HP Enhances Archiving Storage Array

RISS, which shipped last May, is an integrated storage, search and retrieval appliance that originally was aimed at e-mail archiving, said Paul O'Brien, director of ILM for HP's StorageWorks Division. It uses what HP calls Smart Cells, which are connected on a storage grid and consist of a processor, storage and software. As pockets of data tied to an application, the Smart Cells can be physical or logical devices, and they can be assigned to specific users for read-and-write authorization, he said.

With the enhancements, Smart Cell capacity is now 850 Gbytes, up from the previous 400-Gbyte maximum, O'Brien said. As a result, the base capacity of a RISS increases to 1.8 Tbytes, from 1 Tbyte before. The list price for a RISS starts at $112,500, with extra 850-Gbyte mirrored Smart Cells available for $52,000.

Also new is support for archiving e-mails from Lotus Notes and Domino, O'Brien said. Originally, the e-mail archiving worked only for Microsoft Exchange. "Users can specify which e-mails to save or save them all for compliance purposes," he said. "This also allows easy migration to a new version of Exchange, either from an older [Exchange] version or from Lotus Notes or Domino."

HP on Tuesday also published the API specifications for its RISS array to make it easer for ISVs to write applications for the device, O'Brien said. At the same time, eight new ISVs joined HP's RISS partner program, bringing the total to 13, he said.

In addition, the company introduced HP StorageWorks File System Extender Version 3.1, an application that automates data movement across multiple tiers of storage. "Typically, data is stored in the top tiers, but at a high cost," O'Brien said. "This application looks for information that has not been used for, say, 90 to 120 days and moves it to lower-cost storage."

About 30 percent to 40 percent of RISS sales now go through the channel, O'Brien said. HP recently began ramping up efforts to more fully engage the channel with the product, he added.