Archivi categoria: Azure Stack HCI

Windows Server 2025 vs. Azure Stack HCI: Who Wins the Virtualization Challenge?

Recently, the virtualization landscape has seen significant changes, pushing companies to evaluate new solutions for their IT environments. Specifically, the acquisition of VMware by Broadcom has raised concerns among many customers, leading them to explore alternatives for their virtualization infrastructures. In this context, Windows Server 2025 and Azure Stack HCI emerge as two key options offered by Microsoft. Both play a fundamental role in cloud and on-premises architectures, but they cater to very different needs and contexts. In this article, we will delve into the differences between these two platforms, highlighting their strengths and use cases to understand how they fit into the adoption of new virtualization and hybrid cloud solutions.

Background: The Evolution from Traditional Infrastructure to Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)

Before the widespread adoption of hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), virtualization was often implemented through a three-tier infrastructure, consisting of servers, switches, and SAN (Storage Area Network). The SAN represented the shared storage to which servers accessed via protocols such as iSCSI or Fibre Channel. This approach enabled and still enables the management of workloads across multiple hosts, ensuring redundancy and high availability through advanced failover and resilience mechanisms.

With the introduction of hyper-converged solutions, such as Azure Stack HCI—Microsoft’s solution for implementing a hyper-converged infrastructure—the management paradigm and architecture radically change: storage, networking, and computing are integrated into a single software-defined platform, eliminating the need for many dedicated hardware components.

Figure 1 – “Three Tier” Infrastructure vs Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)

This allows for greater simplicity in management, reduced costs associated with hardware, rack space, and cooling, and more flexibility in deployment.

Windows Server 2025: The Operating System for All Needs

Windows Server 2025 represents the latest evolution of Microsoft’s proven server operating system. This new version is designed to be a versatile, general-purpose platform, aimed at meeting the needs of businesses of any size. Windows Server 2025 continues to support a wide range of workloads, from traditional services like Active Directory and SQL Server to advanced virtualization scenarios with Hyper-V.

Some of the key innovations and features of Windows Server 2025 include:

  • Virtualization enhancements: Hyper-V has been further enhanced to support advanced features like GPU partitioning and optimized performance for virtual machines (VMs). This makes it ideal for companies heavily dependent on virtualization and needing to manage high-intensity workloads.
  • Storage Spaces Direct (S2D): This feature allows the creation of distributed storage clusters, transforming local disks into shared, highly available storage pools, with a strong focus on performance and resilience.
  • Hybrid cloud support: Although primarily designed for on-premises environments, Windows Server 2025 offers strong integration with Azure Arc, enabling hybrid and centralized management of both local and cloud resources. This feature opens up new scenarios, where on-premises resources can be managed directly from the Azure portal.
  • Flexible licensing: Windows Server continues to offer adaptable licensing models to meet business needs. In fact, Microsoft plans to sell Windows Server 2025 not only through traditional perpetual licenses but also through a pay-as-you-go subscription option.

Scalability and Performance with Windows Server 2025

One of the standout aspects of Windows Server 2025 is its focus on scalability. With support for up to 240 terabytes of memory and 248 virtual processors per virtual machine, this platform is designed to handle extremely intensive workloads, such as artificial intelligence and big data processing. Additionally, optimization for NVMe storage ensures a performance improvement of up to 70% compared to previous versions, positioning Windows Server 2025 as an excellent choice for businesses needing high-speed storage.

Another significant innovation is support for AD-less clustering, designed for edge scenarios where traditional Active Directory (AD) management might not be practical. This is particularly useful for companies operating in decentralized environments, such as remote industrial sites or branch offices.

Azure Stack HCI: The Hyper-Converged Virtualization Platform

Unlike Windows Server, Azure Stack HCI is not a general-purpose operating system. It is a platform specifically designed for virtualization and containerization environments. Azure Stack HCI combines compute, networking, and storage in a software-defined solution, offering simplified on-premises workload management with strong Azure cloud integration. It is an ideal solution for organizations seeking a scalable HCI infrastructure that can be managed through the Azure portal.

Key features of Azure Stack HCI include:

  • Focus on virtualization: Azure Stack HCI is optimized to run virtual machines and containers, without offering traditional server roles like Active Directory or file servers. This makes it a solution focused on specific workloads, such as managing virtualization and containerization environments through Hyper-V and Kubernetes.
  • Advanced cloud integration: Azure Stack HCI integrates seamlessly with Azure services, enabling the management of both on-premises and cloud resources through a single interface. This hybrid capability simplifies tasks such as provisioning, monitoring, and governance of resources in geographically distributed environments.
  • Security: Azure Stack HCI implements over 100 predefined security best practices.
  • Costs and licensing: Azure Stack HCI adopts a subscription-based licensing model, ensuring constant updates and security patches. While this approach makes costs more predictable, it may be less advantageous for smaller setups compared to the traditional Windows Server licensing model.

When to Choose Windows Server 2025?

Windows Server 2025 is a versatile and reliable choice for a wide range of IT scenarios, thanks to its general-purpose nature. However, to determine whether this platform is suitable for a specific organization, it is important to evaluate technical, economic, and operational requirements. Situations where Windows Server 2025 might be the ideal solution include:

  • On-premises-focused workloads: If an organization needs to keep most of its workloads on-premises with minimal cloud integration, Windows Server 2025 is the best choice.
  • Limited budget: If the company is not ready to invest in subscription-based solutions, the traditional Windows Server licensing model might be more cost-effective.
  • Hardware compatibility: If the goal is to reuse existing hardware, Windows Server offers greater flexibility in terms of compatibility.

When to Choose Azure Stack HCI?

Azure Stack HCI stands out for its strong cloud integration and ability to provide a modern hyper-converged infrastructure. While not a general-purpose operating system, its architecture makes it particularly suited to specific needs related to virtualization and containerized workloads. Situations where Azure Stack HCI emerges as the optimal choice include:

  • Hybrid cloud environments: If a company has already adopted a hybrid cloud strategy, Azure Stack HCI offers integrated management with the Azure portal, simplifying the control of resources in distributed environments.
  • Resilience and disaster recovery: Thanks to support for stretched clusters across multiple geographic locations, Azure Stack HCI provides greater resilience and advanced disaster recovery options.
  • Infrastructure modernization: If you are looking to modernize infrastructure by adopting hyper-converged technologies and close cloud integration, Azure Stack HCI is the perfect solution to support the transition.

Conclusions

Windows Server 2025 and Azure Stack HCI are robust and powerful platforms, but designed for different needs. Windows Server 2025 is perfect for organizations needing a general-purpose platform with a strong on-premises presence and some hybrid cloud capabilities. Azure Stack HCI, on the other hand, is the ideal choice for companies looking to fully embrace hybrid cloud with simplified management and strong Azure integration.

The choice between the two will depend on the specific requirements of the organization, budget, and long-term goals. It’s not about deciding which is the “better” virtualization platform, but which better meets the company’s operational and strategic needs.

Everything you need to know about the new OEM Licensing model for Azure Stack HCI

Microsoft recently introduced a new OEM licensing model for Azure Stack HCI, designed to simplify the licensing process and offer numerous benefits. This new model, available through major hardware vendors like HPE, Dell, and Lenovo, provides companies with an additional option to manage their Azure Stack HCI licenses. In this article, we will explore the current licensing options in detail and the features of the new OEM license, highlighting the technical aspects and benefits for users.

Existing Licensing Options

Before diving into the new OEM licensing option, it is essential to understand the currently available licensing models for Azure Stack HCI. For all details on the Azure Stack HCI cost model, you can consult this article.

Overview of the New OEM License

The new OEM licensing option for Azure Stack HCI is a prepaid license available through specific hardware vendors, such as HPE, Dell, and Lenovo. Intended for Azure Stack HCI hardware, including Premier Solutions, Integrated Systems, and Validated Nodes, this license offers a pre-installed solution that is activated in Azure and remains valid for the duration of the hardware.

The Azure Stack HCI OEM license includes three essential components:

  • Azure Stack HCI: The foundational platform for hybrid cloud that enables running virtualized workloads.
  • Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS): The container orchestration service that simplifies the management and deployment of containerized applications.
  • VM and guest containers: Through Windows Server Datacenter 2022, Windows Server VMs can be activated on an Azure Stack HCI cluster using generic keys for Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA), via Windows Admin Center or PowerShell.

This license ensures access to the latest versions of Azure Stack HCI and AKS, allowing for the use of unlimited VMs and containers.

