idc opinion - inspur · idc forecast that worldwide private cloud it infrastructure spending will...

2 InCloudRack Supports Users’ Smooth Transformation to Cloud

The power of digital technologies, such as cloud computing, big

data, mobile, and internet of things (IoT), is being constantly

released. Enterprises with stronger innovating ability in digital

transformation are having a bigger impact on the market. Any

enterprise implementing a digital strategy may possibly become

a market leader, with continuing growth in operating revenues,

profitability, and estimated market value.

IDC identifies enterprise IT functions as “support business” or

“business innovation,” but the gap between them is becoming

small. In the era of digital transformation and cloud computing,

enterprises will continue to develop new business based on

3rd Platform technologies. Despite the speedy growth of the

public cloud computing market in recent years, many large

enterprises still have concerns for replacing existing traditional

IT infrastructure with public cloud computing. They need to

consider migrating businesses and applications to cloud smoothly.

Organizations should migrate IT infrastructure to a suitable cloud

model based on the feature of their applications and workloads for

less impact on current business support.

IDC OPINION

3

IDC recommends that users adopt flexible, configurable infrastructure platforms that best match the features of applications. By building an IT infrastructure that meets both typical applications, enterprises can support agile business activities and also critical workloads to beat the competition in the future.

InCloudRack is a significant innovative product

of integrated architecture, including multiple

computing, storage, network resource, and a

unified management platform, which is the best

architecture of IT platform for the new-generation

enterprise. InCloudRack can leverage scale-up and

scale-out functions to varied applications while

supporting centralized and distributed storage

configuration. It provides an on-demand modular

deployment model and a cloud-oriented optimized

management platform, applied in scenarios such

as compute-intensive application, virtual resource

integration, cloud computing platform building,

distributed storage, large databases, enterprise

resource planning (ERP), customer relationship

management (CRM), big data, high-performance

computing, and network functions virtualization

(NFV).

IDC Opinion

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MARKET OVERVIEW

Digital Transformation Trends of Enterprise Users 6

Cloud Trend of Enterprise IT Infrastructure 7

ENTERPRISE IT INFRASTRUCTURE'S GRADUAL TRANSFORMATION TO CLOUD

Cloud Computing Market Segmentation 9

Cloud Market Situation 10

Public Cloud Market 10

Private Cloud Market 11

Concerns About Cloud & Workload Migration 12

INSPUR INCLOUDRACK SUPPORTS SMOOTH MIGRATION TO CLOUD

Software Define & Demand-Driven Modular Hardware 14

Modular Hardware Design 15

Cloud-Oriented Orchestration Software 17

The Benefit of the InCloudRack Design 18

Compatible for both Scale-Out and Scale-Up Architecture 18

Support both Centralized Storage and Distributed Storage 19

CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES

CONCLUSION

5

LIST OF FIGURES

1 Five Dimensions of Digital Transformation 6

2 Digital Transformation and 3rd Platform Technologies 8

3 Cloud Computing Market Segmentation by Deployment Model 9

4 Worldwide Public Cloud Services IaaS Market Forecast, 2015–2020 10

5 Worldwide Private Cloud Infrastructure Spending Market Forecast, 2015–2020 11

6 Cloud User Workload Migration Trend 13

MARKET OVERVIEW

Internet and digital technology are becoming

integral parts of people’s lives and work.

IoT, social media, and mobile technology are

constantly changing the type of interaction

between people, enterprises, and government.

The government, finance, and internet or

traditional manufacturing enterprises are all

thinking about how to transform digitally to

achieve differentiation of product and services.

The power of digital technologies, such as cloud

computing, big data, mobile, and IoT, is being

constantly released. Driven by these new digital

technologies, the value chain will be broken

and reshaped, and a new ecosystem will arise.

The digitalization business model is breaking the

existing rules of the game and creating a newer

experience for users.

Enterprises with stronger innovating ability in

digital transformation are having a bigger impact

on the market. Any enterprise implementing a

digital strategy may possibly become a market

leader, with continuing growth in operating

revenues, profitability, and estimated market

value. According to IDC’s perspective, the maturity

of digital transformation can be measured in five

dimensions, namely leadership, omni-experience,

information, operating model, and WorkSource.

