Hey Microsoft Fans,
Earlier this week on the Microsoft Storage Blog there was a blog series on the new features of Windows Server 2016. Well now that the cat is out of the bag I think we can officially call our next version of Windows what it is “Windows Server 1709”.
With announcements coming from Microsoft they are taking direct aim at Hyper Converged Industry leaders. Now interestingly enough Microsoft isn’t part of the Integrated Systems “Hyper Converged” Magic Quadrant. YET…
I did a bit of digging this morning on Microsoft and the Magic Quadrant and here is what I found….
While other companies in the Hyper Converged Space are happy to make the Magic Quadrant in a couple of categories Microsoft blows them all away leading Gartner with 45.
Here is a little quote from Gartner:
by Merv Adrian – Research VP
In Q1 2017, as always, we reset this chart – no bold or italic for new entries. As of January 20, no new MQs had yet been published in 2017 featuring Microsoft, so the picture below lays out a new picture for the year ahead. An addition or two late last year raise the total to 45 included products.
It’s been my privilege to watch Microsoft as Gartner’s Vendor Lead for 3 years, and I end the assignment with the new year. This will be my last post in this series; I hope you have found it as useful as I found it instructive to create. Microsoft’s steady progress continues unabated into new categories and towards continuing improvement in its offerings.
I believe that Microsoft’s Software Defined Data Center along with their continued growth and success in Azure are a recipe for success.
I also believe that in 2017 Microsoft will add one more notch to their belt by coming on strong into Integrated Systems.
This is the space that Nutanix, HPE, Dell/EMC, Cisco, Oracle, NetApp and many others play.
If you look below my prediction is that in 2017 Microsoft will be a Visionary and in 2018 move into a Leader in this category which is where they belong.
The new list should be out in October 2017… Let’s see if I’m right or wrong.
Heck here is the definition from Gartner on what the Integrated Systems Category is all about:
Hyperconvergence is disrupting the integrated system market, with major system vendors joining the growing number of startups (some of which are now mature). I&O leaders should still recognize a role for solutions based on SANs and either blades or rack servers, depending on workload requirements.
Isn’t this exactly what Microsoft is doing? Yes I think so.
Ok, moving on now… I’ve been under Embargo “NDA” with the Microsoft MVP Program for quite some time regarding the new announcements for Hyper Convergence at Microsoft.
As of 2 days ago September 7, 2017 Microsoft’s Storage Team made public announcements on their blog regarding some of the amazing work that has been happening with the next release of Windows Server called “Windows 1709”.
So here are some of the major announcements that will be coming:
This was written by Elden Christensen, Principal Program Manager, Windows Server:
A decade ago came the virtualization wave, where datacenters filled full of hundreds of servers were virtualized and reduced to dozens of servers. The consolidation of the compute layer brought incredible cost savings to the business, and IT admins were hailed as heroes. The next evolution for the on-premises datacenter is here with hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) where the storage and compute layers are being collapsed to reduce costs and achieve new levels of performance, resulting in IT admin’s once again being hailed as heroes.
In Windows Server 2016 we introduced our Microsoft hyper-converged solution, and we are seeing incredible adoption and wonderful success stories. HCI in Windows Server 2016 represented a major investment and the beginning of a journey, and we will continue the hyper-converged infrastructure journey in Windows Server, version 1709. Building on our successful launch of HCI, here is a sneak peak into some of the enhancements you will see coming:
- Data Deduplication: You will now be able to achieve upwards of 95% data efficiency on your HCI solution. We have also done deep integration to dedup data as it is rotated between tiers in the most optimal way.
- Management: HCI will reduce the hardware acquisition costs, but we also want to reduce the operational expenses to deliver the lowest cost way to run your datacenter. We have an all new management experience that is specifically tailored to managing your HCI solution in the most simple and intuitive way.
- Performance: The Microsoft HCI solution is the industry leader in performance, but we aren’t going to let that be good enough! In Windows Server, version 1709 we will be raising the bar even further with integration of evolving silicon, like Persistent Memory, and improving our erasure coding performance to deliver higher performance capacity optimized solutions.
We have much more coming, in diagnosability, additional workloads/scenarios, security, and expanding the hardware ecosystem, to name a few. We look forward to seeing you at Microsoft Ignite on September 25th – 29th in Orlando, Florida where you can learn more about all the hyper-converged infrastructure enhancements coming in Windows Server, version 1709.
If you haven’t already, join the Windows Insiders program so you can get started with the preview builds for Windows Server, version 1709. Also, don’t forget to join the conversation in the Tech Community!
Be an IT hero once again with Microsoft hyper-converged!
Lastly – If you are coming to Microsoft Ignite in September make sure to check out my sessions on
https://myignite.microsoft.com/sessions/55275?source=speakerdetail
See you all there and happy learning,
Dave