OEM License Features

The features of the Azure Stack HCI OEM license are as follows:

  • Inclusion of Azure Stack HCI and AKS: The license includes Azure Stack HCI and Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) with unlimited virtual CPUs. This is a significant advantage compared to the Azure Hybrid Benefit, which limits the use of AKS to the number of licensed physical cores.
  • Physical core licensing: Each physical core in the server must be licensed. The base license covers up to 16 cores, with additional components available in two and four core increments for systems with more than 16 cores. For example, a 36-core system requires two 16-core licenses plus an additional four-core license. This license does not support a dynamic per-core model.
  • Prepaid and permanent license: This license does not require annual renewals or subscriptions. It is a prepaid license that remains valid for the duration of the hardware on which the Azure Stack HCI operating system is installed.
  • No support for mixed nodes: Currently, this license does not support environments with mixed nodes in the same Azure Stack HCI system. For more information, it is advisable to consult the mixed node scenarios.
  • Non-transferable license: The license is tied to the original hardware on which the Azure Stack HCI operating system is pre-installed and cannot be transferred to different hardware or systems. This approach ensures that the license and its benefits remain specific to the initial hardware configuration.
  • Automatic activation: This pre-installed license does not include product keys or COA. The license is automatically activated once the device is registered in Azure. In the event of a failure requiring reinstallation, it is necessary to contact the OEM vendor.
  • No CAL requirements: For this specific license, no Device or User CAL is required.

Technical Details

The new OEM license is pre-installed on the hardware and automatically activates in Azure. This process eliminates the need for physical licenses or additional activation steps. When users connect Azure Stack HCI nodes to Azure, the system recognizes the OEM license and automatically activates the associated benefits.

To verify if you have an active OEM license for Azure Stack HCI, you can follow these steps:

  1. Access the Azure portal.
  2. Search for your Azure Stack HCI cluster.
  3. Under the cluster, select Overview to check the billing status.
    • If you have an active OEM license for Azure Stack HCI, the billing status should be OEM License, and the OEM license status should be Activated.

Figure 1 – Azure Stack HCI Billing status

For support with the Azure Stack HCI OEM license, you must first contact your OEM vendor. If support is not available from the vendor, it is advisable to open an Azure support request through the Azure portal.

Advantages of the New OEM Licensing Mechanism

The new OEM licensing option offers several significant advantages for Azure Stack HCI users:

  • Simplified licensing: Users do not need to manage separate licenses or worry about additional documentation. The license is embedded in the hardware, simplifying the entire process and reducing administrative complexity.
  • Different and more predictable cost model: By prepaying the license, users avoid recurring monthly or annual costs, which can result in significant long-term savings. Users benefit from a one-time purchase that includes hardware, software, and full support, simplifying IT resource procurement and management.
  • Unlimited use of AKS: The inclusion of unlimited virtual CPUs for Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) is a substantial advantage, particularly for organizations that extensively use Kubernetes for containerized applications.
  • Operational efficiency: The automatic activation feature ensures that users can quickly and easily start using their Azure Stack HCI infrastructure without additional configuration or licensing steps, improving operational efficiency. Moreover, a single license covers Azure Stack HCI, AKS, and Windows Server 2022 as guest VMs, offering an integrated solution that simplifies overall license management.

Conclusion

The new OEM licensing model for Azure Stack HCI represents a new opportunity for licensing hybrid infrastructures. Through direct integration with major hardware vendors like HPE, Dell, and Lenovo, this solution offers a prepaid and permanent license, simplifying the purchasing process and reducing administrative complexity. The benefits include unlimited use of Azure Kubernetes Services, a more predictable cost model, and automatic activation that allows users to quickly start using their infrastructure. While this licensing model does not support mixed node environments and is non-transferable, it makes Azure Stack HCI an even more attractive choice for companies seeking efficiency and flexibility in managing Microsoft hybrid solutions.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) Strategies for Azure Stack HCI

Azure Stack HCI is a cutting-edge solution in the hyper-converged infrastructure landscape, designed to offer businesses the flexibility to integrate their on-premise infrastructure with the capabilities of Azure cloud. This platform stands out for its ability to optimize resources, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure simplified management through advanced virtualization, storage, and networking technologies. In an increasingly digitalized context, where operational continuity and rapid response capabilities to potential disasters are essential, Azure Stack HCI emerges as the ideal solution to meet these challenges, ensuring organizations remain resilient, operational, and competitive, even in the face of unforeseen events and calamities. This article aims to explore the main Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) strategies that can be implemented with Azure Stack HCI, highlighting how this platform can be a fundamental element for a robust IT infrastructure.

Overview of Azure Stack HCI

Azure Stack HCI is an innovative solution from Microsoft that allows the implementation of a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) in an on-premise environment, while simultaneously providing a strategic connection to Azure services. This platform supports Windows and Linux virtual machines, as well as containerized workloads, along with their storage. As a hybrid product par excellence, Azure Stack HCI enhances integration between on-premise systems and Azure, offering access to various cloud services, including monitoring and management.

This hybrid model simplifies the adoption of advanced scenarios like disaster recovery, cloud backup, and file synchronization, facilitating the expansion of business operations into the cloud as needed. The main advantages of Azure Stack HCI include reduced IT complexity, cost optimization through more efficient resource use, and the ability to rapidly adapt to the continuously evolving business needs.

Figure 1 – Overview of Azure Stack HCI

For a detailed exploration of the Microsoft Azure Stack HCI solution, I invite you to read this article or view this video.

The Importance of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

The strategies of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are crucial in the context of Azure Stack HCI for several reasons.

Having solid BC and DR strategies ensures that, even in the face of hardware failures, natural disasters, cyberattacks, or other forms of disruptions, critical operations can continue without substantial interruptions. This not only protects the reputation and continuity of the business, but also ensures that critical data is protected and recoverable, minimizing the risk of financial and data loss.

Moreover, in an environment increasingly dependent on data and applications for daily operations, IT resilience becomes a competitive factor. Implementing effective BC and DR strategies in Azure Stack HCI allows demonstrating reliability and resilience to stakeholders, including customers, partners, and employees, strengthening confidence in the operational model.

For these reasons, BC and DR are fundamental elements of the IT strategy in Azure Stack HCI, ensuring that business operations can withstand and quickly recover from disruptions, thus protecting the operational integrity of the organization.

Risk Assessment and Business Impact

In the realm of IT infrastructure management, the ability to anticipate and effectively respond to potential risks is crucial for maintaining business continuity. The optimal adoption of Azure Stack HCI requires a thorough analysis and a well-defined mitigation strategy. In this section, we explore the essential steps for identifying risks, assessing business impact, and establishing recovery priorities, key elements for successfully implementing an effective Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) strategy in the Azure Stack HCI environment.

Risk Identification

Risk assessment for the Azure Stack HCI environment must rely on meticulous analysis to identify potential risks that can threaten the integrity and operational continuity of the infrastructure. These risks can vary from natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes to hardware failures, network disruptions, cyberattacks, and software issues. It is essential to perform a targeted assessment to identify and classify risks, thus creating a solid foundation for strategic planning and mitigation.

Business Impact Analysis

Next, it is necessary to proceed with assessing the impact that each identified risk can have on business operations. This process, known as Business Impact Analysis (BIA), focuses on the extent of disruption each risk can cause, evaluating consequences such as loss of critical data, disruption of essential services, financial impact, and loss of reputation. The goal is to quantify the Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD) for each critical business function, in order to establish recovery priorities and the most appropriate response strategies.

Recovery Priorities

Based on the Business Impact Analysis, recovery priorities are established to ensure that resources and efforts are focused on restoring the most critical functions for business operations. This approach ensures that recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) are aligned with business needs and expectations.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Strategies

The Business Continuity strategies for Azure Stack HCI aim to create a highly available and resilient environment, thus ensuring the continuity of business activities. Concurrently, the Disaster Recovery (DR) strategies are designed to ensure a quick and efficient resumption of IT operations following critical events. In the following paragraphs, we explore the key aspects to consider for effectively implementing these strategies.

Redundancy and High Availability

Redundancy and high availability are fundamental components of Business Continuity strategies in Azure Stack HCI. Implementing redundancy means duplicating critical system components, such as servers, storage, and network connections, to ensure that in the event of a component failure, another can take its place without interruption. Azure Stack HCI supports high availability configurations through failover clusters, where computing and storage resources are distributed across multiple nodes. In case of a node failure, workloads are automatically shifted to other available nodes in the cluster, thus maintaining operations without downtime. This configuration not only protects against hardware failures but also ensures resilience against operating system-level disruptions.

Backup and Recovery

Regarding backup and recovery, it is essential to implement a strategy that ensures data protection and the ability to quickly restore data after an interruption. Azure Stack HCI integrates with most backup solutions, ensuring security and reducing the risk of data loss. It is recommended to schedule regular backups, adapting them to the frequency of data changes and specific business needs. Additionally, it is advised to regularly test restores to ensure that data can indeed be recovered within the time specified by the Recovery Time Objective (RTO).

Operational Continuity Testing

To validate the effectiveness of continuity strategies, it is crucial to regularly conduct operational continuity tests. These tests not only include backups and restores but also assess the ability of the infrastructure to function in conditions of partial or total failure. It is important to conduct targeted tests during the initial validation phase of the environment and to repeat them periodically in different scenarios to ensure that redundancy mechanisms function as expected.

