InfoStor : HP launches de-duplicating backup systems, June 2008 Page 1

By Kevin Komiega

June 26, 2008—Hewlett-Packard has announced a new crop of enterprise-class virtual tape libraries (VTLs) equipped with data de-duplication software OEM'd from Sepaton, as well as a homegrown de-duplication feature for its family of disk-based backup systems for SMBs.

HP provides two distinct methods of data de-duplication. For enterprise customers, the company is now offering de-duplication as an option for its StorageWorks Virtual Library System (VLS) platform. For SMBs, HP has integrated de-duplication into its StorageWorks D2D Backup Systems.

"Some vendors have been trying to address the problem with a one-size-fits-all approach," says Patrick Eitenbichler, director of marketing in HP's StorageWorks division. "From our perspective, and based on research studies we've done, customers need solutions in two distinct segments—the high-end and the low-end SMB market."

The StorageWorks VLS is being positioned as a backup system with de-duplication for data centers with backup requirements that are in the 100-terabyte-per-day range.

De-duplication will be available for license with the VLS6600 and VLS9000 series starting next week, while licenses for the VLS6200 and VLS12000 models will be available in September.

Pricing for the de-duplication option is based on capacity. A VLS12000 license costs $5,000 per 2TB LUN. A license for the VLS9000 is priced at $25,000. The forthcoming VLS6000 will cost $8,750 per license.

The VLS provides virtual tape for HP's Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) environments by integrating into existing data protection processes. The VLS systems range in capacity from 105.6TB (VLS6000) to 1,080TB (VLS12000) with 4Gbps Fibre Channel connectivity, maximum performance of up to 4,800MBps, and the ability to emulate up to 128 virtual libraries and 1,024 virtual drives.

According to Eitenbichler, Sepaton's de-duplication technology has produced real-world de-dupe ratios of up to 50x, depending on data type. The HP-developed de-duplication engine doesn't quite reach those numbers, but Eitenbichler says it's adequate for SMB requirements.

However, HP took a different approach with its StorageWorks D2D Backup Systems by developing its own de-duplication technology for SMBs.

"HP Labs has developed a hash-based de-duplication algorithm for the StorageWorks D2D Backup Systems to bring the technology to customers who have not gone the de-dupe route in the low-end because they could not afford it," says Eitenbichler.

The D2D Backup Systems emulate up to 16 LTO tape autoloaders or libraries and are capable of consolidating backups for up to 16 servers onto a single device. The devices are available in a 1U rack-mountable form factor with 3TB of raw capacity, two iSCSI interfaces, and up to 180MBps of aggregate performance.

The StorageWorks D2D 2500 and 4000 systems are available with de-duplication as a standard feature for a starting price of $6,499.

To provide data protection for the smallest of small businesses, HP also introduced the StorageWorks RDX Removable Disk Backup Systems (RDX160 and RDX320).

The RDX systems offer disk-based performance with the ability to store 160GB or 320GB of data on a single removable disk cartridge at speeds of up to 108GB per hour. The systems include continuous data protection (CDP) software. Pricing starts at $299.

Also this week, Sepaton and HP announced that they have renewed and expanded their OEM agreement to include Sepaton's VTLs and de-duplication software. The new deal contains terms to reflect HP's new products that utilize Sepaton's ContentAware de-duplication technology.

The original OEM agreement, which was inked in 2005, was an effort to integrate Sepaton's data-protection platform into HP's StorageWorks 6000, 9000, and 12000 Virtual Library Systems. With the new agreement, Sepaton's DeltaStor data de-duplication software will be integrated into the StorageWorks 6000, 9000, and 12000 VLS platforms.

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