Glossary What is a Workload?

A workload is the IT resources hosted by data center hardware or cloud platforms. Workloads are made up of data and applications, with IT infrastructure providing the computational resources to help workloads complete tasks.

A workload’s size is determined by the amount of data and applications that the IT infrastructure is supporting at a given time. When moving workloads to new IT infrastructure systems, it’s important to align the workload with the right resources.

Workload alignment involves analyzing the security, scale and platform needs of the applications and data within the workload. Certain servers and storage solutions are better suited for the type of workload, depending on how the workload is used.

When a workload is aligned with a best-fit infrastructure resource, it will run smoothly and efficiently. Managing and optimizing workloads requires a deep understanding of the:

• Number of applications supported by the workload
• Amount of servers & storage systems
• List of networking components
• Internal & external technology communication

Learn more about workloads