AppSystems portfolio, big data, BriefingsDirect, Cloud Service Automation, Converged infrastructure,

Updated: June 07, 2011

HP CloudSystem, announced in January and expanded in the spring with a partner program, is designed to enable enterprises and service providers to build and manage services across private, public and hybrid cloud environments. As a result, clients have a simplified yet integrated architecture that is easier to manage and can be scaled on demand, said HP. [Disclosure: HP is a sponsor of BriefingsDirect podcasts.]

In a demo on stage here today at Discover, HP's Dave Donatelli, executive vice president and general manager of Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking for the Enterprise Business at HP, showed some unique features. The HP CloudSystem demo showed heterogeneous cloud bursting with drag and drop, on HP and 3rd party x86 boxes. Management and set-up ease seemed simple and automatic.

HP CloudSystem should appeal to both cloud providers and enterprises, because it forms a common means to get them both on cloud options spectrum. HP dual bursting works for public clouds that use HP CloudSystem or not, said HP.

HP CloudSystem dual bursting also seems to allow tiered bursting, data on private cloud, web tier on public clouds, just works, said HP. This seems quite new and impactful. And it's now available.

Based on HP Converged Infrastructure and HP Cloud Service Automation software, HP CloudSystem helps automate the application-to-infrastructure lifecycle and operations deployment flexibility, said HP. HP CloudSystem helps businesses package, provision and manage cloud services to users regardless of where those services are sourced, whether from CloudSystem's "on-premises" resources or from external clouds.

Managing applications resources as elastic compute fabrics that span an enterprise's data centers and one or more public cloud partners offers huge benefits and advantages. Businesses that depend more on customer-facing applications, for example, can hone utilization rates and vastly reduce total cost of ownership while greatly reducing the risk that those applications and their data will not always be available, regardless of seasonal vagaries, unexpected spikes or any issues around business continuity.

"Capacity never runs out," said James Jackson, Vice President for Marketing Strategy, Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking in HP Enterprise Business.

With CloudSystem, HP is providing the management, security and governance requirements for doing dual-burst hybrid computing, including hardware, software and support services with. Automated management capabilities help ensure that performance, compliance and cost targets are met by allocating private and public cloud resources based on a client's pre-defined business policies. As a result, clients can create and deliver new services in minutes, said HP.

HP expects to co-sell and co-market such hybrid services with telcos, VARs, SIs, and a wide range of new and emerging service providers. I expect many of these providers to customize their offerings, but based on an HP or other cloud stack vendor foundation.

Current approaches to cloud computing can create fragmentation and can only address a portion of the capabilities required for a complete cloud solution, aid HP. Over time more enterprise applications may be sourced directly to public clouds, but for the foreseeable future private clouds and hybrid models are expected to predominate. See more news on converged infrastructure, and EcoPOD developments.

HP CloudSystem is powered by HP BladeSystem with the Matrix Operating Environment and HP Cloud Service Automation. It is optimized for HP 3PAR Utility Storage, and protected by HP security solutions, including offerings from TippingPoint, ArcSight and Fortify. HP CloudSystem also supports third-party servers, storage and networking, as well as all major hypervisors, said HP.

HP said that its customers that have already invested in HP Converged Infrastructure technology can expand their current architectures to achieve private, public or complete hybrid cloud environments.

Furthermore, HP is offering HP Cloud Consulting Services and HP Education services for CloudSystem, including HP CloudStart, to fast track building a private cloud. HP CloudSystem Matrix Conversion Service helps transition current BladeSystem environments to CloudSystem, said HP.

HP Solution Support for CloudSystem simplifies problem prevention and diagnosis with end-to-end support for the entire environment. These services deliver solutions right-sized for the client's environment, protect investments when transitioning from a virtual infrastructure to a private cloud solution and rapidly deploy CloudSystem in a hybrid, multisourced cloud environment.