Server and Storage Consolidation Report

Introduction

In the early years of enterprise computing the centralised mainframe held sway. With the advent of more powerful desktops PC's, in the late 1980s, client/server architecture started to become popular. Following this, distributed computing became prevalent with the focus on localised processing power and storage, and the adoption of a one server/one application strategy.

However, this increasingly complex, and in many instances heterogeneous, environment is very difficult and expensive to manage, and a number of disadvantages have become apparent, such as escalating operational costs, inflexible infrastructure, ever-increasing difficulties in meeting service levels, and erratic data security and integrity. Butler Group believes that the resultant large number of servers and storage devices found within the majority of enterprises today is out of control and not sustainable in the long term.

The deployment of Server and StorageStorage Consolidation and the adoption of a more centralised approach can bring significant benefits, including reduction in the system administration overhead, easier data management, and a simpler infrastructure. These benefits will differ from enterprise to enterprise, and are dependent on the demands of the business and the rationale for consolidating in the first instance. Alles zu Storage auf CIO.de

Business Issues

IT operational costs have a direct impact on the bottom line of a business. The simplification of the systems infrastructure through consolidation can bring significant financial benefits, such as lower infrastructure overheads, with smaller and fewer data centres, reduced staff costs, lower licensing charges, and decreased maintenance costs.

In an attempt to increase revenues the IT industry has latched onto the fact that majority of consolidation projects can be self-financing and can be justified on monetary returns alone, with the expected reduction in Total Cost of Ownership (TCOTCO) freeing up funds that can be invested new developments. Butler Group would advise IT managers to resist these advances, taking time to understand the existing environment and making the most of current system assets. Alles zu TCO auf CIO.de