To effectively unlock the value of a software-defined infrastructure, technology must simplify operations through automation, drive insight through better access to information, and improve agility through abstraction that turns fixed assets into flexible resources.
 
HDS is delivering on those goals by extending its Hitachi Storage Virtualization Operating System (SVOS) to an expanded Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) family and expanding the Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP) family to include core to edge or small to large converged and hyper-converged infrastructure models. It is also introducing the Hitachi Hyper Scale-Out Platform (HSP) for fast-growing data analytics workloads.
 
According to the vendor, the Hitachi SVOS allows the entire VSP family to offer native heterogeneous storage virtualization and multi-site active-active storage – as well as fully compatible data migration, replication and management. Regardless of VSP model they choose, enterprises will now get access to the same virtualization technology that has existed in HDS high-end systems. A single OS means customers will have the same user environment across the range allowing for simpler migrations, easier management and full resiliency without the complication of appliances.
 
The Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP) portfolio has been expanded with new hyper-converged and converged infrastructure models that now cover customers’ needs to rapidly and more easily support core to edge IT workloads. The latest additions to the UCP family include the hyper-converged Hitachi UCP 1000 for VMware EVO:RAIL, and the converged Hitachi UCP 2000, both use new rack servers and target small to medium or remote or branch office environments.
 
The Hitachi UCP 6000 converged model integrates the recently launched Hitachi CB 2500 blade servers, and delivers unmatched price-performance for mission critical workloads. The UCP family, with industry leading Hitachi Unified Compute Platform Director infrastructure automation software, allows customers to drive operational efficiencies through rapid deployment and provisioning of infrastructure for managing an agile data center, prepared to change workloads to match business needs.
 
The hyper-converged architecture of the new Hitachi Hyper Scale-Out Platform (HSP) provides cost-effective compute performance and on-demand capacity. Capable of ingesting massive amounts of mixed data types across a distributed, clustered architecture, the simple, automated management of HSP allows elastic data growth by using Hitachi file system technology with open source management and virtualization software. HSP is the ideal scale-out platform for Hadoop environments, allowing users to analyze data in place and eliminate the need to move large data sets to perform analytics functions for big data.
 
Beyond hardware, HDS is also enhancing its range of software tools that will help users build the ITaaS infrastructure they desire, while delivering greater self-service capabilities to internal users. These new application-aware solutions offer greater automation of, and protection for, critical customer workloads, reducing costs and complexity while increasing efficiency in software-defined environments.
 
Working in tandem with the Hitachi Command Suite management infrastructure, the new Hitachi Automation Director provides configurable best-practice-based service templates for simple, application-specific provisioning of storage resources to databases, applications and VDI environments. Built-in support for role-based access control means that, once established, these templates can be used by business users in a move to self-service provisioning.
 
As a lightweight complement to Hitachi Command Suite, Hitachi Infrastructure Director is a new storage configuration and management application that uses the new VSP systems’ APIs to provide simple, intuitive management, guided by a built-in recommendation engine, for environments in which simplicity is more important than the need for manual control of every detail. Hitachi Infrastructure Director gives users the power to direct simplified management operations to rapidly deploy new storage systems and services for the new models in the VSP family.
 
With the ability to automate data protection and provide granular control of storage-based copies, Hitachi Data Instance Director simplifies data protection through automation and orchestration of Hitachi storage-based snapshot, clone and replication technologies, in addition to live backup, continuous data protection, and archive capabilities under a single platform. Data Instance Director provides a simple interface that matches data protection service levels to business priorities using a unique, whiteboard-style interface.