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Chapter 2. Positioning 55
With x440 capabilities such as system partitioning, you can migrate and
consolidate workloads across systems for improvements in systems
management and resource utilization.
This approach is typically appropriate for implementations of key packaged
applications such as SAP, PeopleSoft, and Siebel, where minimal integration
with other applications and data is required. LAN file/print servers using
Windows 2000 or Novell NetWare solutions represent another opportunity
area for consolidation activities and savings.
Storage consolidation is combining data from different sources (same or
disparate types) into a single repository and format. This means that storage
is viewed as an enterprise resource, where centralized disk space is used to
supply the storage for the servers of the enterprise.
Additional benefits can be gained through data integration and application
integration. While these are often more complex projects that require
extensive analysis, planning and implementation, they can provide significant
return-on-investment.
Data integration
Data Integration involves physically combining data from different sources
across the enterprise into a single repository and format. The result is that the
merged data can reside on fewer servers and more centralized and consistent
storage devices, greatly lowering the total costs.
When all corporate data resides on the same system, consolidation allows
high levels of security and data integrity that are nearly impossible to achieve
in a distributed environment. In addition, data sharing throughout the
enterprise is vastly simplified.
The data can be file data such as Windows 2000, Novell, or Linux
consolidated to a single network operating system. Also, multiple types of
databases, such as DB2, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, etc., can be converged to
fewer database architectures.
In many client/server infrastructures, centralizing LAN data can bring dramatic
improvements in data transfer speed. New enhancements in communications
hardware will expand the high-speed connectivity options to server platforms
of all types.
There can be two kinds of data integration:
– Data integration from several servers and consolidated on a unique
repository
– Data integration from several repositories in one server and consolidated
on a unique repository
Depending on the type of application integration selected, data integration
can be performed separately or together with application integration.