Use Case: Replacing Traditional Hypervisors with Azure Stack HCI
Overview
An organization currently operates a diverse virtualized environment using various hypervisors, including Hyper-V, VMware, and open-source solutions like KVM. While these platforms have served well, the organization is now facing challenges in managing and scaling its infrastructure. The existing setup incurs high operational costs, lacks integration with cloud services, and requires significant resources for management, disaster recovery, and modernization.
The organization is considering Azure Stack HCI as a VMWare replacement for its existing hypervisors. We will outline the use case for adopting Azure Stack HCI, including the benefits of cost savings, enhanced management through Azure services, robust disaster recovery, and integration with modern application platforms.
Challenges with the Current Environment
- High Operational Costs:
- Licensing fees for VMware and other commercial hypervisors.
- Maintenance costs for multiple hypervisor environments.
- High storage costs due to traditional SAN/NAS systems.
- Complexity in Management:
- Diverse hypervisor environments require different management tools.
- Lack of centralized monitoring and management, leading to increased administrative overhead.
- Difficulty in integrating on-premises infrastructure with cloud services.
- Limited Disaster Recovery Capabilities:
- Manual processes for disaster recovery, leading to prolonged downtime.
- Lack of seamless integration with cloud-based disaster recovery solutions.
- Inability to Scale Modern Workloads:
- Limited support for containers and modern application platforms.
- Challenges in deploying hybrid cloud solutions that integrate with existing infrastructure.
Solution: Azure Stack HCI
Azure Stack HCI offers a hyperconverged infrastructure solution that integrates seamlessly with Azure services, providing a unified platform for managing virtual machines (VMs), containers, and modern applications.
Key Benefits:
- Cost Savings:
- Reduced Licensing Costs: Azure Stack HCI eliminates the need for separate licensing for Hyper-V or VMware. Organizations pay only for the infrastructure and Azure services they consume.
- Lower Storage Costs: With Azure Stack HCI’s built-in storage capabilities, there is no need for expensive SAN/NAS storage solutions.
- Consolidation: By consolidating multiple hypervisor environments into a single Azure Stack HCI cluster, the organization can reduce hardware, cooling, and power costs.
- Simplified Management with Azure Integration:
- Centralized Management: Azure Stack HCI integrates with Azure Arc, allowing centralized management of on-premises and cloud resources through the Azure portal.
- Azure Monitor: Use Azure Monitor for comprehensive insights, diagnostics, and monitoring of the entire infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance.
- Azure Site Recovery (ASR): Azure Stack HCI provides native integration with Azure Site Recovery, enabling automated and efficient disaster recovery processes. This integration ensures minimal downtime and faster recovery times.
- Microsoft Azure Backup Server (MABS): MABS can be deployed on Azure Stack HCI to provide robust backup solutions for on-premises workloads, with seamless integration into Azure Backup for cloud-based retention.
- Scalability and Modern Workloads:
- Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Deploy and manage containers using AKS on Azure Stack HCI, facilitating the deployment of modern, cloud-native applications within the on-premises data center.
- Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD): Support remote work and virtual desktop scenarios with AVD on Azure Stack HCI, providing users with a consistent and secure desktop experience. The company plans to use AVD as a replacement for their VMWare Horizon Deployment.
- VMs and Hybrid Cloud: Azure Stack HCI supports traditional VMs and hybrid cloud scenarios, allowing workloads to be seamlessly moved between on-premises and Azure environments as needed.
- Enhanced Disaster Recovery:
- Azure Site Recovery: ASR integration ensures that critical workloads are protected and can be quickly recovered in the event of a disaster. This is particularly important for organizations that require high availability and minimal downtime.
- Geographically Distributed Clusters: Azure Stack HCI supports stretched clusters, enabling high availability and disaster recovery across different sites.
- Future-Proofing Infrastructure:
- Hybrid Cloud: Azure Stack HCI offers a hybrid approach, allowing the organization to utilize both on-premises and cloud resources efficiently.
- Cloud Bursting: During peak demand, workloads can be burst to Azure, ensuring scalability without the need for additional on-premises hardware.
Conclusion
By replacing traditional hypervisors like VMWare with Azure Stack HCI, the organization can achieve significant cost savings, streamline management, enhance disaster recovery, and support modern workloads. Azure Stack HCI not only addresses the challenges of the current environment but also positions the organization for future growth with its hybrid cloud capabilities and integration with Azure services.