Disaster Recovery Sites and Processes

Azure Stack HCI supports various disaster recovery site configurations to increase resilience. On-premise disaster recovery sites can be configured through stretched clusters that distribute the workload across multiple geographic sites, ensuring operational continuity even in the event of a complete failure of one of the sites.

Figure 2 – Comparison of types of stretched clusters

Alternatively, disaster recovery sites on Azure offer the flexibility to utilize cloud capacity for rapid recovery, enabling effective management of Disaster Recovery (DR) with virtual resources that can be quickly scaled.

Figure 3 – Hybrid features of Azure Stack HCI with Azure services

The disaster recovery process in Azure Stack HCI must be designed to ensure a quick and efficient resumption of IT operations after a critical event. This may include configuring failover mechanisms that leverage specific solutions, such as Azure Site Recovery (ASR), to orchestrate the recovery of virtual machines and services. With ASR, recovery can also be tested in a sandbox environment, thus ensuring the integrity of the process without impacting the production environment.

Automation and Documentation

Automation plays a key role in disaster recovery processes for Azure Stack HCI. By using tools such as Azure Site Recovery and Azure Automation, the client can automate the failover and failback process, reducing human error and accelerating recovery times. Automation ensures that each step of the DR plan is executed consistently and in accordance with defined standards.

Concurrently, detailed documentation of all disaster recovery procedures is essential. This should include recovery plans, system configurations, operational instructions, and key contacts. Documentation must be easily accessible and regularly updated to reflect any changes in the infrastructure or procedures. Having comprehensive and up-to-date documentation is crucial for ensuring an effective response during a disaster and for facilitating ongoing reviews and improvements to the DR plan.

Monitoring and Management Tools

The management of Azure Stack HCI is conducted using widely recognized tools such as Windows Admin Center, PowerShell, System Center Virtual Machine Manager, and third-party applications. The integration between Azure Stack HCI and Azure Arc allows for extending cloud management practices to on-premises environments, significantly simplifying use and monitoring. In particular, the Azure Stack HCI Insights solution offers an in-depth view of the health, performance, and utilization of Azure Stack HCI clusters.

Figure 4 – Azure Stack HCI monitoring

These tools provide detailed and simplified management of the platform, including configuration and monitoring of BCDR functions, facilitating daily operations and ensuring a timely response in case of emergencies.

Conclusions

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery strategies are essential in the context of Azure Stack HCI, which not only protects businesses from interruptions and disasters but also drives innovation and operational efficiency. Integration with Azure services enhances the resilience and risk management of Azure Stack HCI. This platform offers a solid architecture and allows integration with advanced features for backup and recovery, supporting businesses in ensuring data continuity and integrity. Azure Stack HCI thus proves to be not only a modern infrastructure solution but also a pillar for corporate IT resilience.

Strategic Integration Between Azure Stack HCI and Azure Virtual Desktop

In the current context of continuous technological evolution, the importance of resilient, scalable, and secure infrastructure solutions has never been more apparent. Microsoft’s Azure Stack HCI emerges as a key player in this landscape, offering a powerful hybrid platform that bridges on-premises environments and the cloud. With the integration of Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), this solution becomes even more strategic for companies looking to navigate the complexities in the field of desktop and application virtualization, extending the capabilities of Microsoft’s managed cloud service to the hybrid cloud environment. Through this approach, organizations can now deploy virtual desktops and applications more efficiently, while ensuring low-latency connectivity and access to Azure’s managed services for leading-edge management, security, and scalability. This article will explore in detail the features, benefits, and innovations of Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Stack HCI, providing a comprehensive overview of how these technologies can transform company IT infrastructures to better face the challenges of the modern work world.

Overview of Azure Stack HCI and Azure Virtual Desktop

What is Azure Stack HCI?

Azure Stack HCI is an innovative solution from Microsoft that enables the implementation of a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) for running workloads on-premises while maintaining a strategic connection to Azure services. This system eliminates the need for various traditional hardware components, opting instead for a software solution that integrates computing, storage, and networking into a single platform. This marks an evolution from traditional “three-tier” infrastructures, characterized by network switches, appliances, physical systems with hypervisors, storage fabric, and SAN, to a more simplified and efficient solution. Azure Stack HCI offers an infrastructure powered by a hyper-converged model, which supports both Windows and Linux virtual machines as well as containerized workloads, together with their storage. As a quintessential hybrid product, Azure Stack HCI facilitates the integration between on-premises systems and Azure, allowing access to cloud-based services, monitoring, and management. This gives organizations the agility and benefits typical of public cloud infrastructure, while effectively responding to use cases and regulatory requirements of specialized workloads that need to remain on-premises. Azure Stack HCI thus positions itself as a strategic choice for organizations aiming to combine cloud efficiency with the specific needs of the on-premises environment.

What is Azure Virtual Desktop?

Azure Virtual Desktop is a state-of-the-art VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) solution, cloud-based, designed to effectively meet the needs of modern work, whether remote or hybrid. Unique in its kind, it is fully optimized to leverage the multi-session capabilities of Windows 11 and Windows 10, ensuring optimal integration and efficiency. Additionally, Azure Virtual Desktop stands out for its robust security features, designed to protect corporate applications and data while ensuring compliance with current regulations. The platform is designed to significantly simplify the deployment and management of the VDI infrastructure, offering complete control over configuration and management. Thanks to its consumption-based pricing structure, it allows for reduced operational costs, leveraging investments and skills already acquired in the field of virtualization, paying only for the resources actually used.

What is Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI?

Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI represents an innovative technological solution that integrates the distinctive benefits of Azure Virtual Desktop and Azure Stack HCI. This integration offers organizations the flexibility to run virtualized desktops and applications securely not only in the cloud but also on-premises. Particularly suitable for entities with specific data residency requirements, latency sensitivity, or data proximity needs, Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI extends the capabilities of the Microsoft Cloud to corporate datacenters, promoting an IT environment more adaptive and responsive to business needs.

Key Features and Benefits

The main features and benefits of this solution include:

  • Performance optimization: enhances the user experience of Azure Virtual Desktop in regions with limited connectivity to the Azure public cloud, offering session hosts in physical proximity to users.
  • Compliance with data locality requirements: allows organizations to meet data residency requirements, keeping the data of applications and users on-premises. This aspect is crucial for companies operating in regulated sectors or with specific data privacy and security needs.
  • Access to legacy resources: facilitates access to legacy applications and data sources by keeping them in the same physical location as virtualized desktops and apps.
  • Full and efficient Windows experience: ensures a smooth and complete user experience thanks to compatibility with Windows 11 and Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session, while optimizing operational costs.
  • Unified management: simplifies the deployment and management of the VDI infrastructure compared to traditional on-premises solutions, using the Azure portal for centralized and integrated control.
  • Optimal network performance: ensures the best connection performance with RDP Shortpath, reducing latency and improving user access to virtualized resources.
  • Simple updates: allows for quick and simple deployment of the latest fully updated images through the use of Azure Marketplace images, thus ensuring that the virtual environment remains secure and up-to-date.

Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI is configured as a highly scalable and secure solution that enables companies to effectively address challenges related to data management, latency, and compliance, promoting an optimized and centrally manageable virtual work environment.

Integration Mechanisms

The main key mechanisms through which AVD integrates with Azure Stack HCI include:

  • Virtual machines as Session Hosts: the virtual machines (VMs) created on Azure Stack HCI act as session hosts for AVD. These VMs are managed just like any Azure VM but are located on-premises.
  • Azure managed components: AVD on Azure Stack HCI uses Azure managed components, such as brokerage and gateway services, while deploying session host pools directly on Azure Stack HCI clusters.
  • System requirements: to implement this configuration, you need to have Azure Stack HCI version 23H2 or higher. Additionally, you must have a Windows image for the VMs and a logical network that supports DHCP on Azure Stack HCI.

Deployment and Management

Here is how the deployment and management of AVD in this hybrid context works:

  • Location definition: deploying on Azure Stack HCI requires defining a custom location that represents the Azure Stack HCI cluster during the creation of resources on Azure. This step is crucial to ensure that resources are correctly associated with the desired physical infrastructure.
  • Configuration of Session Host pools: session host pools can be made up of VMs located in the Azure cloud or on a specific Azure Stack HCI cluster. It is important to note that VMs from both origins cannot be combined within a single pool.
  • Consistent management: the management of session hosts and user identities, which must be hybrid configurations synchronized between AD on-premises and Microsoft Entra ID, remains in line with standard Azure Virtual Desktop practices.

