Dell Helps Customers Accelerate Cloud Computing Models with Virtual Integrated System Architecture
-- Virtual Integrated System architecture helps customers more efficiently
respond to business demands
-- New capabilities continue to support heterogeneous server, storage,
networking and multi-hypervisor environments to help customers extend
legacy investments and deploy best-of-breed technologies
-- Virtual Integrated System architecture and services help customers
extend legacy IT investments and capture the benefits of public and
private cloud computing models
ROUND ROCK, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- To help customers quickly capitalize on the efficiencies of the Virtual Era, Dell today introduced new capabilities and services for its Virtual Integrated System (VIS) architecture. Dell recognizes businesses have made significant technology purchases and its approach to converged architectures allows them to preserve and fully leverage their existing data center infrastructure without creating technology silos or undertaking a rip-and-replace strategy.
"IT organizations are closely evaluating the cost, management, and agility benefits of IT infrastructure and cloud-based computing models," said Matt Eastwood, GVP, Enterprise Platforms, IDC. "There are currently two general approaches to converged infrastructures: single-vendor solutions and open architecture solutions that focus on interoperability and extending legacy investments. Dell's Virtual Integrated System architecture is consistent with its commitment to open technology architectures. IDC believes this approach will resonate with customers that are looking to preserve these legacy investments while reaping the benefits of cloud computing."
The Dell VIS architecture and services help customers transition new and existing technologies to an open, cloud-like model that dynamically provisions application workloads and unifies heterogeneous compute, storage and networking assets into a common pool of resources. As a result, it's now possible for customers to lower the costs associated with managing IT, improve the flexibility needed to respond to changing business needs, and more efficiently deploy and move application workloads across physical and virtual resources.
Dell's Virtual Integrated System architecture reinforces the company's long-standing design principles of delivering solutions that are Open, Capable and Affordable. With VIS, companies can dynamically scale their environment up or down to match the variability of workloads. Furthermore, unlike some solutions in this space, the VIS architecture is designed to integrate into a customer's broader systems management strategy and investments. By working tightly with partners like Microsoft, VMware, Citrix and BMC, VIS can deliver better utilization of current investments and the ability to standardize and leverage existing IT processes and workflows to improve control and consistency.
Dell VIS Architecture Components
The VIS architecture is comprised of modular components that integrate with customers' existing IT environments. This gives customers greater choice and the ability to deploy best-of-breed solutions. The Dell VIS architecture consists of three key components including:
-- Dell Advanced Infrastructure Manager--Dell Advanced Infrastructure
Manager (AIM) simplifies data center management by enabling a single
administrator to allocate server, storage and network resources against
application workloads. The solution can bring together heterogeneous
hardware offerings and leading virtualization hypervisors to create
virtual pools of resources that are easy to manage. AIM abstracts the
hardware and virtualization layers from the data center so that
customers can focus on allocating a single pool of resources instead of
managing various technologies.
-- Dell VIS Self-Service Creator--Dell's VIS Self-Service Creator can
shorten the time it takes to deploy new business applications by
standardizing and automating the way applications are deployed. The
component has a web-based portal that enables authorized users to
select, deploy and manage a customized catalog of IT applications and
resources, reducing the time it takes to deploy a workload to just
minutes. The VIS Self-Service Creator can increase IT control while
accelerating IT processes, adding up to savings in time and resources.
All this is done seamlessly with the ability to orchestrate these
services across multi-vendor hardware and software solutions.
-- Dell VIS Director--Dell VIS Director is the IT Operations hub for the
virtual environment, giving customers a comprehensive view of virtual
dependencies and enabling customers to quickly identify issues within
the virtual environment. The module includes advanced reporting, what-if
and trend analysis, capacity and utilization reporting and cost
allocation and chargeback solutions, giving IT operators a greater level
of visibility into their IT environment and better information upon
which to take action. With VIS Director, enterprises can efficiently
manage their current environment and plan for the future more
effectively.
Dell Services
Dell offers a range of services capabilities to help customers to assess, design and implement the Dell VIS architecture components into new or existing IT environments. These services and engagements work with organizations to review their IT strategy and challenges alongside Dell's point of view on virtualization technologies. Specific services include:
-- Dell Consulting Services--These engagements address key technology and
business challenges such as self-service provisioning and automation of
operational tasks. Further, customers can use Dell's Technology
Introductions to explore use cases as a Proof of Concept to make
informed deployment decisions. Dell Accelerators can speed up time to
value by combining a Readiness Assessment with limited design and
implementation with predefined scope and limited integration points.
Once established, Dell's Design and Implementation services include a
full production roll out of the Dell VIS components.
-- Dell ProSupport Services--Dell ProSupport1 Services provide
software-specific expertise combined with Dell's extensive support
infrastructure to help customers quickly reach business goals. Dell
ProSupport capabilities have been expanded to include comprehensive
support for the Dell VIS components that spans a customer's entire IT
environment. Features like basic-to-advanced software troubleshooting,
and software subscriptions with remote deployment assistance of patches
and updates help customers confidently support their heterogeneous
infrastructure.
Availability
Dell's architecture is unique in that unlike the one-size-fits-all approach of some of the competition, Dell's Virtual Integrated System offers customers the flexibility to deploy the components most needed for their specific needs. VIS architecture components can be purchased individually and do not require customers to make separate hardware purchases. This flexibility helps customers move toward a more cloud-like model on their own timeline and with existing hardware.
Dell Advanced Infrastructure Manager and Dell VIS Self-Service Creator are available today and Dell VIS Director will be available in the coming quarters.
Quotes
"Dell's VIS architecture provides us with a very flexible and dynamic data center solution that spans physical and virtual resources helping increase our productivity tenfold." -- Gustavo Viceconti, President and CEO at NeuralSoft
"Cloud computing is the emerging frontier for IT and there's no doubt it's providing customers with demonstrable benefits in terms of cost savings and agility. Dell's VIS architecture is unique in that it works with a customer's existing architecture and their current products and investments - whether from Dell or another provider. Customers absolutely value this flexibility and approach to meeting their IT challenges." -- Brad Anderson, senior vice president, Enterprise Product Group, Dell
Additional Information:
-- Dell Advanced Infrastructure Manager Demo
-- Dell Advanced Infrastructure Manager Whitepaper
-- Dell VIS Self-Service Creator
-- Dell Data Center Solutions
-- Dell Virtualization Solutions
About Dell:
Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to its customers and uses that insight to make technology simpler and create innovative solutions that deliver reliable, long-term value. Learn more at www.dell.com.
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1 Availability and terms of Dell Services vary by region. For more information, visit www.dell.com/servicedescriptions.
Source: Dell
Released September 29, 2010