HP virtualises mid-range storage arrays
Published: 06 Nov 2008 15:20 GMT
HP on Wednesday announced a network-based storage platform that virtualises mid-range storage arrays into a single pool of capacity, designed to simplify scaling and management.
The StorageWorks SAN Virtualization Services Platform (SVSP) works with HP mid-range arrays, such as the StorageWorks Modular Smart Array (MSA) and the StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA). It can also run on mid-range arrays from third parties, but not high-end arrays, such as the StorageWorks XP.
The platform is designed to ease scaling from mid-range arrays up to large pools of up to 2PB (petabytes) without the need to install monolithic high-end systems, HP said.
System administrators can continue to use familiar HP tools designed for mid-range systems, such as HP's Business Copy for local replication and Continuous Access software for remote replication, HP said.
SVSP allows administrators to add new arrays or swap hard drives without the need to shut down the storage, according to HP.
The platform includes data-replication and disaster-recovery features such as cloning, snapshots, synchronous local mirroring and asynchronous remote mirroring, HP said.
SVSP is based on technology from storage vendor LSI, which also makes storage technology for IBM, Sun and SGI. Aside from HP's own MSA and EVA families, it is certified for product lines including DS and FastT from IBM, EMC's Clariion CX and CX3, Sun's 6000 and FLX, and SGI's TP.
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The system will be available from December.
Some of HP's recent storage moves have targeted smaller organisations, such as medium-sized enterprises and branch offices. Such moves include the acquisition of iSCSI storage area network specialist LeftHand Networks in October and the introduction of the StorageWorks 4400 Enterprise Virtual Array in February.
HP is claiming some success with selling its systems and storage products in Europe. According to the company's SAN marketing director, Kyle Fitze, HP saw 15 percent growth in storage-product sales last year in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, shipping 40,000 of its mid-range EVA storage systems over the course of the year— nearly half of all mid-range storage arrays sold across Europe, according to Fitze.
ZDNet UK's Colin Barker contributed to this article.
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