Hewlett-Packard launched new virtualization solutions Aug. 14 designed to facilitate the migration of virtual machines across a new data center. HP announced three HP Converged Infrastructure solutions: an HP Virtual Ethernet Interconnect for up to eight data centers; Multitenant Device Context software for securing multitenant cloud applications; and the StoreVirtual virtual storage appliance for pooled storage. HP said that the HP Ethernet Virtual Interconnect and HP Multitenant Device Context would be available worldwide this fall as software upgrades for the HP FlexFabric core switches. The StoreVirtual VSA, meanwhile, will be available worldwide in September at $700 per license (they must be purchased in multilicense packs, however). HP’s solutions address the reality that much of the data flowing within a data center is internal, i.e. from virtual machine to virtual machine. Research firm Gartner predicts that by 2014, 80 percent of all data traffic within a datacenter will be between servers. It also estimates that, by 2015, 75 percent of all X86 server workloads could end up virtualized. The problem, of course, is that those data centers need to be able to communicate with each other as well—even when they’re situated remotely. “Clients are seeking a more flexible virtualized environment that enables mobility of virtual machines and data services across the enterprise,” Bethany Mayer, senior vice president and general manager of networking at HP, wrote in a statement. “HP’s unique virtualization technologies meet that need, helping clients to significantly increase their agility and innovate at a pace their organizations demand.” HP’s EVI is designed to help data center operators migrate virtual machines, such as Microsoft Exchange, from location to location. HP EVI runs over IP, extending layer 2 domains across the networks of the connected data centers—up to eight in all. The software presents the admin with a five-step process to set up the new data centers. Up to 128 EVI networks can be supported, as well as 4,096 LANs. EVI also delivers automatic high availability and load balancing when used with LACP and HP’s Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) technology, HP added. Meanwhile, the MDC technology is designed to eliminate the comingling of data from different applications or departments, a security solution designed to assist data center companies hosting a number of clients. Fortunately, the EVI and MDC technologies can be managed together. HP claims that StoreVirtual VSA is the first software-based virtual storage appliance to operate on any x86 server. It connects to a range of third-party external storage solutions, supporting a mix of VMware vSphere and Windows Server Hyper-V hypervisors simultaneously. Image: White78/Shutterstock.com HP Tech Eases Migration to New Data Centers
Hewlett-Packard launched new virtualization solutions Aug. 14 designed to facilitate the migration of virtual machines across a new data center. HP announced three HP Converged Infrastructure solutions: an HP Virtual Ethernet Interconnect for up to eight data centers; Multitenant Device Context software for securing multitenant cloud applications; and the StoreVirtual virtual storage appliance for pooled storage. HP said that the HP Ethernet Virtual Interconnect and HP Multitenant Device Context would be available worldwide this fall as software upgrades for the HP FlexFabric core switches. The StoreVirtual VSA, meanwhile, will be available worldwide in September at $700 per license (they must be purchased in multilicense packs, however). HP’s solutions address the reality that much of the data flowing within a data center is internal, i.e. from virtual machine to virtual machine. Research firm Gartner predicts that by 2014, 80 percent of all data traffic within a datacenter will be between servers. It also estimates that, by 2015, 75 percent of all X86 server workloads could end up virtualized. The problem, of course, is that those data centers need to be able to communicate with each other as well—even when they’re situated remotely. “Clients are seeking a more flexible virtualized environment that enables mobility of virtual machines and data services across the enterprise,” Bethany Mayer, senior vice president and general manager of networking at HP, wrote in a statement. “HP’s unique virtualization technologies meet that need, helping clients to significantly increase their agility and innovate at a pace their organizations demand.” HP’s EVI is designed to help data center operators migrate virtual machines, such as Microsoft Exchange, from location to location. HP EVI runs over IP, extending layer 2 domains across the networks of the connected data centers—up to eight in all. The software presents the admin with a five-step process to set up the new data centers. Up to 128 EVI networks can be supported, as well as 4,096 LANs. EVI also delivers automatic high availability and load balancing when used with LACP and HP’s Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) technology, HP added. Meanwhile, the MDC technology is designed to eliminate the comingling of data from different applications or departments, a security solution designed to assist data center companies hosting a number of clients. Fortunately, the EVI and MDC technologies can be managed together. HP claims that StoreVirtual VSA is the first software-based virtual storage appliance to operate on any x86 server. It connects to a range of third-party external storage solutions, supporting a mix of VMware vSphere and Windows Server Hyper-V hypervisors simultaneously. Image: White78/Shutterstock.com