HP Expands Unix Server and StorageWorks Portfolios

HP has announced enhancements to its Unix server and HP Storage Works systems portfolios.
Included is a faster HP-UX 11 i operating environment, which now runs on both HP 9000 and HP Integrity servers and includes new features for running high-performance data centers and clustered environments.
A new multi-OS (operating system) version of the HP Virtual Server Environment has more fine-grained control and two allin-one virtualization suites.
Enhanced HP Storage Works Enterprise Virtual Arrays with tiered storage offerings are based on a new class of Fibre Channel drives developed by HP, Hitachi Global Storage Technology and Seagate.
AlphaServer systems feature new, faster processors and price reductions on current models.
"HP innovation builds a broad foundation for customers to choose their own path to becoming an Adaptive Enterprise," said Ann Livermore, executive vice president, Technology Solutions Group, HP.
"For example, HP's extraordinary achievements in Unix with HP-UX have paved the way for us to deliver industry-leading capabilities across multiple operating environments. This enables customers to reduce costs and simplify change through standardization without compromising on agility."
Additionally, HP unveiled enhancements to its VSE for HP-UX 1 Ii, providing more control, high availability and greater partitioning capabilities. HP also plans to bundle its virtualization solutions into two all-in-one VSE solution suites.
HP also introduced HP-UX 1 Ii v2 for HP 9000 and new AlphaServer processors that simplify the transition to Integrity platforms. HP-UX lli v2 offers a common operating system for HP 9000 and HP Integrity servers with data center enhancements, including 128-way support, virtualization capabilities, high availability, disaster tolerance, hybrid clustering and up to a 25 percent performance increase for HP 9000 customers upgrading from HP-UX 1 Ii vl.
HP said it had made available the industry's first storage area network (SAN) arrays to integrate a new class of hybrid disk drives called Fibre Attached Technology Adapted. Developed by HP, Hitachi Global Storage Technology and Seagate, and designed specifically for Fibre Channel arrays, the drive technology, branded as FATA drives by HP, has been integrated into the HP Storage Works Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) family to address the growing need for businesses to cost-effectively store less critical or infrequently accessed information in a more economical fashion.
The HP Storage Works EVA3000 Starter Kit is a 2-gigabyte Fibre Channel SAN array bundle that integrates hardware, management software and specialized services to enable simple and first-time SAN implementation. The EVA3000 Starter Kit provides first-time SAN customers with a fully functional and highly expandable array solution.