How SUSE and Fujitsu Deliver Hyperconverged Infrastructure Solutions for a Cloud-native World

This is a guest blog by Michael Burghall, Fujitsu Fellow, Head of Digital Engagement for Digital, Data and Cloud at Fujitsu.

Cloud-native applications are transforming the way businesses deliver value to their customers, enabling faster innovation, scalability, and agility. However, to run these applications effectively, organizations need a modern and flexible infrastructure that can support their evolving needs. That’s where hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) comes in.

HCI is a software-defined approach that combines compute, storage, and networking into a single, integrated system. HCI simplifies management, reduces costs, and enhances performance, making it an ideal platform for cloud-native workloads. However, not all HCI solutions are created equal. Some are limited by vendor lock-in, lack of scalability, or poor integration with cloud services.

In this blog post, you will learn:

• How Fujitsu and SUSE deliver HCI solutions that overcome these challenges and enable you to build a cloud-native infrastructure that is flexible, scalable, and secure.
• Best practices to help you get started on your HCI journey.

Why Fujitsu and SUSE for HCI?

Fujitsu and SUSE have a long-standing partnership. Together, we have delivered innovative and reliable solutions for customers across various industries and regions. We share a common vision of empowering our customers to achieve digital transformation and business agility with open-source technologies and hybrid cloud solutions.

When it comes to HCI, Fujitsu and SUSE offer a unique value proposition that sets us apart from other vendors. Here are some of the key benefits of choosing Fujitsu and SUSE for your HCI needs:

• Open and flexible: Fujitsu and SUSE provide HCI solutions that are based on open standards and open-source software, such as Kubernetes, Ceph, and SUSE Linux Enterprise. This means you can avoid vendor lock-in, leverage a rich ecosystem of tools and partners, and customize your solution to fit your specific requirements.
• Scalable and resilient: Fujitsu and SUSE enable you to scale your HCI solution seamlessly and cost-effectively, from a few nodes to thousands of nodes, across multiple sites and clouds. You can also benefit from high availability, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery features that ensure your applications and data are always protected and accessible.
• Integrated and optimized: Fujitsu and SUSE deliver HCI solutions that are tightly integrated and optimized for performance, efficiency, and security. You can choose from a range of Fujitsu PRIMERGY servers that are certified and pre-configured for SUSE software or use your existing hardware. You can also take advantage of Fujitsu’s expertise and services to design, deploy, and manage your HCI solution.
• Cloud-ready and future-proof: Fujitsu and SUSE help you build a HCI solution that is ready for the cloud-native world. You can run containerized applications on your HCI platform using SUSE Rancher, the leading enterprise Kubernetes management platform. You can also connect your HCI solution to public cloud services, such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, using SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications, the leading operating system for SAP workloads on the cloud.

Best Practices for HCI Success

If you are interested in adopting HCI for your cloud-native infrastructure, here are some best practices that can help you succeed:

• Assess your needs and goals: Before you embark on your HCI journey, you should have a clear understanding of your current and future needs and goals. What are the pain points and challenges that you want to address with HCI? What are the benefits and outcomes that you expect from HCI? How do you measure and track your success?
• Choose the right partner and solution: Once you have defined your needs and goals, you should look for a partner and a solution that can meet them. You should consider factors such as compatibility, scalability, performance, security, support, and cost. You should also look for a partner that has the expertise and experience to guide you through the entire HCI lifecycle, from design and deployment to operation and optimization.
• Start small and scale up: One of the advantages of HCI is that it allows you to start small and scale up as your needs grow. You don’t have to invest in a large and complex infrastructure upfront. You can start with a few nodes and a few applications, and then add more nodes and applications as you go. This way, you can minimize your risks, test your assumptions, and learn from your experience.
• Leverage the cloud-native capabilities: HCI is not just a hardware and software solution. It is also a platform that enables you to run cloud-native applications and services. You should take advantage of the cloud-native capabilities that HCI offers, such as containerization, orchestration, automation, and integration. You should also adopt the cloud-native mindset and culture, such as agile, DevOps, and continuous improvement.

Conclusion

HCI is a powerful and flexible solution that can help you build a cloud-native infrastructure that supports your business goals and challenges. Fujitsu and SUSE are the ideal partners to help you achieve your HCI vision with our open, scalable, integrated, and cloud-ready solutions. Whether you are looking to modernize your existing infrastructure, migrate your SAP applications, or run your containerized workloads, we have the right solution for you.

Want to go deeper into this topic?
Watch FUJITSU’s breakout session at SUSECON ’24: Fujitsu and SUSE showcasing hyperconverged infrastructure solutions for a cloud-native world

We would love to hear from you and help your organization’s HCI journey.
Get in touch with us today!