Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Workloads with Nutanix and Dell PowerFlex

Introduction

Enterprises are rapidly evolving their IT strategies to embrace hybrid and multi-cloud architectures. The need to deliver applications faster, optimize costs, and ensure business continuity is driving organizations to modernize beyond legacy on-premises data centers. At the heart of this transformation are platforms like Nutanix and Dell PowerFlex, which together provide a flexible foundation for next-generation hybrid and multi-cloud workloads.

This article explores how Nutanix and Dell PowerFlex empower enterprise IT teams to seamlessly span on-premises infrastructure with Azure cloud, providing true workload portability, robust automation, and unified governance for demanding enterprise environments.

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The Shift to Hybrid and Multi-Cloud

Enterprise IT no longer resides in a single location. Organizations demand the agility of cloud with the performance and control of on-prem infrastructure. Hybrid and multi-cloud models combine the best of both worlds:

• Agility: Rapidly deploy workloads where they perform best.
• Resilience: Mitigate risks with distributed architectures.
• Cost Optimization: Leverage dynamic placement for operational efficiency.
• Compliance: Keep sensitive data on-prem while scaling into the cloud as needed.

For many, the challenge is unifying these environments—especially when workloads, data, and management tools span both Nutanix and Dell PowerFlex on-prem with Azure cloud-native services.

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Why Nutanix and PowerFlex Are a Powerful Combo

Nutanix’s hyperconverged platform excels in abstracting compute, storage, and virtualization into a unified, easily managed fabric. Dell PowerFlex, a next-generation software-defined storage solution, brings unmatched scalability and performance for mission-critical workloads.

Together, they offer:

• Unified management: Centralized control for compute and storage.
• Scale-out architecture: Grow capacity and performance linearly.
• Cloud connectivity: Native integration points with Azure and other clouds.
• Robust automation: API-driven operations, with Nutanix Calm and PowerFlex REST APIs.

Architecture Diagram Example:
(Insert high-level diagram here: On-prem Nutanix cluster with PowerFlex nodes, connected via secure VPN or ExpressRoute to Azure, showing workload flows.)

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Architecture

Hybrid Integration Patterns

On-Prem Nutanix/PowerFlex with Cloud-Native Workloads

A typical enterprise hybrid architecture might use Nutanix for virtualization and app hosting, with PowerFlex providing resilient storage. Azure acts as an extension for burst capacity, disaster recovery, and cloud-native PaaS services.

Example Topology:

• On-prem:
  • Nutanix AHV or VMware clusters
  • PowerFlex for block storage
• Azure:
  • App Services, Functions, Azure SQL, or AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service)
• Connectivity:
  • Site-to-Site VPN or Azure ExpressRoute

Diagram:

Data Mobility Between Environments

Seamless data mobility is crucial for workload migration, backup, or scaling across hybrid/multi-cloud. Both platforms provide mechanisms for secure, performant data movement.

• Nutanix Data Protection:
  • Native snapshot and replication to Azure Blob storage
  • Files and Objects integration for hybrid file/object storage
• PowerFlex Asynchronous Replication:
  • Snapshot-based or continuous replication
  • Integration with Dell Cloud Mobility Connectors

Sample: Automating Data Replication to Azure (PowerFlex REST API Example)

# Example: Initiate snapshot and replicate to Azure Blob (pseudo-code)
POST /api/rest/replications
{
  "sourceVolume": "prod-db-vol",
  "targetType": "AzureBlob",
  "targetUri": "https://<storage-account>.blob.core.windows.net/<container>",
  "retentionPolicy": "30d"
}

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Securing and Governing Hybrid Deployments

Hybrid architectures demand end-to-end security and compliance. Key areas include identity federation, role-based access control, encryption, and continuous monitoring.

Identity, Access, and Compliance Tips

• Azure Active Directory Integration:
  Federate on-prem identities (via ADFS or Azure AD Connect) for SSO across Nutanix Prism and Azure services.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):
  Apply granular permissions in both Nutanix and PowerFlex, mapping roles to enterprise security policies.
• Encryption:
  • At-rest: Enable volume-level encryption (PowerFlex) and VM disk encryption (Nutanix, Azure).
  • In-flight: Use TLS for all connections between on-prem and cloud.
• Compliance Monitoring:
  Integrate native logging with SIEM platforms (Azure Sentinel, Splunk) for unified audit trails.

Sample: Nutanix Prism Central – Adding Azure AD as an Identity Provider

1. Go to Prism Central > Settings > Authentication
2. Select “Add Identity Provider”
3. Choose Azure Active Directory, enter metadata URL
4. Map roles and test SSO

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Performance Considerations

Efficient hybrid deployments hinge on smart workload placement and network design.

Latency and Throughput

• Use Azure ExpressRoute for predictable, low-latency connectivity.
• Monitor application sensitivity to round-trip time and bandwidth.
• Co-locate interdependent services whenever possible.

Workload Placement Strategies

• Run latency-sensitive or compliance-bound apps on-prem with Nutanix/PowerFlex.
• Offload stateless, burst, or globally distributed workloads to Azure.
• Regularly evaluate placement with cost and performance dashboards.

Sample: Nutanix Move – Migrating a VM to Azure

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Automation and API-Driven Management

Modern hybrid environments thrive on automation.

Leveraging Nutanix Calm

Nutanix Calm offers blueprint-driven automation for deploying and managing multi-tier applications across on-prem and Azure.

Sample: Calm Blueprint YAML Snippet for Hybrid App Deployment

services:
  - name: app-vm
    resources:
      - type: VM
        provider: nutanix
        image: "app-image"
      - type: VM
        provider: azure
        image: "azure-app-image"

PowerFlex REST APIs

Automate lifecycle operations (provisioning, snapshot, scaling) using PowerFlex’s RESTful API endpoints.

Sample: PowerFlex API – Create a Volume

POST /api/rest/volumes
{
  "name": "hybrid-app-data",
  "sizeGB": 500,
  "protectionPolicy": "standard"
}

Real-World Example: Retail Hybrid Workload

Scenario:
A global retailer runs its point-of-sale (POS) systems and inventory database on Nutanix clusters with PowerFlex storage in regional data centers. During seasonal peaks, the retailer bursts web traffic and analytics workloads into Azure, leveraging cloud-native AI and ML services.

• POS/Data: Stays on-prem for compliance and low latency
• Analytics: Runs in Azure, accessing replicated data via secure connection
• Management: Automated failover and DR using Calm and PowerFlex APIs

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Conclusion

Nutanix and Dell PowerFlex deliver an unmatched foundation for enterprise hybrid and multi-cloud strategies. Together, they empower IT architects and admins to deploy, move, and protect workloads with confidence, across on-prem and Azure, using robust automation, integrated security, and modern APIs. The result is a flexible, future-ready architecture that can adapt to evolving business needs without compromise.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the opinions of Dell, Nutanix, or any affiliated organization. Always refer to the official Dell and Nutanix documentation before production deployment.