#DefragCon 2013 Notes: Software is Eating the Datacenter – Anjan Srinivas, Nutanix

Software is Eating the Datacenter – Anjan Srinivas, Nutanix Emerging trends 1. Taiwan – x86 servers going the laptop way, mass produced 2. Consolidation 2.0 – programmable data centers via virtualization 3. Server-side Flash – TBs of solid-state on servers 4. Amazon – utility consumption is dictating how services will be delivered and the user experience (ease of access) Cloud-generation systems converges compute and storage and flatter datacenters that scale out This is accomplished through cheap hardware and software that is built for failure Software-defined data centers are built with hypervisor controllers, no hardware dependency, and nothing factory-defined Hypervisor-resident controllers that are software provisioned, not on bare metal, and dynamically tuned based on DC needs Nothing factory-defined – allows for late-binding of typical hardware services – RAID, etc. Ease-of-use is required to make this all happen Need of consumer-grade frontend, API-driven backend Multi-device, flat UI design Automation via APIs Orchestration between APIs Perhaps going deep with OpenStack, VMware vCAC, Microsoft SCVMM

Software is Eating the Datacenter – Anjan Srinivas, Nutanix

  • Emerging trends
    • 1. Taiwan – x86 servers going the laptop way, mass produced
    • 2. Consolidation 2.0 – programmable data centers via virtualization
    • 3. Server-side Flash – TBs of solid-state on servers
    • 4. Amazon – utility consumption is dictating how services will be delivered and the user experience (ease of access)
  • Cloud-generation systems converges compute and storage and flatter datacenters that scale out
    • This is accomplished through cheap hardware and software that is built for failure
  • Software-defined data centers are built with hypervisor controllers, no hardware dependency, and nothing factory-defined
  • Hypervisor-resident controllers that are software provisioned, not on bare metal, and dynamically tuned based on DC needs
  • Nothing factory-defined – allows for late-binding of typical hardware services – RAID, etc.
  • Ease-of-use is required to make this all happen
    • Need of consumer-grade frontend, API-driven backend
    • Multi-device, flat UI design
    • Automation via APIs
    • Orchestration between APIs
      • Perhaps going deep with OpenStack, VMware vCAC, Microsoft SCVMM
James Higginbotham

Founder of LaunchAny and author of Principles of Web API Design. James helps enterprises build API platforms and get them ready for AI.