#GetWorkloadAgile - CrowdChat

Get Workload Agile

Join us for an interactive Crowdchat on how to build an agile infrastructure that can dynamically relocate applications and workloads as the business and data requirements change over time and drive new value. Log in to join the discussion with our expert panel!

#getworkloadagile @paulbrookatdata @wschueler @markmulvany @suzyspaatz

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Q1: New technologies and business models are accelerating the need to be agile. In fact, IDC expects 175 trillion GB of data by 2025. What implications does this huge increase of data have on workloads? https://www.crowdchat.net/s/45zqx

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Hi everyone, lets ask around why are we talking Agile workload today?

Like everything else in the industry, it strongly underpins the need for digital transformation. Infrastructure designed on principles developed 25 years ago certainly won't work optimally in a world of such growth

werner schueler

The implication of the explosions of Data are huge! Revolutionize health and safety with technology #iamintel #RiseWithUs

werner schueler

The implication of the explosions of Data are huge! Revolutionize health and safety with technology #iamintel #RiseWithUs

Artur Trapizonyan

The data explosion is resulting in new business and workload requirements. In fact, IDC say that Workload placement separates the winners from the losers in IT. When we talk about placement that means either IaaS, CaaS or PaaS. - https://bit.ly/idc_workloads

Have to agree with Gary not only is it the infrastructure but also procedures and the way we work needs to change.

Vladimira Vodzinska, PhD

#DellTech, we believe that Workload Agile means: 1. a data-first architecture capable of handling different types of applications and data and 2. different compute demands and outcomes from the edge to the core to the cloud

Yes, imagine trying to run a business using a 1970's phone system

Artur Trapizonyan

So, what needs to happen? How can we help CxO’s?

Data has always increased, typically 50% year over year. The challenge remains how to extract value from your data. Secondarily, how to scale to store, move, protect that data.

We struggle to predict what's going to happen in the next 18 months - COVID a perfect example - so implementing an infrastructure that's designed to address a relatively fixed future is futile. The 'new infrastructure' needs to be flexible enough to accommodate whatever comes

Good question it all comes down to understanding the workload hence the focus on #Getworkloadagile

As Gary suggests the Digital universe is super intertwined with the real world, and everything is moving at a pace.

OK I am going to throw this out. Difference between flexible and Agile please?

Vladimira Vodzinska, PhD

THE writer of bestsellers is talking :)

I think for me flexibility doesn't always mean agile.

Is it that Agile links into the business needs and the flexibility is very much internal or IT systems focused

@PaulBrookatData For me, flexible means able to handle multiple different types of workload. Agile refers more to speed of response to challenge and change.

... and as per Mark and Paul's points, this isn't just a technology question. Culture is at least as important. IT is becoming a true teamsport, involving perhaps previously unexpected stakeholders, such as HR, Legal, even Facilties

Yes I would agree agility is something that needs to evolve constantly and not really about individual technologies but more about business benefits

.@garryo130 That is so true! In fact, every discussion I've seen recently highlight company culture as a key factor in driving digital transformation and all that entails.

@garryo130 Critically, breaking down silos, and driving virtual and disparate teams to work together to a common goal. Communication, previously important, just became importanter!

Rory- much better way of saying it. I agree. Thanks

werner schueler

I agree Companies cultures have to evolve and adapt where technology can help to drive the culture change and therefore the business competitiveness #iamintel

Yes - 'Agile' refers to outcomes, 'Flexibility' is about how you produce those outcomes against a background of constant uncertainty

Strangely, COVID may turn out to help in this regard. It's forcing people to use collaboration tools, and to work remotely. Perversely, this increased willingness to use tools such as Teams, Zoom, etc may help employees that were reluctant to do so before

.@garryo130 I agree, this pandemic is definitely a catalyst to embrace new technologies, at home & in your business. Absolutely! Organisations are re-allocating budgets to become both agile and remain flexible for unknown future demands. It's the perfect storm for transformation.

