discover the list of best hyperconverged infrastructure books and gain knowledge on the latest advancements in HCI and process design & explore areas for HCI improvements in the infrastructure domain. This comprehensive guide presents a curated selection of top books to consider for adopting Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) in IT infrastructure. Organizations increasingly recognize HCI as a transformative solution that streamlines data center management, enhances scalability, and optimizes resource utilization. To navigate this technology effectively, businesses must equip themselves with the proper knowledge and insights from authoritative sources. The carefully compiled list of books featured here offers valuable information, providing IT professionals and decision-makers with a solid foundation to make informed choices and successfully implement HCI within their IT infrastructure. 1. Hyperconverged Infrastructure Data Centers: Demystifying HCI Author: Sam Halabi Hyperconverged Infrastructure Data Centers: Demystifying HCI is a highly informative and authoritative guide that provides a clear understanding of Hyperconverged Infrastructure technology. Written for technical professionals and IT managers, the book offers a vendor-neutral perspective on HCI, covering its use cases and comparing leading hyperconvergence solutions in the market. Halabi effectively explains HCI's benefits, combining storage, computing, and networking into a single system, offering simplicity, scalability, and flexibility without sacrificing control. The book explores computing, virtualization, and software-defined storage advancements, highlighting the improvements they bring to data center designs. The author guides readers through the HCI lifecycle, including evaluation, planning, implementation, and management. The book also delves into HCI applications such as DevOps, virtual desktops, and disaster recovery, presenting a new application deployment and management model. 2. Hyperconverged Infrastructure: A Complete Guide Author: The Art of Service - Hyperconverged Infrastructure Publishing This book is a valuable resource for individuals and organizations seeking to understand and leverage the potential of hyperconverged infrastructure. This guide takes a question-based approach, empowering readers to uncover challenges and develop effective solutions. The guide provides a comprehensive self-assessment tool covering seven core HCI maturity levels. With updated case-based questions, readers can diagnose their HCI projects, initiatives, organizations, and processes based on accepted diagnostic standards and practices. It helps readers identify areas where HCI improvements can be made and provides a clear picture of the attention those areas require, enabling them to lead their organizations effectively and address what truly matters. It empowers readers to make their HCI investments work better by guiding them through asking the right questions and seeking innovative perspectives. 3. Hyperconverged Infrastructure: Practical Tools for Self-Assessment Author: Gerardus Blokdyk The book is a valuable resource for individuals in diverse business roles seeking to optimize their Hyperconverged infrastructure investments. This comprehensive guide emphasizes the integration of HCI with other business initiatives and the monitoring of HCI activities' effectiveness. The guide emphasizes the use of HCI data and information to support organizational decision-making and foster innovation. One of the strengths of this guide lies in its focus on leveraging HCI data and information for organizational decision-making and innovation. The self-assessment tool helps identify areas for improvement, with case-based questions organized into seven core areas of process design. Nevertheless, this guide equips readers with the necessary tools and insights to maximize the value of HCI investments, align with business objectives, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. 4. Hyper-converged Infrastructure Standard Requirements Author: Gerardus Blokdyk This book offers individuals various business roles considering or exploring hyper-converged infrastructure implementation. This comprehensive guide emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions and understanding the challenges and hyperconvergence solutions related to HCI. It provides a set of organized case-based questions, enabling readers to diagnose their HCI projects and identify areas for improvement. The self-assessment tool helps organizations implement evidence-based best practices and integrate the latest advancements in HCI and process design. With the Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Scorecard, readers can gain a clear understanding of the areas that require attention and prioritize their efforts accordingly. The digital components accompanying the book provide additional resources to support organizations in their HCI journey. 5. The Gorilla Guide to Hyperconverged Infrastructure Implementation Strategies Author: Scott D. Lowe The Gorilla Guide to Hyperconverged Infrastructure Implementation Strategies is a book designed for strategic planners seeking innovative segmentation methods. This book offers individuals various business roles exploring HCI implementation. It starts with the architecture of hyper-converged architecture, followed by Exploring the Intersection of Software-Defined Networking and HCI. It delved into addressing the pain points and storage performance in HCI, with relevant use cases for practical examples. It covers data-center consolidation, test and development environments, and HCI economics, for its impact on the IT budget. It helps organizations implement evidence-based best practices and integrate the latest advancements in HCI and process design. 6. The 2022 Report on Hyper-Converged Infrastructure: World Market Segmentation by City Author: Prof Philip M. Parker The '2022 Report on Hyper-Converged Infrastructure: World Market Segmentation by City' is a book designed for global strategic planners seeking innovative segmentation methods. This report covers over 2,000 cities across 200 countries, providing insights into the estimated market size (latent demand) of hyper-converged infrastructure in each significant city worldwide. The report ranks these cities based on their market size relative to their respective countries, geographic regions, and global market. The sales of hyper-converged infrastructure encompass a wide range of products, including hypervisors such as VMware, KVM, and Hyper-V, used for various purposes like virtual desktop infrastructure, server virtualization, data protection, and cloud solutions. Prominent companies in the industry, including VMware, Nutanix, Maxta, and others are covered in the report. The information presented is gathered from public sources, including news, press releases, and industry players, and is reported in U.S. dollars without adjusting for inflation. 7. The 2020-2025 World Outlook for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Author: Prof Philip M. Parker The World Outlook for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure study comprehensively analyzes the global market across more than 190 countries. It offers estimates of the latent demand, or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.), for each country, expressed in millions of U.S. dollars. The report also presents the country's share as a percentage of the region and the global market, enabling readers to assess its relative position. The study generates latent demand estimates using econometric models that project economic dynamics within and between countries. While it does not delve into specific market players or product details, it takes a strategic, long-term perspective, disregarding short-term cyclical fluctuations and focusing on aggregated trends. A multi-stage methodology, often taught in graduate business courses on international strategic planning, was employed to formulate these estimates. Wrap-up The adoption of Hyper-Converged Infrastructure represents a significant opportunity for businesses to revolutionize their IT infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new levels of agility and scalability. The books recommended in this listicle serve as indispensable resources for IT professionals and decision-makers seeking to embark on an HCI journey. By investing in the knowledge imparted by these authoritative texts, you empower yourself and your organization to leverage the full potential of HCI and stay at the forefront of technological advancements. Remember, success in adopting HCI lies not only in the technology itself but also in the understanding and expertise gained through continuous learning and exploration.

