Navigating the Shifting Seas of Hyper-Converged Infrastructure

In the dynamic seascape of IT infrastructure, organizations often find themselves at a crosswinds when their preferred solutions undergo significant changes. Recently, Cisco announced the end-of-life of its HyperFlex hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) platform, marking a pivotal shift in the industry. This move comes alongside Cisco's decision to forge a partnership with Nutanix, a original and prominent player in the HCI market. Meanwhile, VMware, a heavyweight in virtualization and HCI, has been boarded (acquired) by Broadcom, signaling potential transformations on the horizon. In light of these developments, businesses are exploring their options for hyper-converged infrastructure to ensure seamless operations and future-proof their IT environments.

If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them: HyperFlex to Nutanix Transition

Cisco's decision to discontinue HyperFlex reflects a strategic realignment aimed at offering customers a broader range of HCI solutions through its collaboration with Nutanix. This shift presents existing HyperFlex users with the challenge of transitioning to alternative platforms while ensuring minimal disruption to their operations. For planning purposes, September 11th, 2025 is the last date that Cisco Engineering will release any final software maintenance releases or bug fixes for the Hyperflex Data Platform. You'll likely want to have some sort of transition plan in action before this.

The newly branded and vendor preferred migration path I might add from Hyperflex is Compute Hyper-Converged with Nutanix; basically Nutanix on UCS. Unified Compute System (UCS) is Cisco's data center server platform designed to streamline and consolidate computing resources by integrating computing, networking, storage access, and virtualization into a single cohesive system. It provides a unified management interface for easier administration and scalability. To complement UCS, Nutanix's HCI solutions offer scalability, flexibility, and robust performance, making them a compelling choice for organizations seeking to modernize their infrastructure. Although the partnership is still fresh you will likely see migration guidance, tighter integration, and validated designs forthcoming as the relationship develops.

For those living on an uncharted island for the past few years and may not know, Nutanix was one of the first and now one of the largest players in the HCI space. They bring a plethora of HCI know-how to the table. Nutanix's HCI platform provides integrated compute, storage, networking, and virtualization capabilities, simplifying data center management and reducing complexity. Its software-defined architecture enables seamless scalability, allowing businesses to adapt to evolving demands without compromising performance or reliability. Additionally, Nutanix offers comprehensive support services and a vibrant ecosystem of third-party integrations, empowering organizations to leverage emerging technologies and optimize their IT investments. This being said, it does come with a cost (go figure) but might save you cost in the long run when compared to lesser known or supported competitors.

Implications of VMware's Acquisition by Broadcom

The acquisition of VMware by Broadcom introduces another layer of uncertainty for businesses relying on VMware's virtualization, integrations, and HCI solutions. Broadcom, a semiconductor and software company, brings its own strategic vision and expertise to VMware, already leading to significant changes in product offerings, pricing models, and support services. While the full extent of these changes remains uncertain, organizations must closely monitor developments and assess the implications for their IT strategies.

Those familiar with Broadcom's previous acquisitions like Computer Associates (2018) or Symantec (2020) will note that these companies were not bought to invest further into, grow, and foster innovation. They were methodically torn apart (aka "product streamlining") and turned into sources of profit to recoup investment. To what extent that this will happen with VMware remains to be seen, but in my opinion they have already tipped their hand.

Broadcom has already announced the discontinuation of perpetual licenses for several products and the divestiture of lower-revenue segments, such as the End User Computing (VDI) division, to private equity firm KRR. VMware's security division may be the next in line for such changes. These developments can potentially cause confusion among customers, particularly those entitled to vSphere as part of the Horizon license. Users may need to consider potential pricing adjustments and integration challenges, as they will now have to engage with two separate companies.

Amidst the transition (confusion), VMware's HCI offerings, such as vSAN (Virtual SAN) and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), continue to deliver value to businesses seeking reliable, scalable, and feature-rich infrastructure solutions. These platforms leverage VMware's extensive experience in virtualization and cloud technologies, enabling organizations to streamline operations, enhance resource utilization, and accelerate innovation. However, the uncertainty around previously mentioned circumstance could lead to trouble down-the-road for VMware based solutions.

What are the analysts saying?

Gartner's recent analysis of the HyperConverged Infrastructure (HCI) market marks a departure from the traditional appliance approach, shifting focus towards full-stack software suppliers that encompass server, storage, and network infrastructure management. The Market Guide for Full Stack HyperConverged Infrastructure Software by Gartner highlights major players such as Microsoft (Azure Stack HCI), Nutanix, and VMware (VMware Cloud Foundation), along with lesser-known suppliers like ArcherOS, Sangfor Technologies, and SmartX. However, notable absentees include offerings from Cisco, HPE, Quantum, and Scale Computing, as well as Dell's VxRail and PowerFlex systems.

