Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) unifies servers, storage, and networking into a distributed infrastructure platform, powered by intelligent software, to create the elements of a data center. It replaces the legacy infrastructure that consists of separate servers, storage networks, and storage arrays with an all-in-one integrated solution. HCI works on the principle of a software-defined data center (SDDC), in which infrastructure is virtualized and delivered “as-a-service” that includes:

• Software-defined compute – for virtualization and workload management
• Software-defined storage – for storage abstraction and data management
• Software-defined networking – for network virtualization and traffic management

Traditional enterprise applications can be supported in a more flexible and cost-effective manner because SDDC eliminates IT operational siloes and complexities by enabling a programmatic approach through virtualization.