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Hyper-Converged Infrastructure

A Look at Trends in IT infrastructure and Operations for 2022

Article | October 10, 2023

We’re all hoping that 2022 will finally end the unprecedented challenges brought by the global pandemic and things will return to a new normalcy. For IT infrastructure and operations organizations, the rising trends that we are seeing today will likely continue, but there are still a few areas that will need special attention from IT leaders over the next 12 to 18 months. In no particular order, they include: The New Edge Edge computing is now at the forefront. Two primary factors that make it business-critical are the increased prevalence of remote and hybrid workplace models where employees will continue working remotely, either from home or a branch office, resulting in an increased adoption of cloud-based businesses and communications services. With the rising focus on remote and hybrid workplace cultures, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet have continued to expand their solutions and add new features. As people start moving back to office, they are likely to want the same experience they had from home. In a typical enterprise setup, branch office traffic is usually backhauled all the way to the data center. This architecture severely impacts the user experience, so enterprises will have to review their network architectures and come up with a roadmap to accommodate local egress between branch offices and headquarters. That’s where the edge can help, bringing it closer to the workforce. This also brings an opportunity to optimize costs by migrating from some of the expensive multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) or private circuits to relatively low-cost direct internet circuits, which is being addressed by the new secure access service edge (SASE) architecture that is being offered by many established vendors. I anticipate some components of SASE, specifically those related to software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), local egress, and virtual private network (VPN), will drive a lot of conversation this year. Holistic Cloud Strategy Cloud adoption will continue to grow, and along with software as a service (SaaS), there will be renewed interest in infrastructure as a service (IaaS), albeit for specific workloads. For a medium-to-large-sized enterprise with a substantial development environment, it will still be cost-prohibitive to move everything to the cloud, so any cloud strategy would need to be holistic and forward-looking to maximize its business value. Another pandemic-induced shift is from using virtual machines (VMs) as a consumption unit of compute to containers as a consumption unit of software. For on-premises or private cloud deployment architectures that require sustainable management, organizations will have to orchestrate containers and deploy efficient container security and management tools. Automation Now that cloud adoption, migration, and edge computing architectures are becoming more prevalent, the legacy methods of infrastructure provisioning and management will not be scalable. By increasing infrastructure automation, enterprises can optimize costs and be more flexible and efficient—but only if they are successful at developing new skills. To achieve the goal of “infrastructure as a code” will require a shift in the perspective on infrastructure automation to one that focuses on developing and sustaining skills and roles that improve efficiency and agility across on-premises, cloud, and edge infrastructures. Defining the roles of designers and architects to support automation is essential to ensure that automation works as expected, avoids significant errors, and complements other technologies. AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations) Alongside complementing automation trends, the implementation of AIOps to effectively automate IT operations processes such as event correlation, anomaly detection, and causality determination will also be important. AIOps will eliminate the data silos in IT by bringing all types of data under one roof so it can be used to execute machine learning (ML)-based methods to develop insights for responsive enhancements and corrections. AIOps can also help with probable cause analytics by focusing on the most likely source of a problem. The concept of site reliability engineering (SRE) is being increasingly adopted by SaaS providers and will gain importance in enterprise IT environments due to the trends listed above. AIOps is a key component that will enable site reliability engineers (SREs) to respond more quickly—and even proactively—by resolving issues without manual intervention. These focus areas are by no means an exhaustive list. There are a variety of trends that will be more prevalent in specific industry areas, but a common theme in the post-pandemic era is going to be superior delivery of IT services. That’s also at the heart of the Autonomous Digital Enterprise, a forward-focused business framework designed to help companies make technology investments for the future.

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Application Storage, Data Storage

