Unlock Major Cost Savings in Azure VMware Solution with Software-Defined Storage
Managing costs in a hybrid cloud environment is a top priority for nearly every organization. As workloads scale, the tight coupling of compute and storage resources can lead to significant inefficiencies and inflated bills. This is especially true for businesses running demanding applications on Azure VMware Solution (AVS). The traditional approach often forces you to purchase expensive new compute nodes just to expand your storage capacity—a costly problem that many have been forced to accept.
However, a new paradigm in storage architecture is fundamentally changing this equation. By decoupling, or disaggregating, storage from compute, organizations can now scale these resources independently, leading to dramatic cost reductions and enhanced operational flexibility.
The Core Challenge of Traditional Hybrid Cloud Storage
In many hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) environments, including the standard Azure VMware Solution, compute and storage are sold in bundled nodes. If your application data grows and you need more storage, you have no choice but to add another node. The problem is that this new node also comes with CPU and RAM that you may not need, leading to an overprovisioning of compute resources and wasted spending.
This model creates a direct conflict with efficient scaling. You are essentially paying a premium for compute power you aren’t using, simply to meet your growing storage demands. For data-intensive workloads, this inefficiency can translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary annual costs.
A Smarter Approach: Software-Defined, Disaggregated Storage
The solution lies in software-defined storage (SDS) that operates independently from the compute layer. This architecture allows you to add high-performance storage capacity to your Azure VMware Solution environment without being forced to purchase additional compute nodes.
Hitachi Vantara’s VSP One SDS Block Service, now available through the Azure Marketplace, is a powerful example of this technology in action. It provides a virtualized storage layer that integrates seamlessly with AVS, offering a robust, enterprise-grade alternative to bundled storage.
This approach delivers several critical advantages that directly address the challenges of traditional hybrid cloud models.
Key Benefits of Independent Storage Scaling
By implementing a disaggregated storage solution, businesses can unlock tangible benefits that impact both their budget and their technical capabilities.
- Drastic Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Reduction: The most significant advantage is the potential for massive cost savings. By avoiding the purchase of unnecessary compute nodes, organizations have seen TCO reductions of up to 70% for their AVS environments. You only pay for the storage you need, precisely when you need it.
- Enterprise-Grade Performance and Reliability: True enterprise workloads demand more than just capacity; they require performance and resilience. Advanced SDS solutions deliver all-flash performance to ensure your applications run smoothly, backed by guaranteed 99.9999% uptime. This level of availability is critical for mission-critical operations and provides peace of mind that your data is always accessible.
- Superior Storage Efficiency: Modern software-defined storage comes with powerful data reduction technologies built-in. Features like advanced deduplication and compression work to minimize the amount of physical storage space your data consumes. This means you can store more data in a smaller footprint, further reducing costs and improving overall efficiency.
- Simplified and Unified Management: Integrating this technology through the Azure Marketplace streamlines procurement and deployment. It allows IT teams to manage a high-performance, hybrid cloud environment with greater ease, consolidating management under a familiar Azure-centric framework. This simplifies operations for data spanning on-premises data centers and the public cloud.
Actionable Security and Optimization Tips
As you explore optimizing your Azure environment, it’s crucial to maintain a strong security and governance posture. Here are a few tips to consider:
- Audit Your Current Utilization: Before making any changes, analyze your current AVS environment. Identify workloads where storage capacity is the primary growth driver, not compute demand. This data will build a clear business case for moving to a disaggregated storage model.
- Model Your TCO: Use your utilization data to model the cost of scaling over the next 12-24 months. Compare the projected cost of adding traditional AVS nodes versus supplementing your environment with a dedicated SDS solution. The difference is often compelling.
- Implement a Robust Data Protection Strategy: While high availability protects against hardware failure, it is not a substitute for a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery plan. Ensure your critical data within AVS is protected according to your business’s recovery point objectives (RPOs) and recovery time objectives (RTOs).
- Leverage Azure Marketplace for Governance: Procuring solutions through the Azure Marketplace can simplify billing and vendor management. It also ensures that the solution has been vetted for compatibility and security within the Azure ecosystem.
Ultimately, the ability to scale storage and compute independently is no longer a luxury—it’s a strategic necessity for any organization looking to control its cloud spending effectively. By embracing software-defined storage, businesses can break free from the rigid and expensive constraints of traditional infrastructure and build a more efficient, powerful, and cost-effective hybrid cloud.
Source: https://datacenternews.asia/story/hitachi-vantara-vsp-one-sds-boosts-azure-hybrid-cloud-savings
