Apr. 2, 2013
Experture
/RFG
Executive Technology Strategies
ETS 13-04-03
Software-Defined Data Center
…experts on demand
Client Challenges: While many data center executives are working to
enhance their data center operations, most have not recognized that the goalposts have
moved with the advent of software-defined data centers (SDDCs). Previously, the goal
was automation, consolidation, orchestration and virtualization within the data center or
domains within the data center as well as use of cloud computing where appropriate.
With SDDC the objective is to be able to make data center views – i.e., the underlying
platforms and infrastructures – totally logical so they can be created when and as
needed and where desired without concern for physical boundaries. RFG believes
delivering on this promise is still years away but IT executives can begin working
towards an SDDC target architecture. This research brief addresses the new vision, why
IT executives should care and how they can prepare for it.
Observations and Recommendations
The nirvana of automation, consolidation, and virtualization of data center operations will
not be enough for data centers to be considered best of breed in the future. As it is, less
than 20 percent of organizations area able to claim they are far along the IT
transformation curve and are operating with an IT as a Service model (see Figure 1). To
be truly able to claim one can operate in an IT as a Service mode requires an operations
model that has abstracted IT services such that the service location and delivery method
is totally transparent. The new term for such an abstracted environment is a softwaredefined data center (SDDC).
Figure 1. IT Transformation
Copyright © 2004-2013 Experture and Robert Frances Group, all rights reserved
PO Box 473, Kings Park, NY 11754; (917) 597-6717;
http://www.experture.com/; Contact: [email protected]
Apr. 2, 2013
Executive Technology Strategies
ETS 13-04-03
Pat Gelsinger, CEO of VMware Inc., offered up a good definition of SDDC: an
environment where all infrastructure is virtualized and delivered as a service, and the
control of this data center is entirely automated by software. (See Figure 2.) In this
model, all firewalls, networks, servers, and storage are abstracted, automated and pooled.
The pools are then managed by a common management layer that can handle all of the
management functions required to provision, operate, govern, and chargeback workloads
as needed. Moreover, the management tools enable IT to provision and deliver the IT
services in a timely manner from any data center in the enterprise or from selected cloud
service providers or both – i.e., the data center is boundaryless, software-defined, and
virtual. Another way to view it is an SDDC is your customized data center in a virtual
box.
Figure 2. Software-Defined Data Center
Source: EMC and VMware Strategic Forum 2013
SDDC Value Proposition
In the SDDC world it is irrelevant where the actual physical components reside. By
separating the physical infrastructure from the logical views IT operations can more
rapidly respond to requests for service and can better utilize resources. There are three
different software-defined components – compute, network, and storage. Users have been
automating, consolidating, and virtualizing the compute and storage components over the
past few years and many companies are already experiencing decent gains from these
initiatives. However, software-defined networks (SDN) have made little headway in most
organizations and the technology is still in its infancy. Cisco Systems Inc., HewlettPackard Co. (HP), IBM Corp. and VMware Inc. offer SDN solutions, which enable
companies to reduce network provisioning time from days to minutes, reduces VM
network exposures, and drastically reduces the number of physical switches required to
support operations. Until this technology matures, SDDCs will not become a reality. RFG
Copyright © 2004-2013 Experture and Robert Frances Group, all rights reserved
PO Box 473, Kings Park, NY 11754; (917) 597-6717;
http://www.experture.com/; Contact: [email protected]
Apr. 2, 2013
Executive Technology Strategies
ETS 13-04-03
projects it will take four to five years before all the components have matured and the
solutions are accepted as mainstream; then, SDDCs will start to become the norm.
