Unifying IT

Unifying IT

If you think that Cisco UCS is “just another blade system”, then think again.

The reasons why Unified Computing System is more than just tin has been covered by many, including:

When you think Cisco UCS, you need to think about the following technology features and how they might impact people and process.

  • Extended Memory (384GB RAM)
  • Fibre Channel over Ethernet
  • Drastically improved management, including workflow and integration with different “manager of managers”
  • Ready for virtualization (vSphere)
  • Nexus virtual switches, and VN-Link
  • Server profiles
  • Very few cables and ports required makes the data center not only look nice and tidy, but it means you visit it a lot less.

Technicalities and features aside, there’s a logical sequence of thoughts that I see customers go through when discussing UCS:

  1. Wow, it makes my data center racks look a lot neater.
  2. It’s really easy to deploy and destroy compute.
  3. I get a much higher compute density, possibly 100 guests to 1 blade host with vSphere.
  4. If it’s neater, easier and more dense, then my processes will need to evolve to cope with this.  Mostly, the processes will evolve to be leaner, fewer, simpler.
  5. If my processes evolve to be leaner, fewer and simpler then I will need a different organization model and my people will evolve too.

The important thread above is how technology change drives process change drives people change.  You don’t have to do this; you can implement Cisco UCS and vSphere and EMC’s V-Max into the same old IT processes managed by the same people, but…well…that’s like putting Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame, into the latest Ferrari: he’s overweight, stuck in his ways and will most likely complain about all the gadgets that he doesn’t understand, and how cars were much better “in my day”.

It’s quite clear that change is coming: I’m looking forward to seeing how fast customers evolve their people and process in line with their technology, and I can see a race starting already.  The obvious target point is a cloud architecture which is the epitomy of unified computing: lean technology, lean process and lean people.

There is one thing that amazes me about the brilliant customers I meet in my job at Cisco: there is always a small team, usually high up in the IT organization, that absolutely get it and can strategically see where unified computing can take them; the one thing that amazes me is how they all say how difficult it will be to achieve that dream with just technology, and how the difficult evolutions are of people and process.

It seems that the resistance comes from two kinds of fear that exist out there in IT today:

  1. Change brings uncertainty: will my skills be out of date?  What new things do I have to learn?  Will I be part of the new regime, or part of the old regime?
  2. If I’m part of the old regime as IT becomes leaner, will I lose my job?

Put another way: who does unified computing actually benefit?  It most certainly benefits the business, but it only benefits some IT staff “on the right side of the tracks” – ie. those who win from it.  Which side of the tracks are you on?

Related posts:

  1. Six dimensions of institutionalizing the Cisco Unified Computing System
  2. Who’s got the best Unified Computing System?
  3. Unified Computing Operational Processes
  4. Measuring a Unified/Useful Computing System
  5. Poor IT hygiene is a barrier to technology adoption