Can hyper-converged systems benefit from SDN architecture?

Hyperconverged systems are rapidly gaining popularity due to the tight integration of computing, storage, and networking, and the resulting ease of deployment and management.

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While tight integration is required, these systems share many of the same networking challenges as other data center deployments, including requirements for scalability, automation, security, and traffic management. In addition, they also need to link to other data center resources in the data center, remote data centers, and the cloud. Software-defined network architectures can alleviate some of the scaling, automation, security, and connectivity challenges of hyperconverged system deployments.

Hyperconverged systems integrate storage, computing, and networking into a single system (box or pod) to reduce data center complexity and alleviate deployment challenges associated with traditional data center architectures. Hyperconverged systems include hypervisors, software-defined storage, and internal networks, all managed as a single entity. Multiple pods can be networked together to create shared computing and storage pools.

The hyperconverged market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, from about $1 billion to more than $5 billion. Hyperconverged system providers include Nutanix, Dell EMC and VMware, as well as HPE, which focus on integrating compute and storage into a single scalable resource.

Advantages and challenges of hyperconverged systems

Network requirements for hyperconverged systems

The network in a hyperconverged system is dedicated to establishing and maintaining communications between the compute and storage elements and is typically proprietary. Some of the key network elements required for a hyperconverged system include:

• Internal data center networking, such as extending a hyperconverged system pod or connecting two heterogeneous elements, for example, connecting HPE and Dell compute components;
• Data center to data center connectivity via WAN;
• Data center to cloud connectivity;
• Remote access to branch offices and other locations.

Software Defined Network Architecture

In a software-defined network architecture, the network control plane is abstracted or separated from the underlying network hardware. In addition to abstraction, software-defined networks also include the following properties:

• Automated deployment, configuration, and management, with support for multi-tenancy and easy scalability using cloud resources;
• Open API that is easily adaptable, customizable, and programmable;
• Open, standards-based, multi-vendor, and interoperable with a wide variety of network software.

Many aspects of software-defined network architecture involve hyperconverged systems in the data center. For example, it can help connect or manage internal traffic, data center communications, and networks outside the data center.

The networking industry currently offers software-defined networking architecture elements to help customers scale and network clusters of hyperconverged systems. Other vendors, including Cisco, HPE and VMware, are supporting communications between hyperconverged systems and other data center and cloud-based elements.