Licensing and Pricing

To implement Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Stack HCI, it is essential to understand and ensure compliance with the necessary licenses and pricing models. Here are the three main components that influence the cost of Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Stack HCI:

  1. Infrastructural costs: these costs directly relate to the Azure Stack HCI infrastructure on which Azure Virtual Desktop is run. More information on the Azure Stack HCI cost model can be found in this article.
  2. User access rights: the same licenses that grant access to Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure also apply to Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI. It is important to note that user access pricing for external users is not supported on Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI.
  3. Hybrid service rate: this is an additional rate that applies to each active virtual CPU (vCPU) on Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts operating on Azure Stack HCI. The rate for the hybrid service is $0.01 per vCore per hour of use.

Conclusions

The innovative contribution of Azure Stack HCI, further enhanced by the integration with Azure Virtual Desktop, marks a fundamental turning point for organizations aspiring to an advanced and hybrid IT infrastructure. Azure Stack HCI establishes itself as the backbone of this transformation, offering optimized management of on-premises workloads, together with the flexibility and efficiency characteristic of the cloud. The implementation of Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Stack HCI proves ideal for organizations that wish to leverage the potential of the cloud, while maintaining the specific needs of on-premises environments. This solution sets a new standard in the sector of hybrid VDI solutions, proposing an effective balance between innovation and customization.

Impact of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware and Microsoft’s alternative solutions

The tech industry witnessed one of the most significant mergers in recent times in November 2023, with Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware. This historic deal, now known as “VMware by Broadcom,” immediately raised questions and sparked interest among customers and industry analysts. Indeed, in an ever-evolving technological landscape, the repercussions of such a merger extend well beyond the walls of VMware and Broadcom, directly affecting existing customers and the global market for cloud services and IT infrastructure. Amidst a sea of changes, including shifts in licensing policies and potential uncertainty about the continuity of products and services offered, a clear need emerges for organizations to carefully assess their options.

It is in this context that Microsoft emerges as a key player, offering alternative solutions that promise not only to mitigate the risks associated with this major acquisition but also to provide new opportunities for growth and innovation. With a wide range of cloud services, virtualization tools, and infrastructure solutions, Microsoft stands out as a solid reference point for those seeking stability and reliability in a rapidly evolving IT landscape.

This article aims to explore in detail the impact of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, highlighting the main concerns of customers and outlining how Microsoft’s proposed alternative solutions can represent a strategic way out for organizations facing this significant change.

Main Customer Concerns

The following paragraphs report the main concerns raised by customers following Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware.

Transition from Perpetual Licenses to Subscriptions

A significant change introduced by Broadcom involves the transition from perpetual licenses, once a cornerstone of VMware’s offering, to a subscription-based model. This move raises concerns about long-term costs, as the recurring expenses of subscriptions can accumulate and exceed the one-time costs of perpetual licenses. Moreover, there is fear that customers may lose control over software versions and be subject to additional costs for updates.

Lack of Price Transparency

Customers express concerns about the lack of transparency in the pricing structure post-acquisition. Broadcom has announced reductions in “unit cost” but without providing clear details, raising fears of hidden costs and included services not requested. This uncertainty makes it difficult for customers to predict their future expenses.

Risk of Product Discontinuity

Broadcom’s history of optimizing product portfolios through the elimination of less profitable offerings has fueled concern over the potential discontinuity of popular VMware products. A case in point was the announcement of the end of availability of the free hypervisor vSphere (ESXi 7.x and 8.x), which has created uncertainty and pushed customers to evaluate alternative solutions.

Reduced Choice and Vendor Lock-in

The elimination of some products and increased dependence on Broadcom’s offerings can limit customers’ options, increasing the risk of lock-in with a single vendor. This scenario raises concerns about a possible increase in costs and a reduction in bargaining power.

Concerns about Reduced R&D

There is a strong concern that Broadcom’s historically cost-cutting approach could limit investments in research and development (R&D), compromising the innovation that has characterized VMware’s success. Memories of past acquisitions, where Broadcom cut R&D budgets, fuel fears about the future competitiveness and vitality of VMware products.

Impact on the VMware Ecosystem

Forrester Research Prediction

Forrester Research has predicted that about 20% of VMware’s enterprise customers may decide to abandon the VMware stack, driven by concerns related to the acquisition. This significant percentage of customers is looking for alternatives to meet their needs in areas such as virtualization, cloud environment management, remote access for end-users, and hyper-converged infrastructure solutions.

VMware Product Strategy and Focus

VMware has responded by simplifying its product portfolio, focusing the offering on three main areas: VMware Cloud Foundation, VMware vSphere Foundation, and additional services. This simplification aims to make it clearer for customers the technological path to follow, maintaining unchanged integrations with major cloud providers such as Azure, AWS, and Oracle. Moreover, for smaller implementations, VMware has kept the vSphere Standard and the vSphere Essentials Plus Kit, offering accessible options without overwhelming customers with an overly broad range of products.

Pricing and Offers

Despite the changes, VMware maintains a constant in its pricing strategy and offerings, opting for a subscription model that allows customers to align costs with the actual use of the software. This approach includes:

  • Subscription model: Allows paying for software based on actual use, aligning costs with real needs and avoiding large initial capital expenses (CAPEX). With terms of 1, 3, and 5 years, it offers the possibility to choose the duration of the subscription that best suits the organization’s needs and budget forecasts.
  • Core-based pricing: Rates are determined by the number of CPU cores used by the virtual machines, ensuring a cost allocation proportional to the resources used. A key aspect of the pricing model is the minimum threshold, which is equal to 16 cores per CPU.

Microsoft’s Alternative Solutions

Microsoft emerges as a key partner for customers looking for alternatives, offering innovative solutions for the migration and modernization of IT infrastructure. With an approach focused on innovation and flexibility, Microsoft primarily proposes the following solutions that can meet different needs and scenarios.

Azure Stack HCI: Bringing Azure into your data center with a hybrid infrastructure

Azure Stack HCI is Microsoft’s solution for creating an efficient and modern hyper-converged (HCI) infrastructure, suitable for running workloads in an on-premises environment with tight integration with Azure services. This solution is designed to facilitate the modernization of hybrid data centers, allowing users to enjoy a cohesive and familiar Azure experience even on-premises. Azure Stack HCI aims to simplify IT infrastructure management while improving efficiency and operational agility. For a detailed exploration of the Microsoft Azure Stack HCI solution, I invite you to read this article or watch this video. Additionally, for scenarios where a constant connection cannot be guaranteed (“disconnected” scenarios), it is possible to foresee the implementation of virtualization, storage, and network management solutions that leverage recent and innovative technologies included in Windows Server. For the latter, the new version 2025 will soon be launched.

Figure 1 – Azure Stack HCI overview

Azure VMware Solution (AVS): VMware in Microsoft’s data centers for enterprise realities

Azure VMware Solution leverages VMware technology on Azure to maintain symmetry with on-premises VMware environments, thereby accelerating the migration of VMware workloads to the Azure cloud with minimal adjustments. AVS facilitates the management of a hybrid cloud environment, offering private clouds in Azure, built on dedicated Azure infrastructure and bare-metal. Managed and supported directly by the Azure team and validated by VMware, this solution frees organizations from managing infrastructure and software. AVS includes essential VMware licenses such as vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and vMotion (VMware HCX), significantly simplifying migration and integration with Azure. For more details on the solution, you can consult this article on How to natively run VMware workloads in Azure.

Moreover, the Azure VMware Solution was recently made available in the Azure region of Northern Italy. This expansion allows customers in Italy to seamlessly integrate their VMware workloads with Azure services, leveraging the global scale, security, and performance of Azure while maintaining the VMware tools and skills they are accustomed to.

Figure 2 – Azure VMware Solution (AVS) overview

A particularly relevant aspect for organizations using Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 systems is the continuity of support in terms of security updates. Azure VMware Solution offers a significant advantage in this area: Extended Security Updates (ESU) for these systems are available at no additional cost when run on Azure VMware Solution. The provision of free ESU in Azure VMware Solution removes a common concern among many organizations regarding the costs and complexity associated with maintaining older systems in a secure environment. This approach allows companies to plan their migration and modernization of workloads with greater peace of mind, knowing that their Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 systems will continue to receive the necessary security updates for another 3 years during the transition to more recent technologies.

Azure VMware Solution not only facilitates the migration and integration of VMware environments with the Azure cloud but also provides essential support for managing legacy operating systems, offering a secure path to technological innovation and modernization without compromising security or operational stability.

Azure IaaS and PaaS: Migration and Modernization with Azure

For organizations aiming for a more radical modernization, Microsoft proposes migration to Azure IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and PaaS (Platform as a Service). This strategy allows migrating, restructuring, and rewriting applications leveraging modern architectural models. Azure IaaS ensures the management and execution of applications on a reliable cloud infrastructure, with a focus on security and compliance. Azure PaaS options further accelerate application development, providing a rich variety of tools. These platforms facilitate the quick creation of applications, support for development across different platforms, and the use of advanced resources in a cost-effective manner thanks to a payment model based on actual use. Modernization with Azure IaaS and PaaS offers a smooth transition to a flexible infrastructure, eliminating the need for VMware licenses.

