| |
Servers |
Networks |
Storage |
| Automate |
Some tasks, such as restarting
failed processes, can be automated
through existing management
tools but might require
scripting. Management vendors
are still building capabilities to
automate configuration and
network/storage connections in
virtualized environments. |
Simple network management
and monitoring tools
are common, but managers
are reluctant to give
up control for higher-level
changes. |
It’s relatively easy to automate
the provisioning of volumes and
logical unit numbers in a singlevendor
environment, but it’s
much harder to do so over multivendor
arrays. It’s also difficult to
accomplish across storage types
(file vs. block). |
| Virtualize |
Processor-level virtualization is
becoming a commodity; growth
is in tools to provide security,
management and auditability for
virtual server environments. |
Many vendors provide virtualization
at the network
level (such as virtualized
file systems). Virtualization
of the network itself (such
as virtual LANs) has been
maturing for several years. |
As with automation, virtualization
is much easier in single-vendor
environments than across arrays
from multiple vendors or across
network protocols. |
| Consolidate |
Virtualization reduces costs
by up to 85% by eliminating
underutilized servers and trimming
licensing and manage-
ment costs. |
Many users consolidate
voice and data networks
using VoIP, but virtualization
is used more to tune
virtual networks for specific
applications than to
reduce bandwidth. |
Rising storage capacities make
consolidation easier, but management
tools are still lacking. |
| Future Trends |
Virtualization and consolidation
will become even more common
over the next 12 to 18 months
as server vendors roll out morepowerful,
multicore processors.
Vendors will work to integrate
server, network and storage
management in fewer consoles.
True “single-console” management
across vendors isn’t expected
until at least 2008. |
Vendors will work toward
more automated and policybased
management that
links network performance
to business needs. Initial
products are available
now; increased adoption
is expected over the next
two to three years. Vendors
will also work to integrate
server, network and storage
management in fewer
consoles. True single-console
management
across vendors isn’t expected
until at least 2008. |
Over the next two to three years,
vendors are expected to introduce
software with improved
abilities to automatically migrate
storage among tiers and manage
performance to meet business
service-level agreements. Increasing
adoption of the SMI-S
interoperability standard will
slowly ease integration woes.
Vendors will work to integrate
server, network and storage
management in fewer consoles.
True single-console management
across vendors isn’t expected
until at least 2008. |
