Ready Stack repacked: Dell EMC unloads DIY converged infrastructure designs

Also upgrades VxBlock options

Dell EMC has assembled Ready Stack designs for punters who want to build validated converged infrastructure stacks – customers can use any combo of server, storage and networking as long as it's Dell EMC gear, natch.

The publicly-listed biz has also added new componentry to its VxBlock CI system – that's the one with the Cisco servers and networking.

The VxBlock 1000 (PDF) now supports:

• Unity Hybrid Flash arrays models 300, 400, 500 and 600,
• Data Domain high-availability models DD6800, DD9300, and DD9800,
• Cisco UCS C480 (M5 rack server),
• Cisco UCS 6454 gen 4 fabric interconnect,
• VxBlock Central
• • Orchestration Workflows with vRealize Orchestrator v7.5,
  • Operations analytics with vRealize Operationa v7.0,
• VMware vSphere v6.7.

The Unity 300, 400, 500 and 600 surfaced in May 2016. The Data Domain products were listed over a year ago so it has taken a while for them to head into VxBlock land.

Ready Stack

This group of validated designs – which was released solely to tech channel firms last year – allows customers to directly build their own CI systems using all Dell EMC components – so no Cisco servers or networking gear here.

There are four options:

• VMware-based IaaS on PowerEdge MX servers and PowerMax storage,
• VMware vSphere on PowerEdge gen 14 servers and Unity storage,
• Hyper-V on PowerEdge gen 14 servers and Unity storage,
• Build your own design using any combo of Dell EMC's server, storage, networking and data protection options.

Check out a reference architecture guide here (PDF). ®