Convergence to cloud

Innovating private clouds for optimal service delivery

By Shelley Palmer, Wendy Williams, Paul Koteras and Art Fewell

After priming data centers with virtualized IT resources, many government agencies are ready to progress toward a converged infrastructure that leverages private clouds to meet rigorous service delivery demands quickly, securely and cost-effectively.

overnment organizations are resources. For example, cloud-based functions seeking ways to effectively that facilitate automatic orchestration of transition IT infrastructure and approval requests with associated governance Gservices to a cloud-based model tasks and self-service deployment of desktop for many reasons, including key directives applications are highly desirable for many such as the 25-Point Implementation Plan agencies. In addition, organizations are looking to Reform Federal IT Management and to deploy consolidated community clouds the Federal IT Shared Services Strategy — that support both local and geographically commonly referred to as Shared First. The dispersed locations, even if a shared cloud federal chief information officer (CIO) has strategy involves working through interagency established these mandates along with the differences in IT process design. Because Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative the same cloud model does not fit every (FDCCI) to heighten efficiency in financial, deployment scenario, careful infrastructure technical, environmental and workforce design that is tailored to meet specific areas. By adopting a similar mind-set, state service delivery requirements for individual Now, recent innovations in virtualization and local organizations may also benefit from agencies is crucial to success. and convergence, ever-expanding network significant cost-efficiencies. At the outset, many public sector agencies bandwidth and emerging open standard Notably, cloud computing allows face a challenging transition from existing architectures help simplify data center government at all levels to move business IT infrastructures that are characterized by consolidation. In some cases, budget services such as IT and telephony into the duplicative systems, low asset utilization and constraints and government directives may service management realm. This strategy fragmented demand for resources. Such even serve as a catalyst for change, pushing transcends interrupt-driven IT models by environments are commonly saddled with organizations to consolidate systems and transforming IT into a consumable service management silos rooted in project-based share resources in ways they had not that expands and contracts as government procurement and proprietary technology considered previously. needs change. domains. In turn, lack of a unified infrastructure Moreover, government entities are and strong process automation typically results Traversing the stepping-stones focusing on how to save costs by gaining in excessive manual implementations and to cloud computing efficiencies such as removing manual repetitive management tasks that impede The migration to a cloud infrastructure begins tasks from daily routines and consolidating the progress of cloud initiatives. by evaluating the existing environment, with

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an eye toward standardization, simplification and standardization, simplification, virtualization and virtualization. Standardizing on open standards– convergence (see figure). Following these steps based platforms such as the architecture helps enables government organizations to reframe simplify IT infrastructure by removing unnecessary IT as a service provider with the mission of variability from existing mainframe environments, optimizing productivity, functionality and growth. which can be a huge financial drain. (See the Dell Services provides a broad range of sidebar, “New life for existing applications.”) offerings to enhance virtualization, heighten data Standardizing on just a few, well-engineered center efficiencies or help build a private cloud — configurations for all data center and endpoint including federal-specific consultants who focus devices, and ensuring that these components on building security into the process. To help have built-in security and management, helps decision makers envision ways to align IT more organizations create a strong, predictable closely with business objectives, Dell offers a foundation for IT infrastructure and services. Also, complimentary Cloud Strategy Workshop geared adopting a “virtual first” policy with strong process for organizations running large data centers or controls facilitates tremendous enhancements in considering consolidation of several data centers. efficiency, agility and utilization. As new resources This workshop is designed to provide a road are adopted in the data center, the focus should map to achieve specific agency goals, including be on pooling resources that can host transient, an executive summary recapping actionable elastic workloads and utilizing technology that information and direction for IT departments, can easily integrate with existing infrastructure. which also serves as a useful communication tool Simplification of the application environment — for building consensus among key stakeholders. identifying and removing duplicative and unused applications, for example — helps reduce Deploying highly scalable building blocks management overhead and streamline operations. As virtualization accelerates the consolidation of After the application rationalization process, the data center components, Dell continues to help next step is to create or update an IT service catalog. organizations resolve problems with functional All requests for new services are then directed to the convergence from the component level all the IT service catalog to determine whether resources way to pre-configured, racked solutions. A cloud are already available to meet requirements. strategy based on converged infrastructure helps Progressive steps lay the foundation for an organizations provide reliable performance and evolutionary approach to cloud computing rapid responsiveness to keep up with changing that builds on the efficiencies gained from constituent needs nimbly and efficiently.

