According to IBM, a hybrid cloud is defined as RedHat OpenShift with RedHat Linux. But for many businesses this is a serious problem because Oracle does not support:
- Linux on Power architecture
- RedHat Openshift
- The IBM Cloud
Yes, the IBM Cloud is optimised for Power applications, but that’s of no use if Oracle does not offer support. And because refactoring Power applications for the x86 public cloud is slow, labour intensive and expensive, there is little appetite or interest for organisations to adopt Azure or AWS.
This lack of support means that any organisation running Oracle will need to keep their databases running on-premise on AIX hardware running Power 10. Which is completely at odds with their cloud-first strategies.
So what’s the alternative?
Oracle on Oracle
It is an undeniable truth that Oracle workloads tend to perform best on Oracle-engineered hardware. Importantly, Oracle on Oracle is (and always will be) fully supported by Oracle.
By keeping Oracle workloads on premise, does this not create the same strategic problem as retaining IBM AIX servers? No.
Oracle engineered systems are designed to integrate seamlessly with the Oracle cloud. Hybrid operations are built into the core of each system, allowing users to manage and migrate workloads across local and cloud infrastructure. Operations can be kept on-premise, migrated to the cloud entirely, or spread across both as required.
Oracle systems offer enhanced security and a smarter path to the cloud. Workloads can be shifted back and forth wherever required, so users can always balance cost, flexibility and performance to meet their strategic computing goals.
Why change server architecture?
Ultimately IBM’s cloud architecture is incompatible with Oracle – retaining an IBM server architecture limits the potential for your future systems development. And as your digital transformation efforts accelerate, this lack of flexibility could have significant, negative consequences.
But there are several other important reasons to consider moving to Oracle architected systems. Oracle on Oracle users realise:
- 256% return on investment (5-year period)
- 73% less unplanned downtime
- 47% reduced total cost of operations
- 40% faster time-to-market
With the ability to better integrate the cloud into your operations comes improved disaster recovery options. Workloads can be moved to the cloud in the event of a local data centre issue for instance. And you also have the option to take advantage of modern cloud-based real-time DR solutions that provide instant fail-over and data recovery features.
These are compelling reasons for making the switch – even if they do require additional investment. The returns are far greater than the initial outlay.
To learn more about your Oracle options and how you can make the transition to the cloud smoother (and replace your ageing IBM AIX infrastructure), please give us a call