IT infrastructure

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Improving IT operational performance should be a key criterion when selecting a VMware alternative. Yes, lowering licensing fees and improving hardware performance will factor into the decision. Still, the project’s long-term success will depend on whether the new infrastructure software helps raise the IT operational bar so IT can be significantly more responsive and efficient after the switch.

Improving IT operational performance

In today’s highly competitive IT landscape, internal IT teams are increasingly benchmarked against Managed Service Providers (MSPs). MSPs, in turn, face comparisons against Cloud Service Providers (CSPs), and CSPs against hyperscale cloud providers. This competitive environment highlights operational performance as the crucial differentiator. Infrastructure software’s effectiveness and IT skills determine an organization’s ability to deliver superior operational outcomes and gain a competitive edge.

Shifting from Raw Performance to Operational Efficiency

Raw performance once dominated IT discussions, driving infrastructure investments to achieve incremental gains. However, as processing power has become plentiful and high-speed NVMe flash storage has become more cost-effective, businesses face diminishing returns on investment from raw hardware upgrades alone. The real competitive differentiator now lies in operational capabilities and efficient utilization of the hardware investment enabled by choosing the right infrastructure software:

  • Enhanced Observability: The ability to proactively monitor and manage infrastructure health in real-time.
  • Rapid Deployment: Quickly and reliably deploying new workloads or scaling into new locations.
  • Extended Hardware Lifecycles: Safely and reliably leveraging existing hardware resources over a longer period, aiming for hardware lifespans of up to a decade.

Why Operational Performance Matters

Improving IT operational performance directly impacts agility, reliability, and cost efficiency. Organizations excelling in these areas will outperform competitors, reduce unnecessary costs, and respond swiftly to market demands. Rather than merely upgrading hardware, IT departments must now prioritize improving operational workflows and infrastructure visibility and selecting infrastructure software that aligns with these strategic goals.

Raising the Operational Efficiency Bar

VergeOS is designed to help organizations exceed operational performance expectations, offering robust capabilities beyond those found in conventional solutions like VMware. Here’s how VergeOS achieves this:

Improving IT operational performance

Unmatched Observability

Through its ioMetrics integration, VergeOS provides comprehensive, real-time infrastructure monitoring. IT teams leverage tools like Prometheus and Grafana to gain detailed visibility into system performance, proactively identifying and resolving issues before they impact business operations.

Accelerated Workload Deployment

Improving IT operational performance can also be achieved through seamless integration with infrastructure-as-code (IaC) platforms like Terraform. With its native Terraform provider, VergeOS enables rapid and predictable deployment of new workloads or locations. Organizations can automate infrastructure deployment and configuration, significantly reducing manual errors and operational overhead.

Raising the Operational Efficiency of Hardware

Improving IT operational performance includes enhancing the efficiency of the IT hardware assets. You are being asked to do more with less, so should your hardware. VergeOS ensures hardware resources are utilized to their full potential without compromising critical capabilities. It supports many virtual machines per node and maximizes storage capacity per node, enabling IT teams to leverage their infrastructure fully. Additionally, VergeOS provides unmatched node flexibility, incorporating compute-only, GPU-only, or storage-only nodes, seamlessly integrating these diverse resources into a cohesive, holistic group. This level of flexibility and efficiency enables organizations to tailor their infrastructure precisely to their operational needs, optimizing resource allocation and minimizing waste.

Improving IT operational performance

Extending Hardware Life

Unlike traditional hypervisor environments, VergeOS’s architecture efficiently utilizes hardware resources, extending its functional lifespan. By maximizing hardware usage in a safe, resilient manner, organizations can confidently stretch hardware cycles closer to a decade, substantially improving ROI.

Operational Efficiency Requires Quality Technical Support

A critical component of operational performance is the quality of technical support that the VMware alternative vendor provides. No matter how robust the infrastructure software is, exceptional support is essential when issues arise. VergeIO’s technical support consistently receives high praise from customers:

“The responsiveness and knowledge of VergeIO’s support team are second to none. They quickly resolve any issues, minimizing downtime and maintaining our operational continuity.” — Eric Miller, Manager of Information Services, Lancaster Central School District

“We genuinely feel like VergeIO’s support team is an extension of our own IT department. Their proactive approach has significantly improved our infrastructure reliability.” — Kelley Allen, CEO of CCSI

Don’t take our word for it—explore detailed experiences and case studies by visiting our case studies page.

When Raw Performance Matters

While improving IT operational performance has become the critical differentiator in most scenarios, there are specific situations where raw performance remains essential. In these cases, it is crucial to ensure your infrastructure software fully extracts the potential from your hardware, something VergeOS has consistently demonstrated leadership in achieving, yet our competitors have been suspiciously quiet about.

