Distributed Services Infrastructure, a Game-Changer

The problem? Legacy data center environments aren’t designed for modern applications. If you’re attempting microservices-based traffic patterns, these legacy environments don’t have the firepower to deal with it. That can disrupt workflow and decrease the efficiency you’re after.

The solution? A distributed services architecture. Within this structure, you can move application and security services resources closer to where the applications run. This is similar to how a hyperscale cloud provider optimizes their security and performance. Rather than funneling everything through one system, distributed services make it possible to isolate your infrastructure. You don’t have to make a costly infrastructure upgrade in one fell swoop.

How a Distributed Services Infrastructure Facilitates Growth While Enhancing Security

There are a lot of reasons distributed services like these can help a growing organization:

• Capacity to scale. Enterprises that use a lot of data have been able to move certain applications to the cloud, giving them free rein to grow. But even those with data centers located on their premises will need the capacity to handle the new data demands that come with growth.

• Improving security. In traditional enterprise data, you had a basic moat structure for data. Put everything behind the moat and hope no one else gets in. That’s not good enough for the modern enterprise world. Distributed services can enhance security by using micro-segmentation to isolate specific security needs and demands. Rather than simply throwing more budget at security needs, companies can embrace a distributed services approach to improve security over time. 
• Optimizing efficiency. Every company needs to run efficiently, but it doesn’t always have the budget to ensure total efficiency. A highly distributed IT infrastructure helps spread out data demand and allocate resources more efficiently to match your company’s priorities. The result is a far more distributed—and intuitive—way of dealing with data traffic.

Unfortunately, the way many data center environments work isn’t always conducive to these benefits. 

Updating a “Legacy” Architecture of Centralized Services

The idea was simple in the “legacy” data architecture: centralize, centralize, centralize. But as more and more data started flowing, it overwhelmed the machines managing this traffic. The result: scaling became a problem as your data systems grew more complex. And adding machines on top of an outdated infrastructure can solve it somewhat—but only at the cost of more money and more complexity.

There was another advantage to the old way: security. Centralized data can be easy to guard. This forces enterprises into a choice: prioritizing security and adding more machines, or trying to find a new way.

But the new way is surprisingly easy to handle. You can create a modern distributed services environment by moving the application and security services to the applications themselves—or as close as you possibly can. The result is known as a hyperscale infrastructure. It’s not too difficult to do if you’re creating a new enterprise from scratch. But what if you have existing data centers? How do you take advantage of this way of handling your data?

One solution is for networking companies and distributed computing solutions to create new switches. These switches can help companies leverage their existing data centers and upgrade them with ease. The resulting distributed services would function like hyperscale infrastructures. And it would offer the same benefits of working with distributed services, such as optimized security, efficiency, and opportunities to scale.

To put it simply, it is possible to upgrade to a superior approach to your data infrastructure. You have to first understand the difference between the two—and then identify a method of switching that will minimize your downtime as an enterprise.

The Aruba Distributed Services Switch

One way of making this switch is with a product from Aruba called the Distributed Services Switch. This switch uses Aruba’s routing and switching technology, combined with Pensando’s own software services, to support a variety of data connections. They’ve created the Aruba CX 10000 switch to handle “east-west” data services from port to port. This not only enhances the security of your critical applications but helps you manage increasing workloads. DDoS protection, encryption, load balancing, telemetry—it’s all here.

Additional products from Aruba, such as the Aruba Fabric Composer, help orchestrate everything in seamless harmony. With these options, you can upgrade your enterprise to a distributed services infrastructure much more easily than you might have imagined.

Where Modern Data Infrastructure Goes From Here

Modern applications are growing increasingly complex, and not every data center is capable of handling them. Too many data centers struggle with outdated architectures. Each service requires a separate application, which means that the more you add, the data burden only grows. HPE Aruba and Pensando have a solution to this by offering a switch to a distributed services architecture.

With this innovation in place, you can move your application and security services closer to the applications. The result is all those benefits mentioned above: enhanced performance efficiency, better security, and the ability to scale your enterprise. What’s next for your data center? If you need to grow into a modern data infrastructure, the Aruba switch can help your existing data centers become more than the sum of their parts.

Reach out to comport to discuss your data center networking needs.