Meanwhile, vendors such as Amazon Inc. with Eucalyptus Systems Inc., IBM,
Microsoft Corp., Rackspace Holdings (OpenStack), and VMware are developing
and/or delivering solutions that will allow users to run the same applications in-house, in
the cloud, or a combination of both. For example, Eucalyptus claims its solution allows
Amazon Web Services (AWS) users to have the private-cloud in-house equivalent of
AWS while Microsoft has its Windows System Center offering that can manage
Microsoft-based internal private clouds and its Windows Azure public cloud. The
OpenStack consortium is making available a kernel that provides agile cloud
management of compute, networking, and storage resources across the data center – plus
authentication, self-service, resource monitoring, and more – that can be used by member
software vendors to build offerings.
All these vendors have the vision of being able to deliver the software glue that will unite
cloud and data center operations into a logical whole so that IT can rapidly provision,
deliver and manage low-cost services to their business units. In turn, business units will
be able to more competitive through more rapid delivery of new applications, cost
savings, and speed to market. Users can expect vendor pricing models for SDDC
solutions to come in license, pay-as-you-go and subscription pricing flavors.
SDDC Implications
The SDDC model or any software-defined component means IT operations will end up
splitting their staffs into three types of operations personnel. There will be the
administrators that address the physical world and must be able to provision, configure,
debug, install, maintain, and uninstall the equipment. These staffs are hardware and
software experts that live in the physical world and have limited to no direct interaction
with the business or its needs. Most current IT operations staff falls into this category.
Then there are the software-defined component or SDDC administrators that are
responsible for providing the business community with the infrastructure and platforms
they need. These administrators provision the environments (assuming IT has not set it up
for self-service provisioning), manage the operations and ensure service levels are met.
They will have responsibilities that span the data center and cloud environments. RFG
expects administrators that handle the current virtual server and storage operations should
be able to transition over to administering SDDC environments.
The third staffing division belongs to the business analysts and architects. These
individuals work with the stakeholders and users of the systems, internal IT staff, and
cloud and other vendors to define requirements and obtain solutions that satisfy business
needs. The business analysts are also responsible for capacity planning, and ensuring
availability, scalability and security demands are met. Some of these skills may exist
within IT operations while others may be parts of other enterprise organizations. For
Copyright © 2004-2013 Experture and Robert Frances Group, all rights reserved
PO Box 473, Kings Park, NY 11754; (917) 597-6717;
http://www.experture.com/; Contact: [email protected]
Apr. 2, 2013
Executive Technology Strategies
ETS 13-04-03
many there will be a large learning curve before this group has its job descriptions,
processes, roles and responsibilities nailed down.
Summary
The transformation to SDDC will take almost a decade to occur but the movement
towards software-defined components is happening now. It will be a slow, modular
evolution of data center operations. IT executives should view this as an advantage, as
lessons learned with the advances in one area can be folded into follow-on initiatives.
This enables an organization to tweak the model and slowly build the culture and
processes – and tune the job descriptions – needed for the new operational environment.
(Additional information on this topic can be found in March 2013 Research Reports
"Roadmap to IaaS – People Perspective" and "The New Data Center Operations
Model.")
RFG POV: IT executives cannot ignore the paradigm shift that is occurring in data center
operations. Development teams will no longer be able to dictate what infrastructure is to be
installed in the data center. More importantly, IT will be able to become more agile and flexible,
achieve greater efficiency, and trim costs by migrating to an operations model that optimizes its
cloud and data center resources. Therefore, IT executives need to understand the nextgeneration data center operations models and envision how they can and should be implemented
in their organizations. IT executives will also have to overcome staff resistance and convince
them that the new model does not mean loss of employment but new opportunities. IT executives
should understand their operations models, develop a target vision and model, determine the
gaps, create a roadmap, and implement short-, intermediate- and long-term initiatives that will
advance IT operations to the point that it truly delivers IT as a Service.
Additional relevant research is available. Interested readers should contact Client
Services to arrange further discussion or interview with Mr. Cal Braunstein.
Copyright © 2004-2013 Experture and Robert Frances Group, all rights reserved
PO Box 473, Kings Park, NY 11754; (917) 597-6717;
http://www.experture.com/; Contact: [email protected]