Hyper convergent infrastructure of Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, HCI world market

Before emergence of the concept of convergent infrastructure (Converged Infrastructure, CI) data processing centers were under construction of separate, "independent" a component — computing systems, storage systems, network modules and software tools. In a convergent system all of them integrate in a single system, allowing to unify management of earlier separated elements. It sharply reduces time of solution deployment and simplifies technical support — the supplier completely is responsible for it, regardless of what components are "in" a convergent system^[1].

Hyper convergent infrastructure (Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, HCI) became the next stage on the way of optimization of the equipment in DPC. Hyper convergence is a creation of the infrastructure integrating in one building block solution servers, storage systems, network functions and the software which is responsible for creation of a pool of IT resources, their fast and simple reconfiguring. At the same time to the forefront there are not equipment rooms (as in case of "simple" convergence), and software tools and software-defined components. It provides to the hyper convergent systems higher flexibility and scalability of a server framework of the companies.

Stages of evolution of IT infrastructure

Source: Gartner, 2018

It is easy to distinguish the hyper convergent solution from "just convergent" and externally. If the first usually represent rack modules of size 1U or 2U with own array of storage, then convergent solutions look usually as large rack solutions — in it are not present the selected DWH, disks of the servers entering the solution are united in it.

2019: Data of IDC

Sales of the hyper convergent systems quickly grow. In 1 sq. 2019 the corresponding market reached $1.8 billion, having increased by 46.7% in comparison with the same period of 2018. The share of the hyper convergent systems in total sales of convergent solutions made 48.6%.

Similar indicators ($1.9 billion, 57.2%, 46.5%) were shown by the market of HCI and in 4 sq. 2018. The last digit grows of a quarter by a quarter so it is possible to claim surely that hyper convergent architecture force out other options of the convergent systems.

As the market of these solutions can be considered from two points of view — as uniform hardware and software systems of the specific producer (HCI Systems as Branded in the terms IDC) and as software solutions which "giperkonvergirut" a hardware platform of any vendor IDC separately analyzes the markets on these categories.

In the first of the ratings of IDC in 1 quarter 2019 are in the lead Dell Technologies (32.2%) and Nutanix (14%). The third place was divided by HPE (4.6%), Cisco (4.5%) and Lenovo (4%) — in analytical company consider a difference less than 1% insignificant for determination of the place in rating.

The "program" rating of IDC on the market of HCI is headed by VMware (41.1%) and Nutanix (28.9%). On the third place again three companies are HPE (4.6%), Cisco (4.5%) and Dell Technologies (4.6%).

"On set" data of IDC and a quadrant of Gartner market leaders of HCI it is possible to call Dell EMC, VMware, Nutanix, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco Systems. Huawei does not reach their level, the Chinese company only "applicant", however in Gartner especially note its high potential and also strong positions in the markets of Asia and the countries of EMEA. In the Russian market can play a role and the fact that Huawei unlike leaders — the non American company.

Dell EMC

In a line of HCI products of Dell EMC company the full range of both hardware, and software solutions is provided. It is not surprising if to consider that are a part of corporation the producer of servers (Dell Technologies company), the producer of software infrastructure solutions (EMC), the developer of technology of virtualization (VMware) and some other the companies. The hardware solution of VxRail proposed by Dell is built based on the Dell EMC PowerEdge servers. It applies virtualization and other HCI means based on VMware Virtual SAN. As a hypervisor serves VMware of ESXi.

VMware

Though VMware is subsidiary company to Dell EMC, she does not limit the sphere of the sales and without any restrictions sells the solution vSAN and through other partners, including — competitors of Dell. Such feature enters confusion at assessment of the market of HCI which causes a controversy among its participants for a long time. The solution VMware Cloud Foundation provides to customers a full range of the software-defined HCI functions which can be applied to management of computing transactions, means of storage, network communications, work with a cloud and security control.

Nutanix

In a portfolio of one of pioneers of the market the full range of software solutions for HCI is provided. Its solutions promote many large "hardware" brands, unrolling them on the equipment and selling under the brand. One of Nutanix "trumps" — own hypervisor [Nutanix Acropolis]]. For management of HCI infrastructure of Nutanix offers program system of Prism for administration of clusters: Prism Element is applied to the selected management of a separate cluster, Prism Central — for multicluster management.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

HPE entered this market, having purchased the solutions SimpliVity for complex conversion of the server hardware to HCI infrastructure. The solution SimpliVity is included in the package of the platform of the arranged infrastructure of HPE Synergy and the platform of management of a hybrid cloud of HPE OneSphere. Among features of the offer of HPE it is possible to note the deduplication and data compression on the fly performed before signing up in storage.

Cisco Systems

Cisco HyperFlex is the unified computer system in which optimization of all executed transactions extended to a subsystem of calculations, network infrastructure, cloud management tools, a hypervisor and the platform of service of data HX Data Platform is performed. Analysts allocate first of all the developed funds of Cisco for work as new platforms of placement of data – besserverny and hardware-independent.

Huawei

The company offers the FusionCube HCI platform. Its advantage – the offer of own versions of hypervisors of a line of FusionSphere which cornerstone hypervisors of KVM and Xen are. Until recently the company used virtualization software from VMware; recently it became known that the release of the FusionServer 2288H V5 server where the OEM solution Nutanix works is begun.

… and applicants

The HCI solutions are proposed practically by all large program and hardware vendors, including Lenovo, Microsoft, Oracle and a number of niche players. Some of them have chance to turn into other category, for example the HCI solution Hyper-Converged Infrastructure of Red Hat company after recent merger of this vendor by IBM company.

In Russia the developments as hyper convergent, position IBS and Kraftway (based on software of Rosplatforma company). One more software platform of hyper convergence, "ev3", entered in "The unified register of the Russian programs for electronic computers and databases" the Open Technologies of Virtualization company created. The Russian developments already have implementations, however, so far they do not get to analytics of IDC and quadrants of Gartner.

2018: Data of Gartner

Gartner builds the "magic square" proceeding from a software priority. The group of leaders includes Nutanix, VMware, Dell EMC, HPE and, the last rating, Cisco.

2015-2018

Growth of the market of the hyper convergent systems by 35-50% annually (!)

Архитектурная эволюция IT infrastructures. Gartner Report ID G00298562

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Notes