HP Enhances SDDC Offerings

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) introduced several new storage offerings for its software-defined data center (SDDC) users as it looks to simplify deployment of scale-out storage for cloud computing and virtual server environments. Additionally, HP announced a new entry-level all-flash array aimed at cloud computing and SDDC build-outs.

HP made the announcements just prior to VMworld 2014 this week in San Francisco, where a bevy of vendors are making plays to go deep in SDDC—which also happens to be a main theme for VMware at the show.

Among the many new storage offerings announced, the company highlighted the HP StoreVirtual Virtual Storage Appliance as a fully integrated storage option for HP Helion OpenStack and HP Helion OpenStack Community Edition users. HP also enhanced its StoreVirtual Storage hypervisor integration and released a new HP StoreOnce VSA license to cut backup costs by up to 86 percent for small and remote sites, according to the press release.

With its new HP 3PAR StoreServe 7200 All-Flash Starter Kit, HP is providing its users with an all-flash solution at half the cost of other entry-level all-flash arrays, according to the company. HP has also expanded its collaboration with longtime partner VMware (VMW) to give users more options for their virtual storage architectures.

“As customers move to the software-defined data center, they face gaps with legacy hardware-oriented storage,” said David Scott, senior vice president and general manager of HP Storage, in a statement. “For increased agility, HP delivers software-defined storage via VSAs that optimize cost and all-flash, service-refined storage to optimize service levels-both orchestrated with common tools.”

HP introduced its Helion Network in June during the company’s Discover 2014 conference, where it promised to give users an open network designed to help customers create a secure hybrid IT environment for their local and global needs.

HP is ultimately trying to expand its SDDC offerings to make it easier for its customers to integrate the new technology into their own environments. The added compatibility with VMware’s virtualization portfolio means that HP’s ecosystem of customers should have more options when developing their own SDDCs and building out their virtual environments.

The company announced additional collaborative efforts with VMware at VMworld, with the general availability of a standalone HP-VMware networking solution as well as the solution delivered as part of HP Converged Systems.

“The software-defined data center extends virtual concepts such as resource pooling and automation to all infrastructure services including storage, to make the underlying infrastructure as cost-effective and dynamic as virtualized servers,” said John Gilmartin, vice president and general manager, SDDC Suite Business Unit at VMware. “HP has been a critical VMware partner in enabling this transformation through their engineering design and development support of Virtual Volumes with HP 3PAR StoreServ.”