VMware and HP

The VMware virtualization solution with HP - Enabling end-to-end virtualization

The HP virtualization solution with VMware includes industry-leading server virtualization software fromVMware and HP infrastructure and tools for unified management of the virtual environment. These software components run on HP ProLiant servers, the top-selling industry-standard server brand.A unique HP advantage is the server and storage management portfolio, known as HP Essentials Management Software. This integrated management software portfolio allows you to monitor, deploy and control your HP ProLiant and HP BladeSystem servers and HP StorageWorks storage from almost anywhere.

And to bring it all together, the HP Services organization and HP channel partners help you through the process of evaluating your needs, planning your solution, and deploying and operating your virtualized environment. With HP, you gain an end-to-end, tightly integrated virtualization solution that incorporates everything you need—hardware, software and services, including planning, deployment and management. HP delivers all the resources to put virtualization to work for your critical IT initiatives, including server consolidation, virtual desktop infrastructure, disaster recovery, and development and test.

Whether you have 10 servers, 100 servers or 1,000 servers, HP virtualization solutions with HP StorageWorks, HP Services and VMware can deliver savings, simplification and scalability across your environment.

Core solution components

VMware virtualization infrastructure software
VMware provides core building blocks for an enterprise class virtualization solution. A global leader in virtual infrastructure software for industry-standard servers, VMware has more than 120,000 customers, and its software has been adopted by 100 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Many of the world’s largest enterprises use HP and VMware technology to simplify their IT infrastructures while fully leveraging their existing computing investments and responding to fluctuating business demands.

The HP virtualization solution with VMware builds on the capabilities of the industry leading VMware ESX with complementary software products from HP and VMware to provide an enterprise-ready virtual machine environment. For a list of complete products click here.

HP servers certified for VMware
HP is the world’s leading brand for x86 servers, storage, management software, services and support. Building on this core strength, HP ProLiant and HP BladeSystem servers provide ideal platforms for virtualization on industry-standard hardware. With HP, you have the added assurance that comes with hardware and software that have been certified for VMware. HP tests and qualifies many of its products with VMware. This includes drivers, management agents, installation software and more. Certification allows you to run your business-critical applications with confidence, knowing HP has tested key components within the virtualized stack. Today, HP has more certified platforms for VMware than any other vendor-39 HP ProLiant and BladeSystem server models have been certified for use with VMware ESX.*

By using HP BladeSystem servers, you can leverage the performance, density and low power and cooling requirements of server blades. A smaller solution footprint helps you make the most of the valuable space in your datacenter, and by attaching to a storage area network (SAN) you can benefit from significant additional cost savings and greater flexibility.

HP StorageWorks certified for VMware
Network storage is an essential component of a virtualization solution. Network storage allows you to take advantage of many of the features of VMware, including the ability to quickly move virtual machines to different physical servers, while shielding the business from virtual machine hardware failures and protecting end users from service interruptions.

HP StorageWorks fibre channel storage arrays and iSCSI SANs provide an ideal storage platform for virtualization. HP’s portfolio of storage products include the All-in-One Storage System (AiO), the MSA, EVA and XP disk array families. The HP StorageWorks storage arrays portfolio is tested and certified to perform in VMware environments. A combined HP BladeSystem and Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) infrastructure provides an excellent platform for virtualization, offering an integrated, certified, easy-to manage infrastructure that is fully certified with VMware. With its unique array-based virtualization capabilities, the HP EVA is optimized offering simplified management and higher application availability. The ability to pool and centrally manage server and hardware resources results in a lower overall cost of IT, reduced requirements for power and cooling, and enhanced business continuity and availability.

HP offers a full portfolio of certified storage ranging from our entry level iSCSI based All-in-One storage system, the HP MSA through to the highly scalable, highly reliable XP family of storage arrays.Information is critical for the ongoing success of any business. You can increase the availability of your information by deploying virtualization-in particular deploying VMware in association with HP server and storage solutions. Combining server virtualization with replication and data protection software and technology from HP StorageWorks can significantly reduce the time required to recover from a disaster.

HP integrated virtualization management
Gain a single view of physical and virtual resources While many companies can provide hardware that works with VMware, no other company offers HP’s unique set of tightly integrated virtualization management capabilities. HP arms you with the tools you need to unify the management of physical and virtual assets within the same environment.

Consolidated management is enabled by the HP Essentials Management Software portfolio. It combines the capabilities of HP Systems Insight Manager (SIM), HP ProLiant Essentials and HP Storage Essentials software, which work in concert with a VMware environment. HP SIM discovers and identifies physical and virtual systems. Add in the capabilities of HP ProLiant and Storage Essentials software and you gain the ability to monitor both the health and the performance of physical and virtual server and storage resources.

HP Services
HP virtualization services help your business gain the most it can from virtualization-whether that means optimizing existing initiatives or deploying new solutions. Our team of virtualization experts provides a consultative, practical approach to harnessing the extraordinary power of virtualization technology and driving success for all your important business objectives. Choose the level of service you want depending on your current level of in-house expertise and your plans for virtualization in the future.

With HP virtualization services, you are provided with assistance for capacity planning, design, deployment and service management, including industry-leading mission-critical support. To enable an efficient virtualization journey, our services are designed with not only a single point of problem ownership and accountability but also proactive services to help you prevent problems and improve service levels to the business.