Virtualization and Cloud executives share their predictions for 2016.  Read them in this 8th Annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

Contributed by George Teixeira, President and CEO, DataCore Software

Parallel Processing will Revolutionize IT Infrastructures, Virtualization and Enterprise Productivity in 2016

DataCore Software's predictions for 2016:

1.      Parallel processing is a "game-changer"

2.      Servers are the new storage

3.      Parallel I/O and Software-Defined Storage are revolutionizing IT infrastructures and productivity

Parallel Processing is a "Game-Changer"

The greatest innovations of the future are often built on those of the past. Flash back to the 1970's during the birth of the modern microprocessor when along with the help of Moore's Law, microprocessors set the stage for two major paths of technology advances. The first resulted in faster, more efficient uniprocessors which led to the PC revolution and to the use of microprocessors today in everything from smartphones to intelligent devices. The second was parallel computing, which set out to harness the power of "many microprocessors" working together.

However, parallel processing advances were stifled by a lack of affordable commoditized parallel computing hardware, the rapid pace of advances in uniprocessor clock speeds resulting from Moore's Law, and by the lack of software to run parallel workloads without the need to rewrite applications or require specialized / exotic gear. So although parallel processing power became available, the parallel computing revolution as a generic IT capability was put on hold because there was no software available to make it happen.

Fast forward to today, and new breakthroughs in software are on pace to make 2016 a turning point year for parallel computing.  Application performance, enterprise workloads and the ability to achieve greater consolidation densities on virtual platforms has been held back for years by the growing gap between compute and I/O. Multicore processing has evolved and has made parallel processing platforms a commodity that remains untapped without software to do so. That too has changed.

Parallel I/O software can schedule I/O from virtualization and application workloads effectively across today's readily available multicore server platforms. It can and will overcome the I/O bottleneck currently holding back the industry by harnessing the power of multicores to dramatically increase productivity and reset what can be accomplished by consolidating more workloads and reducing inefficient server sprawl. This will allow much greater cost savings and productivity by taking consolidation to the next level and allowing systems to truly "do far more with less." As a result, we're now on the cusp of that promised parallel computing revolution.

In 2016, there will also be dramatic performance and productivity gains that will transform hyper-converged and Software-Defined Storage as the need grows for solutions that bring ease-of-use benefits with technologies that can also be easily integrated within company infrastructures for both existing investments and future technologies. Although there has been much hype around hyper-converged lately, the technology creates new silos to manage and the current offerings present several limitations, especially when it comes to scaling and performance to handle enterprise-class workloads. Users should be able to advance to the next stage of hyper-converged technology deployments where performance and interoperability with the rest of their investments aren't sacrificed.

Servers are the New Storage

Only a Software-Defined Storage layer combined with parallel I/O software can effectively manage the power of multicore servers, migrate and manage data across the entire storage infrastructure, incorporate flash and hyper-converged systems without adding extra silos, and effectively utilize data stored anywhere in the enterprise or in the cloud. By untapping the power within standard multicore servers, data infrastructures will realize tremendous consolidation and productivity benefits from parallel I/O technologies.

As this convergence of software and servers is realized, servers will continue to become the dominant model for doing storage - "servers are the new storage." Why use specialized gear when smart software and today's servers can drive greater functionality, more automation and provide comprehensive services to productively manage and store data across the entire data infrastructure? Because traditional storage vendors with specialized systems can no longer keep up with Moore's Law and the pace of innovations and cost savings that generic server platforms deliver, these new server-based storage systems have and will continue to transform our industry and significantly make IT more productive.

Parallel I/O and Software-Defined Storage are Revolutionizing IT Infrastructures and Productivity

Best of all, this revolution is happening right now. DataCore recently set the new world record on price-performance and did it on a hyper-converged platform (on the Storage Performance Council's peer reviewed SPC-1 benchmark). DataCore also reported the best performance per footprint and the fastest response times ever. Bottom-line, today's multicore servers and software can "do far more with less" and dramatically change the economics and productivity one can achieve. See for yourself the latest benchmark results: Top 10 SPC1 Price-Performance Results and feel free to learn more by checking out the new DataCore ebook: How to Unlock the Full Power of Your Servers with DataCore's Adaptive Parallel I/O Software.

Parallel I/O software in combination with Software-Defined Storage will lead to a new revolution in productivity - and together they will revolutionize IT in 2016.

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About the Author

George Teixeira, President and CEO, DataCore Software

George Teixeira creates and executes the overall strategic direction and vision for DataCore Software. Mr. Teixeira co-founded the company and has served as CEO and president of DataCore Software since 1998. Prior to that time, he served in a number of executive management positions including worldwide vice president of marketing and general manager of the product business group at Encore Computer Corporation, where he and his team that pioneered storage virtualization culminated their work with the $185-million sale of Encore's storage control business to Sun Microsystems in 1997. Mr. Teixeira also held a number of senior executive management positions at the Computer Systems Division of Gould Electronics.