VergeOS has delivered impressive performance benchmarks, including:

  • Launching 1,000 virtual machines in just 70 seconds.
  • Achieving over 1 million IOPS with 23 GB/s throughput using real-world workloads.
  • Maintaining sub-millisecond latency for critical applications, even under intense workloads.

As organizations begin deploying private AI workloads, raw performance and near-bare-metal efficiency will undoubtedly rise in importance. However, even in AI-centric deployments, improving IT operational performance by ensuring ease of deployment, robust observability, and hardware lifecycle optimization will continue to serve as the critical success criterion.

Moving Beyond VMware

While VMware remains a widely used hypervisor platform, it often lacks the robust operational capabilities now demanded by modern IT teams. VergeOS provides a compelling VMware alternative, enhancing operational agility, infrastructure observability, hardware longevity, and ensuring the infrastructure software chosen fully supports these strategic priorities.

For organizations evaluating their hypervisor strategy, it’s essential to consider these operational performance metrics carefully. Storage Switzerland recently highlighted crucial factors in their Critical Capabilities for Service Providers Evaluating VMware Alternatives, reinforcing the need for comprehensive operational excellence rather than mere cost reductions.

See VergeOS Operational Performance in Action

Interested in seeing how improving IT operational performance is made possible with VergeOS? Explore our on-demand demonstration to understand how VergeOS practically transforms IT operational performance. This session showcases VergeOS’s automation and observability capabilities, providing tangible insights into how your organization can exceed traditional operational benchmarks.

Register for the on-demand demo here.

Filed Under: Virtualization Tagged With:

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simplifying virtualization operations

Organizations should also consider simplifying virtualization operations when looking at a VMware alternative. The key to that goal is to look for a VMware alternative that, in addition to lowering licensing costs, can enable automation for consistent and accurate infrastructure deployment. Using Terraform’s declarative configuration language, the VergeIO Terraform Provider allows users to define, manage, and automate VergeIO resources such as virtual machines, networks, and storage. This integration simplifies the deployment and management of IT infrastructure by enabling infrastructure-as-code practices for VergeOS environments.

What is Terraform?

Terraform is an open-source software tool that allows users to define and manage infrastructure through code. By using a high-level configuration language, Terraform helps automate the setup and management of IT environments. This approach ensures consistent deployments, reduces errors, and streamlines the overall process. VergeIO’s Terraform Provider integrates VergeOS with Terraform, allowing users to manage their resources more simply.

What is VergeOS?

VergeOS is a virtualization software developed by VergeIO that simplifies IT infrastructure by integrating virtualization, storage, and networking into a single, unified platform, making it the ideal alternative to VMware. Unlike traditional virtualization stacks that rely on multiple layers and restrictive hardware requirements, VergeOS runs on various commodity hardware within that same instance, extending its lifespan and reducing overall costs. It uses AI-driven self-management to optimize performance and eliminate the need for hardware compatibility lists. This makes it possible for IT generalists to quickly deploy and manage entire virtual data centers, making robust IT environments more accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Simplifying Virtualization Operations With VergeOS and Terraform

The integration of VergeOS with Terraform represents a powerful combination for IT administrators looking to streamline and automate their infrastructure management. By combining VergeOS’s unified approach to virtualization with Terraform’s infrastructure-as-code capabilities, organizations can achieve a level of simplicity and efficiency previously difficult to attain.

Sign up for this Friday’s live demonstration of our new Terraform provider in action. Learn how to use Terraform and VergeOS to simplify virtualization.

With VergeOS handling the complexities of virtualization and Terraform providing a consistent, code-based approach to infrastructure management, IT teams can automate the entire lifecycle of their virtual environments. This includes everything from initial provisioning and configuration to ongoing management and scaling. The result is a more agile infrastructure that can adapt quickly to changing business needs without the overhead and complexity of traditional IT setups.

Moreover, this combination allows for more predictable and repeatable deployments. Since both VergeOS and Terraform emphasize consistency and automation, IT administrators can ensure that their infrastructure is deployed the same way every time across all environments. This reduces the risk of configuration drift and makes it easier to manage large-scale deployments.

For organizations looking to modernize their IT operations, the synergy between VergeOS and Terraform offers a path to greater flexibility, reduced operational costs, and faster time-to-value. It empowers IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than getting bogged down in the day-to-day management of complex systems.

The Benefits of Simplifying Virtualization Operations with VergeOS and Terraform

1. Simplified Infrastructure Management

VergeIO’s Terraform Provider allows administrators to manage resources using Terraform’s configuration language. This means infrastructure can be managed as code, making setting up and maintaining environments faster and less prone to errors. By automating tasks that were once manual, administrators save time and reduce the chance of mistakes.

