Term of the Moment
graceful degradation
Definition: datacenter in a box
A complete server operation in a single product. Also called a "cloud in a box," a datacenter in a box provides a "platform as a service" (PaaS) rolled up into one package. It includes all necessary CPU, storage, networking and system software (OS, databases, etc.) fully installed and ready to go. In nearly all cases, a datacenter in a box offers a virtualized server environment, which enables workloads to be added, duplicated and deleted in real time. See datacenter container, cloud computing, virtualization and PaaS.
A Cloud in a Box
VCE's Vblocks offer virtualized servers with optional cloud computing management. VCE touts Vblocks as "converged infrastructure" products, integrating components from Cisco, EMC and VMware. (Image courtesy of VCE.)