DEV Community: Sardina Systems

Why Combine Bare Metal Provisioning and Virtualization

Sardina Systems — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:34:19 +0000

Typically, enterprises choose between bare metal provisioning and virtualization. However, there are more and more cases fit for a hybrid setup. We tried to overview them and highlight benefits in this article.

The Reason Enterprises Look for a Bare Metal and Virtual Machines Combination

Standalone bare metal provisioning offers benefits like raw computing power, low latency, and security. However, it also brings drawbacks. First of all, they are limited in terms of scalability and flexibility. Since each server is dedicated to one user or application, enterprises need significant upfront infrastructure investments to scale. It can be a serious issue for companies enterprises with fluctuating workloads.

What we've realised while preparing this material is that most enterprises than run bare metal, also have workloads that don’t require the full capacity and security of bare metal servers. This is where a hybrid approach, featuring hybrid bare metal and virtual infrastructure, offers advantages.

Practices for Combining Bare Metal Provisioning and Virtualization

1. Divide heavy computational tasks and less resource-intensive workloads.

This use case applies to enterprises running applications with varying resource requirements. Let's say, for example, that they run heavy workloads like weather modelling, LLM training, or real-time data processing – which require the full capacity of bare metal. However, most of them also have smaller projects that can run effectively in a virtualized environment. This division helps optimize the use of computing resources.

The use case applies to:

Businesses and startups developing AI/ML applications, as well as research institutions and universities with varying resource needs. With a hybrid bare metal and virtual infrastructure, these organizations can use bare metal provisioning for heavy workloads and virtualize smaller, less data-intensive tasks, saving substantial financial resources.

2. Backup solution for sudden workload fluctuations.

Companies that experience occasional workload peaks, for example, during seasonal rushes. Since these peaks are rare, it doesn't make sense to invest in extra physical servers for those instances. A bare metal and virtual servers combination allows to keep main workloads on bare metal servers while using VMs during periods of high demand.

The use case applies to:

E-commerce platforms, finance companies, and media organizations that run their own infrastructure and encounter unpredictable peaks in traffic or processing demands can significantly save their CapEx by utilizing this combined solution.

3. Keep security-sensitive workloads on bare metal and less sensitive tasks in virtualised environment.

Enterprises in industries like healthcare or the public sector have strict data security and regulatory compliance requirements for sensitive workloads (for example, personal patient data), which demands bare metal infrastructure. However, these organizations can still run less sensitive workloads on virtual machines, for example, general data processing or administrative tasks.

The use case applies to:

Healthcare service providers, financial institutions, and public sector organizations can significantly reduce their infrastructure costs by deploying a hybrid bare metal and virtual infrastructure.

Bare Metal Provisioning and Virtual Servers Combination with OpenStack Ironic

Before we talk about the bare metal and virtualized environments combination, let’s briefly explain what OpenStack Ironic is for those who may be unfamiliar with it.

Ironic is an OpenStack service for provisioning bare metal servers in a similar way as virtual machines. The biggest difference is that Ironic is deployed directly on physical machines without requiring a hypervisor. That eliminates virtualization overhead, reduces latency, and provides raw computing power along with workload isolation. The service automates tasks like powering servers on and off, installing operating systems, and configuring networks, doing all this through a user-friendly interface.

Ironic can be deployed as a standalone bare metal provisioning service or in combination with virtual machines. This hybrid setup allows businesses to divide their workloads based on resource intensity or security requirements, as mentioned above.

How FishOS and Ironic Work Together

Sardina Systems integrates Ironic within the FishOS OpenStack environment, offering a unified solution for a bare metal and virtual servers combination. This integration allows users to quickly deploy and scale workloads with minimal effort, optimizing infrastructure based on real-time needs.

Moreover, FishOS with Ironic simplifies the management of both bare metal and virtualized workloads. Users can manage and provision bare metal and VMs through the same tools, API calls, and interface. That significantly simplifies the process for service operators, reducing the learning curve and management complexity. This unified approach is particularly beneficial for organizations operating large-scale, hybrid environments.

Benefits of Combining Bare Metal Provisioning and Virtualization through FishOS and Ironic

If your enterprise requires both bare metal and virtualized environments, you should carefully consider compatibility when choosing their cloud solutions. The combination of FishOS and Ironic offers several advantages:

Flexibility: Easily adapt to changing workloads by choosing a hybrid bare metal and virtual infrastructure.
Efficient Workload Management: Allocate workloads between bare metal and virtual machines in a few clicks with our fully-automated solution.
Full Suite of FishOS Features: Get the most of Sardina Systems’ award-winning cloud management solution. Access Workload Manager, zero-downtime FishOS Upgrader, Health Monitoring, and other components and services, which aim at keeping your system up-and-running at all times while optimizing server resources utilisation, and reducing manual tasks.
Expert Support: Sardina Systems’ premium support for Ironic and FishOS. With our team’s decade of experience, we ensure 2-hour resolution rate for emergency situations, unlimited tickets, 24/7 support options, and 2-hour response rate for non-emergency issues.