Hybrid Utilize on-demand, anytime, anywhere services Cloud Enable elastic, automated self-service capability Convergence Optimize infrastructure operations Virtualization

Agility and eciency Increase flexibility and utilization Standardization Remove unnecessary variability

Adoption maturity

Progressive steps toward cloud computing: laying the foundation for converged, cloud-based environments

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Blade servers maintenance. The Integrated Dell Remote administrators to manage software and With outstanding processing power, Access Controller (iDRAC) with Lifecycle hardware from a single console. efficiency and scalability built into a small, Controller enables administrators to deploy, modular form factor, Dell™ PowerEdge™ manage, update and monitor multiple Virtualized storage blade servers provide an excellent foundation PowerEdge servers remotely using a single Dell virtualized storage technology extends the for virtualized, converged private cloud tool, even if the servers are running different advantages of virtualization across infrastructure. For example, PowerEdge operating systems. The Lifecycle Controller the data center — including within blade M420 quarter-height blade servers equipped also takes advantage of ® Node Manager chassis, thanks to advanced storage with dual Intel® Xeon® E5-2400 processors embedded power management technology blade designs. To facilitate deployment in are designed to deliver extremely high to provide visibility, management and converged, cloud-based environments, Dell computing density. This form factor enables reporting of power usage. offers cost-effective, scalable virtualized leading-edge support of 32 PowerEdge Moreover, PowerEdge management storage designed to provide the same self- M420 nodes in a 10U rack, and capabilities are integrated into a range of optimization, automation, ease-of-use and allows for 64 processors per chassis. third-party management tools such as data protection features that are available Embedded, agent-free management VMware® vCenter™ server and Microsoft® in traditional, rack-mounted storage area helps to greatly simplify PowerEdge server System Center software, enabling network (SAN) arrays.

New life for existing applications Many administrators feel like they are methodologies with innovative Dell with platform modernization. The being held hostage by mainframe intellectual property to perform re-architecting service is designed to applications that have been supporting application modernization rapidly and help agencies realize new initiatives and their organization for years. All too with minimal disruption. enhanced agility. The Dell approach to often, mainframe applications are Dell application re-hosting. This application re-architecture leverages costly to maintain and cumbersome to approach is well suited for legacy innovative Dell intellectual property to manage. Fear of service disruption and application environments that meet capture, rationalize and streamline an perceived migration complexity may current agency needs but would IT portfolio’s business logic, data and prevent administrators from pursuing a benefit the organization by operating application usage. This solution does modernization strategy. Moreover, many on cost-effective and easy-to-manage not just modernize code, it also migrates IT organizations lack the time or in-house x86 platforms. Application re-hosting is data — helping ensure that all of the expertise to successfully transition designed to reduce high infrastructure features an organization depends on mainframe applications to cost-effective, costs and streamline operations by remain intact and complete. industry-standard platforms. migrating mainframe workloads largely Of course, no two migrations are Nonetheless, existing mainframe intact. Existing code, data and user ever the same; application transformation applications may be good candidates for interfaces remain the same to facilitate projects are generally customized to meet migration to a private cloud infrastructure continuity of experience for operators the specific needs of an individual agency. that is based on standardized x86 and end users. The re-hosting service Before embarking on a modernization architectures. Dell offers software and enables rapid migration with minimal project, Dell Services experts analyze services that enable applications to be risk to accelerate the return on the current application environment. As re-hosted largely as is or re-architected investment for upgrading to a private part of this process, Dell helps identify to modern programming environments cloud infrastructure. current and anticipated service delivery such as Java and the Microsoft® .NET Dell application re-architecting. needs and presents application renewal framework. Dell Services has extensive This approach is advantageous for and transformation options designed to experience performing application applications that need significant improve service delivery, reduce costs and migration, combining established functionality enhancement along boost efficiency.

