Opsware and Onaro both released enhanced tools for automating datacentre management and storage provisioning last month, while Emulex has built user authentication, encryption and other security features into its host bus adapters (HBAs) that connect datacentre servers to the storage area network (SAN).

Opsware, acquired by HP on 21 September in a $1.6bn deal, released the latest version of its datacentre provisioning suite, Opsware System 7, earlier last month. The software integrates iConclude’s process automation system and Creekpath Systems’ storage provisioning tool for the first time.

Opsware has looked to improve the software’s usability and automate tasks such as tracking and managing the relationships between physical and virtual servers and the applications, network devices and storage resources they interact with. The rapid expansion of datacentre architecture over the past few years has left many companies maintaining a complex mix of hardware and software from multiple vendors.

“This is a very large problem for IT and a very large market,” said Helen Tang, Opsware director of product marketing.

Onaro, meanwhile, calculates that its new Provisioning Manager 1.0 and Capacity Manager 1.0 tools – part of its SANscreen Capacity Manager suite – can reduce the time it takes to provision storage for individual applications by up to 20 per cent, and cut the cost of retaining additional storage capacity to cope with sudden surges in demand.

Unlike the thin provisioning features now widely included in storage hardware, Onaro’s software is designed to automatically collect accurate figures on how much storage capacity is being physically utilised across the SAN.

“If we can improve the overall visibility of how much capacity is allocated and how much is not, we can defer capacity costs by up to 10 per cent because administrators do not have to buy another switch [or disk array],” said Onaro’s vice president of marketing, Bryan Semple.

According to Onaro, each one per cent of unused capacity in a typical large enterprise datacentre represents about $100,000 in non-performing capital storage assets.

Meanwhile, Emulex will add support for the DH-CHAP authentication protocol and Fibre Channel Security Protocol (FC-SP) to its 4Gbit/s and forthcoming 8Gbit/s LightPulse FC HBAs.

The free-to-download tool is designed to control SAN access, particularly in virtualised environments where multiple applications running on single physical hosts can cause authentication headaches in some circumstances. The feature works with any DH-CHAP-enabled FC switch port, such as those on offer from Cisco.

Emulex’s Mike Smith said, “What this does is provide another layer of security that prevents rogue servers or unauthorised users connecting into the SAN, guards against port name spoofing and, to some degree, prevents outages caused by administrative errors.”

‹ www.emulex.com ‹ www.onaro.com
‹ www.opsware.com