IBM Extends Cloud Architecture

CloudBurst was first packaged with IBM software on Intel server blades. The new CloudBurst offering leverages IBM Power 750 Series servers to provide a more scalable, turnkey approach that leverages more of the advanced virtualization technologies that IBM has developed over the years for the P-Series. In addition, IBM updated its Intel-based CloudBurst offerings with the latest Intel processors, which now allow customers to run 30 or more virtual machines per blade.

IBM is also taking its first steps toward allowing customers to deploy the software that IBM uses to manage its CloudBurst offerings without requiring customers to purchase new IT infrastructure.

According to Ric Telford, IBM vice president for cloud delivery services, IBM is responding to requests from customers that want to begin migrating to a private cloud computing architecture using a new IBM Service Delivery Manager offering, but are not ready to make investments in new IT infrastructure to drive that process.

Telford says the IBM CloudBurst approach differs fundamentally from rival unified server offering from Cisco, Hewlett-Packard and Dell in that in addition to providing a unified approach to managing servers, storage and networking resources, it provides all the self-service and chargeback management technologies that IT organizations need to manage a cloud computing deployment on an ongoing basis.

Over time, Telford added that IBM expects to see the evolution of “borderless clouds” where IT organizations will want to integrate cloud computing infrastructures across private and public cloud deployments that can share a common set of management infrastructure.