Power of Partnership: AMD-based Configurations for Azure Stack HCI

Announcing the availability of AMD-based AX nodes for Azure Stack HCI.

Recently, Dell Technologies released Dell EMC Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI – an all-in-one integrated system designed to optimize the operational experience of Microsoft’s next generation of Azure Stack HCI. Unlike vendors that rely on reference architectures, Dell Technologies takes a 100% product approach and delivers a fully tested and validated system that integrates an intelligent infrastructure foundation from Dell Technologies with Azure Stack HCI OS from Microsoft.

Thanks to the continued partnership with Microsoft and AMD, Dell Technologies is sharing soon-to-be released configuration models based on AMD EPYC™ processors to address expanding complex workloads and security in the data center and at the edge. Arriving in Q2 2021, these new configurations will deliver the same great simplified deployment and operational efficiency as the rest of our Azure Stack HCI portfolio with cutting edge performance in a smaller infrastructure footprint.

Dell Technologies has leveraged the knowledge and experience gained as the leader in HCI systems when designing infrastructure platforms for Azure Stack HCI¹. Close collaboration with Microsoft and AMD ensures an optimized solution across the entire stack, and seamless end-to-end experience for our customers.

“At Microsoft, we’ve recognized the pressure on organizations to modernize their infrastructure and transform their operational experience to respond to the business with agility and cloud cost models aligned to their needs. With our updates to Microsoft Azure Stack HCI OS and our 30-year collaboration with Dell Technologies and recent collaboration with AMD, we were able to deliver an Azure Stack HCI Integrated System that addresses customer needs,” said George Siemens, general manager, Dell WW Partnership, Microsoft.

More choice for customers

With AMD EPYC processors, the Azure Stack HCI configurations include high-density compute and security enhancements designed into the AMD EPYC CPUs with models that scale up to 64 cores per socket with access to ample memory and all-flash array storage. This allows expansion to addressable use cases that require a powerful compute solution with a smaller infrastructure footprint for database and data analytics workloads for ROBO and Edge locations.

“AMD is proud to team with Dell Technologies and Microsoft to deliver new Microsoft Azure Stack HCI solutions powered by AMD EPYC. Because of our tight engineering integration, the new features designed into our processors enhance the full stack experience of the Azure Stack HCI and provide customers with powerful performance and scalability to meet their needs. Together, we will continue bringing innovations to the market,” says John Morris, Corporate Vice President, Server Business Unit, AMD.

Flexible Consumption models

When you’re ready to get started with the new Azure Stack HCI, Dell Technologies is here to support you with a team of experts. From start to finish and beyond, our proven enterprise-class deployment tools, global support, and consulting services aim to reduce the complexity that comes with design, deployment and management.

While the promise of cloud includes the notion that you only pay for what you use, Dell Technologies on Demand delivers on that same promise with flexible payment solutions for Azure Stack HCI. With the ability to pay as you use, but with the control and security of our infrastructure on-premises, Azure Stack HCI could actually be the best of both worlds for Microsoft environments.

Visit us at Microsoft Ignite to learn more about the Dell EMC Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI and meet our experts at our Ask the Experts session.

¹ IDC WW Quarterly Converged Systems Tracker, Vendor Revenue (US$M) Q3 2020, December 15, 2020

About the Author: Shannon Champion

Shannon leads Product Marketing for Dell Technologies’ leading and comprehensive portfolio of primary storage, HCI, and CI offerings. Shannon joined Dell EMC in 2014, helped launch the first EMC hyper-converged solution in that year, and has been part of the hyperconverged marketing team since then. As a marketing and sales enablement expert, Shannon has more than 20 years of experience in several cross-functional and management roles within IT including product marketing, business development, manufacturing and quality with both direct manufacturers and channel partners. Before joining EMC, Shannon led Cisco product management and marketing for a national channel partner, PC Connection; was a product marketing manager and quality engineer for the IBM/Lenovo PC Division; and worked as a manufacturing process engineer for IBM’s microelectronics division. Shannon received her M.B.A. from Kenan-Flagler School of Business in North Carolina, and her M.S. and B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Rochester in upstate NY. Dell Technologies helps organizations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the data era. Our industry-leading converged infrastructure, servers, storage and data protection technologies enables organizations to modernize, automate, and transform their data center.