HP lets the SAN shine: StoreVirtual now bigger, flashier, OpenStack-ier

Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2014/08/22/hps_storevirtual_blitz_with_added_3par_flash_seasoning/

Plus added 3PAR flash seasoning

Posted in Channel, 22nd August 2014 10:57 GMT

HP has added lots of features to its StoreVirtual software SAN, announced a lower-cost all-flash 3PAR array and provided cheaper backup for remote offices.

Here's how the StoreVirtual virtual storage appliance (software SAN) has been enhanced:

The StoreVirtual VSA is a fully integrated storage option for Helion OpenStack and Helion OpenStack Community Edition. Helion is HP's cloud offering.
StoreVirtual Storage hypervisor integration has been improved with support for Linux Kernel–based Virtual Machine (KVM) added to vSphere and Hyper-V.
StoreVirtual Storage: both the VSA and physical appliances have an updated Cinder interface to support OpenStack orchestration, plus a full set of RESTful APIs.
HP's OneView for VMware vCenter plug-in and HP StoreFront Manager for Microsoft plug-in enable wizard-driven installation, configuration and monitoring of VSA-based storage.
StoreVirtual Storage will support space reclamation in VMware and Microsoft environments, freeing up space after virtual machines (VMs) and other files are deleted.
A StoreVirtual multipathing extension module for VMware environments increases throughput by up to a claimed 58 per cent and reduces network latency.
StoreVirtual supports the StoreOnce Security Pack, including encryption and Secure Erase of data.

HP has also announced a 4TB StoreOnce VSA licence that cuts backup costs by a claimed 86 per cent for small and remote sites. This is included in a reference architecture from HP for Cloud Backup Infrastructure as a Service.

HP says its three-year partnership with VMware on the definition, development and testing of the VVols specification will continue, with VMware using 3PAR as the Fibre Channel reference platform for its VVols testing. VVols are currently available via VMware's vSphere beta program and ready for use on all 3PAR models.

Entry-level flash array

The entry-level 3PAR all flash array is the 7200, which slots in below the deduplicating 7450 all-flash array. The 7450 has a raw capacity range running from 260.4TB up to 460.8TB at a $2/GB price.

The 7200 offers between 7TB to 690TB of usable capacity, that's starting at 3.8TB raw, using 8 x 480GB SSDs.

It uses hardware-assisted Thin Deduplication and Thin Clones software to maximise capacity use. The starter price is $35,000, equating to a cost of $5/GB in usable capacity terms. HP claims this $35K is "less than half the cost of competing entry-level all-flash arrays," which HP Storage supremo David Scott says "typically start at $70,000".

This is a part, so to speak, of HP's Pure Storage and EMC XtremIO attack initiatives: both being the perceived all-flash array leaders.

With these announcements, 3PAR is positioning its storage to play a stronger role in the software-defined data centre, whatever hypervisor servers may use. It is also strengthening its hand as a storage player in the cloud.

Pricing and availability

3PAR OS support for VVols will be included as part of the next 3PAR Operating System release at no additional charge to customers with active support contracts.
Space reclamation and VMware multipathing for StoreVirtual Storage, including the VSA, will be broadly available in a future release of the LeftHand OS.
StoreFront Analytics Pack for VMware vCOPS is available now for $200 per HP StoreVirtual management group.
StoreFront Manager for Microsoft plug-in will be available in a future release.
4TB HP StoreOnce VSA is available today for $1,400 U.S. list price.
The 3PAR 7200, which is not upgradable to the 7450, starts from $35,000 and availability commences on September 29.
The OneView for VMware vCenter plug-in is currently available at no additional charge.