Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) involves using a server’s local storage, coupled with software-defined storage (SDS), to create a virtual SAN whose storage is accessible from all the nodes in an HCI cluster. Using HCI, storage and compute are managed from the same console. To add compute and storage in a HCI cluster you only need to purchase additional HCI nodes instead of, as with legacy data center topologies, having to buy storage, integrate it with servers and then manage your storage and compute using different management consoles. Despite its advantages HCI is not a cure-all for data center woes; in fact, we are seeing an over-reliance on HCI adversely affecting the data center’s economics. Enterprises