Digital Transformation Trends of Enterprise Users

Figure 1 Five Dimensions of Digital Transformation

Source: IDC, 2016

7

IDC's Global Digital Transformation Survey 2015

found that 64% of enterprises were still in the

process or initial stage of digital exploration. The

digital transformation strategy is limited and only

implemented on a pilot basis, which cannot provide

substantial digitalization-driven products and

services. In utilizing innovative digital technologies,

these enterprises seemed to be too cautious. The

effective ecosystem has not been formed with

low complemented and integrated technology.

Therefore, digitalization needs a long time to finish

the transition from quantity to quality. Meanwhile,

IDC found that numerous enterprises are showing

greater interest in digital transformation. In the

foreseeable future, there will be more enterprises

crossing the initial phase of digital transformation,

becoming a digital transformer and game changer

of the market.

Cloud Trend of Enterprise IT Infrastructure

IDC believes that new IT is the key to realize

digital transformation. New IT will push the

innovation of production, management, and

marketing; reshape industry chain, supply chain,

and value chain; and reform traditional functions.

The 4+6 technologies based on the 3rd Platform

are the key elements of the new IT era. The 4

represents 3rd Platform technologies, namely

cloud computing, big data, social business, and

mobile technology, whereas the 6 represents six

innovation accelerators (i.e., next-generation

security, virtual/augmented reality, IoT, cognitive

computing, robotics, and 3D printing).

Market Overview

Therefore, the 3rd Platform and relevant

technologies, especially cloud computing,

intelligent interconnection, and big data

technology, will dominate digital innovation in the

next couple of years.

IDC believes that the future of digital revolution will be determined by 10 technologies that will continue releasing their potential and interact with each other.


In the era of digital transformation and cloud

computing, enterprises will continue to

develop new businesses based on 3rd Platform

technologies. IT needs to accelerate with business

expectations for delivery of services and products.

Fast upgrades and innovation of business mean

that IT infrastructure has to change. To meet the

demands of a growing business, organizations need

to adopt a cloud platform to achieve scalable

performance, flexible configuration, efficient

operation, and powerful computing.

IDC identifies enterprise IT functions as " business support" or "business innovation," but the gap between them is becoming small.

Figure 2 Digital Transformation and 3rd Platform Technologies

Source: IDC, 2016

9ENTERPRISE IT INFRASTRUCTURE'S GRADUAL TRANSFORMATION TO CLOUD

Cloud computing is not just public cloud computing. According to the cloud computing deployment

model, IDC segmented cloud computing into five models of deployment.

Cloud Computing Market Segmentation

The market includes a self-run private cloud, private cloud of outsourced management services

deployed in users’ self-built datacenter, virtual private cloud, hosting private cloud, and public cloud

deployed in the datacenter of cloud services providers.

Figure 3 Cloud Computing Market Segmentation by Deployment Model

Source: IDC, 2016


Cloud Market Situation

In the past few years, cloud technology has seen a

great success. Both public cloud and private cloud

that provides computing capability and storage

space is of greater popularity in the market.

Public Cloud Market

Under the context of Internet Plus and digital

transformation, corporate users have generally

begun to deploy online outward applications on

public cloud platforms, including marketing and

online promotions, whereas governments are

also actively making cloud computing services

standards and government purchase access

systems, promoting the transition of government

purchase to a specialized service delivery.

According to IDC Public Cloud Computing Data Tracker, the IaaS market of global public cloud computing in 2015 had hit US$12.6 billion and the 2020 forecast will reach US$43.6 billion.

Figure 4 Worldwide Public Cloud Services IaaS Market Forecast, 2015–2020

Source: IDC, 2016

11

Although it does not have an astounding growth rate as the public cloud service market had, private

cloud also achieved double-digit growth in 2015. According to the IDC Cloud Infrastructure Data Tracker,

worldwide private cloud investment reached US$12.5 billion on IT infrastructure in 2015, whereas users

such as government, finance, energy, and utilities all prefer deploying their mission-critical applications

on private cloud rather than public cloud.

Private Cloud Market

IDC forecast that worldwide private cloud IT infrastructure spending will hit US$21.1 billion in 2020.

Enterprise It Infrastructure's Gradual Transformation To Cloud

Figure 5 Worldwide Private Cloud Infrastructure Spending Market Forecast, 2015–2020

Source: IDC, 2016


Concerns About Cloud & Workload Migration

Despite the speedy growth of cloud computing market in recent years, many large enterprises still have

concerns on replacing existing traditional IT infrastructure with cloud, including:

To migrate the business and applications smoothly is one of the most important jobs in implementing

a cloud project. Organizations should migrate IT infrastructure to a suitable cloud model based on the

feature of their applications and workloads for less impact on current business support and keeping

total cost of ownership (TCO) under control.

