Hewlett-Packard has come out with the first a series of products that merge switching and server technologies.
The ProCurve 6120 series BladeSwitches are designed for the company’s c-Class BladeSystem enclosures, blending HP’s ProCurve networking hardware with BladeSystem servers.
The goal is to make it easer to manage data centres by creating a flexible system, said Corey Copping, ProCurve marketing manager for HP Canada.
“It’s definitely the future,” he said, “and you’ll see more and more products come out that are designed not only around convergence of data centre technologies but the collaboration of [HP’s] switching, server and storage teams.”
Aimed at organizations shifting from 1Gb Ethernet to 10Gb Ethernet architectures, 1U-sized 6120 comes in two models, the XG and G.
The XG version has sixteen 10Gb downlinks and eight 10G SFP+ uplinks (including a dual personality CX4 and SFP+ 10G uplink, and two 10Gb cross-connects), Layer 2 switching functions, quality of service metering, security and High Availability features.
When combined with the HP ProCurve Data Center Connection Manager, the switch delivers automated network connection management and provisioning, the company said.
The HP ProCurve 6120XG Blade Switch is also converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) ready, which HP says will be important when standards solidify for customers who want to integrate Ethernet and Fibre Channel networks.
The 6120XG Blade Switch starts at US$11,500, while the 6120G/XG Blade Switch starts at US$5,500.
In its standard switch line HP also announced the ProCurve 1810G Switch series of 10/100/1000 Web-managed switches, a follow-on to the 1800 Series for small and mid-sized businesses.
The 1810G series provides additional network security capabilities, enhancements to ease of use, improved energy efficiency, and expanded deployment flexibility, the company said.
The series consists of 8- and 24-port units. The 1810G-24 Switch offers two dual-personality ports for optional fiber uplinks, while the 1810G-8 Switch can optionally be powered by an upstream Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch.
Both switches offer silent operation and multiple mounting options for flexible installation. The 1810G series also offers network security protection against denial-of-service attacks, and includes the Kensington lock for theft protection.
Finally, HP also announced new storage solutions. For small businesses the StorageWorks X500 Data Vault Series, which runs Windows Home Server, is aimed at companies with up to 10 PC and Mac clients. Depending on the model, it comes with two or three empty bays for internal storage and also offers external USB and eSATA ports for external expansion.
For larger organizations, the company is offering high availability bundles built on its StorageWorks X3000 Network Storage System. The bundles are said to increase efficiency by automatically eliminating duplicate files, protecting against drive failures and reducing setup time. The solution does not require extra license fees for networking protocols, file replication or snapshot capabilities.