Being the center of modern software technology, Data Centers are playing a critical role in expanding capabilities for enterprises. No more do enterprises have to dwell upon the error-prone paper-and-pencil documentation methods, as data centers have vastly improved the usability of data as a whole. When it comes to the physical place or time required, data centers have reduced both. Data centers are playing a very important role when it comes to the advancement of technology with new concepts entering the landscape that represent a dramatic shift in the way data centers are conceived, configured and utilized.
One such Software-as-a-Service platform for Hybrid Cloud and Data Center Infrastructure is RackN.
Based on the Digital Rebar open source project, RackN provides a UI & API-based, template-driven platform which automates and composes an easy way to orchestrate the provisioning, upgrade and scale of independent technologies and services so hybrid cloud and data center infrastructure can be operated in the same fashion. For example, if your usage model called for the deployment of containers, SDN, microservices conducting 1000s of configuration steps across multiple clouds and data centers in the process, RackN does this automatically within hours. RackN completes what traditional DevOps tools, converged infrastructure and cloud managers did not, which is to provide a flexible, easy-to-use, vendor-neutral technology that composes and orchestrates how independent technologies, multiple platforms and micro services are installed, function and upgrade together as a complete system within any operational framework.
RackN Bringing Solutions to Production
The RackN Unified Hybrid Cloud & Infrastructure software platform solves the problem of how traditional IT, cloud and DevOps technologies and teams work together to bring solutions to production. RackN ensures CIOs, CTOs, data center and cloud managers reduce cost and risk while accelerating innovation and automating operationally efficient deployments of complex technologies across the hybrid infrastructure.
RackN has incorporated DevOps principals and concepts such as continuous integration/deployment, testing, and feedback loops into the software architecture. By adding a layer of intelligent composability which analyzes the configuration steps and dependencies of the provisioning workflow, RackN breaks up the build runbook into independent units. Once these configuration steps and units are inventoried, they are then composed into a single-click template and can be copied, modified and used repeatedly across multiple platforms and technology stacks. RackN makes it super-simple to build, test, deploy and upgrade complete functional systems on new and existing multi-cloud and hybrid infrastructures repeatedly.
Composable Hybrid Operations
By assigning roles to these independent units, RackN can determine how they operate independently and behave as part of a single or multiple systems. This architecture is required for environments that are dynamic and require iterative re-provisioning, constant upgrades and are prone to miss-configuration due to constant change. RackN integrates with leading cloud management and CMDB tools such as Chef and Puppet so current operations and development can be optimized.
RackN believes CIOs, developers, cloud and IT operators should focus on developing and operating and not focus on deployment and provisioning issues around networking, server, storage, platform misconfigurations or API compatibility issues. RackN is architected to abstract away the proprietary and technical differences of the multi-cloud hybrid infrastructure environment.
Customer Satisfaction on Top Priority
The customers of RackN demands solutions that are cost-effective, vendor-neutral, technically flexible and do not add operational complexity. RackN provides “easy button” automation around lifecycle management for any technology intended to be part of an innovative, evolving production-scale system. It is important to RackN not to increase the operational burden and complexity for cloud and data center managers but rather empower them to deliver solutions more repeatedly in a shorter amount of time.
Taking example of one customer in particular, their mission is to provide a self-service model to which allows for the customers to have the choice of using any DevOps tool, software-defined-networking, cloud or physical infrastructure to build, test and deploy an application. Because RackN has the ability to intelligently provision, compose and orchestrate workflows for any platform or technology, they automate and remove the guesswork and risk from how hybrid infrastructure needs to function as a singular system to deliver value to the provider and consumer.
Rob Hirschfeld, Founder & CEO, Visionary behind RackN
Graduate of Duke University and Louisiana State University, Rob has been building and leading innovative software companies and organizations for over 20 years, that have changed the way developers and companies build and deploy software in production. Prior to founding RackN, Rob was Director and Distinguished Engineer at Dell where he drove the company’s strategy and development of OpenStack and Crowbar. Prior to Dell, Rob founded software automation company, Surgient which was later acquired by Quest Software in 2010.
While talking about the future of RackN Rob says, “We are truly in the golden age of technology. The innovation and choices around cloud, software delivery platforms and data center technologies to solve business problems have never been higher. With these advances comes the challenge of production-scale adoption, ongoing management, maintaining expertise, risk reduction and launching new products and services to market in a cost-effective manner.”
As a software technology company in this space, RackN makes the end-to-end lifecycle management of hybrid technology simple. RackN is well positioned to be incredibly influential and bring a tremendous amount of value in this area.
