Secure, efficient and high-performance deployment on premises and in the cloud
In Part one of this 2-part post on IBM Storage for hybrid multicloud, I discussed the two pieces of software at the center of our approach. The first is IBM Storage Insights, a free cloud-based service that simplifies your operations. The second is IBM Spectrum Virtualize, the strategic storage software foundation. In Part 2, we’ll look at deploying that software with on-premises storage systems and public cloud infrastructure.
You’ll remember from part one that IBM Spectrum Virtualize is software independent of your choice in storage hardware vendor. It can be adopted without having to buy any IBM Storage. When application and data growth requires you to purchase more storage capacity, IBM Spectrum Virtualize is also built into all-flash and hybrid storage systems. These come in a variety of sizes and performance levels so you can choose the best fit for your business. Many of the systems already include the latest innovations in Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) and IBM FlashCore. They come ready for Storage Class Memory when that becomes commercially available.
Again, with IBM Spectrum Virtualize as your strategic storage software foundation, you have freedom of choice in hardware giving you ultimate flexibility to quickly adopt the latest infrastructure innovations from any vendor. You are not locked-in to any vendor, including IBM.
One thing you’ll find with IBM is that we are continuing to invest in making the latest innovations available to you in economically attractive packages
All the IBM Storage built with Spectrum Virtualize is covered under IBM FlashWatch. There are four important components to FlashWatch[1].
- First is a data reduction Here IBM will guarantee capacity savings of up to a 5-to-1 ratio based on an analysis of your data. If it is not practical for you to work with us to collect data and run reports, we also offer an express guarantee of 2:1 data reduction that requires no analysis.
- Second is an availability guarantee. When you engage IBM Lab Services to deploy a HyperSwap high-availability configuration using any of our end-to-end NVMe storage built with IBM Spectrum Virtualize, IBM can guarantee zero interruption to data availability. That is not five-9’s, not six-9’s, but it is 100 percent data availability avoiding the costs and risks related to downtime. And IBM offers special terms with consumption-based cloud pricing that can make these high availability configurations even more affordable.
- Next is the controller upgrade program. It is simple. Three years after your flash array purchase, instead of renewing maintenance on that system for another three years, you can choose to purchase an equivalent next-generation controller for the same price. There’s no up-front contract, no price premium, really nothing to decide until you three years later.
- And then there’s peace of mind. You can choose support for your IBM Storage built with IBM Spectrum Virtualize 24×7 for up to 7 years if you like. In the unlikely event that flash drives fail, IBM will replace the affected drives at no charge through the warranty period, plus up to six years of optional post-warranty hardware maintenance.
I mentioned consumption-based cloud pricing for on-premises storage. It’s simple too[2]. You sign up for a base subscription that represents a small portion of the capacity you expect to use over the next 3 to 5 years. Then, Storage Insights meters your actual usage and your bill automatically goes up and down each quarter based on actual consumption.
We recognize that cloud isn’t just a technology delivery model. It has become a philosophy, with its economic flexibility permeating everything. With consumption-based cloud storage infrastructure, IBM’s cloud pricing gives you the option to have your on-premises storage capacity also be consumption-based, letting you create a complete hybrid multicloud environment that changes with your consumption.
To summarize, we are intent on helping clients create an infrastructure-independent storage environment for hybrid multicloud. We are accomplishing this through orchestration integration with cloud operating environments through APIs like the new Container Storage Interface for Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes. We are also deepening integration with VMware. Storage Insights is providing a consistent AI-infused management experience and IBM Spectrum Virtualize is providing a consistent set of storage capabilities and data mobility both on premises and in the public cloud regardless of your choice in hardware suppliers. IBM Storage cloud pricing provides a consumption-based financial option for your on-premises storage infrastructure to mirror that of public cloud storage.
I hope I’ve left you with a sense of the passion and thoughtfulness IBM is using in approaching hybrid multicloud. We would very much like the opportunity to help you think more deeply about your unique journey and help you leverage the power of hybrid multicloud for your own competitive advantage.
What do you think? What are your most important considerations in deciding on storage for hybrid multicloud? Is some aspect of IBM FlashWatch most important to you? Is your organization making the move to consumption-based pricing on premises? Join the conversation using one of the social links below!
[1] IBM FlashWatch, https://www.ibm.com/it-infrastructure/storage/guarantee
[2] IBM Storage Utility, https://www.ibm.com/us-en/marketplace/storage-utility-offering
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