What are some Microsoft SDDC integration challenges?
Microsoft added a number of new software-defined features in Windows Server 2019, but deploying a fully virtualized data center remains a challenge for several reasons.
Microsoft updated its software-defined data center technology in Windows Server 2019, but marrying the functionality with the hardware can be a challenge for early adopters.
Implementing an SDDC promises reduced costs, improved security and greater versatility. The Microsoft SDDC uses the company's expansive virtualization framework to unify, scale and manage IT hardware. The flexibility to pool resources to spread the compute workload and stretch available storage gives organizations the agility to adapt to changing needs. Despite the recent advances, there are challenges to bring about an optimized deployment of the Microsoft SDDC.
A lot needs to happen for this highly integrated world to emerge. In an SDDC, everything must be discovered, virtualized, provisioned and managed together. All the underlying technologies -- virtualization, automation and management -- need to work in concert with the hardware.
Joining hardware and software remains a challenge
Software platforms play a key role in managing resources in an SDDC. Trouble with integration occurs when the underlying hardware cannot support the features and functionality provided by the OS.
In an SDDC, everything must be discovered, virtualized, provisioned and managed together.
Windows Server 2019 provides a wealth of storage, networking and resiliency features and functions to support the Microsoft SDDC deployment. In spite of the advancements in Windows Server 2019, the fundamental challenge of getting diverse technology to work together still remains. It doesn't help IT when a number of devices, such as network interface cards, other servers and storage subsystems, cannot support the Windows Server 2019 software-defined functionality, leaving them unoptimized or unmanaged.
How to overcome Microsoft SDDC obstacles
One way to fix an integration problem is to let a vendor resolve it. By purchasing and deploying hardware known to integrate with Windows Server 2019 software-defined features, an organization can accomplish its SDDC goals more rapidly -- and successfully -- than building its own environment.
IT pros can tap into the hyper-convergence abilities in Windows Server 2019 to start the journey to a full Microsoft SDDC arrangement. Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) combines compute, storage and other resources into modules that have already been integrated and optimized to work properly under software control. These modular elements can be bolted together to build the SDDC footprint. Microsoft started its Windows Server Software-Defined (WSSD) program to validate HCI vendors and offerings for use with its server OS. The WSSD program currently has three offerings, from a basic HCI setup to a premium version for a large-scale Microsoft SDDC deployment for organizations that want a more cloudlike experience in the data center.
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