NetApp HCI is a hyperconvergent system consisting of resources for storing information and performing calculations based on all-flash drives. The most successful implementation of NetApp HCI is the creation of the most flexible IT infrastructure in the cloud or on—premise with huge scaling potential. The cloud can be either private or public.
NetApp Hyperconvergent systems
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Like many alternative solutions, HCI NetApp is based on servers of classical architecture and their standard software, which together form a fault-resistant, “elastic” cluster, characterized by its level of scaling, storage and integration.
NetApp HCI has one important unique difference from similar architectures — according to the classification of IDC (International Data Corporation), this system belongs specifically to hyperconvergent disaggregated solutions, which means that storage resources and virtualized computing resources are physically separated in it.
Previously, systems for working with data (storage, switching and computing) were implemented on the basis of a single solution: the hypervisor was installed on different servers, and the functionality was divided between several virtual machines that were distributed on different servers to increase fault tolerance.
The greatest difficulty of this method is to ensure not only the proper level of fault tolerance, but also high performance of the overall data storage layer. A virtual machine running on a classic HCI cannot directly exchange information with a storage system or access a virtual cluster running with this machine on the same server.
The NetApp HCI cluster has many positive performance characteristics compared to the alternative solution described above:
- It is as simple as possible in terms of deployment — the cluster is installed as a single unit, has central management and does not require any additional settings.
- Software updates and various upgrades are performed as simply and quickly as possible — just like the initial installation.
- It has its own graphical interface that provides extremely simple and intuitive administration.
NetApp HCI is a unique solution of its kind that allows you to effectively scale the IT infrastructure at the rate of growth of the business itself, and the provided possibility of integration with already operating HCI systems allows you to get the most flexible and reliable tool.