VMworld: HP Integrates VMware Suite With Its Converged Cloud Service

HP will integrate VMware's vCloud Suite 5.1, announced at VMworld, which bundles the company's virtualization, cloud infrastructure and management portfolio, so that users can manage virtualization deployments more easily in public and private cloud environments.

"We are deepening our Converged Cloud integration with VMware, helping clients build and manage cloud services optimized for VMware," said Frances Guida, HP's manager for Cloud Solutions and Infrastructure, in an interview with CRN.

[Related: HP's Converged Cloud Covers Public, Private, Hybrid Services ]

HP Converged Cloud, announced in April, builds and manages cloud deployments using the company's infrastructure and applications to build combinations of private, managed and public clouds.

With vCloud Suite 5.1, HP's Converged Cloud services will be able to double virtual-machine density, reduce network complexity and provide greater workload support, HP said.

The integration will also allow VMware administrators to provision hardware for vCloud Director to automate scaling of converged infrastructure, reducing the time needed to add a virtual host from four hours to 15 minutes, HP said.

In addition, the integrated services will make it easier to import virtual machines into an HP CloudSystem without downtime or reconfiguration.

Guida said HP will offer a prepackaged solution of hardware, software and storage, optimized for VMware applications, which channel partners can use.

"From the channel perspective, there is tremendous value in this," she said. "We see this as a great way for partners to deliver an entry-level cloud system for their customers."

The prepackaged system will include HP Blade Systems and HP 3Par Storage Systems, she said.

HP said it will release VMware vCloud Suite editions with HP Converged Cloud solutions through HP sales and channel partners in the late third calendar quarter.

PUBLISHED AUG. 28, 2012