Central to Dell Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI are the HCI solution-oriented AX nodes. These validated and certified AX nodes from Dell Technologies offer high performance, and the scalable and secure foundation needed for a software-defined infrastructure. Though they are built on the design of the popular Dell PowerEdge servers (Dell Technologies holds the No. 1 position in x86 servers from 2017 to 20191 AX nodes are deliberately configured and optimized by our engineering organization exclusively for Azure Stack HCI. AX nodes offer numerous configurations so that customers can choose the memory, storage, and compute capacities that align with their needs.

Dell Technologies has validated and certified an array of configurations across various node types in the solution catalog. The depth of offerings gives customers options and flexibility in their Azure Stack HCI deployments. When selecting nodes, one can choose either Intel Xeon Scalable processors or AMD EPYC processors. These can be configured with NVMe, SSD and HDD devices to create hybrid or all-flash nodes. The nodes can be networked by using the 2-node switchless clusters method or by using top-of-rack Dell PowerSwitch Data Center network switches for the storage network traffic. For detailed specifications for the distinct platforms the AX nodes offer, see Chapter 6: Dell Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI Portfolio – AX Nodes.

Customers also get the benefit of simplified life cycle management (LCM) with the Dell OpenManage Integration with Microsoft Windows Admin Center (OMIMSWAC). This orchestrated LCM reduces the time required for tested and validated upgrades and allows IT teams to focus on higher value tasks.