March, 2009

Cisco and the new data center

Well, since everyone else is talking about it, I might as well throw down my thoughts.

Very smart, calculated move!  I love the fact that they have a very focused, defined beachhead as they dip their toe into the deep end of the data center (aka servers).  Cisco for the last few years has danced around many other aspects of the data center with VoIP, Video and other network dependent applications or services.  This data center in a box strategy, while not a new concept, has some new technologies and approaches that will attract the top 2% of huge data centers to kick off proof-of-concepts over the next year.  They will enjoy kicking the tires and more importantly Cisco will learn more while building credibility. It will also open up more conversations that traditionally Cisco wasn’t included in, so depending on how they execute and industry reaction we may see Cisco make more strategic moves in this direction.

Also, even with all the buzz and worries about Cisco versus HP, IBM, Dell, SUN, etc, etc….for the most part this won’t be happening for years.  I understand HP’s very vocal responses since it’s also a great opportunity to use Cisco’s “getting into the blade server” message to say “why not consider us as an alternative to network routers/switches (they are #2 these days on the LAN switch front…a very distant #2).”

So basically for the next year or 18 months Cisco will be busy delivering on this vision…working with 20-30 key high-end data center customers in proof of concept mode hoping to fine tune this offering to a point where one or two of those big guys take the plunge and make a significant purchase.

Specific to Data Center Automation, this is a HUGE win for BMC!  I look forward to reading more on what precisely this offering includes and how it works.  The experience and access BMC will gain through a traditional networking giant (not their traditional area of expertise or success) will help them tremedously.  I remember years ago when working on integrations and joint efforts with BMC and when we mentioned “what do you have for networking” they would simply draw an ambiguous cloud….not anymore since Cisco will show them the nuances to “the cloud.”

So that’s my .02.  Based on what you’ve heard what impact do you think this will make to the data center..good…bad..indifferent?

IT Process Orchestration Revisited

I decided it was time to review and make an update to the IT Process Automation, Process Orchestration, Run Book Automation, Data Center Automation, IT Process Integration, or whatever name each vendor, customer or analysts choose to call it.  Since my last update to the Data Center Automation Blueprint (DCAB) there have been some industry changes with some vendors going a different direction, other being acquired, etc.

A quick review of this space from the DCAB is first up.

Process Orchestration
Description - Cross-silo automation for mundane manual or high occurrence tasks. The capabilities are focused around helping individual technology domains (e.g., network, windows, unix, database, etc) communicate and collaborate to automate tasks that before required numerous people and passing around a trouble ticket.

Top 5 Capabilities
1) Drag/Drop graphical interface for designing process workflows
2) Common, normalized Data Model of common/primary attributes
3) Library of pre-defined, re-usable actions/triggers/processes for usage out-of-the-box (bigger the better - even a community that shares is a plus)
4) Policy/Desired-state engine driving things
5). Sandbox, simulator to help test workflows without impacting actual resources/instances within the production enterprise.

The Vendors
BMC (formerly RealOps)
CA (formerly Optinuity)
Enigmatec
HP (formerly Opsware, formerly iConclude)
IBM (formerly Micromuse Impact)
iWave Software
LANDesk (Process Manager product)
NetIQ (Aegis product)
Opalis
Stratavia
UC4 Software

So since the last update, what has been going on in the space….

It’s interesting to see Stratavia tweaking their company positioning as the “independent” choice.  Makes sense considering we’ve had a wave of consolidation with the big 4 ensuring they have coverage for this functional area, and also other well known (larger) management vendors (LANDesk & NetIQ) adding capabilities.

Optinuity was acquired by CA in October and naturally that changed some things for Opalis which had a previous OEM relationship with CA.  Opalis in turn also trumpets the “independent” choice and has gone further into talking about how this doesn’t serve the customers since those vendors are using those acquisitions to bring their own products together and not looking at it from a heterogenous standpoint of I have 5 products from 3 vendors and I need them all to work together smoothly.  One last area that I need to do some more exploring around is something I felt a year ago would eventually happen and the lines would start blurring between Business Process Management (BPM) solutions and IT Process Orchestration.  The are starting to compare/contract with BPM and also talk more Business Intelligence (BI) messaging.  It’s nice to see a vendor lay out in plain site some recommended evaluation criteria for all customers and even competitors to see…great way to set the bar.

Those are a couple key things i’m seeing at a glance…what else is going on out there.  Who else is in the space these days, what is their key differentiator versus the players listed above.  Drop you comments in below if you a vendor or a customer using one of these vendors or another one I don’t have listed.  I’ll make updates to the DCAB if it’s appropriate.