Figure 3 – Moving to Azure IaaS and PaaS

Conclusions

Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware represents a significant turning point for the tech industry, marking the beginning of a new era of uncertainty and opportunity. While this merger raises legitimate concerns among customers regarding the continuity of products, price transparency, and the safeguarding of IT investments, it also opens the door to new horizons of growth and innovation. In this context of change, Microsoft stands out as a reference point, offering robust alternative solutions that not only directly address the concerns raised by this situation but also provide an opportunity for organizations to renew and enhance their IT infrastructures with cutting-edge technologies. The solutions proposed by Microsoft, including Azure Stack HCI, Azure VMware Solution (AVS), and migration and modernization options with Azure IaaS and PaaS, represent a strategic response to the challenges posed by the acquisition. These offerings allow organizations to achieve operational continuity, flexibility, and access to an innovative ecosystem that supports growth and innovation.

Azure Stack HCI: the continuously evolving Hyper-Converged solution – December 2023 Edition

In the rapidly evolving current technological landscape, the need for flexible and scalable IT infrastructures has never been more pressing. Azure Stack HCI emerges as a response to this need, offering a hyper-converged (HCI) solution that enables the execution of workloads in on-premises environments while maintaining a strategic connection with various services offered by Azure. Azure Stack HCI is not just a hyper-converged solution, but is also a strategic component of the Azure services ecosystem, designed to integrate and amplify the capabilities of existing IT infrastructure.

As part of Azure’s hybrid offering, Azure Stack HCI is constantly evolving, adapting to the changing needs of the market and user expectations. The recent wave of innovations announced by Microsoft testifies to the company’s commitment not only to maintaining but also improving its position as a leader in the HCI solutions sector. These new features, which will be explored in detail in this article, promise to open new paths for the adoption of Azure Stack HCI, significantly improving the management of hybrid infrastructures and offering new opportunities to optimize the on-premises environment.

The lifecycle of updates and upgrades of Azure Stack HCI

A fundamental aspect of Azure Stack HCI is its predictable and manageable upgrade and update experience. Microsoft’s strategy for Azure Stack HCI updates is designed to ensure both security and continuous innovation of the solution. Here’s how it works:

  • Monthly quality and security updates: Microsoft regularly releases monthly updates focused on quality and security. These updates are essential to maintain the integrity and reliability of the Azure Stack HCI environment.
  • Annual feature updates: in addition to monthly updates, an annual feature update is released. These annual updates aim to improve and enrich the capabilities of Azure Stack HCI with new features and optimizations.
  • Timing for installing updates: to keep the Azure Stack HCI service in a supported state, users have up to six months to install updates. However, it is recommended to install updates as soon as they are released to ensure maximum efficiency and security of the system.
  • Support from Microsoft’s Hardware Partners: Microsoft’s hardware solution partners support Azure Stack HCI’s “Integrated Systems” and “Validated Nodes” with hardware support services, security updates, and assistance, for at least five years.

In addition to these established practices, during Microsoft Ignite 2023, a significant new development was announced: the public preview of Azure Stack HCI version 23H2. This latest version represents an important step in the evolution of Azure Stack HCI. The final version of this updated solution will be released in early 2024, slightly behind the planned release cycle. This delay is attributable to significant changes made to the solution, aimed at further improving the capabilities and performance of Azure Stack HCI. Initially, Azure Stack HCI version 23H2 will be available exclusively for new installations. Over the course of the year, it is expected that most users currently on Azure Stack HCI version 22H2 will have the opportunity to upgrade their clusters to the new version 23H2.

Figure 1 – Azure Stack HCI update release cycles

Activation and management of different workloads

Modern organizations often find themselves managing a wide range of applications: some based on containers, others on virtual machines (VMs), some running in the cloud, others in edge environments. Thanks to Azure Arc and an adaptive approach to the cloud, it’s possible to use common tools and implement uniform operational practices for all workloads, regardless of where they are executed. The 23H2 version of Azure Stack HCI provides all the necessary Azure Arc infrastructure, automatically configured as part of the cluster deployment, including the Arc Resource Bridge and other management agents and components. This means that, from the start, it’s possible to begin deploying Arc-enabled virtual machines, Azure Kubernetes Service clusters, and Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts.

Virtual Machines

The 23H2 version of Azure Stack HCI offers the ability to activate general-purpose VMs with flexible sizing and configuration options to meet the needs of different applications. Users can use their own custom Linux or Windows images or conveniently access those available in the Azure Marketplace. When creating a new virtual machine (VM) using the Azure portal, the Command Line Interface (CLI), or an ARM template, it is automatically equipped with the Connected Machine Agent. This includes the integration of extensions like Microsoft Defender, Azure Monitor, and Custom Script, thus ensuring uniform and integrated management of all machines, both in the cloud and at the edge.

Azure Kubernetes Service

The 23H2 version of Azure Stack HCI offers the Azure Kubernetes Service, a managed Kubernetes solution that operates in a local environment. The Azure Kubernetes Service is automatically configured as part of the Azure Stack HCI deployment and includes everything needed to start deploying container-based workloads. The Azure Kubernetes Service runs its control plane in the same Arc Resource Bridge as the general-purpose VMs and uses the same storage paths and logical networks. Each new Kubernetes cluster deployed via the Azure portal, CLI, or an ARM template is automatically configured with Azure Arc Kubernetes agents inside to enable extensions such as Microsoft Defender, Azure Monitor, and GitOps for application deployment and CI/CD.

Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI (Preview)

The 23H2 version of Azure Stack HCI has been optimized to support the deployment of virtualized desktops and applications. Azure Virtual Desktop, a Microsoft-managed desktop virtualization service with centralized control in the cloud, offers the experience and compatibility of Windows 11 and Windows 10. This service is distinguished by its multi-session capability, which increases efficiency and reduces costs. With Azure Virtual Desktop integrated into Azure Stack HCI, it is possible to position desktops and apps (session hosts) closer to end-users to reduce latency, and there is also the option for GPU acceleration. The 23H2 version introduces an updated public preview that offers provisioning of host pools directly from the Azure portal, simpler guest operating system activation, and updated Marketplace images with pre-installed Microsoft 365 apps. Microsoft will soon share more information on timings and pricing for general availability.

Advanced security

The increase in applications and infrastructures in edge environments requires organizations to adopt advanced security measures to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated threats from attackers. The 23H2 version of Azure Stack HCI facilitates this process with advanced security settings enabled by default, such as native integration with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and the option to protect virtual machines with Trusted Launch.

Integrated and Default-Enabled Security

The new 23H2 version of Azure Stack HCI presents a significantly strengthened security posture. Leveraging the foundations of Secured Core Server, over 300 settings in the hypervisor, storage system, and network stack are pre-configured following Microsoft’s recommendations. This covers 100% of the applicable settings in the Azure security baseline, doubling the security measures compared to the previous version 22H2. Any deviations from the settings are detected and automatically corrected to maintain the desired security posture over time. For enhanced protection against malware and ransomware, application control is activated by default, using a base policy provided by Microsoft.

Integration with Microsoft Defender for Cloud

In Microsoft Defender for Cloud, in addition to workload protection for Kubernetes clusters and VMs, new integrated security recommendations provide coverage for the Azure Stack HCI infrastructure as part of the Cloud Security Posture Management plan. For example, if the hardware is not set up for Secure Boot, if clustered storage volumes are not encrypted, or if application control is not activated, these issues will be highlighted in the Microsoft Defender for Cloud portal. Furthermore, it is possible to easily view the security status of host clusters, nodes, and workloads in a unified view. This greatly improves the ability to control and correct the security posture efficiently on a large scale, making it suitable for environments ranging from a limited number to hundreds of locations.

Trusted launch for Azure Arc-Enabled Virtual Machines

Trusted launch is a security feature designed to protect virtual machines (VMs) from direct attacks on firmware and bootloaders. Initially available only in Azure’s cloud, it has now been extended to the edge with Azure Stack HCI version 23H2. When creating an Azure Arc-enabled VM, this security option can be selected using the Azure portal, the Command Line Interface (CLI), or an ARM template. Trusted launch provides VMs with a virtual Trusted Platform Module (TPM), useful for the secure storage of keys, certificates, and secrets. Additionally, Secure Boot is enabled by default. VMs using Trusted launch also support automatic failover and live migration, transparently maintaining the state of the vTPM when moving the VM between cluster nodes. This implementation represents a significant step towards introducing confidential computing into edge computing.

Innovations in edge management

Sectors like retail, manufacturing, and healthcare often face the challenge of managing physical operations across multiple locations. In fact, integrating new technologies in places such as stores, factories, or clinics can become a complex and costly process. In this context, an edge infrastructure that can be rapidly deployed and centrally managed becomes a decisive competitive advantage. Tools enhanced with artificial intelligence, capable of scaling to thousands of resources, offer unprecedented operational efficiency.

