Equinix offers the EBC platform in three service variants: Shared, ST, and Core.
| Variant | Service | Deployment | Management Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| EBC Flex | Shared resources/compute | Multi-tenant virtualization | vCloud Director |
| EBC ST | Dedicated resources/compute | Single-tenant virtualization | vCloud Director |
| EBC Core | Dedicated resources/compute | Single-tenant virtualization | vCenter |
In this portal, Single Sign-On, Federation and Network Functions Virtualization are fully integrated.
The following table highlights the key differences between the EBC variants in areas of management, licensing, purchase units and disaster recovery (DR).
| EBC Flex | EBC ST | EBC Core |
|---|---|---|
| Management via cloud management portal | Management via cloud management portal | Management via vCenter portal |
| Compute platform is shared between customers | Compute platform is dedicated for own use | Compute platform is dedicated for own use |
| Shared management environment | Shared management environment | Dedicated management environment |
| Minimum of 8 purchase units (PUs) (8 vCPUs / 32 GB vRAM) | Minimum purchase 500 GB vRAM (unless solution is customized) | Minimum purchase 500 GB vRAM (unless solution is customized) |
| Additional consumption up to 50% above the contractual purchase immediately available | Additional consumption of vRAM up to 100% above the contractual purchase immediately available | Additional consumption of vRAM up to 100% above the contractual purchase immediately available |
| Additional consumption charged automatically | Additional consumption charged automatically | Additional consumption charged automatically |
| 3 vCPU guarantee values | 3 vCPU guarantee values | The vCPU guarantee is determined by the type and number of workloads per hypervisor |
| Standard solution | Standard solution with possibilities for customization | Standard solution with maximum freedom for customization |
| Suitable for disaster recovery (DR) on application level | Suitable for DR on platform and application level (only in AM3 and ZW1 region) | Suitable for DR on platform and application level (only in AM3 and ZW1 region) |
| Use of own Microsoft server application licenses is possible | Use of own Microsoft server application licenses is possible | Use of own Microsoft server application licenses is possible |
| Use of own Microsoft Windows Server licenses is not possible | Use of own Microsoft Windows Server licenses is possible | Use of own Microsoft Windows Server licenses is possible |
Use Cases of EBC Variants
EBC Flex and EBC ST are suitable environments for most applications. Examples of use cases where you may need more in-depth access or control over the platform are –
- Third-party vCenter integration with end-user computing (EUC) solutions such as Citrix XenServer / XenApp or VMware Horizon (including virtual GPU support)
- Direct vCenter access
- Active use of compute resources at the (DR) location
- In-depth control over fallback implementation and execution
- License restrictions
- Custom solutions
If one or more of the examples listed above applies to you, the EBC Core platform is a better option.
Equinix also offers the EBC Managed Physical Server service for those who want to use physical servers managed by Equinix in addition to a virtualized EBC environment.
EBC Managed Physical Server
EBC Managed Physical Server is a dedicated hardware deployment solution on the platform without virtualization functionalities. We offers services through dedicated resources or hardware if you want to use physical servers managed by Equinix in addition to a virtualized EBC environment.
Advantages of EBC Flex
- Efficient use of compute, storage and network functions without investing in hardware.
- Possibility to start with a small purchase (monthly costs).
- Possibility to apply customer’s own Microsoft Server application licenses.
- Suitable for fallback applications at platform and application levels as a part of your business continuity plan.
Advantages of EBC Core
- Use of compute, storage and networking functionalities without investing in
hardware.
You can allocate an EBC Core platform’s capacity to different users (multi tenancy).
- Solution for license issues, such as:
Applications where the licensing model requires licensing fees to be paid for all servers that provide compute capacity. Through Core, your application can only run on the dedicated servers.
Protecting capital investment. Do you own a substantial number of Microsoft Windows Server or server application licenses? Then you can use Microsoft License Mobility in compliance with the EBC Core environment.
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As a part of your business continuity plan, EBC Core is suitable for
disaster recovery (DR) at platform and application levels.
In the case of a (DR) situation at the platform level, you can choose that virtual machines (VMs) on the DR site have a different performance level than on the primary site.