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Dell storage arrays feature virtualized increased demand and software-defined scripting, including the Telnet command-line provisioning, automated data tiering, networking (SDN) capabilities. interface (CLI), Tool Command Language in-line deduplication and compression, As government agencies pursue (Tcl), representational state transfer (REST), and advanced data protection to enable cloud initiatives, they must ensure that Simple Network Management Protocol outstanding performance, scalability and the underlying network infrastructure can (SNMP), Perl and Python. reliability for mission-critical, enterprise-scale be optimized for cloud traffic patterns This robust support for SDN enables workloads. The arrays are based on the Dell and their particular needs in cloud-based agencies to evolve at their own pace, Fluid Data™ architecture, which dynamically infrastructure deployments. The Dell Active using their preferred SDN methods without and intelligently places data according Fabric family of networking solutions was requiring a costly, time-consuming, rip-and- to usage, resilience and performance designed specifically to meet the networking replace approach to building infrastructure. requirements, thereby helping ensure requirements of cloud-based data centers. Moreover, Dell Active Fabric Manager optimal performance in a dynamic workload Dell Active Fabric solutions take advantage of automates the tasks associated with environment. The recent innovations to maximize efficiencies designing, building and monitoring network supports unified block and file storage that and deliver benefits through open standards– fabrics, helping IT organizations reduce the flexibly allows protocol options and integration based platforms designed for scalability, time required to design and deploy network of management features for ease of use and flexibility and ease of use. fabrics by up to 86 percent compared to deployment in cloud environments. Dell Active Fabric offers an any-to-any configurations requiring manual processes.2 Virtualized storage volumes can be multipath network architecture optimized provisioned without being tied to specific for the growing amount of server-to-server Implementing converged disk resources or RAID policies, and traffic in virtualized data centers and private infrastructure for private clouds capacity can be added or modified without clouds. Dell Active Fabric solutions flatten the Converged IT resources are often identified as disrupting existing workloads. By offering traditional data center network architecture integrated systems, converged infrastructure a pay-as-you-grow approach with flexible by using high-density, low-latency, fixed or unified computing. Whichever moniker licensing models, Dell storage platforms form factor 10 Gigabit (10GbE) is used, convergence in this sense applies avoid costly forklift upgrades — helping and 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40GbE) switches. specifically to combining compute, storage, organizations reduce IT complexity, These switches can be deployed quickly and networking and management capabilities into optimize capital expenditures and control easily, supporting cost-effective scale-out a self-provisioning pool of shared resources operating expenses. As a result, agencies are architectures that allow organizations to that can be pre-configured and quickly empowered to expand private cloud services avoid steep up-front investments and pay as deployed into data centers. efficiently and scale performance as needed, they grow. The Dell Active Fabric approach The Dell Active Infrastructure family without disturbing workforce productivity. helps achieve significant cost-efficiencies, combines modular, open and scalable including up to 77 percent average power components with integrated, intelligent Efficient networking consumption savings and 59 percent management and orchestration. This approach Within cloud-based data center networks, average equipment savings compared with enables agencies to reduce procurement and traffic tends to move from server to server competitive networking solutions.1 management costs, improve performance as client requests are processed. These The Dell Active Fabric platform is also and efficiency, and boost agility and reliability — requests are typically followed by a flurry of designed to meet SDN requirements. It significantly enhancing productivity as server-to-server traffic as the servers work enables comprehensive, platform-agnostic a result. The Dell Active Infrastructure together to satisfy the request. Existing support for network virtualization overlays portfolio encompasses IT service reference network architectures were not optimized that use widely available hypervisors from architectures for workload optimization, for this type of traffic. Fortunately, cloud- Microsoft, OpenStack, VMware and OpenFlow- named Dell Active Solutions; unified based environments offer public and based controllers. The platform also supports management, named Dell Active System private IT organizations easy, cost-effective application programming interfaces (APIs), Manager; and integrated systems, named Dell alternatives with the scalability to support programming languages, protocols and Active Systems (see figure on following page).