Leading HCI System Integrators and Consultants for Enhanced User Experience

Article | July 12, 2023

The expertise of leading HCI firms shape the future of IT operations. This Hyperconverged Infrastructure companies list, will provide Hyperconverged solutions for growth and better services. In IT infrastructure, organizations constantly seek ways to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance user experience. HCI is a game-changing solution combining storage, computing, and networking into a single, integrated system. To leverage the full potential of HCI and ensure enhanced user experience, leading HCI system integrators and consultants have become invaluable partners for businesses across various sectors. In this listicle, delve into the role of leading HCI system integrators and consultants in enhancing user experience, the key contributions, and the significance of the services of the top hyperconverged infrastructure companies. 1. Precision Computer Services Precision Computer Services (PCS) is a trusted provider of practical and proven technology solutions for businesses. With over 30 years of experience, PCS helps clients overcome complex IT challenges and achieve their strategic goals. It offers expertise in data center upgrades when businesses struggle to manage workloads, need automation and orchestration for virtual infrastructure, aims to reduce physical data center footprint or require guidance on RPO and RTO strategies. PCS differentiates itself by automating processes, ensuring information accessibility and security, specializing in hybrid cloud models, and allowing client teams to focus on business growth while PCS handles complex IT work. It offers converged and hyperconverged infrastructure, reliable servers, data storage and protection, public and private cloud services, data classification, and backup and disaster recovery solutions. 2. IPDS IPDS empowers businesses to modernize their IT infrastructure, facilitate efficient cloud operations, and capitalize on the capabilities of the modern workforce, by combining cutting-edge technologies with highly skilled engineering talent. The company's website serves to showcase its expertise and offerings. It specializes in Hyper-Converged Infrastructure and Converged Infrastructure solutions. These innovative technologies have become the standard in the IT landscape, enabling organizations to benefit from the advancements in the software-defined data center realm. With seamless connectivity to cloud providers, HCI allows businesses to establish hybrid cloud environments. By leveraging industry-leading technologies and harnessing the potential of a modern workforce, IPDS enables clients to stay at the forefront of innovation and achieve their strategic objectives. 3. Climb Channel Solutions Climb Channel Solutions, a subsidiary of Climb Global Solutions, Inc, is a leading global specialty technology distributor specializing in emerging and business-critical technologies. One of the critical solutions offered by Climb is Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, which combines computing resources, storage, and networking to minimize compatibility issues and reduce the total cost of ownership for businesses. Its HCI solution vendors provide software-defined storage, networking, virtualization, and disaster recovery solutions, enabling organizations to optimize their infrastructure and achieve high availability. With a global presence and a customer base that spans thousands of partners worldwide, Climb Channel Solutions has established itself as a trusted distribution partner. 4. Nexenta by DDN DDN provides optimized high-performance computing (HPC) storage solutions for research and innovation. By offering scalable and efficient HPC storage solutions, DDN empowers businesses to streamline their data pipelines and achieve enhanced performance at scale. DDN's extensive experience in supporting advanced computing environments enables them to accelerate application performance, reduce operational costs, accommodate data growth, and deliver services through centralized data management. Their solutions, such as EXAScaler, provide efficient building blocks that match storage performance and scalability requirements while reducing administration overhead and complexity. With features like data placement optimization, encryption, and secure multi-tenancy, DDN ensures rock-solid security and efficient storage management. With real-time partnership and Lustre open-source support, DDN enables organizations to access subject matter expertise and effectively manage their entire HPC data lifecycle. 5. StorMagic SvSAN is a highly efficient and cost-effective hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) solution designed specifically for manufacturing. To ensure maximum uptime and eliminate single points of failure, SvSAN enables manufacturers of all sizes to run applications smoothly and maintain productivity. By deploying just two x86 servers at each location, manufacturers can leverage SvSAN's virtual SAN capabilities to minimize planned and unplanned downtime. This solution provides 100% uptime, making it an ideal choice for factories and offices where operational continuity is critical. Converging compute and storage into a lightweight commodity server footprint eliminates physical SANs, resulting in significant cost savings. StorMagic, as a company, is committed to solving edge data challenges. Their storage and HCI security products, including SvSAN and SvKMS (encryption key manager), cater to organizations with diverse site requirements. 6. Fabulix Fabulix, a Hyperconverged Infrastructure Platform, offers a comprehensive solution for autonomous infrastructure, empowering organizations to break free from the complexities of legacy IT and monolithic data centers. It is an easily deployable and infinitely scalable hyperconverged infrastructure platform that combines compute, storage, network, and virtualization resources into a single, streamlined system. By integrating software and hardware, Fabulix creates or extends private cloud and hybrid environments within local data centers, providing organizations with the benefits of autonomous infrastructure and facilitating the transition from legacy operations to cloud outcomes. Its networking capabilities automate workload deployments without requiring configuration changes on physical networks. Fabulix is designed to be an affordable alternative for infrastructure requirements. It provides integrated protection for data and applications through features like shielded VMs, network micro-segmentation, and native encryption. 7. VZURE Solutions VZURE Solutions empowers organizations to efficiently integrate and manage their converged or hyperconverged infrastructures. By leveraging their services, businesses can experience a range of benefits, including lower operating costs by consolidating storage and network management infrastructure teams, reduced labor costs through automated data center management, increased utilization, streamlined cabling, and fewer network connections to drive costs down, and enhanced agility through virtualized storage networking and centralized management. As a Cisco Preferred Solution Partner, VZURE offers a comprehensive suite of consultation, training, and support services for various aspects of cloud computing, networking, storage, and more. They provide the necessary expertise and resources to help businesses build, support, and manage efficient converged or hyperconverged infrastructures. Final thoughts The significance of leading Hyperconverged Infrastructure system integrators and consultants in enhancing user experience cannot be overstated in today's technology-driven world. With their expertise in designing and implementing optimized HCI solutions, these companies enable businesses to leverage the power of integrated storage, computing, and networking, resulting in streamlined operations, improved performance, and enhanced user satisfaction. Their deep understanding of HCI technologies and ability to align solutions with specific business requirements helps organizations achieve seamless and efficient IT infrastructure, ultimately leading to enhanced user experiences. As the demand for scalable and flexible infrastructure solutions continues to grow, the expertise of HCI platforms, leading HCI system integrators and consultants will play a crucial role in shaping the future of IT operations and ensuring that user experience remains at the forefront of technological advancements.

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Application Infrastructure, Application Storage

Mastering Infrastructure: Hyperconvergence Courses and Certifications

Article | July 19, 2023

The cloud has dispelled many myths and self-made barriers during the past ten years. The utilization of cloud infrastructure keeps proving the innovators right. The cloud has experienced tremendous adoption, leading to the development of our most pervasive - and disorderly - IT infrastructure systems. This move calls for a new level of infrastructure orchestration to manage the complexity of changing hybrid systems. There are many challenges involved in moving from an on-premises-only architecture to a cloud environment. IT operations teams must manage a considerably more complex overall environment due to this hybrid IT approach. Because of the variable nature of the cloud, IT directors have discovered fast that what worked to manage on-premises infrastructures may not always be applicable. Utilize Infrastructure as Code Tools to Provide Cloud Infrastructure as a Service IT has traditionally managed infrastructure orchestration and automation for business tools and platforms. Service orchestration and automation platforms (SOAPs) let non-IT workers turn on and off cloud infrastructure while IT maintains control. End-users are empowered with automated workflows that spin up infrastructure on-demand instead of opening a ticket for every request and waiting on the helpdesk or cloud service team. Automation benefits both end-users and ITOps. Users gain speed, and IT decides which cloud provider and how much cloud infrastructure is used. Give End Users Access to Code, Low Code, or No Code Modern SOAP lets citizen automators access workflow automation by preference or competence. SOAPs allow end-users to utilize code or no-code, depending on their preference. SOAPs let end-users access automation through Microsoft Teams, Slack, and ServiceNow. Developers and technical team members can access the platform's scripts and code. As enterprises outgrow their legacy systems, infrastructure orchestration solutions become essential. Using a service orchestration and automation platform is one way to manage complicated infrastructures. SOAPs are built for hybrid IT environments and will help organizations master multi-cloud and on-premises tools.

