Introducing the HP StoreEver LTO-6 Tape Family

StoreEver LTO-6 Ultrium 6650

HP has launched the sixth-generation of the HP StoreEver LTO Ultrium Tape Technology – HP LTO-6 – across its complete portfolio of tape drives, tape automation and tape media. This enables HP's Tape Partners to continue to tap into this substantial market opportunity with solutions that scale to keep pace with unpredictable data growth, provide a cost-effective data retention tier, and deliver long-term durability for archiving.

What’s new with HP StoreEver LTO-6 Tape?
HP StoreEver LTO-6 delivers twice the capacity of LTO-5 in the same cartridge footprint with up to 6.25 TB (compressed 2.5:1) on a single LTO-6 tape cartridge. As a result massive data archives can be retained in a physically small space. Keeping pace with data growth simply means adding in more data cartridges.

HP StoreEver Tape Libraries allow customers to easily scale both storage capacity and backup performance, through a simple upgrade. Store up to 50 TBs with a HP StoreEver LTO-6 Tape Autoloader, up to 600 TBs with a HP StoreEver Mid-Range Tape Library and up to 44 PBs with a HP StoreEver Enterprise Tape Library4.

HP StoreEver LTO-6 tape drives deliver compressed speeds of up to 400 MB/second or 1.4 TB/hour and therefore enable customers to spend less time ensuring that the business data on their server is protected. Furthermore, HP StoreEver LTO-6 in combination with HP StoreOpen with LTFS, delivers faster access to assets stored on tape.

Increase savings with lower energy requirements:
HP StoreEver LTO-6 tape drives feature a hibernate mode which places the drive in a low power setting when no tape cartridge is in place. Tape drives are already renowned for their extremely low energy use, especially compared with disk drives. The HP LTO-6 hibernate mode means that customers can now benefit from further energy savings while lengthening the life of their tape drive.

Assured long-term data protection:
HP StoreEver LTO-6 builds on five generations of experience and features enhanced technology that assures highly reliable data restores even after long-term archival.

The launch of LTO-6 also sees the addition of a new type of tape media – Barium Ferrite (BaFe) – which complements the traditional Metal Particle (MP) media in HP’s LTO media portfolio. Both media types are designed and tested against the most stringent LTO-6 format specifications and deliver equal levels of capacity, performance and reliability.

If you need help with any additional details regarding LTO6 or need a solution which uses this new technology then please contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

A huge THANK YOU to all 21,930 of our readers...

I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of the 21,930 readers we had in 2012.
I hope that the content of this blog has helped you and your customers during the last year keep up to date with developments from HP as and when they happen.

Some of the major blog posts that generated the most visits last year were...

• HP 3PAR Starter Kit now even more affordable
• HP ProLiant Gen8 series announced!
• HP 3PAR StoreServ 7000 - T1 Storage at a midrange price.
• HP Gen 8 Servers e-Series vs p-Series - Whats the Difference?? 

If there are any particular type of updates you wish to receive more of, please email me and I will be more than happy to add these the blog.

In the meantime I hope you have had a very pleasant new year and are looking forward to what 2013 brings. And as always, If you need help with a solution then please contact us and we will be more than happy to help you.

Regards

Richard Stock
Westcoast ESSN Technical Consultant

January 2013 - HP Server, Storage and Networking offers

In order for you to have your own copy of this months offers, We offer them in a easy downloadable PDF for you.

This month many of HP's fantastic Storage and Networking promotions have been extended!









Please click the image above to open the PDF for more details.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team  

Intelligent Provisioning replaces SmartStart (v1.30 now supports Windows Server 2012)

If you have bought a HP Gen8 Server recently you may have noticed that the SmartStart CD is no longer included. This is because HP now have a feature called Intelligent Provisioning which is embedded on the server.

Intelligent Provisioning provides similar functionality as SmartStart, but has some significant enhancements that SmartStart did not have such as:

• Ability to update your drivers and systems software by connecting directly to HP.com and perform firmware updates and install an OS in the same step.

• Provision a server remotely using HP iLO 4

• Remote Support registration. 

• A new "Recommended Install" for quick one-click, simple fast installation  - This express installation process has preset defaults and will perform a software and firmware update if the network is available at your location. (Recommend that you use the HP suggested defaults.
• The "Customised Install" (often called Guided or Assisted install) - has been simplified, updated, and refreshed. This is the full HP interview with a start to finish wizard for deploying HP ProLiant Gen8 servers. It provides the network setup, remote support registration, the systems software, driver and firmware update, the server hardware configuration, RAID configuration, and OS installation. This interview process is also much faster than in the past and includes software driver and firmware updates as part of the interview process
• A much simplified "Manual Install" is provided that automates finding your drivers without you searching the web. 

Once you are ready to install your system software, you'll notice the next difference; with HP Intelligent Provisioning all your needed firmware, drivers, and tools are pre-loaded and ready to deploy at your command. No CD's to load, no software to find, no guesswork. The built-in Smart Update capability recognises if the system software is out-of-date and will automatically download the latest update for you.

Important Note for Windows Server 2012 users - Intelligent Provisioning v1.30 now includes support for Windows Server 2012.

If you need help with any additional details or need a solution then please contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

HP renames storage products

HP have recently changed some of the the names of their storage products.
To keep you up to date with the new names here is a list of what they were called and what they are called now (In bold)

• HP Storageworks LTO Tape Drives - HP StoreEver LTO Tape Drives
• HP Storage Servers (X1000,3000,5000) - HP StoreEasy 1000 / 3830 / 5000
• HP P4000 G2 - HP StoreVirtual 4000 Storage

If you need help with any additional details or need a HP server solution then please contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

HP Storage Sales Training Webinar - December 6th

Legacy storage designed 20 years ago cannot adapt to virtual, cloud, and big data demands.