1 Based on March 2013 internal Dell lab solution-level comparisons between Dell Active Fabric–based architectures commonly used in production networking deployments and architectures designed using networking switches from another manufacturer. Comparisons included equipment cost, power consumption, heat output, physical space consumed, support and maintenance contract costs, and total cost of ownership. Data used for heat, power and space for architectures using other switches were derived from values available publically in product data sheets. 2 Based on March 2013 Dell lab testing performed by Dell engineers in which the time reduction percentage was derived from the total 3.08 hours for design and deployment time with Dell Active Fabric Manager resulting in 14 percent of the 21.5 hours required to design and deploy manually.

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Dell Active Solutions provide reference closet. PowerEdge VRTX solutions feature data integration software is designed to architectures that enable consistent, high two to four server nodes and up to 48 TB integrate diverse data sets and APIs from performance of workloads across a range of of storage. They are also available in a local and external sources. private cloud, virtual desktop infrastructure 5U rack configuration. Despite their many efficiency benefits, (VDI) and enterprise applications. Dell Active virtualized IT environments come with System Manager centralizes and automates Unifying infrastructure management specific challenges that require more key data center operations to heighten the The quickening pace of cloud adoption has comprehensive visibility into performance efficiency of IT staff, enabling agencies given rise to various cloud management and usage growth than conventional to quickly, flexibly and accurately deliver platforms. These tools range from expansive configurations require. Dell Foglight™ for and manage IT services that meet specific solutions that are part of comprehensive Virtualization is designed to support advanced workload requirements. management suites to targeted offerings virtual machine performance monitoring, Dell Active Systems seamlessly from recent start-up companies that deliver capacity and configuration management; integrate compute, storage and networking integration of specific cloud management application performance; and resource resources into a single rack of converged functions into an existing environment. optimization and chargebacks. Foglight can infrastructure that features PowerEdge Dell’s recent acquisition of , an also process multiple events, correlate them servers preloaded with VMware vSphere® award-winning enterprise cloud management based on rules and quickly find a root cause, or Microsoft® Hyper-V® virtualization software and services provider, significantly such as a failed component that is causing software. Dell top-of-rack switches and broadens the company’s end-to-end solutions an outage within the data center. Dell Active Fabric converged networking strategy by providing cloud infrastructure together with virtualized storage based management across public, private and Exploring cloud scenarios on the Dell Fluid Data architecture are hybrid cloud environments. As a result, the Cloud computing is a disruptive occurrence pre-racked into a Dell PowerEdge M1000e Dell Multi-Cloud Manager™ offering helps with the potential to make IT organizations chassis. SDN-capable connectivity and open branches of government address governance much more responsive. To that end, the standards facilitate the convergence of LAN issues associated with deploying systems in Dell cloud portfolio spans private, public, and SAN traffic through a single cable. public, private and hybrid clouds. Available community and hybrid deployment models. In small agencies or remote offices, the either as a managed service or on-site In addition, Dell Cloud for U.S. Government Dell PowerEdge VRTX platform combines software, Dell Multi-Cloud Manager delivers encompasses a variety of cloud solutions advanced PowerEdge server capabilities a unified solution for managing single or providing federal, state and local agencies with storage and networking resources multiple cloud-based environments, allowing with flexible cloud resources that efficiently in a compact tower form factor that can users to move workloads across diverse host applications and data to meet specific be deployed underneath a desk or in a clouds. In addition, ™ cloud-based performance, privacy and compliance requirements (see figure on following page).

Dell Active Solutions The Dell multi-tenant cloud solution — working to become a part of the Federal IT services Solution reference architectures Private cloud Desktop virtualization Enterprise applications Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) — enables agencies to IT services Dell software Monitoring Data protection Security Billing Third-party ecosystem technology gain quick access to Federal Information

Workload templates Security Management Act (FISMA)- Integration Dell Active System Manager Moderate cloud resources. Hosted at one platform Infrastructure templates of the company’s secure data centers, the Dell multi-tenant cloud features rapid

Dell Active Systems deployment, on-demand scalability, self-service access, portal integration, an Integrated Platform reference architectures infrastructure Virtualization innovative built-in compliance framework

Pre-integrated systems Compatibility matrix (custom engagement) and a consumption-based pricing model. The National Institute of Standards

Dell Active Infrastructure portfolio: providing an ecosystem of reference architectures and integrated and Technology (NIST) Cloud is designed solutions for efficient service delivery to offer the same functionality as the Dell

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a cloud environment based on advanced x86 architectures.