Read More
Hyper-Converged Infrastructure

Adapting to Changing Landscape: Challenges and Solutions in HCI

Article | October 3, 2023

Discover the list of best hyperconverged infrastructure books and gain knowledge on the latest advancements in HCI and process design & explore areas for HCI improvements in the infrastructure domain. This comprehensive guide presents a curated selection of top books to consider for adopting Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) in IT infrastructure. Organizations increasingly recognize HCI as a transformative solution that streamlines data center management, enhances scalability, and optimizes resource utilization. To navigate this technology effectively, businesses must equip themselves with the proper knowledge and insights from authoritative sources. The carefully compiled list of books featured here offers valuable information, providing IT professionals and decision-makers with a solid foundation to make informed choices and successfully implement HCI within their IT infrastructure. 1. Hyperconverged Infrastructure Data Centers: Demystifying HCI Author: Sam Halabi Hyperconverged Infrastructure Data Centers: Demystifying HCI is a highly informative and authoritative guide that provides a clear understanding of Hyperconverged Infrastructure technology. Written for technical professionals and IT managers, the book offers a vendor-neutral perspective on HCI, covering its use cases and comparing leading hyperconvergence solutions in the market. Halabi effectively explains HCI's benefits, combining storage, computing, and networking into a single system, offering simplicity, scalability, and flexibility without sacrificing control. The book explores computing, virtualization, and software-defined storage advancements, highlighting the improvements they bring to data center designs. The author guides readers through the HCI lifecycle, including evaluation, planning, implementation, and management. The book also delves into HCI applications such as DevOps, virtual desktops, and disaster recovery, presenting a new application deployment and management model. 2. Hyperconverged Infrastructure: A Complete Guide Author: The Art of Service - Hyperconverged Infrastructure Publishing This book is a valuable resource for individuals and organizations seeking to understand and leverage the potential of hyperconverged infrastructure. This guide takes a question-based approach, empowering readers to uncover challenges and develop effective solutions. The guide provides a comprehensive self-assessment tool covering seven core HCI maturity levels. With updated case-based questions, readers can diagnose their HCI projects, initiatives, organizations, and processes based on accepted diagnostic standards and practices. It helps readers identify areas where HCI improvements can be made and provides a clear picture of the attention those areas require, enabling them to lead their organizations effectively and address what truly matters. It empowers readers to make their HCI investments work better by guiding them through asking the right questions and seeking innovative perspectives. 3. Hyperconverged Infrastructure: Practical Tools for Self-Assessment Author: Gerardus Blokdyk The book is a valuable resource for individuals in diverse business roles seeking to optimize their Hyperconverged infrastructure investments. This comprehensive guide emphasizes the integration of HCI with other business initiatives and the monitoring of HCI activities' effectiveness. The guide emphasizes the use of HCI data and information to support organizational decision-making and foster innovation. One of the strengths of this guide lies in its focus on leveraging HCI data and information for organizational decision-making and innovation. The self-assessment tool helps identify areas for improvement, with case-based questions organized into seven core areas of process design. Nevertheless, this guide equips readers with the necessary tools and insights to maximize the value of HCI investments, align with business objectives, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. 4. Hyper-converged Infrastructure Standard Requirements Author: Gerardus Blokdyk This book offers individuals various business roles considering or exploring hyper-converged infrastructure implementation. This comprehensive guide emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions and understanding the challenges and hyperconvergence solutions related to HCI. It provides a set of organized case-based questions, enabling readers to diagnose their HCI projects and identify areas for improvement. The self-assessment tool helps organizations implement evidence-based best practices and integrate the latest advancements in HCI and process design. With the Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Scorecard, readers can gain a clear understanding of the areas that require attention and prioritize their efforts accordingly. The digital components accompanying the book provide additional resources to support organizations in their HCI journey. 5. The Gorilla Guide to Hyperconverged Infrastructure Implementation Strategies Author: Scott D. Lowe The Gorilla Guide to Hyperconverged Infrastructure Implementation Strategies is a book designed for strategic planners seeking innovative segmentation methods. This book offers individuals various business roles exploring HCI implementation. It starts with the architecture of hyper-converged architecture, followed by Exploring the Intersection of Software-Defined Networking and HCI. It delved into addressing the pain points and storage performance in HCI, with relevant use cases for practical examples. It covers data-center consolidation, test and development environments, and HCI economics, for its impact on the IT budget. It helps organizations implement evidence-based best practices and integrate the latest advancements in HCI and process design. 6. The 2022 Report on Hyper-Converged Infrastructure: World Market Segmentation by City Author: Prof Philip M. Parker The '2022 Report on Hyper-Converged Infrastructure: World Market Segmentation by City' is a book designed for global strategic planners seeking innovative segmentation methods. This report covers over 2,000 cities across 200 countries, providing insights into the estimated market size (latent demand) of hyper-converged infrastructure in each significant city worldwide. The report ranks these cities based on their market size relative to their respective countries, geographic regions, and global market. The sales of hyper-converged infrastructure encompass a wide range of products, including hypervisors such as VMware, KVM, and Hyper-V, used for various purposes like virtual desktop infrastructure, server virtualization, data protection, and cloud solutions. Prominent companies in the industry, including VMware, Nutanix, Maxta, and others are covered in the report. The information presented is gathered from public sources, including news, press releases, and industry players, and is reported in U.S. dollars without adjusting for inflation. 7. The 2020-2025 World Outlook for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Author: Prof Philip M. Parker The World Outlook for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure study comprehensively analyzes the global market across more than 190 countries. It offers estimates of the latent demand, or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.), for each country, expressed in millions of U.S. dollars. The report also presents the country's share as a percentage of the region and the global market, enabling readers to assess its relative position. The study generates latent demand estimates using econometric models that project economic dynamics within and between countries. While it does not delve into specific market players or product details, it takes a strategic, long-term perspective, disregarding short-term cyclical fluctuations and focusing on aggregated trends. A multi-stage methodology, often taught in graduate business courses on international strategic planning, was employed to formulate these estimates. Wrap-up The adoption of Hyper-Converged Infrastructure represents a significant opportunity for businesses to revolutionize their IT infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new levels of agility and scalability. The books recommended in this listicle serve as indispensable resources for IT professionals and decision-makers seeking to embark on an HCI journey. By investing in the knowledge imparted by these authoritative texts, you empower yourself and your organization to leverage the full potential of HCI and stay at the forefront of technological advancements. Remember, success in adopting HCI lies not only in the technology itself but also in the understanding and expertise gained through continuous learning and exploration.