CIOs need to follow regulations on issues related to information security and intellectual property rights (IPR) leaks.

The security of cloud computing, along with data security and availability, has remained a concern for users.

Most large enterprise users have many legacy systems. They need new infrastructure support compatible with their past applications, even though they already built on old architecture over five years ago.

The performance of a system is more important to large enterprises. Cloud services lack support for enterprise workload, enterprise users need infrastructure to provide a scale-up capability, which public cloud cannot offer.

Security Legacy system Performance Legal compliance

IDC believes that organizations should have a clear goal and road map of implementing a cloud project. They should implement their cloud platforms step by step during the practice of cloud.

13

Figure 6 Cloud User Workload Migration Trend

Source: IDC, 2016

14 INSPUR INCLOUDRACK SUPPORTS SMOOTH MIGRATION TO CLOUD

It is an important innovative product of integrated

infrastructure, including computing, storage, and

networking resources, and also managed as an

integrated platform.

In contrast to a traditional rack or blade server,

InCloudRack is a software-defined whole rack

solution. Since businesses drive IT infrastructure

to continue to evolve, there would no universal

platform for every workload. End users need both

hardware and software to continue optimizing

to support a growing business. Inspur believes

the software-defined and hardware-restructured

platform will be the innovation of converged

infrastructure. With the restructuring of hardware

and configuration of software, InCloudRack will

ideally be used for many applications including

compute-intensive application, virtualization

environment, cloud management platform,

distributed storage, RDMS, ERP, CRM, big data,

high-performance computing, and NFV.

The software define and modular hardware is the

innovative design for support restructure both

hardware configuration and software deployment.

It is design for meet the demand for various

computing and storage capabilities for various

workloads.

End-user already begins to adopt software define

infrastructure solutions, for build an agility

platform and improve datacenter efficacy. But

they are still facing the problem due to the

flexibility and scalability of hardware. The

commodities server nodes cannot support various

workload, and it is also cannot extend quickly to

support fast growing of business.

To solve the concern of end-users, Inspur provides

modular deployment options for InCloudRack, in

which users or system integrators can configure to

support various business demands. The innovative

design of InCloudRack includes demand-driven

modular hardware design and Cloud-oriented

orchestration software platform.

Software Define & Demand-Driven Modular Hardware

To support traditional enterprises’ transition to cloud platform smoothly, Inspur has launched InCloudRack's integrated infrastructure, which is packaged as a whole rack server solution.

The whole rack architecture also increased the

consolidation level of power and cooling, further

improving energy efficiency and rack density,

decreasing the total cost.

15

There are six types of nodes InCloudRack supports,

including four computing nodes and two extension

nodes:

Modular Hardware Design

Two-socket half-width

computing node NX5460M4.

This is a half-width server based

on the Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3/v4

series CPU and supports 24 DDR4

memory slots. With high computing

capability, this model is ideal for

compute-intensive applications,

virtualization environments, and

cloud computing

platforms.

Two-socket full-width computing

node NX8280M4. This is a full-

width server based on the Intel

Xeon E7-4800/8800 series CPU and

supports 48 DDR4 memory slots. With

high computing capability, memory,

and extension capability, it can be

assembled to a four-way or eight-way

server by stack modules with 2/4 units

to support scale-up workload. This

model is ideal for databases, ERP, CRM,

and high-performance computing.

Four-socket full-width computing

node NX8480M4. This is

composed of two units of NX8280M4

combination, stacked by Intel's

QuickPath Interconnect (QPI). This

model is ideal for databases, ERP,

CRM, high-performance computing,

virtualization, and NFV.

Eight-socket full-width

computing node NX8880M4.

This is composed of four units

of NX8280M4 combination,

stacked by QPI. This model is

ideal for databases, ERP, CRM,

high-performance computing,

virtualization, and NFV.

Storage extension node. This is a

half-width node at 1:1 ratio combined

with NX5460M4, supporting 12 of

2.5in. Serial Advanced Technology

Attachment/Serial Attached Small

Computer Systems Interface (SCSI)/

solid-state drive (SATA/SAS/SSD) hard

disks to extend storage capacity

for computing nodes. It is ideal for

distributed storage, big data, private

cloud, and virtualization.