With the 23H2 version of Azure Stack HCI, fundamental lifecycle operations such as deployment, patching, configuration, and monitoring are entirely managed from the cloud. This significantly reduces the need for on-site tools and personnel, making it easier to manage edge infrastructures.

Cloud-based Deployment

The 23H2 version of Azure Stack HCI simplifies large-scale deployment. At edge sites, once new machines arrive with the operating system pre-installed, local staff can simply connect them and establish the initial connection with Azure Arc. From that point on, the entire infrastructure, including clusters, storage, and network configuration, is deployed from the cloud. This minimizes the time and effort required on-site. Using the Azure portal, it’s possible to create an Azure Stack HCI cluster or scale it with a reusable Azure Resource Manager (ARM) template, with unique parameters for each location. This infrastructure-as-code approach ensures consistent configuration of Azure Stack HCI on a large scale.

Cloud-based update management

Keeping the system up to date is now simpler. The 23H2 version introduces the new Lifecycle Manager, which organizes all applicable updates into a single monthly package, covering the operating system, agents, services, and even drivers and firmware for participating hardware solutions. Lifecycle Manager ensures that the cluster always runs a combination of software validated by Microsoft and its partners, reducing the risk of problems or incompatibility. Update management for Azure Stack HCI clusters is integrated with Azure Update Manager, providing a unified tool for all machines across the cloud and edge.

Cloud-based monitoring

Azure Monitor provides an integrated and comprehensive view for applications and infrastructure, covering both cloud and on-premises environments. This now includes logs, metrics, and alert coverage for Azure Stack HCI version 23H2. Over 60 standard metrics are available, including CPU and memory usage, storage performance, network bandwidth, and more. Azure Stack HCI health issues, such as a failed disk or a misconfigured network port, are reported as new platform alerts, customizable to trigger notifications or actions. Additionally, Azure Monitor Insights, powered by Data Collection Rules and Workbooks, provides pre-configured views to help administrators monitor specific features, such as storage deduplication and compression.

Useful references

For all the details regarding the 23H2 version of Azure Stack HCI, you can consult the official Microsoft documentation.

Conclusions

Azure Stack HCI represents a milestone in the landscape of IT infrastructures, offering a robust, scalable, and secure solution for organizations navigating today’s complex technological ecosystem. With its approach, Azure Stack HCI effectively adapts to the needs of hybrid infrastructures, enabling seamless integration between on-premises environments and the Azure cloud. Its advanced features, such as optimized workload management, cutting-edge security, and ease of edge system management, not only meet current challenges but also open new possibilities for future innovation. The constant updating of its capabilities, highlighted by the 23H2 version, demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to keeping pace with the evolving market needs and user expectations. Azure Stack HCI is not just a solution for current needs but a strategic investment to bring cloud innovation into one’s on-premises environment.

The evolution of Azure Stack HCI with Premier Solutions

As businesses worldwide seek more efficient, scalable, and customizable solutions for their IT infrastructure needs, Microsoft unveils the “Premier Solutions for Azure Stack HCI.” This launch provides companies with a range of new opportunities, seamlessly integrating with existing solutions to achieve Azure Stack HCI systems and enhancing possibilities for businesses of all sizes. In this article, we will explore the features of this new offering, how it integrates with existing solutions, and how it might redefine the future of Azure Stack HCI.

Previous Context

To activate the Azure Stack HCI solution, on-premise hardware is required. Until now, companies could rely on:

  • Azure Stack HCI Integrated Systems: Some hardware providers offer systems specifically designed and optimized for Azure Stack HCI, providing an experience reminiscent of a dedicated appliance. These solutions also include unified support, provided in collaboration between the provider and Microsoft.
  • Azure Stack HCI Validated Nodes: This method relies on the use of hardware carefully verified and validated by a specific hardware provider. This strategy allows advanced hardware customization based on customer needs, offering the possibility to select specific details related to the processor, memory, storage, and network card features, always respecting the provider’s compatibility specifications. Several hardware manufacturers offer solutions compatible with Azure Stack HCI, and most Azure Stack HCI configurations are currently made following this approach.

What’s New: Premier Solutions for Azure Stack HCI

“Premier Solutions” represent a new category in the Azure Stack HCI product landscape, created to offer users a better operational experience. These solutions promise faster achievement of tangible results and unprecedented flexibility thanks to “as-a-service” provisioning options. This significant advancement is the result of collaboration with tech giants like Dell Technologies and Lenovo. The essence of this initiative is the fusion of the best available technologies into a deeply integrated, complete infrastructure solution, providing a seamless experience between hardware, software, and cloud services.

Key strengths of the Premier Solutions include:

  • Advanced Integration: An unparalleled combination of hardware, software, and cloud services, allowing companies to reduce time spent on infrastructure management and focus more on innovation.
  • Guaranteed Reliability: Microsoft and its partners are dedicated to continuous testing to ensure maximum reliability and minimal downtime.
  • Simplified Implementation: Comprehensive deployment workflows, making the implementation of Azure Stack HCI clusters a simple and repeatable process.
  • Facilitated Updates: Jointly tested and automated full-stack updates, allowing for continuous, easy updates.
  • Flexible Purchase Models: Various purchase options and additional services to facilitate the start of Azure Stack HCI solutions.
  • Global Availability: A consistent solution available everywhere, ensuring consistency worldwide.

Figure 1 – Azure Stack HCI Solution Categories

Visually, we can imagine the Azure Stack HCI solution categories as overlapping layers: at the top, we find the Premier Solutions, ready for immediate use after deployment; followed by the Integrated Systems, targeted configurations with pre-installed software for specific tasks; and finally, the Validated Nodes, boasting the broadest variety of hardware components.

For a detailed comparison between the different categories of Azure Stack HCI solutions, you can refer to this document.

A Case in Point: Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure

A shining example of this collaboration is the new Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure. This platform goes beyond the capabilities of the Validated Node and Integrated System categories, offering a turnkey Azure Stack HCI experience.

Born from close collaboration between Dell and Microsoft, its native integration with Azure aims to realize a shared goal: to simplify the customer experience and provide the flexibility needed for modern IT infrastructure.

Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure is the result of meticulous engineering collaboration between Dell and Microsoft. It offers deep integration and automation between the technological layers of the two companies, accelerating the value achieved by customers and amplifying IT agility and productivity. With a wide range of configuration options and form factors, optimized for both main data center infrastructures and edge deployments, this platform can address a wide range of use scenarios, allowing organizations to drive innovation in every context.

A Look to the Future

In the coming months, Microsoft plans to expand the Premier Solutions portfolio with innovative edge platforms from Lenovo, consolidating its industry leadership and offering solutions increasingly suited to customer challenges. To learn more about the available Azure Stack HCI solutions, you can visit the relevant catalog.

Conclusions

Hybrid solutions represent the future of IT infrastructure, offering flexibility, scalability, and unprecedented integration between on-premise and cloud. The recent introduction of “Premier Solutions for Azure Stack HCI” is clear evidence of this, demonstrating Microsoft’s commitment to the constant evolution of its ecosystem. Collaboration with giants like Dell and Lenovo highlights a strategic synergy aimed at providing companies with cutting-edge, efficient, and optimized solutions. In particular, the Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure symbolizes the pinnacle of this collaboration, presenting a solution that perfectly meets the modern needs of IT infrastructure management and evolution. As the IT landscape continues to evolve, it’s clear that solutions like Azure Stack HCI will be at the heart of digital transformation, guiding organizations towards a more connected, integrated, and innovative future.

Embracing the future: why Azure Stack HCI is the optimal choice for modernizing On-Premises infrastructure

As the digital landscape evolves, businesses are constantly seeking ways to harness the power of technology to stay competitive and efficient. While cloud computing has emerged as a game-changer, offering unparalleled flexibility and scalability, many enterprises still grapple with the challenge of integrating their on-premises infrastructure with the cloud. Microsoft’s Azure Stack HCI presents a compelling solution to this dilemma, bridging the gap between traditional data centers and the innovative world of the cloud. In this article, we delve into the unique advantages of Azure Stack HCI and why it stands out as the preferred choice for businesses aiming to modernize their IT infrastructure.

Azure Stack HCI is Microsoft’s solution that allows you to create a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) for running workloads in an on-premises environment, with a strategic connection to various Azure services. Azure Stack HCI has been specifically designed by Microsoft to help customers modernize their hybrid data center, offering a complete and familiar Azure experience on-premises. If you need more information about the Microsoft Azure Stack HCI solution, I invite you to watch this video.

Figure 1 – Overview of Azure Stack HCI

In my daily interactions with customers, I am often asked why they should choose Azure Stack HCI over other well-known solutions that have been on the market for a long time. In the following paragraphs, I will outline what I believe are the main reasons to opt for Azure Stack HCI.

