HP Launches Cost-Cutting Virtualization ProductsHP Launches Cost-Cutting Virtualization Products

Hewlett-Packard on Monday launched a range of data center products designed to cut networking costs associated with virtualization by as much as 55%, according to the company.

The technologies are designed to cut costs associated with server virtualization, an architecture in which applications and other resources are consolidated into as few physical servers as possible in order to reduce hardware requirements.

The problem, HP said, is that much of the savings gained through virtualization can be eaten up by increased networking costs. For instance, a typical server hosting numerous virtual machines can require as many as six network connections, HP said.

HP said its new Virtual Connect Flex-10 Ethernet module represents the first interconnect technology capable of allocating the bandwidth of a 10-Gb Ethernet network port across four network interface card (NIC) connections, eliminating the need for additional networking hardware in virtualized environments.

HP also said that, compared to traditional technologies, Virtual Connect Flex-10 can save up to 240 watts of power, or 3,150 kilowatt hours per year, for each HP BladeSystem enclosure deployed in the data center.

The Virtual Connect Flex-10 is built into HP's recently announced ProLiant BL495c virtualization blade server, enabling it to support up to 24 network connections. "These technologies break down the barriers of virtualized networks, giving customers the greatest return on their investments," said Mark Potter, VP and general manager for HP's BladeSystem line.

The Virtual Connect Flex-10 Ethernet module is also sold separately for $12,199 and is available immediately, HP said.

HP on Monday also introduced two HP StorageWorks 3-Gb serial-attached SCSI (SAS) BL switches and an MSA2000sa storage array.