To Cloud, or Not to Cloud

Adopting Hybrid-Cloud with Azure Stack HCI

Here at at INTEGY, we specialise in transforming an organisations IT estate, making use of a core suite of cloud services to modernise and optimise IT provision at all levels. Reading that, you’d be forgiven for thinking we only focus on cloud right?, wrong! Well kind of..


We grew from consulting in defence environments, working with very traditional IT architectures. We have never let go of that core, traditional skillset and it will always apply in some way to cloud technologies. But what about when an organisation isn’t ready to go full cloud?


From first hand experience, organisations who migrate to the cloud without having the time to transform and optimise their IT estate, often hit troubles, including the large bill, every month!


So, what do we recommend in this situation?


There are many reasons why an organisation may want to consider a hybrid-cloud architecture, such as:


  • A large virtual machine estate currently undergoing review and transformation
  • An in-flight move to cloud-based business services (Dynamics suite etc)
  • Legacy applications which must remain on-premises
  • Niche data residency or application latency requirements


Waiting for all or any of the above to be completed or mitigated prior adopting cloud technologies can hinder digital transformation, result in a workforce asking why the competitors are using technologies they don’t have, and an underwhelmed IT team, keen to work on the latest technologies, yet held back (queue a recruitment and retention problem).


Enter Azure Stack HCI into the ring


Azure Stack HCI is a hybrid cloud solution that combines the power and reliability of Microsoft's Azure cloud with the flexibility and control of on-premises infrastructure. It's a software-defined solution that allows you to run virtualized workloads on your own hardware while maintaining a consistent experience with Azure. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at what Azure Stack HCI is and how it can benefit your organization.


At its core, Azure Stack HCI is a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) solution. It combines compute, storage, and networking resources into a single, software-defined platform. This means that you can run all your virtualized workloads on a single cluster of servers, which can simplify management and reduce costs.


One of the key benefits of Azure Stack HCI is its integration with Azure. It allows you to easily extend your on-premises workloads to Azure, enabling a true hybrid cloud experience. With Azure Stack HCI, you can use Azure services such as backup, disaster recovery, and monitoring to manage your on-premises workloads alongside your Azure resources.

Another benefit of Azure Stack HCI is its ability to support a wide range of workloads. It can run virtual machines (VMs), containers, virtual desktop infrastructure (In Preview), and even run Kubernetes clusters. This makes it a versatile platform that can support a variety of use cases, from running traditional enterprise applications to modern cloud-native workloads.

 

Azure Stack HCI also provides built-in security features, such as Shielded VMs and host-based firewalls, to help protect your infrastructure and workloads from threats. It also supports Windows Admin Center, a web-based management tool that provides a single pane of glass for managing your Azure Stack HCI cluster.


In terms of deployment, Azure Stack HCI can be deployed on a variety of hardware platforms, including Dell EMC, HPE, and Lenovo servers. This gives you the flexibility to choose the hardware that best fits your needs and budget.


So, we now know that Azure Stack HCI allows us to implement a footprint of hardware (generally much smaller than a traditional infrastructure), on-premises and provide a hosting capability for Virtual Machines and even some Platform as a Service workloads. These on-premises resources can be managed and secured via the Azure portal and make use of Azure based services such as Security (Defender for Cloud), Backup and Disaster Recovery.


Combine this capability with a well planned IT transformation and cloud adoption strategy, you have a real win-win situation of introducing a modern cloud based IT infrastructure, minimising the unavoidable capital expenditure of renewing an existing infrastructure, and providing an on-premise launch bad, to drip feed your business services from on-premises hosting to public cloud. 


Adopting a Cloud or Hybrid cloud infrastructure normally starts with a Cloud Adoption Strategy followed by implementation of an Azure Landing Zone, setting the roadmap and laying the foundations for a successful Cloud migration. All of which the INTEGY team are happy to help you with, alongside your existing team!

Call us today on 01392 796525 or Email us at ask@integy.co.uk

December 16, 2024
At INTEGY, we’re passionate about enabling organisations to embrace the future of work, especially when innovation and agility are at the heart of their mission. Recently, we had the privilege of supporting a client whose business serves as a launchpad for startups, providing the technology and equipment needed to kickstart their journey.  The Challenge: Outdated IT for a Growing Organisation Our client’s IT infrastructure was a traditional setup, with user accounts and devices tightly bound to Active Directory. This configuration required devices to maintain network connectivity to on-premises servers, creating operational limitations. With the facility expanding to three separate locations, this approach no longer supported their need for flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. Startups thrive on speed and adaptability, and their IT systems needed to reflect those principles. The reliance on traditional IT was slowing them down, creating unnecessary overhead, and limiting their ability to provide the seamless experience their customers expected. The Solution: A Cloud-Native Transformation We transformed their IT environment into a modern, cloud-native setup: Entra ID for Identity Management Every device is now joined to Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), shifting identity management to the cloud. This eliminates the need for on-premises servers, offering secure access from anywhere. Intune for Device Management Devices are now managed through Microsoft Intune, enabling streamlined policy enforcement, application deployment, and security updates, all delivered from the cloud. Enhanced Security with Zero Trust Principles We implemented a Zero Trust security model, ensuring that devices and users are authenticated and compliant before accessing resources. Defender for Endpoint provides enhanced threat protection and visibility across their environment. Simplified User Experience By decoupling devices from on-premises dependencies, we empowered their users to work from any location with a secure, seamless experience. Scalability and Agility With their new cloud-native IT framework, our client is no longer constrained by physical infrastructure. They can now scale operations effortlessly as they open new locations and onboard new startups. The Results: Flexibility, Efficiency, and Growth The move to a cloud-native configuration has been a game-changer for our client. They’ve gained: Operational Efficiency : IT management is simpler and faster, reducing administrative overhead. Improved User Experience : Users now enjoy consistent and reliable access to systems, regardless of location. Scalability : Expansion to new sites no longer requires complex IT overhauls. Security : Advanced cloud security tools ensure their data and devices remain protected. By embracing modern IT, our client is better positioned to serve their customers and focus on what matters most: empowering innovation for startups. Helping You Move Forward If your organisation is grappling with the limitations of traditional IT and looking to make the leap to a cloud-native future, we’re here to help. Let’s transform your IT and unlock your potential.
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