Reducing TCO and Complexity
There is a growing worldwide demand for service providers to reduce a client’s TCO, to rationalize their IT environments, and also to offer IT that proactively aligns and anticipates business requirements rather than simply being reactive.
In response to this, Atos Origin has developed a globally consistent approach to server consolidation and server virtualization based on a proven methodology and tooling. Starting with establishing a solid business case, the server consolidation service, part of Atos™ Infrastructure Solutions, leverages Atos Origin’s extensive experience gained through the outsourcing of data centers and associated server consolidations.
Creating a Dynamic Environment
Server Consolidation allows the efficient use of resources in order to reduce the total number of servers or server locations that an organization requires. It allows enterprises to deal seamlessly and effectively with events such as the end-of-life issues surrounding hardware and software, and delivers a number of key benefits including:
- Reduced costs.
- Reduced diversity and complexity.
- Improved functionality.
- Improved flexibility and agility.
- Improved quality of service.
- Efficient security management.
- Simplification of risk management.
Getting the best value from your resources
Our server consolidation service covers a number of key areas:
- Server Consolidation - Merging applications and data onto larger platforms (using server farm consolidation, partitioning, virtualization).
- Storage Consolidation - Redeploying mass storage on an enterprise level (including backup and archiving consolidation).
- Software Consolidation - Rationalizing operating system, layered products and database software, e.g. different versions from the same vendor toward one single and up-to-date version.
Server Virtualization – Increasing Utilization, Reducing Costs
Server virtualization stops the trend of an ever-increasing number of servers with related costs and risks, but without cutting down on service. Many servers run at very low utilization rates, such as 8-15% for most Windows servers. Using virtualization, these systems can be combined together on fewer boxes, saving hardware costs.
Other areas where server virtualization adds real value are:
- Test environments and Disaster Recovery (DR) - This provides not only flexibility and cuts lead-time, but also minimizes the cost of otherwise static and mostly unutilized test-servers.
- Scalability - Adding new server images or adding physical capacity to the shared processing frame is achieved dynamically, while maintaining interruption-free operations.
- Resilience - Consolidated environments are normally configured to include disaster recovery or business continuity by default, providing improved resilience (i.e. improved service levels), in comparison to stand-alone solutions.
Server Consolidation should always be considered as part of a wider consolidation strategy which can enable you to solve current and legacy issues as well as plan for future growth. Atos Origin has a proven track record in all these areas and has a comprehensive portfolio including distributed consolidation, data center consolidation, application consolidation and IT business consolidation.