Client Highlight: University of Tuebingen

For several years, Sardina Systems has collaborated with the University of Tuebingen, one of Germany’s leading research centers, to enhance the efficiency and productivity of their ML-based cloud infrastructure. The center does research in a wide range of fields, including medicine, agriculture, and autonomous driving, all of which demand AI workloads.

By using FishOS with Ironic, the university has been able to optimize resource allocation. Currently, they are running around 70% of AI projects on bare metal, and the other 30% in a virtualized cloud environment managed by FishOS. This hybrid setup has greatly streamlined infrastructure management for the data scientists and allows them to focus on their research tasks instead of solving infrastructure management complexities.

How to Choose Your Bare Metal and Virtual Machines Solution?

The market offers several options for bare metal provisioning, including Ironic by OpenStack, MAAS by Canonical, and Satellite by Red Hat.

When selecting the right one, consider these factors:

Standalone vs. Hybrid: Determine if you need a purely bare metal solution or a combination of bare metal and cloud setup. Our team is fully-equipped to provide you with a solution for both scenarios.
Ecosystem: By choosing a bare metal solution, you are choosing your ecosystem, so your solutions must be compatible. Ironic is compatible with OpenStack-based environments, while Satellite is a choice for those planning to use Red Hat.
Specific Needs: Evaluate individual needs and technical requirements. Ironic users, for example, highlight better flexibility in configurations and easier image building and customisation.
Extra Services and Support: Consider the added services and support provided by your potential partner. Sardina Systems’ FishOS offers valuable features like AI-powered components, a zero-downtime Upgrader, and more. Additionally, our team provides a full suite of services, including the “white glove” onboarding, responsive technical support, and consultations without additional charges.

Conclusion

When choosing the bare metal provisioning service, you need to consider several factors. Do you need a standalone Ironic or a hybrid bare metal and virtual infrastructure solution that combines bare metal and virtualized environments? Which ecosystem would be the most cost-efficient or compatible? Which additional services and features would you need? We encourage you to study these and other questions further in order to make an informed decision.

If you need support in assessing your options or answering the questions, don’t hesitate to contact Sardina Systems and schedule a free consultation. Our team will be glad to help you find your best option.

Broadcom’s Acquisition of VMware: Ease Your Frustration with 1 EURO Migration to FishOS. Get Your Easy Transition Guide

Sardina Systems — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 16:32:12 +0000

The recent announcement about Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware shook the virtualization industry, posing serious threats to businesses of all kinds and particularly affecting small- and medium-sized enterprises. Read this guide to learn strategies to navigate through these challenges and explore a unique opportunity.

What Makes This Market Transformation Challenging

VMware has experienced ownership changes in the past. However, this recent acquisition by Broadcom demands swift adaptation. Partners of VMware from the SME realm now have to embrace a new operational model, which, with a high probability, will lead to serious financial strains. This is where Sardina Systems steps in, extending a helping hand through a free migration to FishOS.

Stay on Top of the Virtualization Wave

The virtualization sector is experiencing rapid evolution. This shift demands a comprehensive reevaluation of your strategy, extending beyond simple financial planning:

1. Expand Your Expertise Beyond Subscriptions. Traditional subscription-based models include hidden fees and are constructed in a way that leads to vendor lock-in. While they offer quick solutions, the long-term financial burden escalates. Prioritize gaining in-depth knowledge over convenient but costly subscriptions. Invest in genuine expertise instead of ‘convenient’ but costly fixes.

2. Conduct a Thorough System Analysis. This is an opportunity to scrutinize your current system and explore alternative market offerings. It will take time, but a clear understanding of the market, product specifics, and industry trends will bring you an invaluable long-term advantage.

3. Take Charge of Budget Optimization. In situations when budgetary expansion is not an option, personal involvement and a proactive approach become paramount. As the primary stakeholder, use your insights and knowledge to evaluate security, reliability, and performance to optimize costs accordingly. Also, be open to both established and emerging solutions.

4. Seize the Moment to Stay Ahead. Proactive adaptation to market changes is the key to thriving in a dynamic environment. Stay informed, embrace change, and avoid being caught off guard by corporate decisions.

