By Tabrez Khan
HP has rebranded its entry-level modular smart array (MSA) and mid-range LeftHand SANs in conjunction with hardware and software upgrades that improve performance, scalability and capacity utilization. Previously known as the MSA 2000 family, the new StorageWorks P2000 G3 MSA systems come with the option of adding either two 8Gbps Fibre Channel controllers for high-performance applications or one Fibre Channel and one iSCSI controller for customers requiring both types of storage connectivity.
Also new in the P2000 G3 is the ability to plug in 6Gbps SATA hard drives in addition to SAS drives. Customers can now have up to 96 large form factor drives or 149 small form factor drives (up from the previous 60 large and 96 small form factor drives limit), and in the process increase the total capacity up to 57.6TB of SAS or 192TB of SATA storage.
HP has also added the ability to spin down hard drives to conserve power by up to 20 percent. Customers with existing G1 and G2 MSAs can convert their existing disk capacity to the P2000 G3 by replacing their storage controllers.
The P4000 series of products, targeted at storage for virtual servers, is being positioned as the flagship product by HP. “The second generation of LeftHand products, now rebranded as P4000, is focused on delivering storage to virtual server environments and bringing new efficiency for enterprises to drive down costs and get more out of their IT infrastructure. With a number of industry-first features, it will be our flagship product going forward,” said Prakash Krishnamurthy, GM, HP StorageWorks Division, HP.
The SAN/iQ software (on which the P4000 G2 is based) has been updated to work with up to 50 percent more storage capacity than previous models. To better manage storage networking in virtual environments, the P4000 G2 now includes the Best Practice Analyzer, a software tool to show customers what changes they can make in the configuration to optimize their storage.
HP also announced the expansion of its LTO portfolio by upgrading its LTO-5 Ultrium capabilities while reaffirming its faith in tape as a reliable enterprise archival medium. The new LTOs feature a 6Gbps SAS and 8Gbps FC connection enabling data backup and retrieval in double-quick time while requiring 75 percent less media. “Some say tape drive as a storage medium is dead, but this is far from the truth because tape still remains the most popular storage medium. You can preserve data on tape for 30 years, and it occupies less carbon footprint,” Krishnamurthy stated.
The company plans to launch a training program and marketing campaign. “We will organize a program in 22 cities to train the technical and sales employees of our partners in the new storage platforms,” said Krishnamurthy. “In addition, we have launched a demo program for partners so that they can showcase the new products and features to customers.” |