So this week VMware announced NSX. Network virtualization as easy as ESX(i). What does this mean for me, an admin with 15 ESXi hosts, only half of a server room virtualized, and two network guys who are pretty responsive, but have enough other things to do? Probably nothing. In two years? I would not be shocked if we started an implementation. NSX and some of the reactions highlights how IT is changing and what it means in future.

One reaction to talk about is fear. Many people see these new technologies and only see how they obsolete some other tech that they invested in. So? Tech has been obsoleted before and will be obsoleted again. Does anyone really miss Token Ring? How about gopher? Things change.

Another reaction is giddyness. Yes, some people are actually giddy over SDN. Guess what? It is not a silver bullet. It makes many things easier, at a cost of complicating other things. Abstractions do that. It does look like a net win, but stop acting like it is all puppies and rainbows.

I think everyone would agree that IT is changing in fundamental ways. DevOps, Software-Defined Networking, Storage Virtualization, Software-Defined Storage, and the “cloud” are all disrupting the status quo. One thing prioritized at my org is cross-training and taking advantage of our small personnel size. I think that the day is coming where storage, networking, compute, developers, and operations are all going to have to work close together in order to meet the needs of the business. Fiefdoms for fiefdoms sake very rarely help. IT exists to serve the business. If all these new technologies make that easier, at the cost of the current silos, then take that trade. Yes, it means that everyone is going to have be a little more generalist. No, it does not mean that everyone has to be an expert in everything.

IT needs to grow up a little. There are way too many times some new tech comes along and IT goes “oooooh” instead of figuring out the costs and benefits of the new tech. Others will simply look at the new tech, sees that it encroaches on “their” little kingdom and run it into the ground. That helps no one. Put down the kool-aid, the torches, and the pitchforks, and talk to your fellow IT guys and find out if the new tech is good fit for you currently. If it isn’t, see if it is something that could fit in the future. Don’t be afraid of change.