Three Reasons Why a Mixed-IT Environment is Right for Your Enterprise

Sometimes you need multiple tools to get the job done safely, efficiently and effectively. That’s why many companies end up with mixed IT environments with a variety of cloud providers, on-premises operating systems and Linux distributions. While the diversity may seem a bit chaotic at first, a well-managed mixed-IT environment can offer important operational advantages.

Key Takeaways:

• Mixed IT is an intentional blend of platforms and systems that allow you to run individual workloads where they fit best. 
• When done well, mixed IT can boost flexibility, reduce lock-in pressure, extend legacy value and improve resilience during outages or incidents.
• Less prepared organizations may experience sprawl, uneven controls, tougher integrations and skill gaps when first testing mixed IT strategies.
• SUSE’s whitepaper, Strategies for a Seamless, Scalable Multi-Linux Infrastructure, can help you assess readiness and decide whether managed support is right for you.

What is a mixed-IT strategy?

“Mixed IT” is an umbrella term that describes an IT stack with multiple kinds of platforms and operating systems, as well as different infrastructure types. A mixed-IT environment may: 

• contain both Windows and Linux servers
• rely on a few types of hypervisors or cloud providers
• make use of virtual machines as well as Kubernetes
• require multiple kinds of storage and management tools 

Especially with the recent growth of cloud computing, IT environments have become increasingly mixed in nature. For many modern enterprises, mixed-IT strategies are now a necessity.

Within the broader concept of “mixed IT” is a “mixed-Linux” or “multi-Linux” environment. This term specifically describes estates with multiple distributions or versions of Linux, such as SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 running alongside SLES 16. By having multiple Linux distributions, you can meet multiple business needs with scalability and resilience. Linux servers can even be tailored to support specific goals and needs. In healthcare, for example, an organization can use one Linux distribution to process clinical data while another distribution is optimized to manage patient records. 

Why use a mixed-IT strategy?

1. Foster productivity with flexibility

Diversity offers flexibility and, by extension, encourages both productivity and innovation. For example, it’s common for DevOps workflows to use Kubernetes and cloud platforms in tandem with Linux hosts, which may be interacting with Windows or macOS machines. In a varied IT environment, developers can take advantage of the tools that work best for each task. Similarly, if two different employees are more comfortable on different platforms, they have the flexibility to choose the most productive option for themselves.

The flexibility of mixed-IT environments is also great for companies with legacy systems. Even if you have workloads on EOL operating systems like CentOS, a mixed-IT environment allows you to keep those systems, avoid disruptive migrations and continue adding on modern applications and newer platforms.  

2. More levers, fewer limits

As your business needs and workloads evolve, a mixed environment allows you to scale specific systems individually and only as needed. Additionally, you minimize your operational dependence on any single vendor. Vendor lock-in can trap companies in expensive contracts and rigid roadmaps. However, in mixed-IT environments, companies can make incremental adjustments on their own terms. Teams who rely on open source technologies, including Linux-based servers, often command even greater opportunity for strategic, streamlined, cost-effective scaling.

Deutsche Bank operates a global network of data centers, and its servers run a range of Linux distributions. This multi-vendor strategy is supported comprehensively by SUSE, which has led to reliable interoperability plus reduced complexity and cost. Because of SUSE’s partnership, Deutsche Bank has the expertise necessary to continually adapt to new regulatory and market realities.

3. Minimize threats and disruptions

If you rely on a single platform, it means that your entire system has a single potential point of failure. Different systems have different vulnerabilities, making it harder for attackers to exploit the entire infrastructure. Think of your company’s security as a vault door; each system is a different lock. Even if one lock is hacked, the others can still protect you and your data. 

If a security breach does happen, a mixed-IT environment also offers redundancy and more pathways for minimizing damage. Diverse environments ensure that if one system or platform fails,you have the ability to shift workloads to unaffected systems and keep the business operational. In other words, you minimize the risks of costly downtime.

What are the risks of a mixed-IT strategy?

Mixed IT environments can pose challenges in the form of technology sprawl, integration hurdles or gaps in expertise. If you allow tools and systems to proliferate without a central plan, it’s all too easy to lose track of what exactly is running where. In addition, unchecked sprawl can quickly cause an increase in unnecessary costs. 

Even if you are thoughtful about how and when to add new technologies to your environment, some systems don’t integrate easily or intuitively. You may confront new difficulties with application portability, logging, endpoint management and more. Ultimately, when working with multiple platforms, you will need access to deep and diverse skillsets. As a result, some organizations engage an external support partner to selectively augment their internal expertise. 

Mixed IT Readiness Checklist

Is your company ready to embrace mixed-IT strategies?

Unify your support, unlock your choice

A mixed-IT environment provides tangible advantages for modern enterprises. It allows you to place each workload where it fits best, without forcing the business down a single path. For the National Library of Korea, it also led to a 60% reduction in infrastructure management costs without requiring modifications to existing middleware or applications.

At the same time, the flexibility of a hybrid strategy comes with responsibilities. In order to adopt new technologies and simultaneously protect your existing decades-long investments, you need clear visibility and consistent processes. Managed support is often an important piece of this balancing act. Ultimately, a support partnership with a company like SUSE can prove more cost-effective than confining your business to a homogenous environment. 

Ready to capture operational efficiencies at scale? Download our whitepaper: Strategies for a Seamless, Scalable Multi-Linux Infrastructure.

Mixed-IT FAQs

New laws like CRA may mean that executives are personally liable during security breaches. Can hybrid IT help minimize that risk?

Yes, hybrid IT can contribute to reduced incident risk and support defensible due diligence. For example, it can help with segmenting workloads, adding platform redundancy and enforcing consistent patching.

Why does IT vendor lock-in pose risks to my company?

Vendor lock-in reduces your operational flexibility. It can force you into costly renewals and trap you in rigid roadmaps that don’t align with your organizational goals.

Can a multi-Linux environment help control rising IT costs?

Yes, a multi-Linux approach has the potential to curb spending. Multi-Linux strategies allow you to match unique workloads to specific distributions. They also help with extending legacy systems and avoiding disruptive, license-driven migrations.