2. Increased Automation

The integration with Terraform enables greater automation in managing VergeIO resources. Administrators can automate the provisioning and management of infrastructure, freeing them to focus on higher-level tasks. For organizations already using Terraform, adding VergeIO resources to their workflows is straightforward, allowing for a smooth transition and easier adoption.

3. Consistency and Version Control

With Terraform, infrastructure is treated as code, which can be version-controlled like any other software. This allows administrators to track changes, revert to previous configurations if needed, and collaborate more effectively. The consistent deployment of resources across different environments ensures stability and reliability, which is essential for maintaining a healthy IT ecosystem.

4. Easier Adoption for New Users

For organizations new to VergeIO, the Terraform integration makes it easier to start using the platform. By leveraging Terraform, a familiar tool for many IT professionals, the barrier to entry is lowered. This accessibility is particularly beneficial for smaller teams or organizations with limited resources, enabling them to take advantage of VergeIO’s virtualization without a steep learning curve.

5. Preparing for the Future

The need for flexible and scalable solutions will only increase as IT environments grow. VergeIO’s Terraform integration ensures that organizations are well-equipped to manage their infrastructure today while being ready to scale as demands change. By combining VergeOS with Terraform, administrators can maintain a more agile and responsive IT setup.

Conclusion

VergeIO’s Terraform integration is an important advancement in simplifying IT management. By providing tools that allow for automation, consistency, and easier adoption, VergeIO is helping organizations reduce complexity and improve their infrastructure management. Whether you’re an IT administrator looking for a better way to manage your resources or an organization seeking a more accessible virtualization solution, VergeIO’s Terraform integration offers the tools needed to succeed.

Filed Under: Private Cloud Tagged With: ,

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Many IT professionals are considering alternatives to VMware to reduce licensing costs, but the sustainability benefits of efficient infrastructure software as it replaces VMware should not be overlooked. Infrastructure software that integrates storage services, server virtualization, and network services into a single code base can improve power and cooling costs, as well as resource utilization, to enable organizations to meet sustainability goals.

the sustainability benefits of efficient infrastructure software

By requiring less CPU overhead, these solutions can significantly increase processor efficiency, which enables more virtual machines (VMs) per server, thereby reducing the number of physical servers required. It also extends the operational life of servers. These benefits contribute to environmental sustainability and cost efficiency. An efficient infrastructure software solution can also eliminate vendor lock-in, ensure long-term hardware flexibility, replace dedicated all-flash storage arrays with server-class SSDs, and incorporate backup best practices into the core infrastructure software. Additionally, solutions can reduce power, cooling, data center footprint, and server acquisition costs.

Enhancing Server Performance and Reducing Physical Server Count

Integrating storage, virtualization, and network services into a unified software package can improve server performance. Such software can handle more workloads with fewer physical servers by optimizing resource allocation and management. This reduction in physical infrastructure leads to several sustainability benefits:

  1. Lower Energy Consumption: Fewer servers mean reduced energy requirements for operation and cooling, directly lowering the data center’s carbon footprint.
  2. Reduced E-Waste: Minimizing the number of physical servers significantly decreases the amount of electronic waste generated from obsolete hardware.
  3. Cost Savings: Lower energy consumption and reduced hardware needs translate to substantial cost savings in capital and operational expenditures.

Elimination of Vendor Lock-In with Efficient Infrastructure Software

Vendor lock-in has long been a challenge in enterprise IT environments, and it impacts the sustainability benefits of efficient infrastructure software. Traditional infrastructure solutions bind organizations to specific hardware vendors, limiting flexibility and driving up costs. An efficient infrastructure software solution mitigates this issue by providing hardware-agnostic capabilities:

  1. Freedom of Choice: Organizations can choose hardware based on performance, cost, and sustainability criteria rather than being constrained by vendor compatibility.
  2. Competitive Pricing: The ability to mix and match hardware from different vendors fosters a competitive market, driving down prices and encouraging innovation.
  3. Sustainability Through Longevity: Hardware-agnostic software can support older servers, extending their useful life and reducing the need for frequent hardware replacements.

Efficient Infrastructure Software Delivers Long-Term Hardware Flexibility

One of the significant sustainability benefits of an efficient infrastructure software solution is its support for long-term hardware flexibility. This capability allows organizations to extend the operational life of their servers well beyond the original warranties:

  1. Extended Lifespan: With the correct software optimizations, servers can remain functional and efficient for many years, delaying the need for new hardware.
  2. Reduced Resource Consumption: By prolonging the life of existing hardware, the demand for raw materials and energy associated with manufacturing new servers is minimized.
  3. Economic Efficiency: Extending hardware lifespan translates to reduced capital expenditure on new equipment and better return on investment for existing assets.

