Hyper-converge Infrastructure Support Considerations – CTO Coffee Chat
EMC’s announcement of their latest hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) platform, VCE VxRAIL prompted me to discuss support considerations of hyper-converged platforms. I’ve been researching the value of SAP HANA appliances vs. Tailored Data Center Integration (TDI). TDI is SAP’s option to bring your own infrastructure for HANA.
One of the primary advantages to the SAP HANA Appliance over TDI is the support model. Organizations can call SAP directly for support regardless of the source of their challenge. SAP will route hardware level issues to the hardware partner on behalf of the customer.
Hyper-converged infrastructure has some of the similar support benefits as an application appliance. In the case of VCE, the equipment and virtualization layer are all supported by VCE. VCE isn’t the only HCI vendor to offer end-to-end support. Nutanix has its own hypervisor and offers similar support. Scale Computing pioneered this model of converged hypervisor and hardware support.
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Keith Townsend is a seasoned technology leader and Founder of The Advisor Bench, specializing in IT infrastructure, cloud technologies, and AI. With expertise spanning cloud, virtualization, networking, and storage, Keith has been a trusted partner in transforming IT operations across industries, including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, government, software, and financial services.
Keith’s career highlights include leading global initiatives to consolidate multiple data centers, unify disparate IT operations, and modernize mission-critical platforms for “three-letter” federal agencies. His ability to align complex technology solutions with business objectives has made him a sought-after advisor for organizations navigating digital transformation.
A recognized voice in the industry, Keith combines his deep infrastructure knowledge with AI expertise to help enterprises integrate machine learning and AI-driven solutions into their IT strategies. His leadership has extended to designing scalable architectures that support advanced analytics and automation, empowering businesses to unlock new efficiencies and capabilities.
Whether guiding data center modernization, deploying AI solutions, or advising on cloud strategies, Keith brings a unique blend of technical depth and strategic insight to every project.
