Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials - Abdulwkazi

Azure Stack HCI:Hybrid Cloud EssentialsAzure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials1

Table ofcontents01Introduction . 302Azure Stack HCI: Ideal for datacentermodernization . 403Hybrid by design . 604Enterprise scale, affordable price . 1005Simplified operations . 1406Flexible deployment. 1807Conclusion . 2108Additional resources . 22Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials2

01Many businesses are now hosting applications in thepublic cloud. A cloud hosting strategy brings manybenefits, including simpler maintenance andimproved scalability. Not surprisingly, the globalIntroductionhyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) market isexpected to reach 31.36 billion by 2026.1But cloud hosting isn’t necessarily the best optionfor every business or workload. Yours might be oneof the many organizations that continue to hostservices on local infrastructure. Maybe this helps youkeep your operating expenses lower, or you’d like tostick with a hosting strategy that’s working just fine.To support workloads hosted on-premises, businessesare increasingly embracing HCI because it helpsimprove performance while reducing datacentercomplexity. HCI is a software-defined, unified systemthat combines all the disparate and siloed elementsof a traditional datacenter: secure storage, compute,network, and management. This integrated solutionruns on off-the-shelf x86 servers to replace expensive,purpose-built hardware. With Azure Stack HCI,you can decrease complexity and increase scalabilityand performance.Hosting workloads on-premises with Azure Stack HCIenables you to: Decrease datacenter complexity. Increase scalability. Lower your costs. Improve performance and availability. Simplify operations.This e-book provides an overview of the Azure StackHCI host platform and describes how it can help youoperate your hybrid cloud seamlessly.1IDC Converged Infrastructure Tracker, Q1’20Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials3

02Azure Stack HCI: Ideal fordatacenter modernizationAzure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials4

Azure Stack HCI offers an unmatchedcombination of performance, scalability,convenience, and simplicity.Hybrid by designHost locally with the benefits of Azure andalways-up-to-date HCI delivered as a service.Enterprise scale, affordable priceReduce datacenter complexity and total cost ofownership through HCI technology.Simplified operationsSimplify management and operate hybrid infrastructureseamlessly with built-in Azure capabilities and integrationtools including Windows Admin Center and Azure Arc.Flexible deploymentDeploy with flexibility to meet your hybrid cloud needswith validated hardware solutions.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials5

03Hybrid by designHost locally with the benefits of Azure andalways-up-to-date HCI delivered as a service.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials6

Modernize your datacenterAzure Stack HCI is built from the ground up to take you to the advanced level of HCI withoutsacrificing legacy functionality. While Azure Stack HCI optimizes on-premises hardware byimproving workload virtualization, it also integrates with key Azure hybrid services.Azure Stack HCIThe best infrastructure for hybrid environments.Figure 1. Azure Stack HCI connects to Azure hybrid services through Azure Arc.Monitor and manage clusters throughAzure Arc and Azure Monitor.Connect to hybrid-specificAzure services.Get regular updates.Rest easy with built-invirtual machine security.Take advantage of native disasterrecovery through stretch clustering.Enjoy simplified remote managementwith Windows Admin Center,including enhanced telemetry,monitoring, and vendor plug-insupport.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials7

Azure Stack HCI is deliveredas an Azure serviceAzure Stack HCI is included in your existing Azure subscription. It integrates with AzureResource Manager and the Azure portal through Azure Arc to facilitate resourcemanagement at a global level. This also means a single vendor for support and billing.Save time and resources withregular and consistent featureand security updates.Access Azure hybrid services such asAzure Security Center, Azure Backup,and Azure site recovery.Consolidate effort when you applyyour existing Azure support plan toAzure Stack HCI.Simplify invoicing with unifiedAzure billing.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials8

Azure Stack HCI is a resourcein the Azure portalBy exposing all clusters together under the Azure portal, Azure Stack HCI lets you monitorand manage distributed clusters in one place.Keep everythingin one place toreduce complexity.Use familiar Azureapps to monitoryour clusters.Take advantage ofscaling features such asgranular auditing andfleet management.Figure 2. Access Azure Stack HCI and manage your clusters through the Azure portal.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials9

04FIGUREEnterprise scale,affordable priceReduce datacenter complexity and total costof ownership through HCI technology.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials10

Azure Stack HCI has the power and scalabilityenterprises require, at an attractive priceAzure Stack HCI is built to accommodate everything from a small, 2-node deployment toa 16-node deployment spread across offices and datacenters around the world. It caneffectively help you cut costs—from purchasing to maintenance to operations—all whilereducing required physical space. Azure Stack HCI is integrated with both Azure and AzureArc. This enables global monitoring and management as part of your existing subscription—services that would cost more elsewhere.Cost scales predictably from edge to datacenterFigure 3. At 10 per core per month, Azure Stack HCI offers affordable pricing for yourhybrid cloud workloads.Simplify both service and supportusing a sole vendor for the hostoperating system, the hypervisor, theHCI infrastructure, and often theguest operating system.Unlock additional functionalitywithout upsells or tiers. The entirestack—compute, storage, andnetwork—are all unified.Bring more of your compute powerto your most remote locations. Areduced physical footprint makeshybrid computing for edge andremote office/branch office (ROBO)scenarios viable.Optimize functionality andperformance at no additional costas more features and updates arereleased with Azure Stack HCI’ssubscription format.Scale easily with a transparent cost of 10 per core per month.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials11

