Microsoft updates Azure Stack HCI

Microsoft has up to date its Azure Stack HCI software program, an on-premises model of its Azure cloud providers to try to meet up with hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) leaders VMware and Nutanix.

Hyperconverged infrastructure is the place compute, storage, and networking are all tightly built-in on the identical server in a cluster. The tight {hardware} and software program integration makes it simpler to deploy than having to configure the elements individually.

Azure Stack HCI was launched in 2019 and is constructed on Home windows Server 2019 Datacenter, Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization software program, Storage Areas Direct software-defined storage, and software-defined networking.

The brand new model, which has been out there for preview since summer time 2020 and customarily out there earlier this month, provides new options, together with stretch clustering, hybrid capabilities, centralized administration, and integration with Azure Arc, Microsoft’s hybrid cloud and multi-cloud administration software.

Whereas you should purchase HCI software program from a number of distributors, together with market leaders Nutanix and VMware, and set up it your self, Microsoft requires organizations to purchase the {hardware} product from a listing of 24 licensed options distributors, together with Dell, Lenovo, and DataON.

Microsoft additionally introduced that it has began a brand new independent-software vendor assist for Azure Stack HCI with Altaro Software program, Commvault, Datadog, Veeam and Veritas, which are actually operable with Azure Stack HCI.

Azure Stack HCI is designed to let organizations run their functions on Azure software program on-premises whereas additionally having connections to Azure software-as-a-service options. Virtualized functions could be simply moved forwards and backwards between on-prem and the cloud.

It’s meant for quite a lot of use instances, equivalent to software program migration to the cloud, on-prem modernization, high-performance SQL database workloads, and catastrophe restoration by way of the stretch-clustering characteristic, which lets organizations arrange failover servers.

Azure Stack HCI can be meant for data-center consolidation and modernization as a result of it permits for consolidation of {hardware} and the retirement of legacy SAN storage to scale back footprint and complete value of possession. It’s additionally inexpensive sufficient (comparatively talking) to modernize distant and department workplaces, retail shops, and discipline websites.

For folks nonetheless working in workplaces, Azure Stack HCI helps digital desktops on-premises with low latency. One other new characteristic is Azure Arc integration, the place clients can use Azure Arc to observe a number of clusters and think about and handle VMs operating on Azure Stack HCI.

Azure Stack HCI 20H2, as it’s formally recognized, is out there for obtain from Microsoft and from {hardware} companions.