IT developers are often faced with a problem of how to get software to run reliably when moved from one computing environment to another (e.g., from a developer's laptop to a test environment, from a staging environment into production, etc.). 

Containers solve this problem as they consist of an entire runtime environment: an application, plus all dependencies, libraries / binaries, and configuration files needed to run it, all bundled into a single package. By containerizing the application platform and its dependencies, differences in OS distributions and underlying infrastructure are extracted away.

Now’s the time to set up containerized solutions

Containers have been around for a few years now. They’ve since proven their value ten-fold and so today, leading companies like Microsoft are adopting them as the preferred path forward for enterprise applications, including Microsoft SQL Server 2019. 

Here, it’s worth noting that a good majority of customers still run SQL on-premises and rearchitecting everything for the cloud can be a challenging endeavor to take on. There is a worthwhile solution, and it comes in the form of VMware Tanzu on Dell EMC VxRail.

Why Tanzu on VxRail

Tanzu on VxRail allows you to containerize one Microsoft SQL service at a time and run the rest in VMs and add more as you build your skills. Tanzu on VxRail automates Kubernetes infrastructure deployment as well as provisioning, thereby accelerating developer productivity. What’s more, it offers lock-step support for the latest VMware Kubernetes advancements. And in terms of delivery, there are multiple options to choose from across edge, core, and cloud, to allow you to align to your customer’s operating model. 

In short, this solution affords you the opportunity to adopt cloud native patterns as your own pace, automate the delivery of containerized workloads, and proactively manage any of their in-production apps and programs. This, in turn, frees the IT team to focus on the growth and modernization of their business. 

Why Tanzu on VxRail for SQL Server 2019?

Tanzu on VxRail allows customers to containerize at their own pace:

• Containerize one SQL service at a time and run the rest in virtual machines – customers can then add more as they build up their skills with this practice

• Adopt cloud native apps at their own pace using familiar tools for developers and IT admins

• Centrally manage and operate their modern infrastructure securely and at scale

• Fully leverage VxRail automated, single click full stack lifecycle management

Clear your customers’ path to production

Containers can serve as a self-service, fully compliant experience for your customers, affording them the opportunity to better focus on the growth of their business. Tanzu on VxRail is an exciting solution that simplifies the conversion process, especially as it relates to the containerization of applications like Microsoft SQL Server 2019. 

Learn more by checking out this educational webinar: Microsoft wants you to containerize SQL 2019: Are you ready to make the shift?