HP Advances Converged Architecture

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The StoreServ 7450, a solid-state optimized all-flash HP 3PAR solution that's part of part of HP's Converged Storage portfolio. (Photo: HP)

HP Discover 2013, the ultimate showcase technology event for Hewlett Packard (HPQ), is under way this week in Las Vegas.  With over 12,000 in attendance the conference features a variety of technical sessions, engaging speakers and a focus on converged cloud, big data, mobility and security. The event conversation can be followed on Twitter hashtag #HPDiscover.

HAVEn Big Data Analytics Platform

HP announced HAVEn, a set of core technologies that form a Big Data analytics platform, enabling organizations to create next-generation applications and solutions to accelerate the adoption and monetization of Big Data. Available immediately, the new platform combines industry initiatives such as Hadoop with HP products Autonomy, Vertica, ArcSight, and HP Operations Management.

“The value of Big Data comes from the ability to analyze all information in real time, so decisions that accelerate growth or improve services to customers and citizens, can be made quickly,” said Colin Mahony, senior vice president and general manager, HP Vertica. “Only HP has the intellectual property in technology, services and partnerships to truly make data matter.”

New ProLiant Servers

HP announced new ProLiant servers for small and midsized businesses (SMB). The new ProLiant MicroServer Generation 8 is an ideal first server that provides simplified setup, management and maintenance with HP Smart Technologies. New ProLiant DL320e Gn8 v2 and ML310e Gen8 v2 servers are targeted as cost-optimized solutions for micro and SMB clients. Utilizing the HP MicroServer Gen8 innovations, SMB customers can simplify setup, remotely manage with Integrated Lights-Out Essentials, use HP Active Health for continuous monitoring, and add a stackable HP PS1810-8G managed switch for an integrated, converged server and networking infrastructure.

“Small and midsized businesses require innovative server solutions that meet their specific business needs and price points to remain competitive,” said Mark Potter, senior vice president and general manager, Servers, HP. “These new HP ProLiant servers are easy to use, highly reliable and cost-effective to maintain, enabling our SMB customers to boost business performance, save time and cut costs.”

Converged Storage

HP announced an expanded Converged Storage portfolio with a solid-state optimized all-flash HP 3PAR StoreServ system that delivers performance and low latency without compromising enterprise resiliency or adding data-center complexity. With flash-specific caching algorithms dynamically adjust read/write granularity, the new 3PAR StoreServ 7450 Storage system has hardware-accelerated data compaction that reduces capacity needs by up to 50 percent without degrading performance.

“It’s impossible for organizations to deal with unpredictable workloads cost effectively if they’re managing disparate storage silos,” said David Scott, senior vice president and general manager, Storage Division, HP. “With the new 3PAR StoreServ and StoreOnce innovations, customers get best-in-class, purpose-built solutions to address critical new requirements while retaining the simplicity that comes from an approach that can manage and serve a variety of needs without creating new storage silos.”

New features added to HP 3PAR StoreServ strengthen enterprise security with advanced data encryption. A new StoreFabric 16-gigabit SAN infrastructure that eliminates bandwidth bottlenecks to maximize the performance of flash-based systems. HP StoreOnce VSA gets rid of the hardware and deploys as a virtual machine on existing servers.  It enables backup-as-a-service offerings for hosting providers and lowers costs for enterprise remote office protection.

The HP StoreEver MSL6480 Tape Library has enterprise-class features for long-term data protection at a midrange price. It starts small and expands easily to provide  performance, scale and density—up to 60.4 TB/hour and 3.5 PB—in a single library.

SMB IT in a Box

During her keynote address HP CEO Meg Whitman announced a partnership with Google. HP announced the first part of a SMB IT in a box style shopping solution, as HP entered the Google Apps Reseller program. HP SMB IT in a Box combines HP’s PCs, printers, management console, administration and customer support with the productivity, collaboration tools and security of Google Apps. Elaborating further, Whitman said, "we are going to continue to look for ways to partner with other like-minded technology companies to give customers what they want and what they need to make IT be a growth enabler."