It's here at last: The Evolution of x86 Server Estates Report

Tech Panel First of all, a big thank you to all the Reg readers that took the time to fill in our monster survey on x86 server environments, drivers and plans. A full 979 of you responded, which gave us plenty of material to crunch. We now return the favour, in the shape of a report which we hope provides a comprehensive view of what server rooms look like today.

One thing’s for sure: justifying the business case for new servers does not appear to have been a challenge for many organizations. Running workloads ranging from database management, through application and web serving, to security services, there is no doubt that the x86 server is now very much part of the IT and business fabric.

However, many of the challenges derive from having multiple generations of server equipment that need to be operated in parallel. We considered four key performance indicators (KPIs) – quality of service, time to benefit for new capability, risk management, and operational efficiency. For every indicator, while some organisations are achieving great success, a similar number are failing to deliver acceptably, with those in the middle having room for improvement to one degree or another.

Modernisation of the server environment might appear as the answer – but is this as simple as just replacing old hardware with new? The research would suggest not, as a simple refresh scheme without due attention to operational improvement (or indeed vice versa) can lead to missed opportunities. The evidence from the research suggests that a more joined-up approach, centred on service delivery, will result in higher levels of return on any server investment.

If you’re planning on modernising your server environment, or simply want to know more about what we have learned about the challenges faced by your peers and how they are being overcome, then click here to download the report.