HP has introduced a new entry-level all-flash array, the HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200 All-Flash Starter Kit. HP's new all-flash array allows for affordable application performance acceleration as well as high service-levels, which helps to remove cost barriers to flash storage adoption. With a starting price of $35,000, customers can benefit from all-flash performance at half the cost of some competing entry-level all-flash arrays. HP also announced that it is continuing to collaborate with VMware to integrate HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage on VMware’s planned Virtual Volumes (VVols) storage architecture.
HP has introduced a new entry-level all-flash array, the HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200 All-Flash Starter Kit. HP's new all-flash array allows for affordable application performance acceleration as well as high service-levels, which helps to remove cost barriers to flash storage adoption. With a starting price of $35,000, customers can benefit from all-flash performance at half the cost of some competing entry-level all-flash arrays. HP also announced that it is continuing to collaborate with VMware to integrate HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage on VMware’s planned Virtual Volumes (VVols) storage architecture.
The HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200 AFA is a clear shot at the flash startups that have been eating away at "big storage" with faster, less expensive arrays. With the $35k starting price, enterprises that have been considering flash but haven't bought yet for a variety of reasons, now have a low-cost, low-risk alternative. The base model is configured with 8 480GB MLC SSDs for a raw capacity of 3.84TB. HP very conservatively estimates 7TB usable (scalable to 690TB) after data reduction (thin deduplication, thin clones) which is roughly a 2:1 ratio. By comparison, most other AFA vendors quote reduction in the 6:1 to 10:1 range, so HP is taking a very cautious approach in this market, which is often suspicious of vendor claims. The net result is a fully-baked flash array that includes all of the 3PAR data services, HP support and pricing of $2/GB, which is similar to the 3PAR 7450 AFA.
In addition, HP customers can achieve operational agility by leveraging HP's 3PAR StoreServ Storage integration with OpenStack Cinder as well as converged infrastructure management through integration with HP OneView. HP enables agility even further through collaboration with VMware on its planned VVols storage architecture, which is currently available via VMware vSphere beta program and ready for use on all HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage models. VVols allows for simple, granular VM-level storage control, disaster recovery and quality of service. Additionally, HP and VMware have partnered for more than three years on the definition, development, and testing of the VVols specification, with VMware using HP 3PAR StoreServ as the Fibre Channel reference platform for its testing of this future capability.
The all-flash starter kit ships with an HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200 Storage array with 7TB of usable capacity, HP 3PAR Operating System Software Suite (this includes HP 3PAR Thin Provisioning, HP 3PAR Thin Conversion, HP 3PAR Thin Persistence, and HP 3PAR Thin Clones software), three years of HP Proactive Care 24×7 support, and a 180-day license for HP 3PAR Online Import software. The license allows users to perform seamless data migration from EMC CLARiiON CX4 and EMC VNX arrays or HPEVA Storage to their new all-flash array.
Customers can add additional HP 3PAR Software Suites to the all-flash starter kit when needed, such as:
- HP 3PAR Replication Software Suite, which helps protect applications, data, and business from the unpredictable. Customers get simple, fast, and economical data protection, transparent failover, and disaster recovery.
- HP 3PAR Data Optimization Software Suite, which allows users to move data and workloads between arrays without impacting applications, users, or services. Included in this suite is HP 3PAR Priority Optimization software, which ensures the right level of performance for your most critical applications. HP 3PAR Peer Motion software lets customers move data seamlessly between HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage models, including the HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200 and the HP 3PAR StoreServ 7450 all-flash array.
- HP 3PAR Security Software Suite, which lets customers segregate access and deliver robust storage services for different applications and user groups with additional security attached to the retention of storage volumes.
- HP 3PAR Application Software Suite is also available for VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, Microsoft Exchange, Oracle, and SQL Server to help tune the all-flash starter kit to business applications and improve agility.
Pricing and availability
The HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200 All-Flash Starter Kit will be globally available on Sept. 29, 2014, for a starting price of $35,000 and is backed by a 5-year warranty.
At no additional cost to customers with active support contracts, HP 3PAR OS support for VMware’s planned VVols feature, which is currently part of the vSphere beta, will be included as part of the next HP 3PAR Operating System release.