Dell | Microsoft Private cloud environments help NIST Cloud FedRAMP Cloud Private Cloud government organizations reverse low asset utilization, avoid duplicative systems, add Dedicated cloud Dedicated Multi-tenant government- government- automation and centralize management to • Dell converged specific cloud specific cloud architecture • Flexible acquisition • No up-front streamline operations. And by helping avoid • Dell integration model commitment or fees with System Center the need to procure dedicated hardware, for utility consumption 2012 and Hyper-V • Open-source virtualization with • FedRAMP-certified software and management resources • Orchestration, Red Hat Kernel-based authority to operate auto-governance Virtual Machine (KVM) (ATO) pending to advance individual project initiatives, and self-service capabilities • Scalability from 100 • Infrastructure as a agencies can significantly reduce the cost to over 100,000 users service, software as • NIST compliance a service and platform of developing and deploying new services. to specifications • Security controls as a service to help meet FISMA Dell’s end-to-end solutions strategy helps and Department of • Compliance framework Defense Information government organizations at every level Assurance Certification and Accreditation reframe IT as a service provider and optimize Process (DIACAP) requirements service delivery to heighten productivity, efficiency and responsiveness.

Rapid deployment Services and security Build Use Operate Authors

Dell Cloud for U.S. Government: hosting sensitive data or high-performance applications in the cloud Shelley Palmer is a field marketing manager for with a wide range of architectural options the Dell Federal team and is currently focused on data center management technologies including virtualization and cloud computing. multi-tenant cloud but with a dedicated and management platforms that allow infrastructure. The NIST Cloud solution can organizations to integrate private clouds Wendy Williams is a marketing manager for the Dell Services team and is currently focused on be hosted either at a Dell data center or at with public clouds. application modernization including application an agency-specified site. In addition, Dell Cloud Dedicated re-hosting and re-architecture. The Dell | Microsoft Private Cloud is Service enables government entities to delivered to government data centers pre-built off-load the management of their cloud Paul Koteras is an enterprise brand manager at Dell with a focus on storage technologies for and racked on Dell converged infrastructure. environments by taking advantage of private federal, state and local governments, K–12 and Because many government entities already cloud-as-a-service delivery managed by higher education organizations. have licensing for Hyper-V virtualization and Dell. Multiple architectures and on-site Art Fewell is a product marketing manager for System Center 2012 management software and hosted options enable IT managers and is currently focused on data in place, Dell | Microsoft Private Cloud to enforce governance and compliance center networking technologies including Dell deployments help organizations contain costs while providing a high level of service to Active Fabric and software-defined networking. by building upon current IT investments. developers and business units. Whether decision makers are Learn more exploring an evolutionary path to increase Engaging private clouds to serve Dell application modernization: efficiencies in their existing IT environment the public Dell.com/application-modernization or envisioning an entirely fresh approach, As in the private sector, the time is expert Dell Services consultants can help ripe for government offices and public Dell application re-architecting: Dell.com/application-rearchitecture map out best-practices implementations agencies to move virtualized data centers for private clouds that include installation forward along the path to private cloud Dell application re-hosting: Dell.com/application-rehosting accelerators for Microsoft® Private Cloud, deployment. To meet the challenges of VMware Private Cloud Computing dynamic service delivery, many IT leaders Dell cloud computing: and Dell OpenStack–Powered Cloud are finding that converged infrastructure Dell.com/cloud

Solution. Moreover, Dell Services experts offers a cost-effective, time-efficient Dell converged infrastructure: leverage comprehensive solutions, tools approach for deploying and configuring Dell.com/convergence

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