However, as servers age, the risk of hardware failure increases. To mitigate this risk, built-in server redundancy and seamless failover capabilities are essential. Efficient infrastructure software should include these features to ensure continuous operation if an older server fails. This built-in redundancy allows workloads to be automatically transferred to functioning servers without disruption, maintaining high availability and reliability. Such resilience ensures that the extended use of older hardware does not compromise the overall stability and performance of the IT environment.

Eliminating Dedicated All-Flash Storage Arrays

Traditional data centers rely on dedicated all-flash storage arrays to meet high-performance processing and storage demands. However, this approach can be resource-intensive and costly. By integrating storage services directly into the server infrastructure and utilizing server-class SSDs, organizations can achieve comparable, if not superior, performance with greater efficiency:

  1. Cost Efficiency: Server-class SSDs are typically more cost-effective than dedicated all-flash storage arrays, reducing initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs.
  2. Improved Resource Utilization: Integrating storage into server infrastructure optimizes the use of existing resources, enhancing overall efficiency.
  3. Environmental Impact: The production of server-class SSDs generally requires fewer resources than all-flash storage arrays, contributing to a smaller environmental footprint.
  4. Elimination of Separate Network Infrastructure: Efficient infrastructure software eliminates the need for a separate network infrastructure dedicated solely to storage traffic, such as Fibre Channel or iSCSI. By consolidating storage traffic over existing Ethernet networks, organizations can reduce complexity, lower costs, and decrease the physical footprint of networking hardware. This simplification also reduces power and cooling requirements, further enhancing the sustainability of the IT environment.

Integrating Backup Best Practices Into Efficient Infrastructure Software

Incorporating backup and data protection best practices directly into the core infrastructure software eliminates the need for separate data protection architectures. This integration offers several sustainability and efficiency benefits:

  1. Simplified Management: A unified approach to data protection streamlines management processes, reducing the need for additional hardware and administrative overhead.
  2. Enhanced Resiliency: Integrated backup solutions ensure that data is consistently protected and readily recoverable, minimizing downtime and data loss.
  3. Resource Optimization: By leveraging existing infrastructure for backup purposes, organizations can avoid the additional energy and material costs associated with dedicated backup systems.
  4. Elimination of Separate Storage Systems and Servers: The integration of the data protection architecture eliminates the need for separate storage systems to store backup data and separate servers to run the backup software. This consolidation reduces the overall hardware footprint, significantly saving space, power, and cooling costs.

The Requirements of Efficient Infrastructure Software

the sustainability benefits of efficient infrastructure software

Efficient infrastructure software must meet several essential requirements to support modern data centers effectively while promoting sustainability and cost-efficiency. These requirements include integrating essential components, multi-tenancy capabilities, data resiliency, high availability, and scalability.

  • Integration of Major Components: The software must integrate the three major components of the data center—storage services, virtualization software, and networking services—into a single piece of software.
  • Integrated Multi-Tenancy: The software should provide integrated multi-tenancy to eliminate the noisy neighbor problem and ensure fair resource distribution among different workloads.
  • Data Resiliency and High Availability It should integrate data resiliency and high-availability features for servers to protect against hardware failures and ensure continuous operation.
  • Scalability: The software must scale from as few as two servers to hundreds of servers, allowing it to meet a wide range of use cases from Remote Office/Branch Office (ROBO) setups all the way up to large Enterprise environments.

Conclusion

Verge.io’s VergeOS meets all the requirements for efficient infrastructure software and delivers on the sustainability benefits discussed. VergeOS integrates storage services, server virtualization, and networking services into a single, cohesive platform, ensuring seamless operation and high performance. Its built-in multi-tenancy eliminates the noisy neighbor problem, and its data resiliency and high-availability features protect against hardware failures.

In addition to these technical advantages, VergeOS offers significant cost savings. Its licensing model is per server instead of per core, enabling customers to purchase fewer, more CPU-dense servers. This approach reduces licensing costs and lowers the overall number of servers required, enhancing sustainability by reducing energy consumption and electronic waste. VergeOS is also software-based, which means you can use your existing hardware or purchase new servers from the vendor of your choice.

Organizations adopting VergeOS can achieve all the sustainability benefits while enjoying upfront savings compared to VMware. VergeOS’s ability to scale from two servers to 200 makes it versatile for various use cases, from small remote offices to large enterprise environments. By choosing VergeOS, organizations can meet their environmental goals and achieve long-term operational success.

Filed Under: Private Cloud Tagged With: ,