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Hyper-Converged Infrastructure

Ensuring Long-Term Reliability of Technology Partners using HCI

Article | October 10, 2023

We’re all hoping that 2022 will finally end the unprecedented challenges brought by the global pandemic and things will return to a new normalcy. For IT infrastructure and operations organizations, the rising trends that we are seeing today will likely continue, but there are still a few areas that will need special attention from IT leaders over the next 12 to 18 months. In no particular order, they include: The New Edge Edge computing is now at the forefront. Two primary factors that make it business-critical are the increased prevalence of remote and hybrid workplace models where employees will continue working remotely, either from home or a branch office, resulting in an increased adoption of cloud-based businesses and communications services. With the rising focus on remote and hybrid workplace cultures, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet have continued to expand their solutions and add new features. As people start moving back to office, they are likely to want the same experience they had from home. In a typical enterprise setup, branch office traffic is usually backhauled all the way to the data center. This architecture severely impacts the user experience, so enterprises will have to review their network architectures and come up with a roadmap to accommodate local egress between branch offices and headquarters. That’s where the edge can help, bringing it closer to the workforce. This also brings an opportunity to optimize costs by migrating from some of the expensive multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) or private circuits to relatively low-cost direct internet circuits, which is being addressed by the new secure access service edge (SASE) architecture that is being offered by many established vendors. I anticipate some components of SASE, specifically those related to software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), local egress, and virtual private network (VPN), will drive a lot of conversation this year. Holistic Cloud Strategy Cloud adoption will continue to grow, and along with software as a service (SaaS), there will be renewed interest in infrastructure as a service (IaaS), albeit for specific workloads. For a medium-to-large-sized enterprise with a substantial development environment, it will still be cost-prohibitive to move everything to the cloud, so any cloud strategy would need to be holistic and forward-looking to maximize its business value. Another pandemic-induced shift is from using virtual machines (VMs) as a consumption unit of compute to containers as a consumption unit of software. For on-premises or private cloud deployment architectures that require sustainable management, organizations will have to orchestrate containers and deploy efficient container security and management tools. Automation Now that cloud adoption, migration, and edge computing architectures are becoming more prevalent, the legacy methods of infrastructure provisioning and management will not be scalable. By increasing infrastructure automation, enterprises can optimize costs and be more flexible and efficient—but only if they are successful at developing new skills. To achieve the goal of “infrastructure as a code” will require a shift in the perspective on infrastructure automation to one that focuses on developing and sustaining skills and roles that improve efficiency and agility across on-premises, cloud, and edge infrastructures. Defining the roles of designers and architects to support automation is essential to ensure that automation works as expected, avoids significant errors, and complements other technologies. AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations) Alongside complementing automation trends, the implementation of AIOps to effectively automate IT operations processes such as event correlation, anomaly detection, and causality determination will also be important. AIOps will eliminate the data silos in IT by bringing all types of data under one roof so it can be used to execute machine learning (ML)-based methods to develop insights for responsive enhancements and corrections. AIOps can also help with probable cause analytics by focusing on the most likely source of a problem. The concept of site reliability engineering (SRE) is being increasingly adopted by SaaS providers and will gain importance in enterprise IT environments due to the trends listed above. AIOps is a key component that will enable site reliability engineers (SREs) to respond more quickly—and even proactively—by resolving issues without manual intervention. These focus areas are by no means an exhaustive list. There are a variety of trends that will be more prevalent in specific industry areas, but a common theme in the post-pandemic era is going to be superior delivery of IT services. That’s also at the heart of the Autonomous Digital Enterprise, a forward-focused business framework designed to help companies make technology investments for the future.

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Application Storage, Data Storage