Peripheral Component

Interconnect Express (PCIe)

extension node. This is a half-width

node at 1:1 ratio combined with

NX5460M4, supporting two of PCIe

3.0's x16 slots or four of PCIe 3.0's x8

slots. It supports a many integrated

core (MIC) adapter, graphics processing

unit (GPU), PCIe SSD, and other PCIe

devices. It provides an extension of

I/O resources for computing node. It is

ideal for computing

acceleration, deep

learning, video

analytics, and

virtualization.

Inspur Incloudrack Supports Smooth Migration To Cloud

01 02 03

04 05 06


Inspur InCloudRack supports various workloads, including compute-intensive, storage-intensive, and

compute storage–balanced solutions, by modular design and modular combinations. It means users can

choose different architectures to support the business requirements of system performance and capacity

expansion. InCloudRack supports existing and emerging workloads. By combining computing modules and

extension modules, it supports all general workloads and mission-critical applications. By deploying the

storage extension module, it can support distributed storage, big data, and private cloud. By deploying

the PCIe extension module, it can support new workloads, such as deep learning and video analytics, by

installing components of PCIe, SSD, and GPU.

Compute-intensive workload

Compute storage—balanced workload

Heterogeneous acceleration workload

Mission-critical workload

All in one

17

InCloudRack has a preinstalled Inspur InCloud

Manager (ICM) software. It supports private

cloud and hybrid cloud platform management

by providing an open and secure management

platform. It is integrating the management

platforms of computing, storage, and network

resource to build software-defined datacenter,

dynamic optimization of applications, intelligent

resource management, and automatic service

delivery.

Based on a virtualized resource, ICM provides

integration of resources from a datacenter and

provides cloud management function and cloud

services. Based on OpenStack structure, ICM

provides overall management of cloud platform.

The cloud management platform is composed of

modules involving cloud resources management,

resource monitoring, business management,

billing, deployment and configuration, failover

management, and reports system.

Cloud-Oriented Orchestration Software

ICM also provides hardware monitoring, billing

management, and multiuser management

functions by providing resources view, node

view, business view, alarming management,

performance management, report management,

and assets view of monitoring function. With

a pay-per-use model, the billing management

supports expenses calculation based on cloud

resources. Multiuser system management defines

the authority of each user.

Inspur Incloudrack Supports Smooth Migration To Cloud

• Node firmware batch upgrading and configuration (Basic Input/Output System [BIOS] upgrade and redundant array of inexpensive disks [RAID] configuration)

• Node software batch deployment

• Software automation function with zero proxy

• Overall management function of asset and software

• Overall failover management and report

ICM provides comprehensive operation and

maintenance management of various hybrid

physical resources and virtual resources. The

operation and maintenance function of ICM covers

different types of nodes. The main features

include:

The system administrator can delegate managed functions to the organizational manager to avoid low efficiency due to complicated user resources application.


Since Inspur InCloudRack provides a demand-driven modular hardware design and cloud-oriented

optimized orchestration platform, it support the demand for agility of internet and cloud users, and

also to accommodate traditional legacy workloads.

The Benefit of the InCloudRack Design

Its computing capability is based on the

server number. It means organizations can

increase the number of servers to improve

computing capability and provide reliability

based on load balance and fault tolerance of

server cluster.

Compatible for both Scale-Out and Scale-Up

ArchitectureInspur InCloudRack solutions are compatible with both scale-up and scale-out for varied applications and support centralized and distributed storage.

Regarding IT infrastructure architecture, the two major

deployment models are scale-out and scale-up, each

having its own advantages and limitations. The most

important impact will be on system stability, reliability,

scalability, flexibility, and cost for choosing a different

system architecture. The differences between scale-out

and scale-up architecture are:

To support legacy workload, scale-up architecture lets organizations use less servers and less power

consumption to deploy multitude workloads. The growth of cloud drives the development of scale-

out architecture. Since the number of new workloads is increasing, the ROI and flexibility of scale-

out architecture are an advantage for these emerging workloads. For example, big data analysis

applications require computing power to support large data set processing, whereas scale-out

architecture can meet the goal by deploying a cluster of standard server.

This increases the server's internal

computing resources, such as processors,

to upgrade the single node of a server to

meet the requirements of the applications.

It provides stronger single-node computing

power, which also means higher cost.

