Converged vs. Hyperconverged Infrastructure

As technology has developed, IT infrastructure for many companies has grown more and more complex; making the management of it a time-consuming job and a specialist one. Now, businesses are looking to move away from these configurations and on to infrastructure that blends the best of virtual and physical environments for virtualised workloads.

Infrastructure Type Definitions

There are three types of IT infrastructure that cover off that held by most businesses:

Non-Converged Infrastructure

Traditional IT infrastructure is known as ‘non-converged’, and is comprised of separate blocks of assets. These include servers, storage and networking facilities, which are all individually managed and configured by connected electronically. This conventional infrastructure setup can handle large deployments but is not the fastest option and requires the time-consuming individual management of each element.

Converged Infrastructure

Converged Infrastructure (sometimes abbreviated down to CI) integrates several components into a single system that is pre-configured. Elements include servers, storage and networking facilities, and software systems. While the overall system is configured as one, this does still require the individual management of each component. Converged Infrastructure is hardware-based.

Hyperconverged Infrastructure

Hyperconverged Infrastructure (sometimes abbreviated down to HCI) integrates all of the same components as Converged Infrastructure, but combines them into a singularly configured system that can’t be broken down in separate elements. The system is wholly managed and simplifies operations through the use of Hypervisors. Hyperconverged Infrastructure is software-based.

What’s a Hypervisor?

A Hypervisor is a software program that runs Virtual Machines (VMs) from a single physical machine and is sometimes known as a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM).

A Hypervisor pools computing resources such as processing power, memory and storage, then allocates the resources out to Virtual Machines as required, separating them logically so that they don’t negatively impact on one another.

A Hypervisor has several benefits, including:

• The isolation of Virtual Machines’ function to contain security concerns
• The most efficient usage of physical IT assets
• Simple operations
• A reduction in costs by allowing users only to pay for the resources they actually need to use.

The Advantages of Converged Infrastructure

Converged Infrastructure has many benefits, including (but by no means limited to):

• Scalability – the nature of Converged Infrastructure with its individual components allows for elements to be added in or removed as required
• Easy deployment – with all components being in a single package, deployment is quicker, more streamlined and simpler than that of traditional (Non-Converged) infrastructure
• Simple management – with components in a single system, management is centralised and made considerably easier than that of traditional infrastructure
• Financial savings – as Converged Infrastructure has less hardware and software elements than traditional infrastructure, it costs less to run. This includes the reduction of energy from a unified stack approach and the elimination of separate software licensing costs
• Increased productivity – with the whole system being centralised, it can be managed quicker and in turn produce considerable time and resource savings compared to traditional infrastructure.

The Advantages of Hyperconverged Infrastructure

Hyperconverged Infrastructure has many benefits, including (but by no means limited to):

• Ability for customisation – Hyperconverged Infrastructure can be easily customised to connect to other units for growth on demand
• Quicker deployment than Converged Infrastructure – with a singular management system, Hyperconverged Infrastructure offers the fastest solution for deployment
• Enhanced disaster resilience capabilities – with data stored across several different nodes, disaster resilience is improve as security systems keeps the data safe
• Maximum productivity – the unified system presented by Hyperconverged Infrastructure makes it the fastest solution possible, lowering the chances of hardware issues
• Maximum financial savings – compared to other infrastructure types, Hyperconverged Infrastructure reduces costs the most as components don’t need to be purchased separately.

The Disadvantages of Converged Infrastructure

There are some disadvantages to Converged Infrastructure, including:

• Limited configuration options – with predefined templates running across both hardware and software, the options for configuration structures are somewhat limited
• High initial investment – the initial cost of Converged Infrastructure often costs more than other options as you don’t have the ability to shop around and purchase from several different vendors. This said, these costs are usually recouped over time with the ongoing savings.

The Disadvantages of Hyperconverged Infrastructure

There are some disadvantages to Hyperconverged Infrastructure, including:

• Challenging to migrate from – with Hyperconverged Infrastructure being locked in to a single vendor’s hardware and software, it can be difficult for owners to late migrate to another system
• Potential compatibility issues – when running legacy applications, a virtualised environment may experience compatibility issues in linking and working with more modern systems.

Converged Infrastructure vs. Hyperconverged Infrastructure: The Key Difference

The primary difference between Converged Infrastructure and Hyperconverged Infrastructure is that the premise on which they’re based:

Which industries use Converged Infrastructure?

Converged Infrastructure is usually adopted as an upgrade for businesses who are looking to take their first step to move from Non-Converged Infrastructure.

Often Converged Infrastructure is favoured by mid-sized businesses and larger organisations rather than SMEs as the latter may struggle with the initial cost and resources its deployment takes. That said, SMEs can benefit from it vastly once actually implemented and up-and-running.

Which industries use Hyperconverged Infrastructure?

Hyperconverged Infrastructure tends to be implemented by businesses who already have a hybrid solution in place as Converged Infrastructure, or have the resources for a full IT transformation project from Non-Converged Infrastructure.

Hyperconverged Infrastructure is most popular amongst larger organisations who have the resources, staff and money to implement it, but it is exceptionally common in industries including financial services, governmental bodies, education and manufacturing.

Is Converged Infrastructure or Hyperconverged Infrastructure best for my business?

There are benefits to all three IT infrastructure models, and each have their place amongst organisations. The best type of infrastructure is dependent on the following considerations of the business:

Scalability intentions

Is the business intending to grow and expand their IT operations? Does the business anticipate growth in the future that would require IT scalability?

Existing IT systems in place

Does the business run programmes and systems that will integrate with the new infrastructure system? Is there likely to be any configuration or compatibility issues? Are there any systems that must be maintained with a seamless service to avoid disruption or downtime to end users?

External vendor support

What type of support will be required from external vendors for migration? What type of support is currently required from external vendors for maintenance? Will existing contracts and relationships with external vendors be able to be maintained once a migration has happened?

In-house IT resources

Does the business have sufficient budget for a migration? Does the business have sufficient resource for a migration? Does the business have the knowledge in-house to manage the ongoing maintenance of its own infrastructure or will external vendors need to be sought?

It’s crucial that a business approaches its IT infrastructure decisions on an informed basis, considering all angles. As with every decision, what works best for one organisation may not for another and all idiosyncrasies should be taken into account.

Dependent on the business type, setup and goals, it may be that a more containerised system is more suited than something unified and singular.

Should a business with legacy systems opt for Converged Infrastructure or Hyperconverged Infrastructure?

Businesses with lots of legacy systems making up their existing IT infrastructure may find that the move to Converged Infrastructure helps minimise some of the ongoing concerns of managing it, with the least disruption or hassle.

However, Hyperconverged Infrastructure would tackle more of the issues with legacy set-ups but would instil larger and more drastic initial changes in its implementation; primarily with the deployment and in ongoing financial cost savings. This said, businesses must consider the potential for compatibility issues with legacy software where Hyperconverged Infrastructure is being installed, as it may throw up issues affecting the end user along the line if not properly planned for in advance.

What infrastructure types do Procurri support?

Procurri works with all infrastructure types – including bespoke custom systems that don’t quite fit elsewhere. As an entirely vendor-neutral service provider, our teams are able to adapt their approach to each and every client to best meet their needs and requirements.

No matter how complex or legacy your configuration may be, our technician teams can help. Get in touch today to learn more.