Trust FishOS, Your Partner in Transition

Since 2014, Sardina Systems has been empowering the cloud industry with reliable and innovative solutions. Headquartered in the UK, we have successfully met the needs of our global clients across diverse industries, including healthcare, bioinformatics, telecommunications, and beyond, helping them establish robust open-source cloud infrastructures. Our versatile FishOS platform seamlessly integrates with existing technologies, offering a reliable and cost-effective solution.

Unique Offer: €1 Migration to FishOS

Embrace change with FishOS. For a limited time, we are extending our special €1 migration offer, which has proved highly successful during the times of COVID-19. Get a smooth and seamless transition to FishOS for your business.

When you trust Sardina Systems, you trust a multiple-award-winning participant of the OpenInfra Foundation, OCP, and a team of cloud industry experts with an exceptional client satisfaction rate. Get your free consultation and transform your virtualization journey with FishOS.

In a landscape marked by rapid change and uncertainty, FishOS provides a reliable, efficient, and budget-friendly alternative. Contact us for your comprehensive migration plan tailored to your specific needs.

Sardina Systems Announces Seamless Compatibility with New Gaudi2 Processors

Sardina Systems — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 16:02:53 +0000

Sardina Systems, one of the leading providers of cloud infrastructure solutions, unveils the successful testing and integration of its software with the groundbreaking Gaudi2 processors. The compatibility of FishOS with Gaudi2 processors offers a significant leap in performance and efficiency for AI and machine learning (ML) applications.

The successful compatibility testing of FishOS with Gaudi2 processors opens up new possibilities for organizations willing to boost the performance of deep learning workloads. FishOS, known for its ability to optimize resource usage and manage server states efficiently, complements the capabilities of the Gaudi2 processor, resulting in improved efficiency and cost savings of cloud infrastructure. This proves that Gaudi2 computing resources can successfully pass through to virtual machines within the FishOS environment.

FishOS is a turnkey infrastructure solution designed to meet the needs of both traditional enterprise workloads and next-generation applications. It leverages AI-enabled workload and monitoring engines to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) by up to 10 times, optimize resource utilization, and provide automation with zero-click operations. The software ensures the reliability and efficiency of OpenStack and Kubernetes data centers.

Gaudi2, developed in collaboration with Habana Labs, is a cutting-edge AI processor designed to maximize training throughput and efficiency while offering optimized software and tools for various workloads and systems. The new Gaudi2 processor is built on a 7nm process technology and features 24 AI-customized Tensor Processor Cores, offering a significant boost in performance.

“We are thrilled to announce that FishOS is fully compatible with the Gaudi2 processors. It opens the door to more efficient deep learning training and inference workloads. Our solution, combined with the power of Gaudi2, offers a compelling opportunity for organizations to maximize their AI and machine learning capabilities while minimizing operational costs.”
Kenneth Tan, Executive Director at Sardina Systems

The successful integration of FishOS and Gaudi2 processors provides organizations with improved price-to-performance ratios and significantly enhances their deep learning capabilities.

Find out more about how FishOS and Gaudi2 can enhance your performance and help you succeed in an evolving AI environment. Contact our team now.

5 Reasons to Begin Networking with Open Source Cloud Community – and 1 Event to Kickstart

Sardina Systems — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 17:34:40 +0000

In the fast-paced world of technology, staying up to date with the latest innovations can be challenging. Nevertheless, it is essential for professional growth and career progression. So, how do we keep up? The easiest solution is to take part in industry and networking events, where you can both gain knowledge and build connections.

Now, we don't want to through an event calendar at your face and ask you to register for every meetup or conference in your city (although we could!). Instead, we recommend starting small, such as by signing up for Open Source Cloud Solutions and Strategies, a one-day event hosted by Sardina Systems.

Scheduled for November 23, 2023, at Mövenpick Hotel Frankfurt City in Frankfurt, Germany, it is designed exclusively for IT practitioners skilled in Linux, OpenStack, Kubernetes, Ceph, HPC, and other open source technologies. It is free to attend, features a highly experienced panel of speakers, and offers an excellent chance to learn and network with open source cloud enthusiasts in the heart of Europe!

Why Networking Matters

In an industry that’s constantly evolving, IT professionals need to connect with like-minded individuals to stay competitive. Here are 5 simple, yet crucial, reasons why networking should be a vital part of your development within the open source cloud community.

1. Stay Informed

The world of open source is dynamic, with new developments evolving literally every day. Networking events provide a platform to learn about the latest trends, best practices, and technological advancements. By staying informed, professionals can make well-informed decisions for their organizations and their own career development.

2. Collaboration Opportunities

It's no secret that collaboration is usually the key to groundbreaking solutions. When people from diverse backgrounds and expertise work together, they bring their unique perspectives, sparking discussions and producing solutions to complex challenges.

