Test driving Dell EMC VxRail with the CTO Advisor
Fri, 11 Jun 2021 07:57:49 -0000
|Read Time: 0 minutes
You wouldn’t buy a new car without researching and test driving it first, would you? The same holds true for your data center – test driving, researching, checking peer reviews, and carefully weighing your IT infrastructure options are key to making an informed decision for your business.
Keith Townsend, a technical analyst also known as the CTO Advisor, and his team recently did just that with Dell EMC VxRail. Through a study commissioned by Dell Technologies, the CTO Advisor team stepped into the driver’s seat to investigate the differentiated value of VxRail as part of a broader strategy to modernize their CTO Advisor Hybrid Infrastructure.
The CTO Advisor team completed two weeks of rigorous testing with two main objectives in mind. First, they examined whether VxRail HCI System Software, a suite of integrated software elements that sits between VxRail infrastructure components such as vSAN and VMware Cloud Foundation, adds unique, differentiated value for businesses like the CTO Advisor. Second, they looked specifically at integration between VxRail, VMware Cloud Foundation, and Intel – does it offer unique differentiation versus competitors?
Spoiler alert: the answers to both of their questions were yes and yes! But you don’t have to take my word for it -- you can join Keith and the CTO Advisor team for the ride. Available now, their seven-part video series documents their VxRail journey from start-to-finish and includes technical conversations with our technologists. Their videos showed how VxRail:
- Simplifies day two operations with VxRail Manager
- Delivers multi-cluster management for a single-pane-of-glass view of your entire infrastructure
- Enables custom automation with RESTful APIs
- Enables automation across the entire stack with ecosystem connectors
- Reduces risk with the electronic compatibility matrix
- Delivers deep integration with VMware Cloud Foundation for a turnkey hybrid cloud experience
Watch at the links below, and be sure to view the report and project page!
Presales InterviewKeith Townsend takes on the "Executive" persona in this video. Jeremy Merrill, a Dell Technologies VxSeal, briefs Keith on the strengths and benefits of VxRail. This video sets the stage for much of the validation testing that the CTO Advisor team performed. | |
VxRail Technical OverviewKeith Townsend sets the stage for the project. He discusses the problem he would like to solve, current pain points, and outcomes he would like to see from VxRail. | |
SaaS Controller SurpriseIn this technical review, CTO Advisor Analyst Alastair Cooke sits down with CTO Advisor Engineer Thom Greene and Dell Technologies VxSeal Curtis Edwards. The trio review the work from a more traditional technical perspective. Specifically, the team goes deeper into the SaaS controller. | |
VxRail Technical Overview – Part 1Keith rejoins the program for a conversation with Thom Greene. Thom shares the high-level technical results of his VMware Cloud Foundation on VxRail analysis. Keith probes Thom to understand the overall operational potential value for the CTOA as an organization. | |
VxRail Technical Overview – Part 2Alastair and Thom are joined by Dell Technologies technologist Joe Mauer to discuss the technical details of VMware Cloud Foundation on VxRail, as well as findings from Thom’s review. | |
End DesignKeith wraps the technical overview and describes the benefits of VxRail within the CTO Advisor Hybrid Infrastructure. | |
Concluding AnalysisKeith provides an executive overview of the research the team conducted and introduces the written work. |