The next era of IT is coming. Hear about the importance of the biggest HP Storage launch in more than a decade. This session will cover game-changing innovations that allow customers to meet any need, at any scale, with effortless simplicity.

Join us on our next channel partner webinar where you will:

• Hear about the ground-breaking news and gain deeper insight into the refreshed Converged Storage portfolio that will be announced at HP Discover
• Find out how to prepare your customers for data growth and new business initiative
• Learn about our vision for a profitable future for HP and our partners 

On the call there will be a team of experts you can ask your questions to.

Please go to this link to register for the event

If you need help with any additional details or need a HP server solution then please contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

New Release - HP 3PAR StoreServ 7000 - T1 Storage at a midrange price.

The world’s most advanced storage platform has just extended its midrange offerings, delivering effortless, efficient, bulletproof, and futureproof storage to the entire midrange.

HP 3PAR StoreServ 7000 Storage delivers the same industry-leading architecture chosen by eight out of 10 of the world’s largest service providers at a price that makes compromises a thing of the past. It’s also the only platform that offers the performance required to double virtual machine (VM) density on your physical servers—guaranteed.1,2 Store all of your data on a single system that supports advanced features, such as storage federation and automated tiering, and that enables you to start small and grow without disruption.

StorServe 7200

With two models and a range of options including support for solid state drives (SSDs) and an all-SSD configuration, HP 3PAR StoreServ 7000 Storage is effortless to install, own, and upgrade. You’ll be up and running in just minutes. You’ll be able to meet mixed workload demands with virtually unlimited scalability options. You’ll spend less time managing your storage and increase your responsiveness to new demands. You’ll be able to meet your current block and file storage needs with an architecture that is also designed to meet your object storage needs as they emerge. You’ll eliminate tradeoffs that have forced you to sacrifice critical capabilities like performance and scalability.

The HP 3PAR Operating System Suite that comes with HP 3PAR StoreServ 7000 Storage includes everything you need to get started, including HP 3PAR Thin Technologies that set the gold standard for storage efficiency. Optional software suites are also available that offer data optimization, replication, security, reporting, and application integration—making enterprise Tier 1 features available to midrange customers like you at a price that you can afford. It’s storage that offers the performance and flexibility you need to accelerate new application deployment and support server virtualization, the cloud, ITaaS, or whatever else your future may hold—effortlessly.

Gain enterprise-class features at a midrange price with HP 3PAR StoreServ 7000 Storage.
Visit hp.com/go/storeserv7000.

If you need help with any additional details regarding the new StoreServ 7000 series or need an entire solution then please contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

December 2012 - HP Server, Storage and Networking offers

In order for you to have your own copy of this months offers, We offer them in a easy downloadable PDF for you.

This month many of HP's fantastic Storage and Networking promotions have been extended!

Please click the image above to open the PDF for more details.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team 

We have a fresh new look

I am sure you have noticed by now but we have a new look on the blog.
The old scheme was starting to look outdated and therefore we decided to bring it up to date using similar theme to our Solutions Microsite.

If there is anything you feel could be improved on or if there is any content you wish to see more of please send me an email richard.stock@westcoast.co.uk, Your feedback is welcome on the blog site and how it feels and looks. 

In the meantime I hope you enjoy our new look and again as always if you need any help with providing a solution then we are more than happy to help.

Regards

Richard Stock
Westcoast Technical ISS Solutions Team

How to install Microsoft Server 2012 on HP ProLiant Servers

The HP Smart Start Disk that is shipped with all 3xx series servers and above, does not currently support Microsoft Server 2012 as yet. HP however has made this very handy step by step guide to help you get up and running with Server 2012 without the use of the Smart Start Disk.

As soon as Smart Start supports Server 2012 I will notify on a new blog post and link it from here as well.

In the meantime please download the white paper below (By clicking on the HP Logo) for the instructions on how to install 2012 without Smart Start.

If you need help with any additional details or need a HP server solution then please contact us and we will be happy to help you.

**UPDATE** Intelligent Provisioning (Which replaces SmartStart on a Gen8) now supports Windows Server 2012 - Please click This link (Intelligent Provisioning)

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

Where did all the HP LTO tape backup units go?

You may be wondering why suddenly a short time ago the whole range of HP LTO tape drives went listed as obsolete. We certainly have been getting a number of calls surrounding this.

Don't panic all that has changed is that now the part numbers end with a "B" instead of an "A".
For example an LTO4 SAS internal tape drive was part number EH919A this is now EH919B

The reason for the sudden mass part number change is due to new RoHS Compliance guidelines. If you have been in the industry when RoHS was first introduced you will remember that something similar happened then with the HP part numbers.

So don't worry HP are still supplying Tape Drives and will be for the foreseeable future.

Also a quick note to add, the majority of HP SCSI based Tape drives are EOL with no SCSI replacement. We can still offer solutions using the SAS based tape drives, but to confirm compatibility with your server infrastructure we will need to know the model and generation of the servers you with to use with the tape drive.

If you need any more help or more information on the HP storage range of products or require a solution to fit your needs then please contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

November 2012 - HP Server, Storage and Networking offers

In order for you to have your own copy of this months offers, We offer them in a easy downloadable PDF for you.

This month many of HP's fantastic Storage and Networking promotions have been extended!

 

Please click the image above to open the PDF for more details.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team