Q4: Let’s turn to the topic of cloud and workloads. One thing we know is that the future is multi-cloud. What are the considerations for building a winning multi-cloud strategy? https://www.crowdchat.net/s/35ztr

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I think the first thing we need to address is what is cloud ?

Oh how I crawl when I hear 'cloud first' it is like saying 'laptop first'

If you'll allow a blatant plug, we're discussing exactly this topic later today in the VMware vForum online https://www.vmware.com/learn/EMEA_vFORUM_OnlineSer...

VMware vForum Online 2020
Whatever your business needs, attending VMware vForum Online 2020 will ensure you get the latest product and solution information, access to the best tools and essential partnerships to take IT – and your power to shape it – to the next level.

Often we hear people define cloud as a place which is incorrect

Nothing wrong with Blatant plugs:-)

@markmulvany Oh yes, been hammering that one for years - Cloud is a strategy, an approach, not a destination.

Yes have to admit I hear cloud first a lot and we need to go back to what is the business requirement of the workload

There have been rumours that data centers are going away, but that has proven to be false. 92% of respondents to ESG Research’s #HybridCloud tipping point indicated that their cloud strategies were inclusive of having on-premises data centers. What do you think of that?

Cloud First is not a strategy it's a statement

Yes - I recall Bob Moule saying f you do not know what your business problem is - cloud will not solve that but equally, cloud and delivered real business value for a heap of what are now household names

Interestingly, to your point Rory, Mark: The folks who 'get' cloud are often extremely data driven and business focused,

Workloads are increasing at an amazing rate. We'll generate more workloads in the 5 years to Dec '23 than we have done in the previous 40 years. They have to live somewhere, even as the ratio biases towards cloud.

Yes indeed the death of the datacentre has been predicted several times but missed the point

Mark, you recently said that CIO / CTO are focused on managing their workloads / application portfolio. That portfolio is typically split into two categories: existing applications and new applications. What are the implications?

@roarers shameless plug but a good one!

@markmulvany Does anything ever really die in IT? We all have clients with stuff in production that belongs in a museum!

werner schueler

cloud is a mean to achieve scalability and flexibility for key workloads - security is key! https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/service-pr... #iamintel

Great question and please everyone chime in as well. From my perspective we need to manage the traditional applications and I don't like the term legacy as these applications are still the lifeblood of the business.

Mark, Rory: To your point, ad Technology now generates revenue it gets more attention from the business leadership

But we also need to prepare organizations to take advantage of Cloud Native on their own terms.

It's also common to hear the implication that somehow Cloud is a monolithic 'product', something concrete. In reality, it's the intersection of a vast list of technologies: compute/storage, networking, security, multi-tenancy, and - going back to the start - culture/operations

This is the core tenet of Dell Technologies Cloud Strategy powered by VMware allowing our customers to both manage traditional IAAS focused workloads and Cloud Native workloads particularly leveraging VCF 4.0 with Tanzu.

Chiming in: Traditional applications are often the core operational activities. Billing, ERP and such. These are essential. The Apps Rory talks about often 'make money' and connect with citizens etc. But these are so often very different architectures behind them

Wow @roarers, that's impressive: We'll generate more workloads in the 5 years to Dec '23 than we have done in the previous 40 years

@PaulBrookatData Exactly! Neither is more important; they do different things. And we have to support both the creation and operation of both, on the same pool of infrastructure.

So organisations can choose to move applications to the cloud and re-platform, hopefully with as little cost or effort as possible. They can refactor or rebuild that application for the cloud, build a brand new app in the cloud or also replace it with a set of SaaS application

It comes back to agility for business outcomes and the exciting piece for me is being able to leverage containers and Kubernetes out of the box on the same platform where I can robustly run my traditional virtual applications which in fairness are still the vast majority of apps.

Thanks everyone. I want to add a couple of great links before tomorrow, so please keep checking back for the next few hours

Artur Trapizonyan

Thanks for sharing some fantastic insights. Let's repeat!