Leading HCI System Integrators and Consultants for Enhanced User Experience

Article | July 12, 2023

The expertise of leading HCI firms shape the future of IT operations. This Hyperconverged Infrastructure companies list, will provide Hyperconverged solutions for growth and better services. In IT infrastructure, organizations constantly seek ways to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance user experience. HCI is a game-changing solution combining storage, computing, and networking into a single, integrated system. To leverage the full potential of HCI and ensure enhanced user experience, leading HCI system integrators and consultants have become invaluable partners for businesses across various sectors. In this listicle, delve into the role of leading HCI system integrators and consultants in enhancing user experience, the key contributions, and the significance of the services of the top hyperconverged infrastructure companies. 1. Precision Computer Services Precision Computer Services (PCS) is a trusted provider of practical and proven technology solutions for businesses. With over 30 years of experience, PCS helps clients overcome complex IT challenges and achieve their strategic goals. It offers expertise in data center upgrades when businesses struggle to manage workloads, need automation and orchestration for virtual infrastructure, aims to reduce physical data center footprint or require guidance on RPO and RTO strategies. PCS differentiates itself by automating processes, ensuring information accessibility and security, specializing in hybrid cloud models, and allowing client teams to focus on business growth while PCS handles complex IT work. It offers converged and hyperconverged infrastructure, reliable servers, data storage and protection, public and private cloud services, data classification, and backup and disaster recovery solutions. 2. IPDS IPDS empowers businesses to modernize their IT infrastructure, facilitate efficient cloud operations, and capitalize on the capabilities of the modern workforce, by combining cutting-edge technologies with highly skilled engineering talent. The company's website serves to showcase its expertise and offerings. It specializes in Hyper-Converged Infrastructure and Converged Infrastructure solutions. These innovative technologies have become the standard in the IT landscape, enabling organizations to benefit from the advancements in the software-defined data center realm. With seamless connectivity to cloud providers, HCI allows businesses to establish hybrid cloud environments. By leveraging industry-leading technologies and harnessing the potential of a modern workforce, IPDS enables clients to stay at the forefront of innovation and achieve their strategic objectives. 3. Climb Channel Solutions Climb Channel Solutions, a subsidiary of Climb Global Solutions, Inc, is a leading global specialty technology distributor specializing in emerging and business-critical technologies. One of the critical solutions offered by Climb is Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, which combines computing resources, storage, and networking to minimize compatibility issues and reduce the total cost of ownership for businesses. Its HCI solution vendors provide software-defined storage, networking, virtualization, and disaster recovery solutions, enabling organizations to optimize their infrastructure and achieve high availability. With a global presence and a customer base that spans thousands of partners worldwide, Climb Channel Solutions has established itself as a trusted distribution partner. 4. Nexenta by DDN DDN provides optimized high-performance computing (HPC) storage solutions for research and innovation. By offering scalable and efficient HPC storage solutions, DDN empowers businesses to streamline their data pipelines and achieve enhanced performance at scale. DDN's extensive experience in supporting advanced computing environments enables them to accelerate application performance, reduce operational costs, accommodate data growth, and deliver services through centralized data management. Their solutions, such as EXAScaler, provide efficient building blocks that match storage performance and scalability requirements while reducing administration overhead and complexity. With features like data placement optimization, encryption, and secure multi-tenancy, DDN ensures rock-solid security and efficient storage management. With real-time partnership and Lustre open-source support, DDN enables organizations to access subject matter expertise and effectively manage their entire HPC data lifecycle. 5. StorMagic SvSAN is a highly efficient and cost-effective hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) solution designed specifically for manufacturing. To ensure maximum uptime and eliminate single points of failure, SvSAN enables manufacturers of all sizes to run applications smoothly and maintain productivity. By deploying just two x86 servers at each location, manufacturers can leverage SvSAN's virtual SAN capabilities to minimize planned and unplanned downtime. This solution provides 100% uptime, making it an ideal choice for factories and offices where operational continuity is critical. Converging compute and storage into a lightweight commodity server footprint eliminates physical SANs, resulting in significant cost savings. StorMagic, as a company, is committed to solving edge data challenges. Their storage and HCI security products, including SvSAN and SvKMS (encryption key manager), cater to organizations with diverse site requirements. 6. Fabulix Fabulix, a Hyperconverged Infrastructure Platform, offers a comprehensive solution for autonomous infrastructure, empowering organizations to break free from the complexities of legacy IT and monolithic data centers. It is an easily deployable and infinitely scalable hyperconverged infrastructure platform that combines compute, storage, network, and virtualization resources into a single, streamlined system. By integrating software and hardware, Fabulix creates or extends private cloud and hybrid environments within local data centers, providing organizations with the benefits of autonomous infrastructure and facilitating the transition from legacy operations to cloud outcomes. Its networking capabilities automate workload deployments without requiring configuration changes on physical networks. Fabulix is designed to be an affordable alternative for infrastructure requirements. It provides integrated protection for data and applications through features like shielded VMs, network micro-segmentation, and native encryption. 7. VZURE Solutions VZURE Solutions empowers organizations to efficiently integrate and manage their converged or hyperconverged infrastructures. By leveraging their services, businesses can experience a range of benefits, including lower operating costs by consolidating storage and network management infrastructure teams, reduced labor costs through automated data center management, increased utilization, streamlined cabling, and fewer network connections to drive costs down, and enhanced agility through virtualized storage networking and centralized management. As a Cisco Preferred Solution Partner, VZURE offers a comprehensive suite of consultation, training, and support services for various aspects of cloud computing, networking, storage, and more. They provide the necessary expertise and resources to help businesses build, support, and manage efficient converged or hyperconverged infrastructures. Final thoughts The significance of leading Hyperconverged Infrastructure system integrators and consultants in enhancing user experience cannot be overstated in today's technology-driven world. With their expertise in designing and implementing optimized HCI solutions, these companies enable businesses to leverage the power of integrated storage, computing, and networking, resulting in streamlined operations, improved performance, and enhanced user satisfaction. Their deep understanding of HCI technologies and ability to align solutions with specific business requirements helps organizations achieve seamless and efficient IT infrastructure, ultimately leading to enhanced user experiences. As the demand for scalable and flexible infrastructure solutions continues to grow, the expertise of HCI platforms, leading HCI system integrators and consultants will play a crucial role in shaping the future of IT operations and ensuring that user experience remains at the forefront of technological advancements.

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The MIL Corporation

The MIL Corporation (MIL), a CMMI® Level 3 certified company established in 1980, provides agencies of the Federal government with outstanding professional services in the areas of financial management, information technology, cybersecurity, and C4 engineering. With a staff of over 600 professionals, MIL provides innovative solutions to federal government customers, including the U.S. Departments of the Navy, Commerce, State, and Transportation.

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COVID-19 Has Accelerated the Long-Due Investments into Digital Infrastructure

Dell | May 25, 2020

Already leaders are talking about investing in large amounts of infrastructure to kick-start the economy, It should include digital infrastructure that will set the next generation up. If there is one thing that COVID-19 has done, it has been to accelerate changes that had already been coming to the way we use technology. Some of the risk can be offset by combining digital with more traditional infrastructure, It ranges from filling-in connectivity gaps through to solving identity and trust issues. If there is one thing that COVID-19 has done, it has been to accelerate changes that had already been coming to the way we use technology. As a result of months of disruption, millions of Australians are much more digitally savvy. We are comfortably engaging with each other through video, we are buying online at levels that we expected to be years in the future and, most importantly, we are engaging with education virtually and learning as much about digital learning as we are about the subjects themselves. There have been more subtle changes too. Worldwide, business and government has been learning to work virtually. The future of work has arrived unexpectedly quickly and we’re not likely to go back to how things were. Jobs that can be done remotely are likely to continue to be more flexible than ever before. The change means that instead of staffing with the best person available onsite, jobs will be available to the best person anywhere. While working virtually, new opportunities for innovation, automation and simplification are being created which will boost productivity and allow for new products and services in the longer term. The move to virtual work means the possibility of accessing new export opportunities. We have a highly skilled workforce who are well regarded across the globe. Contributions that were too hard to make through the tyranny of distance are suddenly open to us. To lock-in the myriad of social, inclusion, education, export and economic benefits that these new digital skills create requires new infrastructure. Digital infrastructure. It ranges from filling-in connectivity gaps through to solving identity and trust issues. Learn more: ARE COMPANIES INVESTING TOO MUCH IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE? “It is now the moment for countries to fast-track the construction of new digital infrastructure, such as IoT along with AI, in addition to the hastening of vital projects and major infrastructure construction that’s already included in countries.” Challenges included: instructors not properly trained and prepared to deliver online courses. Difficulties in adapting TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) curricula and training to online formats. Lack of access to the internet or ICT (Information and communications technology) equipment to carry out learning or training. Apprentices ready for assessment but who couldn’t be assessed due to COVID-19 issues. Students unable to access the resources necessary to continue their training because they were not familiar with online platforms. Yet, despite these challenges, students, apprentices, providers of TVET, and policy-makers are making the important changes needed when it comes to learning and acquiring skills in times of crisis. ” Our future is a hybrid of physical and digital and needs to include advanced manufacturing which is rich in IP which can be exported to identical fabrication technology in seconds and in production in minutes.” It is a world where learning is supported by digital tools curating the best content from teachers across the country supported by dynamic coaching in-person and digitally. And it is a world where cyber security infrastructure is as pervasive as our defence and police forces.The challenge with investing in digital infrastructure is that it is sometimes hard to see the progress. If a government invests in roads, bridges and buildings then even if there is a cost blowout, there is something useful at the end of it. Technology, on the other hand, is notorious for missed budgets combined with architectural missteps or even obsolescence. However, just because these investments are hard and carry risk, we cannot shy away from them. Nationally important digital infrastructure will disproportionately set up for the future we want to have in the 2030s. After all, history has shown that the most significant investments of the past in the nation’s interests have come with commensurate risk. Digital infrastructure plays a pivotal role in predicting and modelling outbreaks. Take AI-supported services for a lung CT scan: the AI is premeditated to quickly detect lesions of likely coronavirus pneumonia; to measure its volume, shape and density; and to compare changes of multiple lung lesions from the image. This provides a quantitative report to assist doctors in making fast judgements and thus helps expedite the health evaluation of patients. That the government could respond as quickly and in the way it did with JobKeeper, JobSeeker and small business boosts was because of investments made in complex IT systems over the past decade. These systems are examples of critical infrastructure that provide resilience to support the economy and its people. Some of the risk can be offset by combining digital with more traditional infrastructure. Learn more: AS COVID-19 EXACERBATES IT INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES, DBAS EMERGE AS THE UNSUNG HEROES .

