[ Checklist ]

Preparing for Composable Infrastructure Success

A new frontier has emerged in the world of enterprise data center technology: composable infrastructure.

What makes this architecture such a game-changer? It provides a single platform to support all IT needs from bare-metal to virtualization to containerization, all on the same infrastructure. At the same time, it provides all the orchestration benefits of a software-defined data center within a hardware platform. With composable infrastructure, organizations will be better positioned to stay ahead of the competitive curve, streamline data center operations, respond to business needs immediately and move towards the future of software-driven IT.

Follow this checklist

to position your organization for success when migrating to composable infrastructure.

Understand It's a Journey

Composable infrastructure was built to seamlessly integrate into companies’ infrastructure upgrade plans as they move towards cloud-enabled IT, and replace legacy IT models and systems over time. To start that journey, we recommend companies take inventory of their existing infrastructure, and make a plan to adopt composable-ready platforms that align with their refresh cycles and budget goals. This allows IT operations to continue in a “business as usual” mode until they are ready for the next step of the journey.

Align IT With Business Goals

To ensure a successful shift from day-to-day operations to big-picture thinking, IT teams must be in tune with broader organizational goals. By taking a seat at the planning table, IT can better support different initiatives via a more responsive and on-demand delivery model. Additionally, IT can identify new projects and opportunities to innovate and benefit the broader business.

Prepare and Empower Your Team

Composable infrastructure changes the dynamic in which IT and operations teams interact. Operational responsibilities will be more predictive and proactive. Provisioning becomes automated with templates that govern utilization and set limits on behalf of the operations team. IT, however, will grow more strategic, which ultimately requires learning new skills. Prepare now by looking past traditional IT roles and adopting new skills that transcend the entire infrastructure and application realm.

Embrace the Cloud State of Mind

Although the public cloud is a great place for rapid application development, it could plague an organization with high costs, as well as security and compliance issues. Composable infrastructure mimics the cloud model, but within a safe, cost-controlled environment — within the walls of an on-premises data center.

With composable infrastructure, protection, security and governance can be strictly monitored and assessed. However, companies can still embrace the cloud mindset and receive the benefits of a cloud-services model with a turn-key, on-premises, composable infrastructure.

Consider Going Hybrid

By taking a hybrid approach — which leverages public and private cloud within the application support environment — organizations can maximize the benefits of composable infrastructure. Infrastructure teams can maintain control and security where it’s needed most, and incorporate public cloud resources for select applications or when temporary capacity is needed.

In addition, because composable infrastructure can handle multiple workload types and has extensive integrated API support, it can make moving applications between the data center and public cloud very easy. This “cloud to ground” portability empowers organizations to adopt new, more productive development workflows, such as testing early-stage apps on-premises and moving them to the public cloud when they prove successful and are ready for production.

Embrace the DevOps Lifestyle

Say goodbye to cumbersome siloes and inefficient disconnects between development and operations. Say hello to a true DevOps model.

Composable infrastructure addresses hardware provisioning needs, allowing IT to deliver services on demand and spend less time responding to fire drills. This also allows development teams to work more creatively and rapidly, and enables operations to leave the server farm and play a more active role in the development process. Along the way, new best practices will emerge, enabling organizations to move more quickly and be more responsive to market dynamics.

Find the Right Vendor and Partner

Composable infrastructure platforms are being developed by major players, but they are all distinct in their approach to implementation, market readiness, and their applicability to unique business requirements. To research available composable infrastructure solutions, we suggest engaging with a strategic IT partner that can help determine the right composable platform for your organization’s current environment and, most importantly, the business objectives and long-term goals of your company.

Are you ready to see how composable infrastructure can work for your business?

Ask WEI for an infrastructure assessment OR sign up for a demo of composable infrastructure to see how it works.

Start my journey to composable infrastructure

ABOUT WEI

WEI is an innovative, full service, customer centric IT solutions provider.

Why WEI? Because we care. Because we go further.

At WEI, we’re passionate about solving your technology problems and helping you drive your desired business outcomes. We believe in challenging the status quo and thinking differently. There are a lot of companies that can take today’s technology and create a great IT solution for you. But we do more. We go further. And we have the customer, vendor and industry awards to prove it. WEI is a premier technology partner, who always puts our customers first while providing the most innovative solutions for over 25 years.