Launching a big data project can be a little like launching a rocket: in both cases, getting them off the ground is the hard part.
Most enterprises simply don’t know where to start when it comes to big data. Do you begin by building a scalable infrastructure to support it? Do you need to upgrade your RAID storage to Flash? Should you ditch your enterprise database and dump everything into SAP HANA?
The answer is that there is no simple answer because there is no single big data “solution” that will magically solve all of your problems. There are integrated products designed for big data applications that can accelerate your big data launch, but ultimately you’ll have to build your own solution from a mix of hardware, software and services.
The good news is that there are some outstanding products on the market that can make that mix highly effective. Converged infrastructure, for example, is a natural fit for big data because it’s compact enough to be cost-effective in a pilot phase but scalable enough to grow quickly as your big data solution grows (and it will grow exponentially over time).
There are even converged systems built specifically for big data; HP’s ConvergedSystem 500/900 series is a perfect example of this. Optimized for SAP HANA workloads, the 500/900 series appliances represent a true collaboration between HP, SAP and Intel to increase analytical performance through faster processors, virtualization and in-memory storage.
The software/applications piece of big data is equally important. There are some great analytic tools and technologies that have come about as a result of the big data opportunity, with open-source Hadoop and SAP HANA being two of the more exciting developments in terms of pure performance. It’s important, however, not to view big data as a separate science.
Big data only becomes truly transformative when it becomes integrated into your broader business processes, from CRM to the supply chain. For this reason, integrating your existing business applications with your big data solution is a big part of the puzzle.
To go back to our rocket analogy, the most critical piece to launching a big data solution is the planning and the science behind it. At Rolta AdvizeX, we see our role as that of Mission Control. We make sure you have a solid plan in place so you don’t miss your targets, we’ll help you migrate or consolidate your data to fuel those powerful analytic engines, and we’ll help you maintain and support the system after you launch.
Big data is a new frontier for a lot of enterprises, but it doesn’t have to be a shot in the dark. Talk to Rolta AdvizeX. We’ve been there and back many times, and we can help you launch your big data project so you can start making new discoveries sooner. ▪