News release

HP Simplifies Virtualized Infrastructures with Industry-first Storage Capabilities

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HP today announced new shared storage solutions that improve business reliability and reduce costs by simplifying server virtualization deployments.

Customers deploying virtual environments often overlook the storage requirements needed to match their redesigned infrastructure. This can lead to lower levels of data availability and poor utilization of storage assets. In addition, customers frequently do not have the storage space needed to scale as business demands increase, which can impact application performance.

The new HP LeftHand P4000 SAN solutions offer a scale-out architecture that provides data replication and automatically balances data volumes across all storage resources. Furthermore, to ensure that application requirements are met, administrators can cost-effectively deploy shared storage within virtual server environments while using existing physical and virtual technology infrastructures.

HP also announced the industry’s first highly available shared storage solution within a virtualized blade server infrastructure.⁽¹⁾ The new HP StorageWorks SB40c with P4000 Virtual SAN Appliance Software bundle delivers a scalable storage area network (SAN). This SAN can be deployed within the HP BladeSystem infrastructure and expanded across multiple blade enclosures to meet high growth storage needs.

“Customers need agile, integrated storage solutions to realize the full potential of virtualization,” said Stephan Schmitt, vice president of marketing, StorageWorks Division, HP. “These new solutions offer the high data availability and utilization customers require. Based on industry-standard platforms, this approach also enables customers to scale their environments without interruption as their businesses grow.”

Enhanced server virtualization with virtualized storage

The iSCSI SAN market is expected to increase at a 25 percent compounded annual growth rate through 2013.⁽²⁾ Server virtualization is a key driver of this growth. To address this, the HP LeftHand P4000 SAN solutions allow customers to ensure business-critical data is always available while reducing the costs of managing and expanding their storage infrastructures.

HP LeftHand SAN solutions:

• Increase capacity utilization by approximately 33 percent to maximize storage investments;⁽³⁾
• Allow customers to purchase capacity as business demands grow, easily increasing both capacity and performance without disruptions to business operations;
• Lower server and storage network deployment costs by leveraging traditional Ethernet networks and supporting a full range of HP ProCurve networking switches; and
• Include targeted solutions for multi-site, virtual server and new SAN deployments for small to midsize customers and remote locations.

The HP StorageWorks SB40c with P4000 Virtual SAN Appliance Software bundle allows customers to build an iSCSI SAN within a blade infrastructure to meet their shared storage needs. As a result, customers can:

• Lower costs by using existing infrastructure while reducing power and cooling requirements;
• Scale storage beyond a single enclosure, meeting the most demanding data requirements and maintaining availability during unexpected failures;
• Reduce complexity by consolidating management of all P4000 SAN solutions through a single user interface; and
• Integrate fault management with HP Systems Insight Manager for common management of servers and storage within existing operational processes.

VMware integration simplifies management

The HP LeftHand P4000 SAN Solutions and VSA software leverage VMware’s vStorage functionality, integrate with VMware Site Recovery Manager and are VMware Ready™ Certified. As a result, customers benefit from simplified management and availability of virtual infrastructures.

“VMware virtualization provides immediate relief to customers needing to control IT costs while meeting demand for increased business agility,” said Parag Patel, vice president, Alliances, VMware. “By combining the VMware platform with either the HP LeftHand P4000 SAN or VSA, we’re delivering customers a solution that enables increased storage requirements and scalability with no downtime – it’s an ideal combination for customers.”

Supporting channel partners worldwide

HP also introduced a channel registration program that allows HP partners to grow their businesses and better support customers. The program is available through HP’s Value Special Pricing offered to partners who have a specific sales opportunity that includes HP LeftHand solutions. This offer is available worldwide and may vary by region. Resellers can contact their local HP representative for details.

More information on HP LeftHand P4000 SAN solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/lefthandsans.

Pricing and availability

HP LeftHand P4000 SAN solutions are available immediately through HP and channel partners worldwide. Pricing varies by region.

HP will demonstrate its solutions at its Technology@Work user conference, which runs April 21-23 in Berlin, Germany.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

⁽¹⁾ No other blade vendor can offer highly available, scalable, shared storage within a server blade environment. High availability is achieved with Network RAID that provides availability in addition to hardware RAID at the network layer. It enables data volumes to stay online during an SB40c+VSA node failure or even a blade chassis failure. Multiple SB40c+VSA nodes are managed as a single pool of storage. This allows customers to scale the capacity and performance of the pool by adding more SB40c+VSA nodes. Nodes can be added within the same or in a different blade chassis to scale the storage pool. Data can be migrated online between pools of SB40c+VSA storage and pools of HP LeftHand P4300 or P4500 storage systems.
⁽²⁾ IDC Worldwide Quarterly Disk Storage Systems Forecast, March 2009. Percentage reflects compound annual growth rate.
⁽³⁾ Calculation based on aggregated competitive best practice guidelines.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

© 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.