Hitachi Data Systems launches 11 converged infrastructure offerings

Hitachi Data Systems unveiled a broad portfolio of converged infrastructure solutions that combines best-of-breed storage, server, networking and software management in fully integrated packages designed for mission-critical workloads.

The new Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP) family of solutions provides a comprehensive, pre-tested cloud-ready infrastructure that can be deployed quickly and managed easily, unlike custom approaches that require exhaustive testing and integration costs.

Eleven new Hitachi UCP offerings give customers superior flexibility and choices, based on two converged infrastructure models:Hitachi Unified Compute Platform Pro and Hitachi Unified Compute Platform Select.

Hitachi Unified Compute Platform Select for VMware vSphere with Cisco UCS is the initial offering that combines Hitachi storage with Cisco UCS servers and networking as a Cisco Validated Design (CVD), and is pre-validated with VMware vSphere. In addition to the technical and economic advantages, organizations benefit from a coordinated relationship among VMware, Cisco, and Hitachi Data Systems, three respected industry leaders, each known for innovative solutions and outstanding service and support.

The portfolio of UCP Select reference solutions that are based on Hitachi storage and servers and Brocade Fibre Channel and Ethernet fabric switches support major enabling software technologies such as hypervisors, databases, analytics and application environments including Citrix, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and VMware. IT professionals can simply select the infrastructure options that meet their needs, with the assurance of built-in flexibility and interoperability to scale the architecture as business needs evolve. Also provided are comprehensive reference architectures and deployment guides.

Hitachi Unified Compute Platform Pro for VMware vSphere is a tightly integrated solution available today and comes pre-configured with the industry's premier enterprise storage product, Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform (VSP), and Brocade Fibre Channel and Ethernet fabric switches, Hitachi Compute Blade 500 server, VMware vSphere and UCP Director software. This software reduces complexity and lowers cost by providing VMware vCenter Server integration for comprehensive and simplified infrastructure management. UCP Pro for VMware vSphere also provides worry-free scaling to thousands of virtual machines.

With the range of new UCP solutions, Hitachi Data Systems is specifically addressing the most pressing needs of CIOs when considering a converged infrastructure. These needs include accelerating business velocity, increasing staff productivity, improving IT economics for pre- and post-deployment, and meeting stringent service level agreements.

"Hitachi HDS is breaking this ‘either/or' mold by combining the best of each approach. Hitachi UCP lets customers choose from a fully integrated stack of Hitachi servers and storage complete with orchestration software; or, from a portfolio of reference solutions featuring HDS storage that use either Hitachi or third-party servers. And by including Cisco UCS in its solutions, HDS provides its customers greater flexibility in mixing and matching these elements - all while maintaining the reliability and performance that has earned HDS the reputation of being bulletproof in the minds of many CIOs,"said Ashish Nadkarni, research director, Storage Systems, IDC. HDS

Hitachi Data Systems is demonstrating the new UCP solutions and more at the company's booth (#P101) at VMworld 2012 Europe taking place at the Gran Via Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain from October 9 to 11, 2012.