Scale out Scale up

19 Inspur Incloudrack Supports Smooth Migration To Cloud

Storage systems have already become one of the

most important parts of infrastructure today. Both

centralized and distributed storage systems are

being adopted widely.

Centralized storage improves I/O capability based

on the processing performance of disk array. It

provides not only the wide practicability but

also the smooth operating. Apart from that, the

serviceable range is limited while it costs high.

Distributed storage supports data storage based

on multiple low-cost storage units. Each unit is a

small standard node of cluster. It provides better

TCO for preliminary investment but is hard to

manage and share storage in each node.

According to the practice of system architecture,

organizations need to consider about actual

applications and business trends in the initial

stage of system design. Regarding internet-

related businesses, distributed storage meets

the requirement on multitransition. As for

traditional applications, a dedicated disk array

in centralized storage can be adopted to provide

high availability.

Support both Centralized Storage and Distributed

Storage

Meanwhile, both scale-up and scale-out

architecture have weaknesses. Scale-up

architecture hardly supports the fast-growing

requirement of computing resources, such as

virtual environments. If organizations decide

to deploy a scale-out environment, they need

to consider applications design or migration for

traditional legacy applications.

It must be noted that scale-out and scale-up are

not totally incompatible. It is becoming more

important for organizations to utilize scale up

to run legacy applications to maintain business

operations while using scale-out architecture

to support computing-intensive workload. It

is critical for them to adopt an applicable

architecture based on business demand and

balance new workload and legacy systems.

Inspur has launched InCloudRack as a new-

generation integrated infrastructure product

to meet organizations' demand. It is based

on modular design, provides high reliability,

availability, and serviceability (RAS) capability,

and converges computing and storage.

Organizations can easily make flexible

configurations for both scale-out computing and

critical business. It allows scale-out architecture

to support private cloud solutions and can also

provide high performance for critical business

workloads, such as traditional database, by simply

changing the configuration. InCloudRack will help

organizations to transform to cloud platform

smoothly.


• Effective system storage planning to avoid strategic misjudgment of IT storage system during planning phase

• Fully utilizing existing storage products to identify storage solutions for current data from the user's infrastructure

• Saving costs and improving efficiency of investment to minimize the spending of new storage products

Inspur InCloudRack is an integrated infrastructure, converged to manage both computing and storage resource in a whole rack solution.

Users can decide whether to use centralized or

distributed storage based on their own production

systems or actual applications based on

customizations while installing InCloudRack.

Deploying Inspur InCloudRack, organizations will

benefit from customized storage solutions, which

can be configured based on an analysis of business

needs and features of applications:

Front view Rear view

21CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES

As an innovative whole rack solution, InCloudRack has not been adopted widely yet. Organizations need

to use more accurate accounting methods to determine the real costs related to IT environments before

they can figure out a more rational ratio of ROI. Then they will acknowledge the value of a whole rack

solution. Traditional methods are generally focused on the cost of the system regardless of the costs

of management and maintenance. Notwithstanding the cost of hardware and software is conspicuous,

the cost of datacenters, facilities, power and cooling, migration of legacy applications, and future

applications stability are not considered. Also, the impact of IT purchase on business has been rarely

considered. IDC recommends that users consider ROI regarding users’ business and entire datacenters.

The whole rack solution is also a high facility requirement of an inadequate datacenter. Many outdated

datacenters underestimated technological development when they were being designed. The powering

and cooling of racks have no future-oriented capacity planning and cannot support the capacity of

the whole rack application environment. IDC has also noticed that more new datacenters are under

construction. The new datacenters will provide better support for high-density products in terms

of space, power supply, and cooling. IDC recommends that users should pay attention to the power

capability of datacenters when deploying whole rack products such as InCloudRack.

22 CONCLUSION

With quick development and implementation of emerging technologies such as cloud computing, big

data, mobile, and social network in recent years, the scale of IT infrastructure is becoming larger,

new applications and workloads are mushrooming, and the requirement of enterprise IT infrastructure

shows two trends: traditional legacy workload and standardized large-scale deployment of emerging

applications.

IDC recommends that users adopt flexible, configurable infrastructure platforms that best match

the features of applications. By building an IT infrastructure that meets both typical applications,

enterprises can support both agile business activities and critical workloads to beat the competition in

the future.

Matthew Eastwood

Thomas ZhouStorm Liu

23

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global pro-vider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications and consum-er technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,100 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For 50 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading tech-nology media, research, and events company.

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