Whether faced with the task of accommodating more users, consolidating datacenters, increasing virtualization, improving uptime, or just improving response times, the task of evaluating and implementing all of the required technology can prove both arduous and frustrating. A number of vendors have joined together to provide pre-defined rack level solutions of best-of-breed hardware along with software optimized to work on that configuration. The Vblock from VCE and FlexPod from NetApp + Cisco are but two examples of these 'converged' systems. They typically are deployed entire racks at a time. A benefit of converged systems is that the buyer does not have to know as much about the internal workings of the various pieces of the system in order to have a rapid and successful deployment.

Converged systems attempt to make things simpler for the IT team to administer, and are comprised of the familiar building blocks of the datacenter. Taking this approach to another level, the makers of 'hyperconverged' systems such as Simplivity and Nutanix integrated all of the pieces of hardware back into a 2U form factor, along with very sophisticated software that enables each unit to be discovered, integrated, and treated as a linear expansion of both compute and storage capability. No more NAS or SAN. No more compute clusters. Just more blocks. All appearing on an easy to use management interface that is very refined in its functionality and scope. Figure 1 shows the rapid adoption of virtualization and containers that drives adoption of converged systems.

The ability to buy both converged and hyperconverged systems for the datacenter has led to the need for rack level power that is as flexible and sophisticated as the systems themselves. Learn how the latest 'All-in-1' family of HDOT Switched PRO2 PDUS from Server Technology addresses the power needs of people implementing converged and hyperconverged systems in their datacenter.