3. Professional Development

Networking provides a unique opportunity for professional development. Engaging in conversations with industry experts and peers helps individuals expand their knowledge, acquire and hone skills, and gain valuable insights. They also offer a great chance to boost soft skills!

4. Strengthening the Community

Events like Open Source Cloud Solutions and Strategies are organized with a distinct mission: to cultivate community spirit among professionals. Sharing experiences, success stories, and lessons learned helps build a stronger, more connected community.

5. Business Prospects

Networking can also lead to exciting and usually unexpected business prospects! People still build the closest connections when they interact in person. It is rather difficult to meet potential clients, partners, employers, or employees in the comfort of your home or office. can open doors to new opportunities, projects, or collaborations.

A Diverse Line-up of Experts

This upcoming conference features a diverse line-up of experts from organizations such as Vespertec, Huawei, Cognizant, Trivium Packaging, and more. These industry leaders will share their unique insights and tips for optimizing IT infrastructure.

Here is a foreword from Dr. Kenneth Tan, Sardina Systems Executive Director:

“Let’s come together and meet with open-source cloud professionals in the heart of Europe. This conference provides a special chance for in-person connections, strengthening our community. Dive into proven experiences, emerging transformations, key strategies, and case studies in open-source infrastructure, cloud, data management, and AI/ML.”

Secure Your Spot Now!

To fully embrace the benefits of networking within the open source cloud community, it’s essential to act and proactively participate in events and conferences.

Open Source Cloud Strategies and Solutions has only one drawback: its limited seating capacity. So, if you're eager to expand your knowledge, build a network, and kickstart your career professional development, make sure to secure your spot by signing up: https://www.sardinasystems.com/cloudsolutions-day-europe/#joinus.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to strengthen your presence in the open source cloud community!

Why Choose OpenStack for Your IaaS While Keeping the Business Cost Down

Sardina Systems — Fri, 21 May 2021 13:44:07 +0000

We believe #OpenStack solution stands out among its competitors when it comes to #IaaS, not only because it's the most popular #opensource software tool, but also because it enables enterprises to accomplish virtualization flexibility like no other. https://bit.ly/343Anpt

Webinar: Building a Large Scale Enterprise IaaS with OpenStack and Software-Defined Storage

Sardina Systems — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 18:52:41 +0000

Sardina Systems and Ambedded Technology are showcasing how to deploy together with the benefits of building a large-scale IaaS with OpenStack and Software-Defined Storage. Register today https://bit.ly/3vmAmbN

A Scale out Enterprise Software-Defined Storage solution on Kubernetes by Sardina Systems and Ambedded Technology

Sardina Systems — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 08:58:26 +0000

Sardina Systems and Ambedded Technology are offering an enterprise Software-Defined Storage solution on Kubernetes
https://bit.ly/3c2D7qG

OpenStack and Kubernetes orchestration combined with the efficiency and scalability of OCP Inspired™ hardware.

Sardina Systems — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 08:45:30 +0000

Sardina Systems FishOS has now been certified to run on MiTAC’s OCP Inspired™ Tioga Pass servers.
Read about all the benefits of openhardware combined with opensoftware here https://bit.ly/3m4WYJI

OpenInfraDev was launched at the #OpenInfraSummit. Sardina Systems is excited to join the launch as a founding Silver member .

Sardina Systems — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:01:31 +0000

Sardina Systems is partnering with OpenInfrastructure Foundation as a founding member to support the global open source communities building software in production #WeAreOpenInfra. Read more here ttps://www.sardinasystems.com/archives/sardina-systems-joins-the-launch-of-open-infrastructure-foundation-as-a-founding-silver-member/

Our OpenInfra Day Turkey video recording session is on Youtube. Sardina Systems

Sardina Systems — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 06:28:06 +0000

talking about "Why is OpenStack technology still trending nowadays?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGi9bnSmAgk&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=OpenStackTürkiye

Sardina Systems selected as G-Cloud 12 Framework Approved Supplier by UK Government

Sardina Systems — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:50:50 +0000

For the second year, we have been selected as a supplier on the G-Cloud 12 framework on the Digital Marketplace managed by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS). Read more below.
https://www.sardinasystems.com/archives/sardina-systems-selected-as-g-cloud-12-framework-approved-supplier-by-uk-government/

The full schedule for tomorrow's #OpenInfraTurkey2020 is available below.

Sardina Systems — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:02:47 +0000

Hot topics like the latest OpenInfra products available, success stories and different use cases of OpenStack and Ceph environments in Turkey will be discussed.

virtualevent #technology #innovation

https://openinfradayturkey.com/schedule/