In this fourth and final part of our interview with Nick Van Der Zweep we got some numbers that Virtualization at HP has grown over 80% last year and the claim that HP is
‘growing with VMware faster than VMware is growing in any industry’.
Also because HP has about half of the Blade market and Nick adds that:
‘the connect rate of virtualization to Blade Servers is much heavier than just Standalone Rack Servers. Blades are just an absolute natural fit for virtualization’.
With iVirtualization (not aimed at Apple), HP is adding backward compatible ‘integrated virtualization’ to its Proliant Server range. Another unique feature to the HP iVirtualization is the virtual console which can handle several environments (e.g. VMware, Citrix.) each with their multiple virtual machines. The standard I/O integrated lights out remote console management will automatically connects into the overall console or down right into each of the different VMs within the machine.
Read the full transcript below or return to the previous part
0:11 Could you give us some number on how important virtualization is to HP?
Nick Van Der Zweep: To our business, it’s absolutely critically important and we’re seeing the numbers rolling in from a connect rate perspective.. A few numbers that I know of: integrity systems with the software per virtualization on our Integrity servers grew at about 120% in the last year so that’s a pretty strong growth. VMware numbers I think are public as to how VMware has grown somewhere in the eighty to some percent range which is very good. Our VMware connect rates on our X86 servers have grown beyond that. So we’re growing with VMware faster than VMware is growing in any industry.
Other areas that might be of interest in virtualization space are Blades. The connect rate of virtualization to Blades is much, much heavier than just Standalone Rack Servers. Blades are just an absolute natural fit for virtualization. It was something that we focused on when we designed our C class Blades systems and we’re doing well in the industry because we focused so much on enabling virtualization with that platform. Close to 50% market share in the industry which is outstanding to say the least and then part of what we put in there was HP Virtual Connect in order to make this really work well together, and that was the main product of year for us by a couple of different institutions. It’s really facilitating growth within HP with our management software, Blades, infrastructure virtualization and we’re taking more and more steps with our inside software management and VSC products as well.
2:03 Are we going to see a white ProLiant server soon, because HP launched iVirtualization and I think Apple will be curious to know what that would exactly look like?
Van Der Zweep: Well, actually, we will custom-paint any our infrastructure to match the decor that you want to put it into. So we can comply with whatever color codes that you want to have within your data center.
2:27 I think Steve Jobs is going to be very jealous of that. We can order pink Proliants now ?
Van Der Zweep: Right. If you want it, we can make it. iVirtualization definitely is a key point to us and that goes back to your partnership with VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft. Right out of the box, we get a ProLiant server and instead of saying boot from disc or boot from the network, its boot up the hypervisor, built right into this.
2:55 You’re actually shipping in with an extra flash card where these are precharged?
Van Der Zweep: Exactly and the interesting thing is even before we announced the integrated iVirtualization, we had that ability to add those flash cards. We have the USB capability built into our previous models, so we can upgrade existing models to an integrated virtualization as well. So, what’s inside exactly is that it’s got a USB key with the either ESXI software or for instance Citrix server or that type of software in virtualization.
3:29 From a logistical point of view that sounds like quite a challenge, because you’re shipping from factory… how do you keep close to the release cycles of the hypervisors to make sure you got the latest available version along with the hardware and ship this to the customers?
Van Der Zweep: Yeah because there’re flash drives, we can upgrade them and flash them back into the field as well as if they need upgrades. I think the more important thing is we’re not just putting a flash drive and some VMware, Citrix or such software within the machine, we add value around that as well. So, for instance, we introduced iVirtualization with a virtual console so that when you’re running, for instance, a Citrix environment and you set up multiple virtual machines, our standard I/O integrated lights out remote console management automatically connects into the overall console or down right into each of the different VMs within the machine and that’s again unique in the industry. We’re working so closely with our partners and adding value on top of it instead of just putting a CD in a box.
4:34 What about the virtualization services HP is offering because this technology is so disruptive that many departments seek help to get there?
Van Der Zweep: Yeah. The services that we offer range in spectrum, everything from macro view of data center consolidation and data center transformation services to architect, the physical data centers to look at how to consolidate, how to go from eighty data centers to six similar to some of the initiatives we’ve had even at HP, how to deal with the technology. If you did not touch virtualization technology before, we can train you to be able to implement that, to do capacity planning kinds of initiatives, support you after the facts. So, we’ve got a full range of services that can help you from design all the way through the execution.
5:28 Okay. Nick Van Der Zweep, thanks a lot for the time that you’ve give us and I hope to see you soon.
Van Der Zweep: You’re quite welcome.