The report's strategic planning assumption states that, through 2024, "over 75 percent of data center x86 workloads will persist in utilizing hypervisor-based virtualization, a slight decrease from the roughly 80 percent observed in 2020, notwithstanding the ongoing trends of cloud migration and container adoption." It asserts that this market encompasses vendors who create and market hyperconverged infrastructure software, which includes the vendor's proprietary server virtualization, software-defined storage, and network management tools.

As mentioned, the Gartner report highlights ArcherOS, Sangfor, and SmartX, all originating from China. Although these providers have established a robust presence in the APAC region, with two extending into EMEA, their footprint in North America remains minimal. While this absence and their country of origin may not pose concerns for certain organizations, it could be a significant consideration for entities such as Federal government agencies, where these options are typically not considered viable choices.

Exploring Alternative Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Options.

Given Cisco's move away from HyperFlex and VMware's acquisition by Broadcom, organizations are reassessing their options for hyper-converged infrastructure. I don't think agencies and organizations should haphazardly or dramatically shift from what they are doing today, however, they should be actively thinking, exploring, testing what comes next. Beyond considering Nutanix + pick your preferred server vendor, alternatives like Microsoft's Azure Stack HCI provide a tightly integrated hyper-converged infrastructure solution with Azure services, facilitating hybrid cloud deployments and streamlining data management across on-premises and cloud environments.

It's important to note that vendor hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) solutions, which continue to rely on VMware (ESXi and/or vSAN) under the hood, may encounter uncertainties regarding licensing costs and integration support in the future. I suspect that customers using the basic features or smaller scale VMware-based solutions may not experience significant impacts beyond the changes in licensing. However, conversely, those utilizing advanced product features, larger scale operations, or tight integrations with other solutions may face challenges ahead. These concerns primarily pertain to the hypervisor level of the solution. A hypervisor, such as VMware ESXi, is a software process responsible for creating and managing virtual machines (VMs) while allocating the host server’s compute, storage, and networking resources as needed by each VM.

There is a wide array of hypervisor options available, catering to various needs and preferences. Among the well-known choices are ESXi by VMware, AHV from Nutanix, Hyper-V by Microsoft, and KVM, which is a Linux-based hypervisor. Additionally, there are lesser-known options such as Xen, Proxmox, Citrix, and various offerings from Red Hat.

While these hypervisors may suffice for many users depending on their size and complexity requirements, it's important to note that the level of support and integration may vary. As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for," and opting for a less expensive solution may mean sacrificing robustness, flashy features, and comprehensive support commonly associated with VMware.

Ultimately, factors such as complexity, integration capabilities, support availability, and documentation quality all contribute to the overall cost and effectiveness of your infrastructure solution. Therefore, it's crucial to carefully evaluate and consider these aspects before making a decision.

Forward-thinking agencies and organizations may be expanding their focus beyond traditional hypervisors to explore the realm of containers. Containers represent a lightweight form of virtualization technology utilized for packaging and isolating applications alongside their dependencies. Unlike traditional virtual machines, which execute entire operating systems, containers share the kernel of the host operating system and encapsulate only the necessary libraries and binaries required for application execution. This distinction renders containers more efficient, portable, and scalable. With this, they may be exploring solutions like Docker and Kubernetes or more vendor centric solutions from Red Hat, Microsoft, Amazon as prominent players in containerization and cloud-native computing.

While containers may not suit every virtualization scenario, they offer a consistent environment for software to operate across diverse computing environments. This capability enables developers to build, deploy, and manage applications with increased ease and reliability. Containers are widely embraced in modern software development practices such as microservices architectures, continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD), and cloud computing.

Conclusion

In the dynamic realm of hyper-converged infrastructure, adaptability and strategic foresight are paramount for businesses. As organizations chart their course through these shifting seas, it's crucial to assess various HCI solutions, considering aspects like scalability, performance, support, cost, and ecosystem integration. Embracing cutting-edge technologies and forging alliances with trusted partners can empower businesses to not only navigate these changes effectively but also ensure future-proofing of their IT environments. Collaborating with a reliable partner for matching requirements to options and migration strategy can further enhance this process, enabling businesses to embark on their digital transformation journey with assurance and confidence.

One way businesses and agencies can navigate the complex world of technology is by working with a trusted value-added reseller (VAR). VARs buy products from manufacturers and add additional value in the form of customized services, technical support, or expertise in a particular industry or market before reselling them to the end customer. A trusted VAR can provide advice, guidance, and support throughout the entire buying process, helping customers make informed decisions and get the most out of their technology investment. With their knowledge and experience, VARs can be an invaluable asset for individuals or businesses looking to purchase technology products or services. By working with a trusted VAR, customers can have peace of mind knowing they are getting high-quality products and services tailored to their specific needs.

Colossal, established in 2009, is a value-added reseller headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), we boast a range of premier vendor partnerships, industry accredited certifications, and employ top-notch engineering resources in-house to assist our customers.

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