What's that rumbling sound? It's HP preparing to deliver truckload of storage products

Import software extension

The 3PAR Online Import software aids data migration from EMC VNX and CX4 CLARiiON arrays. It features “self-managed platform migration and inline thin volume conversion without requiring professional services engagements or external hardware appliances". HP has gone and extended this to support importation of data from VMAX arrays; a cheeky move and one reflecting its view that the StoreServ 10000 systems are high-end arrays.

StoreOnce Recovery Manager Central

The Recovery Manager Central (RCM) software enables point-in-time “application-managed snapshots” on StoreServ arrays and automatic movement of changed data to a disk-based HP StoreOnce Backup target. Snapshot data can be moved in deduplicated mode directly from the StoreServ array to StoreOnce Backup.

HP says this provides more protection than snapshots on their own. It is, were told, a faster, simpler, lower-cost alternative to traditional backup infrastructure. The product initially supports VMware’s vSphere and provides VM-level backups. Might we see Hyper-V support coming along in the future?

HP adds that “flat backup topology is enabled by StoreOnce RMC’s Express Protect feature and offers 17x faster data protection than traditional backup". A flat network topology is one where traffic flows directly between two nodes rather than going up a network hierarchy and travelling back down again to the target node. It is generally estimated to be good for smaller networks.

We might think that with RCM HP is mounting an attack on Veeam and its success in backing up virtualised server environments.

StoreOnce VSAs and Backup 6500 gets boosted

There is a 50TB capacity StoreOnce VSA (virtual storage appliance option) which HP says will enable Backup-as-a-Service consolidation. There is more support for Kernel-based Virtual Machine as well as vSphere and Hyper-V Server support.

The Backup 6500 with Federated Catalyst supports systemwide (or global) deduplication across 8 nodes. Its ecosystem has been enlarged and includes Microsoft SQL Server and Symantec’s NetBackup AIR and Accelerator. There are enhancements for the existing database backup manager.

HP’s rate of storage announcements is high and the 3PAR StoreServ arrays are steadily getting more and more capable. It’s started bring some compute to StoreServ. How far it can go in this direction will be interesting to see.

Pricing and availability

• StoreServ 7440c Converged Flash Array is immediately available through HP and worldwide channel partners starting at $78,000.
• The StoreServ Management Console is available 15 December at no additional charge as a part of the 3PAR Operating System version 3.2.1 MU2.
• The File Persona Software Suite will be available for production deployments in limited geographies starting January 2015 at $129 per usable TB.
• StoreOnce Recovery Manager Central for VMware will be available worldwide January 2015 with prices starting at $2,500.
• OneView for VMware vCenter 7.5 is a free download when managing HP storage. HP Server and converged management features are licensed with HP OneView.
• OneView Advanced version 1.20 for converged management is currently available starting at $799 per server.

Let's see what Barcelona brings.®