The 7440c Converged Flash Array gives the same performance as an all-flash array, while adding the affordability and flexibility of adding spinning media. It is aimed at the high midmarket through the enterprise.

At its Barcelona HP Discover event today, HP is announcing a series of storage announcements. Two are particularly noteworthy. The new HP 3PAR StoreServ 7440c Converged Flash Array provides all-flash performance with hybrid options and affordability, handles file, block and object based storage, and backs up snapshots to HP StoreOnce Backup. The new HP 3PAR File Persona, the first of several planned Persona 3PAR StoreServ systems, provides multi-protocol access to a single-shared capacity group for all workloads to boost utilization and lower costs by moving storage-related workloads like data access, protection and analytics directly into the storage operating system and controller.

“We know that the CIOs are facing severe challenges from a storage perspective, and our view is that only simplicity can solve this conundrum,” said Vish Mulchand, Worldwide Director, Solutions Marketing, HP Storage. “In 2013, we erased the line between hybrid and flash systems. Now with the HP 3PAR StoreServ 7440c, we are erasing lines between block, file and object-based storage, and also the line between primary storage snapshots and disk based backups in 3PAR. It now completely supports file block and object storage in this environment with no cost to efficiency or performance.”

In addition to efficient unified storage, the 3PAR 7440c offers the efficiency of 100 per cent flash, while integrating spinning media to greater lower storage costs.

“We are not denying that cases exist for an all-flash array, but there are cases where if the customer wants to store on spinning media, they now have that choice,” Mulchand said. “The 7440c gives the same performance as an all-flash array, while adding the affordability and flexibility of adding spinning media to the all-flash array, while with existing all-flash, to do this they have to move older data off the array completely.” HP says this combination of flash and spinning media can lower costs to $1.70 per usable GB.

The HP 3PAR StoreServ 7440c Converged Flash Array has 3.5 Petabytes usable capacity, all-flash optimized performance over 900,000 IOPs, tier-1 resiliency, and 16Gb Fibre Channel connectivity. The flat backup of 3PAR StoreServ snapshots to HP StoreOnce Backup is fully orchestrated through HP OneView for VMware vCenter Server.

“Bringing all this together, it’s a pretty powerful offering,” Mulchand said. It is aimed at the high end of the mid-range through to the higher end of the enterprise market, with IDC price bands 7-9 being irs sweet spot. That system classifies 5-8 as midrange and 9-10 as high end.

The new unified block, file, and object-access management comes through a new 3PAR StoreServ Management Console.

“The GUI is a dashboard-based one now, similar to HP OneView,” Mulchand said. “It also has a new search facility, with Google type functionality. A map view lets you see the different layers.”

The ability to do templates and provide alerts, which were there before, have been upgraded and are more consistent with OneView now, Mulchand said.

“It is no longer a Java based app, as it is much faster, scales to a much higher number of options, and has a much more modern look and feel,” he said.

The other new product is the HP 3PAR File Persona, which delivers Network File System, Common Internet File System and object access on new HP 3PAR StoreServ platforms.

“It’s not an emulation layer, and it’s not a management layer on different architectures,” Mulchand said. “It really gives a converged offering that is capacity efficient, and centrally managed.”

The File Persona provides multi-protocol access to a single-shared capacity group for all workloads to boost utilization and lower costs. In essence, it replaces 3PAR Gateway, although that product will continue to be available.

“Persona is better suited to the midrange, and so it augments the current offerings.” Mulchand said.

Mulchand added that the File persona will be followed up next year by several additional Personas, which he also said would bring innovation to the platform.

Additional hardware announcements include enhanced HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200c, 7400c and all-flash 7450c platforms. On the software side, HP 3PAR Online Import software now simplifies data migration from EMC VMAX systems in addition to EMC VNX and CLARIiiON CX4 systems. In addition, a new data protection offering, HP StoreOnce Recovery Manager Central software, enables application-managed snapshots on 3PAR StoreServ systems together with automatic movement of changed data to a HP StoreOnce Backup target, delivering greater protection versus primary storage snapshots alone. HP also expanded its Software-defined Storage offerings with a 50 TB HP StoreOnce VSA option that provides a higher capacity point to enable Backup-as-a-Service consolidation. Support has been expanded for Kernel-based Virtual Machine in addition to VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V Server. Finally, the HP StoreOnce Backup 6500 with Federated Catalyst now supports system-wide deduplication across eight nodes, and the StoreOnce Catalyst ecosystem has expanded to include Microsoft SQL Server, Symantec NetBackup AIR and Accelerator, and enhancements for the existing database backup manager.

HP 3PAR StoreServ 7440c Converged Flash Array is available now starting at $USD 78,000.

HP StoreServ Management Console is available Dec. 15 at no additional charge as a part of the 3PAR Operating System version 3.2.1 MU2.

HP 3PAR File Persona Software Suite will be available for production deployments in limited geographies starting January 2015 at $USD 129 per usable TB.

HP StoreOnce Recovery Manager Central for VMware will be available worldwide January 2015 with prices starting at $USD 2500.

HP 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.