Way back in August, Microsoft announced a new partner program. Nothing new there but this one is kind of special, it is the fastest, easiest way to get you moving into a Software Defined Datacenter.
WSSD
The program is designed to bring many benefits in a timely and cost-effective way
The implementation of a Software Defined Datacenter (SDDC) is not uncomplicated. It is difficult to plan, size and implement without dedicated support from both software and hardware vendors.
Microsoft has joined with its WSSD partners to provide three different WSSD solutions.
- Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) Standard: Highly virtualized compute and storage are combined in the same server-node cluster, making them easier to deploy, manage, and scale.
- Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) Premium: Comprehensive "software-defined datacenter in a box" adds software-defined networking and Security Assurance features to HCI Standard. This makes it easy to scale compute, storage, and networking up and down to meet demand - just like public cloud services.
- Software-Defined Storage (SDS): Built on server-node clusters, this enterprise-grade, shared-storage solution replaces traditional external storage device at a much lower cost while support for all-flash NVMe drives delivers unrivaled performance. You can quickly add storage capacity as your needs grow over time.
You can experience the joys of creating your own Software defined network or software defined storage solutions by using TechNet Virtual Labs a free and fast way to learn how to implement these solutions. having done this, head off to the WSSD site and have a look at the OEM partners available to provide you with a tailored service. Saving time, money and effort.
There is also an excellent white paper available discussing Microsoft's hyper-converged technologies. There is also a partner datasheet.
If all of the above has passed you by and you don't know what a software defined datacenter is, or what it can do for you, then contact ServerGuy@microsoft.com and ask. There are plenty of free resources out there and I can now announce that Microsoft UK are running the ever-popular UK IT Camps again this year and a large part of the Windows Server day will be devoted to SDDC!
Even better news is that ServerGuy has been asked to run these events. There are 17 two-day events planned covering Windows Server and Microsoft Azure the full Hybrid Cloud solution.
Watch this space and @ServerguyUK on twitter for news about how to sign up. Venues all over the country from London, to Cardiff, Glasgow and Birmingham.