Lexicon migrates jargon, work remains same
September 13, 2017
Churn was always a regular catalyst for commerce in enterprise vendor plans. Making changes a regular event in IT planning seems to be requiring new language. Sometimes it's not easy to translate what the latest, shiniest requirements are, in order to move them back into familiar lexicon. HP Enterprise has added jargon new to the senior tactical pros in the 3000 datacenter.
For example, take HPE Synergy. Offered as an alternative to legacy systems like the 3000, HP Enterprise (HGPE) calls it "a composable infrastructure system." 3000 pros would know this as a roll-your-own enterprise system. Like Unix was in the days HP pitted it against the 3000, with all of its software and components and networking left to the customer's choice.
Composable, okay. It's not a word in the dictionary, but it's made its way into HPE planning jargon. "Provides components that can be selected and assembled in various combinations to satisfy specific user requirements." Like every Windows or Linux system you ever built and configured.
Here's another. HCI: hyperconverged infrastructure. A package of pre-compiled servers, network and storage components in a single engineered offering. This is opposed to buying those components separately, and end-users configuring them.
Hyperconverged. Again, not in the English lexicon. Pre-compiled server, network, storage components offered together. "Turnkey," from 1988. The bedrock of every HP 3000 ever sold.
TSG's David Floyd says that whatever they need to know at Disston Tools, they learn from experts. Resources like the Support Group bring in new ideas, new architecture. Sometimes there's new jargon to add to the lexicon. Don't feel too bad about hyperconverged or composable being outside your grasp.
Virtual computing will be a part of the MPE/iX backbone the rest of the way, right out to the 2028 deadline for CALENDAR formats. Stromasys has seen to that with Charon. HPE says that HCI is used for virtual desktop infrastructure, or as a type of VM vending machine to offer users virtual or even bare-metal infrastructure.
HPE’s HCI product is the Hyper Converged 380. Analysts see it as trailing offerings from market leaders Nutanix, Simplivity and Dell EMC (VxRail). HPE upgraded its position in the market when it acquired Simplivity, making the company one of the premier HCI vendors.
Given that the new language, it's not always clear what HPE wants to do for the customers who migrate. One analyst summed it up this way this year. There are three things.
HPE wants to help customers build private clouds on next-generation infrastructure that integrates with public cloud resources.
A second broad focus area is what HP calls the “Intelligent Edge,” which encompass technologies related to the Internet of Things.
Finally, a third pillar revolves around services and helping customers successfully execute projects in the first two areas.
A recent Worldwide Infrastructure Forecast by IDC estimates that through 2020, public cloud infrastructure is set to grow at a 15 percent compound annual growth rate; private cloud is forecast to grow at 11 percent. This compares to traditional IT growing at only 2 percent. If companies like HPE and others can offer compelling options, there is a market for enterprises to upgrade their on-premises infrastructure.
Cloud computing, private or public, is part of most 3000 sites' lexicon by now. HPE will help a customer build their own cloud, using composable infrastructure, or hyperconverged infrastructure. Roll your own, or turnkey. As the traditional means of computing is growing by about 2 percent a year, expect HPE to be big on offering everything to make a great cloud.