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As COVID-19 Exacerbates IT Infrastructure Challenges, DBAs Emerge as the Unsung Heroes

techerati | May 12, 2020

The DBAs are the unsung heroes of IT infrastructure; they are the ones keeping systems running smoothly, all while business leaders and managers in other departments . Database administrators (DBAs) often seem to play a big part in many organisations or even within IT departments. . With the recent global Covid-19 crisis, the task for DBAs becomes more difficult. Because many employees across the world are having to work from home. Database administrators (DBAs) often seem to play a big part in many organisations or even within IT departments. While security or cloud experts are celebrated as rock stars and certainly their roles are important, DBAs often don’t get the credit they deserve for shoring up business-critical data systems through savvy capacity planning, database design, and performance tuning. These days, data is the business. Whether a company relies on timely data to drive decisions; uses data to deliver goods to its customers; or provides services that are data-driven, such as IoT devices for healthcare workers – optimised data delivery is the number one priority. DBAs play a crucial role in the data pipeline by preventing databases from slowing down or coming to a halt when demand spikes.With the recent global Covid-19 crisis, the task for DBAs becomes more difficult. Because many employees across the world are having to work from home, IT departments and data teams have had to quickly pivot to support remote work. Depending on the industry, some companies are able to carry on, if they are agile and have access to company data and tools. But even with the right infrastructure, DBAs’ jobs have become even harder. For organisations facing rising demand, such as those within the government, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, DBAs must be constantly on guard to ensure databases are running smoothly and can cope with the growing needs of the organisation. Learn more: HOW DISTRIBUTED CLOUD WILL AFFECT DATA CENTER INFRASTRUCTURES IN 2020 AND BEYOND . “One of the biggest struggles DBAs now face is the pressure from wider IT team and finance teams to reduce costs, along with the requirement to manage a higher quantity of production databases." ~ Experts say It’s even more challenging for DBAs working in industries such as airlines, leisure and hospitality, whose businesses are at a standstill because of government lockdowns and international travel bans. The IT systems of these paused businesses will suffer first, with limited staff or many on furlough, customers are experiencing “error” or “try again later” messages on their websites because of system overloads. So, what are the challenges DBAs across the board face, and how has Covid-19 exacerbated these? “Covid-19 has made a difficult job even harder for DBAs – as it has for nearly every professional. At a time when DBAs require more servers, more resources, and better tools at their disposal." Two decades ago, database administrators were able to focus on supporting production. However, now, along with being operational DBAs, they are expected to also be DevOps DBAs. This means they must expand their knowledge and understand both SQL and programming languages such as C#. Software developers can make use of any type of database management system they choose, for example MySQL or MongoDB, based on their own personal preferences. The expectation is that the DBA can comprehend all these programming languages. This is similar to saying that because you live in the UK, you can understand and speak Welsh. But these database systems aren’t as easy to optimise or manage compared to systems like Oracle and SQL Server, and they require time and effort for DBAs to learn them. One of the biggest struggles DBAs now face is the pressure from wider IT team and finance teams to reduce costs, along with the requirement to manage a higher quantity of production databases. The problem is that production databases are not insignificant to the business. In fact, they are quite the opposite, these business-critical databases are the foundation of organisations across industries. In those such as healthcare, the performance of the database system can be a life or death situation. Despite this, IT departments are constantly faced with crippling budgets, year-on-year, yet still expected to deliver more with less. Because of these constraints, many DBAs often carry out two people’s jobs, working after hours and on weekends. Learn more: FLEXENTIAL TO BUILD ITS LARGEST DATA CENTER TO MEET THE GROWING IT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS .

