Technology Solutions

From Complicated to Simple: IT Solutions for the Digital World

4 REASONS TO REPLACE YOUR TRADITIONAL STORAGE WITH HYPERCONVERGED INFRASTRUCTURE
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IT managers are constantly faced with challenges when looking for new ways to store, access, manage, and protect data. The demands they face seem to far outweigh the resources they have to address them. As the world becomes more connected, having a solid foundation for managing data and information becomes more important. No longer can IT departments rely on outdated technology to just “get by” when it comes to handling the data center and provisioning resources.

It falls to the IT team to make technological recommendations that can transform the business, creating a more profitable, competitive corporation. Standing behind legacy systems that slow operations or compromise security can be worse than making the decision to replace aging technology. What kind of technological recommendations can you make to have the most impact and impress your higher ups? We suggest evaluating your storage infrastructure.

Here are four reasons you need to consider ditching legacy storage for a more robust solution:

Cost of Maintenance: Storage solutions that used to be more practical and effective are falling behind the performance and convenience of current technology. Organizations that rely only on HDDs for primary storage typically spend more just to keep it up. As technology moves towards faster, more efficient software-defined storage, it takes specially trained technicians to maintain older equipment, but is it worth it?Vendors often charge more to run and service older technology, because of the specialized expertise needed to troubleshoot and fix problems. When everything runs okay, it eats up more resources, and when something breaks, it costs more to fix. In some cases, your particular storage solution can end up being hard to purchase as well. Holding on to traditional storage solutions can cause more problems than opting to replace them.
Inflexibility of Legacy Storage: It’s also difficult and costly to scale most legacy systems. One reason for this is because many traditional infrastructures are made up of separate compute, networking, and storage resources. With newer hyperconverged infrastructure solutions, all three resources are merged on a single node that is easier to expand as needed. Simply add another node to increase capacity with preconfigured technology.Scaling a legacy system requires companies to plan expansion and upgrades months or years in advance hoping that their estimate for potential growth comes close to reality. But this often means paying too much or needing to scramble for capital to expand when space runs out. If you find yourself worrying about expansion or storage issues, there are easier, often less expensive ways to ensure you always have enough capacity.
Incompatibility with New Systems and Technology: Trying to implement modern IT initiatives on outdated hardware can be frustrating, if not totally futile. Many game-changing technologies like VDI and hybrid cloud require more bandwidth than is typically available or efficient with traditional storage models. And as the world becomes more connected, the influx of mobility devices overwhelms many legacy infrastructures. Because legacy systems are old and complex, they can prevent many good IT initiatives from materializing. Don’t let aging technology hold you back from modernizing your environment.
Vulnerability to Security Threats: Many older storage systems are vulnerable to a number of security threats due to outdated software. If your legacy infrastructure is no longer supported with current patches and updates, it’s time to move on to a more secure solution. The risk of data breach or loss in today’s world is much more significant now than ever before. Unsupported systems are a liability for modern enterprises. You don’t want to be left holding the bag when the dust settles.
Moving Towards Hyperconverged

Hyperconverged infrastructure offers an agile solution for organizations looking to upgrade their data centers. But an overhaul of infrastructure resources is not always a feasible option. One way to handle this is to stage implementation over time. Start with SDDs for primary drives, converting HDDs to secondary storage only, and performance will get a boost right away. With newer technology to support IT upgrades like Virtual Desktop, you can prepare your environment for a gradual transition to software-defined storage. By moving away from traditional solutions, you can open the door for IT initiatives that will truly transform the business and make it more competitive.

To learn more about moving to Hyperconverged Infrastructure or Composable Infrastructure, see below.

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Our Process

Comport will work with you to understand your current technology solutions and business needs. We appreciate that you have created a technology strategy with years of investment.  We respect that investment, while recognizing that modern technologies may help you create better efficiencies while lowering cost in your environment.

We dive in, looking first for your current pain points. Where do you feel pressure?  What are the challenges facing your business?  Ideally, what would change? We don’t expect you to rip and replace everything overnight, we work with you to create a strategic plan for the future encompassing both your technology goals and business initiatives. We believe a true partnership will achieve your goals and create a true technology solution to support your business.