The 80s are back: Modern IT is a throwback without the mullet | #vmworld
With hyper converge, hybrid Cloud and end user computing bringing back infrastructure interest in a new way, it’s almost as if the 1980’s style of mainframe architecture has come back… with a twist, and without the mullet. Although a lot has changed in technology since that time, Dell Inc. VP & CTO of Engineered Solutions and Technology Sam Greenblatt, believes that functionalities have remained the same. In an interview for theCUBE at VMworld, he compared technology and architecture in the 1980’s to that of today.
Referencing the Ray Kurzwiel curve, Greenblatt stated that computing is actually going up by a factor of ten to six over period of time. However, the problem is that there aren’t a lot of new concepts. The mainframe was built hyper-converged, with a direct access storage device (DASD), CPU and networking. Although they may not have been in the same box, they were very closely coupled.
Today, the term hyper-converged is now referred to as integrated systems. Greenblatt stated that not everything can be hyper-converged. However, mentioning the recently announced EVO:RAIL product from VMware, Inc., he went on to say that it is possible to get a 2U form factor with four nodes in a box and actually get 100VMs on it. “Is that much different than the 80’s when we had those huge beasts? No. It’s scaled hardware,” Greenblatt added.
In terms of servers, Greenblatt believes that, although a lot has changed since the 1980’s, they will never go away. Back then, IBM, Corp. made its money selling type two cabling because no one thought it possible to get higher than 9600 because of things like shielding. Today, we can get up to 200 gigabits on Ethernet over copper. The industry is now noticing a disaggregation of the server. Greenblatt stated that there’s a need to get the server closer to the point of information. In the process, we’re going to get into a whole new style and a functional view of the architecture, where everything is interconnected on a high-speed, ubiquitous network. “So, the world changes, but it doesn’t change the functionality,” said Greenblatt.
photo credit: @Doug88888 via photopin cc
A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:
Support our mission to keep content open and free by engaging with theCUBE community. Join theCUBE’s Alumni Trust Network, where technology leaders connect, share intelligence and create opportunities.
- 15M+ viewers of theCUBE videos, powering conversations across AI, cloud, cybersecurity and more
- 11.4k+ theCUBE alumni — Connect with more than 11,400 tech and business leaders shaping the future through a unique trusted-based network.
About SiliconANGLE Media
SiliconANGLE Media is a recognized leader in digital media innovation, uniting breakthrough technology, strategic insights and real-time audience engagement. As the parent company of SiliconANGLE, theCUBE Network, theCUBE Research, CUBE365, theCUBE AI and theCUBE SuperStudios — with flagship locations in Silicon Valley and the New York Stock Exchange — SiliconANGLE Media operates at the intersection of media, technology and AI.
Founded by tech visionaries John Furrier and Dave Vellante, SiliconANGLE Media has built a dynamic ecosystem of industry-leading digital media brands that reach 15+ million elite tech professionals. Our new proprietary theCUBE AI Video Cloud is breaking ground in audience interaction, leveraging theCUBEai.com neural network to help technology companies make data-driven decisions and stay at the forefront of industry conversations.
