Convergent infrastructure (world market)

Convergent infrastructure means data together of server platforms, storage systems, network equipment, technologies of virtualization and some other resources in one integrated solution managed as a unit, but not using separate administrative tools.

In terminology of IDC the convergent systems represent the integrated equipment certified by producers consisting of servers, storage systems, the network device and the managing software. Analysts consider only those systems which include all four specified components. Software used in the convergent systems is intended for automatic search, preparation and consolidation of the physical and virtual resources connected with calculations, data storage and network functions.

Advantages:

• in a data processing center a scalable failover cluster
• the technology of virtualization is implemented
• resources are selected quickly, flexibly

Problems:

• selection of such solution, especially a storage system requires very good planning
• a bottleneck of such solutions is the storage system
• it is difficult to service
• the solution is not suitable for branches

Hyper convergent vs Convergent infrastructures (differences)

• resources are not discrete
• are controlled one hardware and software system
• are easier scaled
• administration from one console
• reduction of risk of data loss at the expense of the distributed information storage on all nodes

• hyper convergent infrastructure is reasonable if it is necessary to provide failsafe infrastructure in the specific place where idle time will cause essential costs.
• implementation of similar solutions allows to automate routine transactions and to cut down expenses on service staff.

2018: Magic quadrant of Gartner

In February, 2018 analysts of Gartner provided "magic a quadrant" producers of hyper convergent infrastructure (HCI). The companies were estimated on two aspects: completeness of vision and capability to implementation.

By market leaders of hyper convergent infrastructure in Gartner called the companies Nutanix Dell EMC, VMware and HPE.

Besides, the solution FusionCube of Huawei which, according to experts, is expression of high recognition of hyper convertible offers of Huawei from clients and the consulting companies was mentioned.

"Magic quadrant" of producers of hyper convergent infrastructure, data of Gartner

Above others in "a magic quadrant" there is Nutanix which in Gartner is called the pioneer of the market of HCI. By the beginning of 2018 the company has more than 7800 clients. Specialists referred lack of experience in area of traditional infrastructure to weaknesses of the American vendor that allows competitors to implement easily the equipment in data centers. Researchers consider that Nutanix should show big productivity, especially in a segment of solutions of initial level.

Shortcomings of Dell EMC, one more market leader of hyper convergent infrastructure, consist in lack of key corporate functions in a product line of ScaleIO. In particular, it is about replication, deduplication and data compression — it in Dell EMC is assigned to the third-party software. Besides, in Gartner pay attention to inability of the solution VxRail Manager to be used for management of several clusters.

Speaking about spaces in products of VMware, the clients polled by Gartner pointed to unavailability of functions of data processing in standard or hybrid configurations of solutions of the company. Some customers also announced problems with stability and performance of VMware of vSAN.^[1]

2017

Record volume in $12.5 billion — IDC

In 2017 the size of the market of convergent infrastructure reached record value that was promoted in many respects by hyper convergent solutions, said in the research Worldwide Quarterly Converged Systems Tracker prepared by International Data Corporation (IDC) analytical company.

By experts it was counted that in 2017 sales of the convergent systems in the world made $12.5 billion that never was — at least, for all the time of observation of IDC of the market. Concerning the 2016th there was a growth by 9.4%.

Segments of the market of the convergent systems, data of IDC

The number of the organizations implementing the convergent systems continued to increase in 2017 — the senior vice president for researches of the market of servers and storage systems in IDC Eric Sheppard comments. — Though not all segments of the market grew last year, those which showed rise brought to the companies the considerable benefit connected with the solution of the main infrastructure problems which data centers face now.

The integrated infrastructure and the certified reference systems remain the largest segment of the considered market. They represent completely ready servers certified by system manufacturers, including, data warehouses, network equipment and the software for management of basic functions. Nearly a half of sales of the convergent systems is the share of such equipment.

The largest producers of the hyper convergent systems, data of IDC

The most fast-growing segment are the hyper convergent systems which differ from integrated solutions in scalable architecture and capability to carry out all necessary computing tasks and storage functions of data, using same server x86 resources. In 2017 world sales of the hyper convergent systems jumped by 64.3%, having exceeded $3.7 billion. The largest producers of such products are given in the table above.^[2]

The size of the market of the integrated systems in $10.2 billion is Gartner

On March 15, 2018 the Gartner analytical company published some results of a research of the market of the integrated systems. Their sales in the world as experts counted, at the end of 2017 reached $10.2 billion. In the 2018th growth by 18.4% to $12.3 billion is expected.

Revenue of producers from implementation of hyper convergent solutions in 2017 made $2.8 billion. Specialists predict the highest growth in this segment which besides will be able to get into the lead.

The Segments of the market of the integrated systems given to Gartner

In 2017 the greatest income is recorded in category of reference architecture — $3.1 billion. Implementation of the integrated infrastructure systems and the integrated stack systems was measured 2.5 and 1.7 billion dollars respectively.

The majority of the integrated systems replace the existing infrastructure and ensuring flexibility, consolidation of IT resources and efficiency are suitable for cost reduction — Naveen Mishra, the director of research in Gartner says. — However, implementing them within a digital business initiative, the IT organizations should watch how potential economy of capital costs (capex) can be blocked by potential shifts in operating expenses (opex).

According to the analyst of Gartner Julia Palmer, the heads who are responsible for IT infrastructure and transactions should change the thinking at assessment of the integrated systems. They need the most flexible solutions as they should adapt new workloads, to integrate boundary and public cloud infrastructure and also to reduce operational complexity.

The modern systems of new generation are flexible software-defined solutions with artificial intelligence which conform to requirements of digital business — she noted.[3]

2016: Market size in $11.3 billion — data of IDC

In March, 2017 the International Data Corporation (IDC) analytical company published some excerpts from a research of the world market of the convergent systems.

In 2016 sales of such equipment increased by 5.8% concerning the 2015th and made $11.3 billion. The volume of a segment of the hyper convergent systems (their features are scalable infrastructure and capability to perform all storage functions and calculations within some servers on x86 processors) exceeded $2.2 billion that is 110% more than an indicator of year prescription.

The chart showing distribution of revenue by segments in the market of the convergent systems, data of IDC

In the market of the convergent systems there came time of changes — the director of research in division of IDC Enterprise Storage & Converged Systems Eric Sheppard says. — We watch prompt growth of quantity of products with new architecture, increase in level of automation and intensive use of software-defined technologies. This growth was nullified by cost reduction on the traditional convergent systems and the conscious solution of a number of producers to reduce the product portfolios.[4]

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Notes