Cost-effective scaling

Phase I is known as the Enabled phase and involves the use of automated and integrated systems management tools for the IT infrastructure.

Enabling these one-to-many deployment and change management tools is the first step in simplifying operations. Phase I also involves server/storage consolidation projects and the investigation and testing of virtualisation technologies. Clustering for availability must also be implemented for mission critical applications. Phase I should be taking place today for many organisations.

Phase II is the Integrated phase. While similar to the Enabled phase in terms of requirements and technologies, in this phase the tools and technologies become more integrated, meaning they work across a multi-vendor and multi-platform environment due to continuing standardisation in the enterprise. Deployment and management of servers, for example, is greatly simplified when interfaces and tools are standardised, allowing organizations to deploy and manage servers (x86) from any vendor in the same way.

This integration will also reduce the number of separate management tools that an organisation must use, further simplifying operations and reducing costs. Finally, clustering for performance as well as availability continues to develop, following the trends of HPCC, web infrastructure and scale-out applications. Phase II is emerging today with some technologies and should develop through 2006 and beyond.

Phase III is the Seamless phase. In this phase, technologies and integration have developed to a point where true dynamic computing and resource allocation can occur. Systems run based upon policies and procedures, and they can monitor, allocate, manage and heal based on these prescriptions.

It is in this phase that IT services and business needs are truly aligned and IT services can adjust in real-time to those needs. Timelines for Phase III are more difficult to predict, with some early technology adoption in 2005, but with much more development and testing likely to take place through 2008 and beyond.

To be continued...