Modernize your on-premises infrastructure by bringing innovation

Azure Stack HCI is not synonymous with a virtualization environment but allows you to achieve much more. It is ideal if you want to modernize your infrastructure by adopting a hyper-converged architecture that allows you to:

    • Activate virtual machines based on consolidated technologies that make the environment stable and highly available, especially suitable for workloads that require high performance and scalability.
    • Deploy and manage modern applications based on microservices, alongside virtual machines, in the same cluster environment, using Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). In addition to running Windows and Linux apps in containers, AKS provides the infrastructure to run selected Azure PaaS services on-premises, thanks to Azure Arc.
    • Activate virtual machines with Windows Server 2022 Azure Datacenter edition, which offers specific features not available in the classic Standard and Datacenter editions. To learn more about the features available in this edition, you can consult this article.
    • Create Azure Virtual Desktop session host pools using virtual machines running on-premises. This hybrid scenario becomes interesting in situations where applications are latency-sensitive, such as video editing, or scenarios where users need to use a legacy system on-premises that cannot be easily accessed.
    • Extend the features of the on-premises solution by connecting to various Azure services such as Azure Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Azure Monitor, and Defender for Cloud. This aspect ensures constant innovation, given the continuous evolution of cloud services.

Optimize costs

The Azure Stack HCI cost model, detailed in this article, is straightforward. Specifically, for customers with a Software Assurance contract, adopting Azure Stack HCI results in a drastic reduction in the costs of modernizing the virtualization environment, making this solution even more cost-competitive compared to competitors in the market. Recently, when comparing the costs between Azure Stack HCI and VMware vSphere + vSAN over a 3-year projection, it emerged that Azure Stack HCI allows savings of up to 40%.

Increase the level of security

Azure Stack HCI offers cross-cutting security on hardware and firmware, integrated into the operating system’s features, capable of helping protect servers from advanced threats. Azure Stack HCI systems can adopt Secured-core security features, all through an easy configuration experience from Windows Admin Center. Additionally, Azure Stack HCI allows you to obtain important security patches for legacy Microsoft products that have passed the support deadline, through the Extended Security Update (ESU) program. Considering that October 10, 2023, marks the end of extended support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2, Azure Stack HCI allows more time to embark on an application modernization path without neglecting security aspects.

Maximize existing investments

Azure Stack HCI can integrate with the existing environment and the most popular third-party solutions. Therefore, adopting this solution does not require new investments to introduce or adapt management, identity, security, and protection solutions. Specifically, the administrative management of Azure Stack HCI does not require specific software, but existing management tools such as Admin Center, PowerShell, System Center Virtual Machine Manager, and even third-party tools can be used. Furthermore, by adopting Azure Stack HCI and Azure Arc, it is possible to apply cloud management models to the on-premises environment, greatly simplifying the user experience. Azure Stack HCI allows you to fully exploit not only the investments already made concerning tools but also the skills of IT staff.

Conclusions

In today’s fast-paced technological era, the choice of IT infrastructure can significantly influence a business’s agility, security, and overall growth. While there are numerous solutions available, Azure Stack HCI emerges as a frontrunner, seamlessly merging the reliability of on-premises systems with the innovation of the cloud. Its unique features, cost-effectiveness, and robust security measures make it an invaluable asset for companies aiming to stay ahead of the curve. By choosing Azure Stack HCI, businesses not only safeguard their current investments but also pave the way for a future-ready, integrated, and efficient IT environment.

Hotpatching di Windows Server: una rivoluzione nella gestione delle macchine virtuali

Nell’era digitale, assicurare una continuità operativa è essenziale, non più solo un valore aggiunto. Per molte aziende, interruzioni frequenti, anche di breve durata, sono inaccettabili per i loro workload critici. Tuttavia, garantire tale continuità può risultare complesso, considerando che la gestione delle macchine virtuali (VM) con sistema operativo Windows Server è per certi aspetti complessa, soprattutto in relazione all’applicazione di patch di sicurezza e aggiornamenti. Con l’avvento della funzionalità di hotpatching da parte di Microsoft, si è aperto un nuovo capitolo nella gestione delle VM: un approccio più efficiente che minimizza le interruzioni, garantendo server sempre aggiornati e protetti. Questo articolo esamina le caratteristiche e i vantaggi di questa innovativa soluzione.

Cos’è l’Hotpatching?

L’hotpatching, introdotto da Microsoft, è una tecnica avanzata che consente di aggiornare sistemi operativi Windows Server senza la necessità di effettuare un riavvio. Immagina di poter “cambiare le gomme” della tua auto in movimento senza doverla fermare. Questa è la “magia” dell’hotpatching.

Dove è possibile utilizzare l’Hotpatching

La funzionalità Hotpatch è supportata sul sistema operativo “Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition”, che è possibile utilizzarlo per le VM che girano in ambiente Azure ed Azure Stack HCI.

Le immagini Azure disponibili per questa funzionalità sono:

  • Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition Hotpatch (Desktop Experience)
  • Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition Core

Da notare che Hotpatch è attivato di default sulle immagini Server Core e che Microsoft ha recentemente esteso il supporto all’hotpatching per includere Windows Server con Desktop Experience, ampliando ulteriormente il campo di applicazione di questa funzionalità.

Aggiornamenti supportati

Hotpatch copre gli aggiornamenti di sicurezza di Windows e mantiene un allineamento con il contenuto degli aggiornamenti di sicurezza emessi nel canale di aggiornamento Windows regolare (non hotpatch).

Ci sono alcune considerazioni importanti per l’esecuzione di una VM Windows Server Azure Edition con hotpatch abilitato:

  • i riavvii sono ancora necessari per installare gli aggiornamenti che non sono inclusi nel programma hotpatch;
  • i riavvii sono anche richiesti periodicamente dopo che è stata installata una nuova baseline;
  • i riavvii mantengono la VM sincronizzata con le patch non di sicurezza incluse nell’ultimo aggiornamento cumulativo.

Le patch attualmente non incluse nel programma hotpatch includono aggiornamenti non di sicurezza rilasciati per Windows, aggiornamenti .NET e aggiornamenti non-Windows (come driver, aggiornamenti firmware, ecc.). Questi tipi di patch potrebbero richiedere un riavvio durante i mesi di Hotpatch.

Benefici dell’Hotpatching

I benefici di questa tecnologia sono molteplici:

  • Migliore sicurezza: con l’hotpatching, le patch di sicurezza vengono applicate in modo rapido ed efficiente. Questo riduce la finestra di vulnerabilità tra il rilascio di una patch e la sua applicazione, offrendo una protezione rapida contro le minacce.
  • Minimizzazione del downtime: uno dei principali vantaggi dell’hotpatching è la capacità di applicare aggiornamenti senza la necessità di riavviare il server. Ciò significa meno interruzioni e una maggiore disponibilità per le applicazioni e per i servizi.
  • Gestione più flessibile: gli amministratori di sistema hanno la libertà di decidere quando applicare le patch, senza la preoccupazione di dover effettuare una attenta pianificazione per garantire che i processi in esecuzione non vengano interrotti durante l’applicazione degli aggiornamenti.

Come funziona l’Hotpatching

Durante un processo di hotpatching, la patch di sicurezza viene iniettata nel codice in esecuzione del sistema operativo in memoria, aggiornando il sistema mentre è ancora in funzione.

Hotpatch funziona stabilendo prima una baseline con l’attuale Aggiornamento Cumulativo per Windows Server. Periodicamente (con cadenza trimestrale), la baseline viene aggiornata con l’ultimo Aggiornamento Cumulativo, dopodiché vengono rilasciati hotpatch per i due mesi successivi. Ad esempio, se a gennaio viene rilasciato un Aggiornamento Cumulativo, febbraio e marzo vedrebbero il rilascio di hotpatch. Per il calendario di rilascio degli hotpatch, è possibile consulta le note di rilascio per Hotpatch in Azure Automanage per Windows Server 2022.

Gli hotpatch contengono aggiornamenti che non richiedono un riavvio. Poiché Hotpatch corregge il codice in memoria dei processi in esecuzione senza la necessità di riavviare il processo, le applicazioni ospitate sul sistema operativo non sono influenzate dal processo di patching. Questa azione è separata da eventuali implicazioni sulle prestazioni e sulle funzionalità della patch stessa.

L’immagine seguente riporta un esempio di un programma annuale di rilascio degli aggiornamenti (inclusi esempi di baseline non pianificate a causa di correzioni zero-day).

