Dell consolidated x86 platform to implement flexible cloud computing

With the rise of cloud computing, there is a growing concern about the main offerings of cloud computing services such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, Windows Asure and Baidu. But few people know that Daldu plays a very important role behind all kinds of large-scale "clouds" around the world. It can be said that almost no publicity, Dell has been on the x86 technology platform for many years, as well as in the field of server virtualization has been a huge success, quickly become the main cloud computing service providers at home and abroad the first major infrastructure providers, as a powerful driver of cloud computing.

Cloud computing seems remote to many companies, but Dell has a way to get closer to the business. In the field of cloud computing, Dell has evolved its unique methodology, clear strategy and holistic solution based on years of high attention and commitment. Thanks to this, Dell has not only in a few years to win the major cloud computing services at home and abroad highly recognized as the primary infrastructure provider of the Super large cloud platform, but also has the power to promote the spread of cloud computing, relying on this strength, Dell is gently unveiling the cloud of the mystery, is helping more and more enterprises to embark on the "cloud" path.

Dell's advances in cloud computing have largely benefited from its clear vision of cloud computing. Dell said: In the process of building efficient enterprises, cloud computing will play a very important role, it will bring greater competitiveness, control and flexibility for enterprises. In particular, cloud computing allows users to get rid of hardware devices, operating systems, application stacks, and service providers, allowing users to flexibly apply it to their own budgets and actual needs, so that they can truly achieve pay-as-you-go and fast-response requirements. This increased flexibility and reduced it costs will bring a strong competitive edge to the enterprise.

It is based on this clear vision that Dell has increased its investment in cloud computing in recent years, with a total investment of more than $500 million trillion today. This huge amount of money is mainly used in three areas: first, recruit, build a strong cloud computing technology team and service team, the second is the development of cloud computing data center solutions. This includes customizing servers and storage devices for cloud computing, designing modular data center equipment for faster cloud computing deployments, developing various service models that can work with cloud computing, and so on, and merging valuable enterprises to upgrade their SaaS (Software as a service, software as services), Cloud service capabilities such as IaaS (infrastructure as a service, infrastructure, etc.) are currently listed on the Dell Mergers and acquisitions list of Messageone, Silverback, Everdream and ASAP.

One fundamental difference between Dell and other mainstream it device providers is that Dell is always firmly on the x86 route, as is Dell on cloud computing. Dell points out that while cloud computing can be implemented on proprietary hardware and software systems, such a cloud platform would "lock" users into a limited space, while also paying high fees to maintain and manage cloud computing platforms. In contrast, the integration and expansion of hardware and software on the x86 platform can improve the standardization of cloud computing platform, give users more choice, and effectively reduce the implementation cost of cloud computing, improve the flexibility of cloud computing.

Based on the x86 platform, Dell is mainly three steps to help the enterprise implement cloud computing. The first step is to consolidate the data center and improve the standardization of the data center. For example, an enterprise may have more than 100 data centers, there are thousands of application systems. Then Dell will help the enterprise to integrate the data center as many as possible, reduce the application system to more than 10, while migrating UNIX systems to Linux systems, so as to improve the standardization of the entire IT architecture.

The second step is to virtualize the infrastructure. Virtualization is the logical starting point for cloud computing, and in this phase Dell will use virtual technology to increase server utilization, streamline the number of servers, and improve the horizontal scalability of the IT infrastructure.

More importantly, Dell uses virtual technology to shield complex underlying hardware, to help organizations deploy an abstract resource layer, to remove barriers to cloud computing, and a third step to automate infrastructure management. Dell believes that cloud computing is an advanced it application, but should not be at the expense of increasing the complexity of management and the amount of manpower. So at this stage, Dell will use advanced management software to help users to complete system management, to release human resources, improve IT infrastructure automation, so that users in a relaxed manner to apply cloud computing.

When it comes to helping companies implement cloud computing, Dell can provide users with End-to-end solutions, including hardware devices, software, and services. Specifically, on the hardware front, Dell can now provide servers and storage devices specifically designed for cloud computing, as well as modular datacenter devices, and in software, Dell has a tight alliance with VMware, Microsoft and other software vendors to provide users with a soft and hard solution.

In terms of services, Dell, in addition to providing a variety of cloud-oriented consulting, assessment, planning, implementation, and management services, has also developed a ProManage series of services that can help users further address asset management, software distribution, patch management, online backup and recovery, e-mail archiving, and other "detail issues", More than 5,000 companies now use ProManage services to simplify their it.

Echoing the huge investment from Dell, CIOs are passionate about cloud computing. Philip A. Davis, a vice president of enterprise-level operations at the Asia Pacific and Japan region, said that more than a year ago, cloud computing remained at the oral discussion stage, but as the economic environment and financial markets changed, more and more companies were now preparing to put the cloud into practice. The data from Third-party research institutions confirm Mr Davis's view that 81% of CIOs plan to adopt cloud services in the next year, according to a survey conducted by CIOs in June this year.

When CIOs decide to use cloud services, the first choice to make is to apply a public cloud or build a private cloud. These two kinds of cloud services have their pros and cons: Private cloud specifically for the specific enterprise services, high security, easy to CIO control and management, but must reach a certain scale in order to produce economic benefits; The public cloud can save a lot of upfront cost of IT systems, allowing companies to flexibly control usage costs based on their own needs, but generally , using a public cloud would deprive the CIO of some control.

    It is opening a new page, with the rapid popularization of standardized it architectures, virtualization technologies and high-speed network interconnection, making cloud computing a reality. With unprecedented efficiency and flexibility, cloud computing is bound to revolutionize the enterprise IT application, which is sure to bring huge business value.