IBM Simplifies, Integrates Data Center and Cloud Operations with PureSystems

The concept of modular datacenters is based on the idea of convergence. The use of modular design is the latest example of how the evolution of data center design is blurring boundaries and business models. Converged infrastructure is the key term to remember here. One instance refers to tying server, storage, and IP networking into an integrated system. Another refers to systems that include integration between servers, storage and networking as well as software, applications and middleware optimized and built for cloud computing. Customers gain considerable benefits because they only have a single vendor to rely on.

This makes the process of creating a data center, designing the storage architecture and eventually transitioning to the cloud much easier. Now, IBM (News - Alert) has announced its own integrated system, PureSystems. It provides the expertise to automate maintenance, anticipate computing requirements and scale servers, storage and networking resources as needed. IBM’s PureSystems seems to be aimed directly at Oracle’s Exa- line of products as well as Cisco’s (News - Alert) UCS and VCE consortium, which aims to couple Cisco, EMC and VMware gear and software into one unified system. As datacenter construction concepts evolve, the modular approach has proven its reliability.

According to Rod Adkins, senior vice president of IBM’s systems and technology group, “These systems operate with a single pane of glass, support multiple architectures, OSes and hypervisors all with cloud management capabilities. We’ve developed a better scheme and don’t have to force things to a rack.” IBM has spent $2 billion on research and development and acquisitions to integrate the hardware, software and virtualization tools that went into PureSystems. IBM calls one of the included software differentiators, Patterns of Expertise. IBM Patterns automate tasks such as configurations, deployments and upgrades.

One of the applications, Customer Patterns, allows companies to automate knowledge of how their proprietary applications run into PureSystems. This is just one example of the all-encompassing versatility of the new system. The idea of an integrated system isn’t unique, but IBM’s twist is that it will be more flexible than competitors. The added bonuses include features, such as architecting and deploying infrastructure for Web applications can be completed in days instead of months.

PureSystems can be split into thousands of virtual machines to save on processing costs. Provisioning storage layers is quicker and automatically tiers data based on usage and importance. Finally, integration allows for private cloud deployments on the fly. The PureSystems family is designed to be a cloud in a box with built in security and no single point of failure.