The five chapters in Part 3 leverage the information in Parts 1 and 2, but chapters in Part 3 are specifically focused on showing the architectural path to realizing N1 Grid solutions. Through a hierarchical architectural path, the building blocks of achieving N1 Grid solutions are presented in detail. After an introduction, each individual chapter focuses on one building block of the architecture and reinforces the concepts through extensive examples. This architectural path to realizing N1 Grid solutions is broken down in the following manner:
Chapter 7 introduces the concept of strategic flexibility as an overall architectural goal and introduction for this section. The concept of strategic flexibility is critical to this section, as it represents the architectural path that can be achieved today. This chapter will also review the architectural basics, such as identifying key business drivers and technical requirements, upon which the following chapters are built. Finally the chapter will close with a brief overview of the entire functional architecture presented through the remainder of this section.
Chapter 8 reviews the first component of the architecture with an in-depth study of infrastructure optimization. Leveraging the compute, network, and storage hardware, infrastructure optimization is delivered through the hierarchical building-block architecture of build virtualize provision. This component will provide the foundation for strategic flexibility.
Chapter 9 builds on the optimized infrastructure to provide the next component of the architecture, application optimization. Leveraging a similar building-block architecture of build-virtualize-provision, the chapter focuses on dramatically improving the efficiency of delivering business services through the automated deployment of application components. This second element of the architecture provides the critical functionality required to tie those business services to the IT infrastructure.
Chapter 10 delivers the completion of the architectural hierarchy, data center optimization. Through a focus on delivering strategic flexibility, data center optimization refactors the data center based on business demands. Directly dependent on infrastructure and application optimization for its foundation and efficiency, data center optimization enables truly business-focused IT operations. The chapter also explores the evolution of IT roles brought about by this business-flexible computing environment.
Chapter 11 concludes this section with a look at what is possible in the future beyond achieving strategic flexibility. This chapter describes utility, grid, and policy-based computing, and how N1 Grid solutions can begin to achieve greater strategic business advantage through IT. It also discusses some of the challenges in implementing utility solutions, and how utility data centers and N1 Grid solutions play a role in the emerging policy-based data center.
Each building block of the architecture listed above steps the reader through the path to realizing N1 Grid solutions. The section just reviewed on preparing for N1 Grid solutions has pointed out many of those challenges. While the path ahead is not an easy one, it is most definitely an achieveable one.