Read More

COVID-19 Has Accelerated the Long-Due Investments into Digital Infrastructure

Dell | May 25, 2020

Already leaders are talking about investing in large amounts of infrastructure to kick-start the economy, It should include digital infrastructure that will set the next generation up. If there is one thing that COVID-19 has done, it has been to accelerate changes that had already been coming to the way we use technology. Some of the risk can be offset by combining digital with more traditional infrastructure, It ranges from filling-in connectivity gaps through to solving identity and trust issues. If there is one thing that COVID-19 has done, it has been to accelerate changes that had already been coming to the way we use technology. As a result of months of disruption, millions of Australians are much more digitally savvy. We are comfortably engaging with each other through video, we are buying online at levels that we expected to be years in the future and, most importantly, we are engaging with education virtually and learning as much about digital learning as we are about the subjects themselves. There have been more subtle changes too. Worldwide, business and government has been learning to work virtually. The future of work has arrived unexpectedly quickly and we’re not likely to go back to how things were. Jobs that can be done remotely are likely to continue to be more flexible than ever before. The change means that instead of staffing with the best person available onsite, jobs will be available to the best person anywhere. While working virtually, new opportunities for innovation, automation and simplification are being created which will boost productivity and allow for new products and services in the longer term. The move to virtual work means the possibility of accessing new export opportunities. We have a highly skilled workforce who are well regarded across the globe. Contributions that were too hard to make through the tyranny of distance are suddenly open to us. To lock-in the myriad of social, inclusion, education, export and economic benefits that these new digital skills create requires new infrastructure. Digital infrastructure. It ranges from filling-in connectivity gaps through to solving identity and trust issues. Learn more: ARE COMPANIES INVESTING TOO MUCH IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE? “It is now the moment for countries to fast-track the construction of new digital infrastructure, such as IoT along with AI, in addition to the hastening of vital projects and major infrastructure construction that’s already included in countries.” Challenges included: instructors not properly trained and prepared to deliver online courses. Difficulties in adapting TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) curricula and training to online formats. Lack of access to the internet or ICT (Information and communications technology) equipment to carry out learning or training. Apprentices ready for assessment but who couldn’t be assessed due to COVID-19 issues. Students unable to access the resources necessary to continue their training because they were not familiar with online platforms. Yet, despite these challenges, students, apprentices, providers of TVET, and policy-makers are making the important changes needed when it comes to learning and acquiring skills in times of crisis. ” Our future is a hybrid of physical and digital and needs to include advanced manufacturing which is rich in IP which can be exported to identical fabrication technology in seconds and in production in minutes.” It is a world where learning is supported by digital tools curating the best content from teachers across the country supported by dynamic coaching in-person and digitally. And it is a world where cyber security infrastructure is as pervasive as our defence and police forces.The challenge with investing in digital infrastructure is that it is sometimes hard to see the progress. If a government invests in roads, bridges and buildings then even if there is a cost blowout, there is something useful at the end of it. Technology, on the other hand, is notorious for missed budgets combined with architectural missteps or even obsolescence. However, just because these investments are hard and carry risk, we cannot shy away from them. Nationally important digital infrastructure will disproportionately set up for the future we want to have in the 2030s. After all, history has shown that the most significant investments of the past in the nation’s interests have come with commensurate risk. Digital infrastructure plays a pivotal role in predicting and modelling outbreaks. Take AI-supported services for a lung CT scan: the AI is premeditated to quickly detect lesions of likely coronavirus pneumonia; to measure its volume, shape and density; and to compare changes of multiple lung lesions from the image. This provides a quantitative report to assist doctors in making fast judgements and thus helps expedite the health evaluation of patients. That the government could respond as quickly and in the way it did with JobKeeper, JobSeeker and small business boosts was because of investments made in complex IT systems over the past decade. These systems are examples of critical infrastructure that provide resilience to support the economy and its people. Some of the risk can be offset by combining digital with more traditional infrastructure. Learn more: AS COVID-19 EXACERBATES IT INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES, DBAS EMERGE AS THE UNSUNG HEROES .

Read More

As COVID-19 Exacerbates IT Infrastructure Challenges, DBAs Emerge as the Unsung Heroes

techerati | May 12, 2020

The DBAs are the unsung heroes of IT infrastructure; they are the ones keeping systems running smoothly, all while business leaders and managers in other departments . Database administrators (DBAs) often seem to play a big part in many organisations or even within IT departments. . With the recent global Covid-19 crisis, the task for DBAs becomes more difficult. Because many employees across the world are having to work from home. Database administrators (DBAs) often seem to play a big part in many organisations or even within IT departments. While security or cloud experts are celebrated as rock stars and certainly their roles are important, DBAs often don’t get the credit they deserve for shoring up business-critical data systems through savvy capacity planning, database design, and performance tuning. These days, data is the business. Whether a company relies on timely data to drive decisions; uses data to deliver goods to its customers; or provides services that are data-driven, such as IoT devices for healthcare workers – optimised data delivery is the number one priority. DBAs play a crucial role in the data pipeline by preventing databases from slowing down or coming to a halt when demand spikes.With the recent global Covid-19 crisis, the task for DBAs becomes more difficult. Because many employees across the world are having to work from home, IT departments and data teams have had to quickly pivot to support remote work. Depending on the industry, some companies are able to carry on, if they are agile and have access to company data and tools. But even with the right infrastructure, DBAs’ jobs have become even harder. For organisations facing rising demand, such as those within the government, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, DBAs must be constantly on guard to ensure databases are running smoothly and can cope with the growing needs of the organisation. Learn more: HOW DISTRIBUTED CLOUD WILL AFFECT DATA CENTER INFRASTRUCTURES IN 2020 AND BEYOND . “One of the biggest struggles DBAs now face is the pressure from wider IT team and finance teams to reduce costs, along with the requirement to manage a higher quantity of production databases." ~ Experts say It’s even more challenging for DBAs working in industries such as airlines, leisure and hospitality, whose businesses are at a standstill because of government lockdowns and international travel bans. The IT systems of these paused businesses will suffer first, with limited staff or many on furlough, customers are experiencing “error” or “try again later” messages on their websites because of system overloads. So, what are the challenges DBAs across the board face, and how has Covid-19 exacerbated these? “Covid-19 has made a difficult job even harder for DBAs – as it has for nearly every professional. At a time when DBAs require more servers, more resources, and better tools at their disposal." Two decades ago, database administrators were able to focus on supporting production. However, now, along with being operational DBAs, they are expected to also be DevOps DBAs. This means they must expand their knowledge and understand both SQL and programming languages such as C#. Software developers can make use of any type of database management system they choose, for example MySQL or MongoDB, based on their own personal preferences. The expectation is that the DBA can comprehend all these programming languages. This is similar to saying that because you live in the UK, you can understand and speak Welsh. But these database systems aren’t as easy to optimise or manage compared to systems like Oracle and SQL Server, and they require time and effort for DBAs to learn them. One of the biggest struggles DBAs now face is the pressure from wider IT team and finance teams to reduce costs, along with the requirement to manage a higher quantity of production databases. The problem is that production databases are not insignificant to the business. In fact, they are quite the opposite, these business-critical databases are the foundation of organisations across industries. In those such as healthcare, the performance of the database system can be a life or death situation. Despite this, IT departments are constantly faced with crippling budgets, year-on-year, yet still expected to deliver more with less. Because of these constraints, many DBAs often carry out two people’s jobs, working after hours and on weekends. Learn more: FLEXENTIAL TO BUILD ITS LARGEST DATA CENTER TO MEET THE GROWING IT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS .

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