Figura 1 – Schema di una programmazione annuale di esempio per il rilascio degli aggiornamenti Hotpatch

Ci sono due tipi di baseline:

  • Baseline Pianificate: vengono rilasciate con una cadenza regolare, con rilasci di hotpatch nel mezzo. Le Baseline Pianificate includono tutti gli aggiornamenti in un Aggiornamento Cumulativo più recente e richiedono un riavvio.
  • Baseline Non Pianificate: vengono rilasciate quando viene rilasciato un aggiornamento importante (come una correzione zero-day) e quel particolare aggiornamento non può essere rilasciato come hotpatch. Quando vengono rilasciate le baseline non pianificate, un rilascio di hotpatch viene sostituito con una baseline non pianificata in quel mese. Anche le Baseline Non Pianificate includono tutti gli aggiornamenti in un Aggiornamento Cumulativo più recente e richiedono un riavvio.

La programmazione riportata nell’immagine di esempio illustra:

  • quattro rilasci di baseline pianificate in un anno solare (cinque in totale nel diagramma) e otto rilasci di hotpatch;
  • due baseline non pianificate che sostituirebbero i rilasci di hotpatch per quei mesi.

Processo di orchestrazione delle patch

Hotpatch è da considerate come un’estensione di Windows Update e gli strumenti di orchestrazione delle patch variano a seconda della piattaforma in uso.

Orchestrazione di Hotpatch in Azure

Le macchine virtuali create in Azure sono abilitate di default per il patching automatico se utilizzata un’immagine supportata di “Windows Server Datacenter: Azure Edition”:

  • le patch classificate come Critiche o di Sicurezza vengono automaticamente scaricate e applicate sulla VM;
  • le patch vengono applicate durante le ore di minore attività considerando il fuso orario della VM;
  • Azure gestisce l’orchestrazione delle patch e le patch vengono applicate seguendo i principi di disponibilità;
  • lo stato di salute della macchina virtuale, determinato attraverso i segnali di salute della piattaforma Azure, viene monitorato per rilevare fallimenti nel patching.

Orchestrazione di Hotpatch in Azure Stack HCI

Gli aggiornamenti Hotpatch per le macchine virtuali attive in ambiente Azure Stack HCI possono essere orchestrati utilizzando:

  • Group Policy per configurare le impostazioni del client Windows Update;
  • le impostazioni del client Windows Update oppure SCONFIG per Server Core;
  • una soluzione di gestione delle patch di terze parti.

Considerazioni e limitazioni

Tuttavia, come ogni tecnologia, anche l’hotpatching ha le sue sfumature. Non tutte le patch sono adatte per l’hotpatching; alcune potrebbero ancora richiedere un riavvio tradizionale. Inoltre, prima di applicare qualsiasi patch, rimane fondamentale testarla in un ambiente controllato per evitare potenziali problemi.

L’installazione di aggiornamenti Hotpatch non supporta il rollback automatico. Infatti, se una VM riscontra un problema durante o dopo un aggiornamento, risulta necessario disinstallare l’aggiornamento e installare l’ultimo aggiornamento baseline noto come valido. In seguito al rollback sarà necessario riavviare la VM.

Conclusione

L’introduzione dell’hotpatching da parte di Microsoft rappresenta un passo avanti significativo nella gestione delle VM con sistema operativo Windows Server. Con la capacità di applicare patch di sicurezza e aggiornamenti senza interruzioni, gli amministratori possono garantire che i loro server siano protetti e aggiornati in un modo più rapido ed efficace. In un mondo in cui la sicurezza è di primaria importanza e in cui ogni secondo conta, l’hotpatching si posiziona come una soluzione di valore per ogni azienda che utilizza Windows Server in ambiente Azure oppure in ambiente Azure Stack HCI.

Azure Stack HCI: l’innovazione dell’infrastruttura IT che riduce l’impatto ambientale

L’era dell’innovazione tecnologica ha il dovere di fondersi con la sostenibilità ambientale, e Microsoft Azure Stack HCI rappresenta un significativo passo avanti in questa direzione. Nel frenetico mondo dell’IT aziendale, le organizzazioni sono costantemente alla ricerca di soluzioni che non solo offrano prestazioni eccellenti ed innovazione, ma che contribuiscano anche a ridurre l’impatto ambientale delle proprie infrastrutture IT. Azure Stack HCI si pone come una soluzione all’avanguardia che coniuga l’eccellenza tecnologica con l’impegno verso la sostenibilità ambientale. In questo articolo, esploreremo le implicazioni positive per l’ambiente che derivano dell’adozione di Azure Stack HCI.

 

Riduzione del consumo energetico

In un’infrastruttura hyper-converged (HCI), diversi componenti hardware vengono sostituiti dal software, il quale unisce i livelli di elaborazione, storage e rete in una singola soluzione. Azure Stack HCI è la soluzione di Microsoft che consente di realizzare un’infrastruttura hyper-converged (HCI), in cui risorse di calcolo, storage e networking vengono consolidate in una piattaforma unica. Ciò elimina la necessità di dispositivi separati, come appliance, storage fabric e SAN, portando a una riduzione complessiva del consumo energetico. Inoltre, i sistemi Azure Stack HCI sono appositamente progettati per operare in modo efficiente, sfruttando al massimo le risorse disponibili. Questa eliminazione dei dispositivi separati e l’ottimizzazione delle risorse contribuiscono a ridurre la quantità di energia richiesta per il mantenimento e per il raffreddamento dell’infrastruttura, contribuendo così alla diminuzione delle emissioni di carbonio.

Figura 1 – “Three Tier” Infrastructure vs Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)

Utilizzo intelligente delle risorse

Azure Stack HCI consente di scalare le risorse in modo flessibile in base alle esigenze dei carichi di lavoro e permette di estendere le sue funzionalità con i servizi cloud di Microsoft Azure, tra i quali:

  • Azure Site Recovery per implementare scenari di disaster recovery;
  • Azure Backup per una protezione offsite della propria infrastruttura;
  • Update Management che consente di effettuare una valutazione degli aggiornamenti mancanti e procedere con la distribuzione corrispondente, sia per macchine Windows sia per sistemi Linux, indipendentemente dalla loro posizione geografica;
  • Azure Monitor che offre un modo centralizzato per monitorare e tenere sotto controllo ciò che accade a livello applicativo, di rete e nell’infrastruttura hyper-converged, utilizzando analisi avanzate basate sull’intelligenza artificiale;
  • Defender for Cloud che garantisce funzionalità di monitoraggio e rilevamento delle minacce di sicurezza sui workload in esecuzione nell’ambiente Azure Stack HCI;
  • Cloud Witness per utilizzare lo storage account di Azure come quorum del cluster.

Inoltre, esiste la possibilità di modernizzare e rendere più efficiente anche il file server, che rimane un componente strategico e ampiamente utilizzato nei datacenter, mediante l’adozione della soluzione Azure File Sync. Tale soluzione consente di centralizzare le cartelle di rete dell’infrastruttura in Azure Files, garantendo al contempo la flessibilità, le prestazioni e la compatibilità di un tradizionale file server Windows. Nonostante sia possibile mantenere una copia completa dei dati in ambiente on-premises, Azure File Sync trasforma Windows Server in una “cache” che consente un accesso rapido ai contenuti presenti in una specifica Azure file share: in tal caso, tutti i file risiedono nel cloud, mentre solo i file più recenti sono conservati anche nel file server on-premises. Questo approccio consente di ridurre significativamente lo spazio di archiviazione necessario nel proprio datacenter.

Figura 2 – Integrazione della piattaforma con soluzioni cloud

Figura 2 – Integrazione della piattaforma con soluzioni cloud

Grazie alla virtualizzazione, all’allocazione dinamica delle risorse e all’adozione di soluzioni in ambiente cloud, è possibile utilizzare on-premises solo le risorse necessarie, evitando sprechi di energia. Questo approccio all’infrastruttura riduce l’impatto ambientale derivante dalla produzione, dalla gestione e dallo smaltimento dei componenti hardware obsoleti.

Ottimizzazione dello spazio fisico

Consolidando le risorse in un’unica piattaforma Azure Stack HCI si riduce la necessità di spazio fisico per l’installazione dei server, dei dispositivi storage e degli apparati di rete. Questo si traduce in una significativa riduzione della superficie occupata nei locali server, consentendo una gestione dello spazio più efficiente e una maggiore densità di calcolo. A sua volta, la riduzione dello spazio occupato comporta minori esigenze di raffreddamento e di illuminazione, contribuendo così al risparmio energetico complessivo.

Conclusioni

L’adozione di Microsoft Azure Stack HCI offre significativi benefici in termini di sostenibilità ambientale. La riduzione del consumo energetico, l’ottimizzazione delle risorse, l’uso intelligente dello spazio fisico e l’ampia flessibilità contribuiscono a ridurre l’impatto ambientale dei data center e delle infrastrutture IT. Azure Stack HCI rappresenta un passo avanti verso l’adozione di soluzioni IT più sostenibili, consentendo alle organizzazioni di ottimizzare le risorse, ridurre le emissioni di carbonio e promuovere una gestione più efficiente ed ecologicamente consapevole delle risorse IT.