High value at any scaleWith a cost savings of up to 62 percent, Azure Stack HCI offers great price performance.While competitors may require specific hardware solutions, Azure Stack HCI is available onover 150 validated hardware configurations. Additionally, Azure Stack HCI performancescales linearly as more nodes are added.Take advantage of no-costextended security updates forWindows Server 2008.Save costs when you pay per coreper month, not per socket.Simplify with the single-package, standalone Azure Stack HCI host software stack.Competitors will need many products to achieve comparable function.Gain more value for your money with Azure Stack HCIFigure 4. Azure Stack HCI offers up to 62 percent cost savings versus the competition.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials12

Great SQL Server performanceAzure Stack HCI allows SQL Server to run natively (kernel mode) without the need for anagent removing an unnecessary dependency from the process.Measuring improvement in random 4 kilobit (kB) read input/outputFigure 5. With Intel NVMe and Optane persistent memory, Azure Stack HCI deliversbreakthrough performance.The above graph shows the improvement in random 4kB read input/output that can beachieved using various Intel technologies. These technologies also benefit SQL Serverworkload performance optimization.Achieve maximumperformance usinghigh-bandwidthsolid-state drives.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud EssentialsAttain topperformance withNVM Express andIntel Optanepersistent memory.Run SQL Serverdatabases onpremises for lowlatency and datasovereignty.13

05Simplified operationsSimplify management and operate hybridinfrastructure seamlessly with built-in Azurecapabilities and integration tools includingWindows Admin Center and Azure Arc.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials14

When you modernize datacenters with Azure Stack HCI, you gain the ability to improvescalability and performance, lower your costs, and make your workloads easier to manageand secure. In addition, Azure Stack HCI comes with built-in stretch clustering and a choiceof third-party software support. Azure Stack HCI also makes it easier to implement edgeand ROBO scenarios.Simplify hybrid with native Azure integrationAzure Resource Manager (ARM) resource represents each on-premises Azure Stack HCI clusterVisibility in the Azure Portal and foundation for hybrid managementNativelyNo fuss with agents or scripts – it’s built-in!integrates with AzureAzure Active DirectorySubscriptionResource GroupNEWResource forAzure Stack HCIAzure Stack HCIResource Providerby MicrosoftAzure PortalCloudOn-premisesServer 1Server 2Server 3On-premises clusterFigure 6. Manage your cloud and on-prem connected clusters from the Azure portal.Run edge or ROBO scenarios withas few as two nodes.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud EssentialsUse familiar tools and processes fora short learning curve.15

Stretch clusteringStretch clustering provides automatic disaster recovery across datacenters and protectsagainst unplanned outages and malfunctions. In short, Azure Stack HCI delivers a unified,single-software vendor vision.Figure 7. Azure Stack HCI comes built in with stretch clustering so you can protect againstunplanned outages and disasters.Run synchronous replicationfor immediate backup, orasynchronous for optimized speed.Use built-in encryption and clustervalidation to ensure properconfiguration.Take advantage of native disasterrecovery services built in through thestretched cluster capability.Respond with flexibility fromdisparate operational sites thatcan be in different rooms, buildings,or cities.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials16

Simplify HCI management withWindows Admin CenterWindows Admin Center is a locally deployed, browser-based app for managingWindows servers, failover clusters, and Azure Stack HCI, as well as Windows 10 PCs.It comes at no additional cost beyond Windows.Figure 8. Manage your local operations under a single management layer with WindowsAdmin Center.Connect on-premises servers withrelevant cloud services through theintegrated Windows Admin Center.Take advantage of software such asVeeam or Commvault. Azure StackHCI benefits from all WindowsServer-supported software packages.Add functionality to Windows AdminCenter with third-party extensions,including disk mapping, historicaldata reporting, system alerts, callhome service, deploymentenhancements, and more.Get flexible integration with WindowsAdmin Center and compatibility withthird-party management extensionssuch as DataON, Dell Technologies,Lenovo, Fujitsu, Hewlett PackardEnterprise, and others.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials17

06Flexible deploymentDeploy flexibly to meet your hybrid cloud needswith validated hardware solutions.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials18

Azure Stack HCI works on over150 hardware configurations.Azure Stack HCI has a diversity of deployment options. If you’re looking for minimum cost,you can likely use existing hardware. If you’re looking to buy new equipment, you’ll haveover 150 validated solutions to choose from. You can also customize nearly all the solutionsby varying the processor, memory, storage, and network speed.Get the best performance withintegrated system solutions thatare pre-wired, pre-racked, andpre-configured.Support Azure Stack HCI with existingor repurposed hardware that meetsAzure Stack HCI-validated noderequirements.Accommodate the needs of yourbusiness, whatever the size, withvalidated node solutions.Maximize outcomes when you runAzure Stack HCI on new hardware.Azure Stack HCI: Hybrid Cloud Essentials19