HPE has lowered prices for its SMB storage array customers by building an ARM-powered StoreVirtual array, eschewing X86 CPUs, and by bundling some previously optional components into an MSA 2042 product version.

The StoreVirtual 3200, which has a starting price of just over $6,000, has two active:active controllers with failover, powered by 64-bit ARM processors inside a 2U box. It runs the same StoreVirtual VSA software as the StoreVirtual 4000 series and HPE’s hyper-converged systems. Users can get optional Network RAID (levels 0 or 10) as a per-volume option, more than 2,000 snapshots, thin provisioning and replication. There is an optional remote copy feature. The system has 99.999 per cent availability and can be deployed, HPE says, in minutes.

The base enclosure can have 12 x 3.5-inch (LFF) or 25 x 2.5-inch (SFF) drives or SSDs. These are SAS drives connecting to a backend 12Gbit/s SAS fabric. The 3200 supports up to three expansion drive enclosures, and you can mix LFF or SFF drive shelves. Minimum and Maximum raw capacities are 8TB and 288TB, with N9X16A, N9X24A and N9X18A configurations starting at 1.2TB.

Host connectivity options are:

4 or 8 x 1GbitE ports,

4 x 10GbitE ports,

4 x 8 or 16Gbit/s Fibre Channel ports.

Flash storage can be added to accelerate applications – no user intervention required. HPE says this makes the array better suited to run server virtualisation, productivity apps such as Microsoft Exchange and databases such as Microsoft SQL. The software provides real-time tiering, which HPE dubs Adaptive Optimisation. It kicks into action if flash is installed.

There is a simpler GUI and a system analytics capability accessed as a remote dashboard service in the cloud, with a best practices feature. The management software has capacity-planning capability. Data can be protected beyond snapshots by using HPE’s VM Explorer to send data to a StoreOnce Disk Backup system.

StoreVirtual Migration Manager software will be available for data migration purposes from the StoreVirtual 4000, and users will require an HPE StoreVirtual 3200 Migration Manager licence (list price - $115). You can scale capacity and performance by moving to other StoreVirtual systems in what HPE is calling a composable data fabric. In other words, the StoreVirtual 3200 is the only ARM-powered StoreVirtual system.

Comparison 2-node 4330 3200 Rackspace 2U 2U Capacity 14.4TB 14.4TB Performance same same Street Price $33,000 $14,000

The StoreVirtual 3200 has 100 per cent more usable capacity than a 2-node 4330, is 58 per cent cheaper at street price level, costs 80 per cent less in $/GB usable capacity terms, and has equivalent performance.

Some of the features are delivered through an Advanced Data Services suite. A Store Virtual 3200 Chalk Talk video can be played here.

Old StoreVirtual GUI from Chalk Talk video. Please excuse the low resolution

New and simpler StoreVirtual 3200 GUI from Chalk Talk video. It looks like One View.

Get StoreVirtual 3200 tech specs here.

MSA 2042

The MAS 2042 is a 2040 model with 800GB of flash acceleration, automated tiering and data protection features provided as standard. It delivers an up to 60 per cent increase in database transactions per second and 80 per cent faster application response times for, HPE says, a 54 per cent cost savings, based on flash capacity and software now included with the array, as compared to purchasing them separately at US list pricing before today.

The protection software includes remote replication. The MSA 2042 does not have the cloud-based analytics service provided for the StoreVirtual 3200. It supports only up to 512 snapshots and not the 2,000 or more of the 3200. It can expand via additional 2U drive trays with 3.5-inch disks or 2.5-inch disks or SSDs and the system supports data-in-place upgrades.

An MSA Chalk Talk video can be viewed here.

Price and availability

StoreVirtual 3200 arrays are available and orderable worldwide, with US street pricing starting at $6,055 for 1.2TB configuration with hardware and software. Some software capabilities such as Migration Manager and Adaptive Optimization need separate licences.

The planned availability of the StoreVirtual Migration Manager (SVMM) tool is later this quarter.

MSA 2042 storage systems are likewise orderable and available worldwide, with US street pricing starting at $9,877. ®