HP Consolidates Storage Operations, Introduces New Products

• 03/27/2000

In line with other recent attempts to break down the "silos" that separate its divisions, HP has consolidated storage under one large umbrella. Storage groups that previously focused on specific technologies have now been combined into a new organization headed up by Mike Matson, Vice President and General Manager.

Along with the reorg, HP unveiled a number of new products: a new network-attached storage (NAS) device for the midrange, the first in a series of application-specific thin servers, a new Brocade Fibre Channel Switch, and Fibre Channel connectivity support for its Magneto-Optical Jukeboxes.

The HP SureStore NetStorage 6000 extends HP's NAS reach from the low end into the midrange market. Intended for workgroups and departments, the NetStorage 6000 provides raw capacity of 72 GB to 360 GB, boasts a 5u rack-mountable unit, and attaches to the network without disrupting current operations.

The NetStorage 6000 is compatible with heterogeneous network environments, including UNIX, Linux and Windows NT. It can be installed, configured and managed with a Web-based administration tool that can be accessed remotely from any workstation on the network. The NetStorage 6000 also offers hot-swappable RAID technology and is compatible with different backup solutions, such as the HP DLT Autoloader 818 Tape Library and VERITAS Backup Exec.

Pricing for the NetStorage 6000 ranges from $25,000 to $52,000. It will be available this May.

HP's new thin server, HP SureStore AutoBackup, allows automated backup for desktop and network-connected mobile PCs. Aimed at small and medium-size business, this NAS appliance comes in two versions: the PC25 (designed for up to 25 users) and the PC100 (designed for up to 100 users).

SureStore AutoBackup automatically stores all of the data from a PC's hard drive and subsequently backs up only data that has been changed. End users may access backed-up files with the click of a button.

The PC25 is priced at $4,500, and the PC100 at $10,000. Both will be available May 1.

SureStore AutoBackup is just the first of a number of application-specific thin servers HP plans to introduce, according to Mike Beech, Product Marketing Manager in HP's newly reorganized storage division. Although Beech wouldn't give specifics, he said the company is now in the process of evaluating a variety of areas and plans to make decisions soon.

HP also introduced an eight-port Brocade Fibre Channel Switch and Fibre Channel connectivity support in its Magneto-Optical Jukeboxes. The new Fibre Channel Switch has a GBIC-based interconnect for copper and optical. Fibre Channel connectivity for Magneto-Optical Jukeboxes in HP-UX and NT environments is supported through SureStore Fibre Channel SCSI bridge ER products.