Hubris : Hypervisors and Changing Landscape Facing CIO/CTOs
I came across the phenomenon “hubris”, which is a concept where unwarranted confidence or pride of the individual or enterprise taking actions intentionally or unintentionally following Nike’s slogan “Just Do It”, potentially causing a downfall of their own.
If history is any indication, we can learn valuable lessons from the leaders who lost their position due to their hubris style.
Why I am talking about Hubris is in the context of Hypervisor is some of the recent headlines relating to VMware acquisition of Broadcom. While the ultimate success of this deal is not the focus of the article, some market participants, particularly those who view Nutanix as a competitor, have seen a boost in Nutanix's stock price..
Let us look at few random headlines:
End of General Availability (GA) of free hypervisor
Perpetual to Subscription based licensing (Interesting headline)
Broadcom hands “termination notice” to Partners https://www.crn.com/news/virtualization/broadcom-hands-vmware-partners-termination-notice
Context
?For VMware customers and partners some of the above may not be new and This is one of the hot topics based on some of my conversations with my friends and Former colleagues in IT strategy.
I would like to start by stating that I have been working with VMware-based solutions in various capacities since 2003, starting from the early stages as an Architect. It has been a remarkable journey witnessing the evolution of VMware from version 1.5 to its current state as a sophisticated and highly effective product.
Opportunity
As Steve Jobs famously stated "Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat.", I see the need to relook at architecture of Private Cloud as an opportunity. This situation offers a chance for Enterprises, and I am eager to share my insights on crucial considerations.
Dynamics
Let's examine the significant forces influencing the IT landscape concerning the topic at hand.
1.Hybrid Cloud
Hybrid cloud adoption is rapidly increasing, offering businesses unparalleled flexibility, security, and cost-effectiveness by seamlessly integrating private and public cloud environments to optimize workloads and enhance operational efficiency.
2. Containerization
Containerization on-premises reduces dependency on Hypervisors such as based on VMware by enabling organizations to run applications in isolated, lightweight containers that share the host OS, eliminating the need for full virtual machines. This approach streamlines resource utilization, enhances portability, and accelerates deployment cycles, offering a more efficient alternative to traditional VM-based infrastructures.
3. Hypervisor has become a commodity
领英推荐
Although VMware initially dominated the virtualization sector, the emergence of Hyperscalers like AWS Outpost and Azure Stack HCI and their investments, along with Open Source solutions like Kubevirt, has significantly reduced the gap and, in certain aspects, even surpassed VMware's capabilities.
4. Cloud Exit
"All workloads on Public Cloud" are not an answer for various reasons such as (Data Gravity, Cost, Compliance, Sovereignty …etc…) further increasing the importance of on-prem Virtualization. I had written a related post and you can read more here
5. Bare Metal
With good chunk of workloads like GPU/database utilizing the entire CPU, why incur the additional cost of a Hypervisor? opt for Bare Metal servers coupled with robust automation tools instead."
Solution Approach
I do not want to say "It depends," however, I am giving below an Approach with principles that an Enterprise can utilize to formulate a target platform for Private Cloud based on my experience.
1.???? Task Force
Developing a strategy of this magnitude will require significant effort. Utilizing a task force approach is crucial, necessitating a range of expertise and involvement from various roles such as Administrators, Architects, CTO Organization, Finance, and more. This collaborative endeavor ensures a thorough assessment of the organization's requirements, aligning technical capabilities with business goals, and leveraging specialized knowledge to effectively address the complexities involved in defining the target platform.
2.???? Short-Term
We cannot change the Engine while car is running. Identify core VMware capabilities used. For Enterprises running their critical workloads, consider VVF (VMware Virtual Foundation) instead of the more popular VCF (VMware Cloud Foundation) to optimize TCO. Not all use cases need VCF.
3.???? Application Discovery / Rationalization
Application rationalization plays a crucial role in selecting the right hypervisor for a private cloud environment. Example : How many of the current VM based applications will move to Container over the years. How many of these Apps will be refactored and re-platformed to be hosted in Public Cloud. This provides the requirements for the new Platform aligned with Business Objectives. Technology supports Business.
4.???? Cloud Roadmap
Hypervisors are no longer just tools for on-premises infrastructure but integral components of hybrid and multi-cloud environments. As hypervisors become more commoditized, organizations are focusing on interoperability, portability, and cost-efficiency when selecting virtualization solutions. The shift towards viewing hypervisors as commodities underscores the importance of compatibility with diverse cloud platforms and the ability to seamlessly manage workloads across different environments. The selected platform components needs to play well with Cloud Roadmap of the Enterprise.
Takeaways
IMHO, Broadcom acquisition has the potential to reshape the hypervisor market by fostering innovation, driving research and development initiatives, and creating new competitive dynamics that could benefit cloud adoption strategies. Reality is changing hypervisors isn't as simple as changing a piece of software such as an antivirus as discussed above. ?
The article is not intended to be a comprehensive or step-by-step plan.? The purpose was to provide the audience with insights based on my experience.? Consider this as a springboard for further discussion and exploration within your organization.
Disclaimer : The views expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of my Employer
Principal Architect at HCL Technologies
5 个月Srini Murthy did you got the notice from Broadcom :)