Prepress
HP Delivers Industry-first Management Capabilities for Microsoft System Center
Wednesday 29. April 2009 - HP today announced HP Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center (HP ICE-SC), the industrys first integrated management environment to lower infrastructure costs and improve uptime of HP server and Microsoft software environments.
By integrating the server management features of HP ProLiant and HP BladeSystem into Microsoft System Center consoles, administrators can gain increased visibility into, and greater control of, their technology environments. This enhanced visibility into the health of IT systems enables a faster response in the event of server failure, reducing the risk of downtime. By automating server deployments and updates, administrative productivity is also greatly improved.
A crucial part of the HP Adaptive Infrastructure strategy is to provide the strongest management experience for HP ProLiant and BladeSystem servers. The new HP ICE-SC enables administrators to monitor and respond to software and hardware events through the Microsoft System Center consoles. This includes:
Server health warnings and prefailure condition alerts with Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) 2007;
Proactive virtual machine management using Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008; and
Enhanced configuration management via Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007.
HP ICE-SC also provides more than 25 performance and resource optimization tips for Microsoft SCVMM, including recommended actions for host system alerts and events. Greater insight into the relationship between host and virtual machines allows administrators to resolve potential server performance problems to maintain maximum uptime.
With a simple-to-use wizard-based tool, HP ICE-SE enables administrators to configure server hardware and deploy server operating systems via Microsoft SCCM in a single operation. This transforms lengthy manual deployments into a highly automated process that significantly reduces deployment time of HP ProLiant or BladeSystem servers.
“Now more than ever, customers need deeper insight and more precise management control of their HP servers in a Microsoft environment,” said Scott Farrand, vice president, Infrastructure Software and BladeSystem, HP. “HP ICE-SC achieves a new level of integration that will enable customers to maximize their HP and Microsoft technology investments.”
HP ICE-SC customer benefits include:
Increased uptime: Uptime is ensured through quick problem troubleshooting and improved system recovery, even when the system is powered off or no longer responding. Integration with leading remote management functionality from HP Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) Advanced allows administrators to control HP servers anytime, in any location – directly from the Microsoft SCOM console.
Reclaimed trapped power: Customers can increase the number of servers threefold using the same power allocation and infrastructure with HP Dynamic Power Capping capabilities.(1) This is done by safely capping power usage to fit more servers within existing power envelopes. Access to historical power usage for accurate budget and capacity planning is also provided.
Simplified virtualization: Businesses can quickly adapt to the changing demands for business services through integration with Microsoft SCVMM. By automatically migrating virtual machines based on the health of the underlying host, the virtual infrastructure is more responsive to changes.
“HP has taken a significant step toward delivering seamless, comprehensive hardware management integration across the Microsoft System Center suite, helping companies maximize their existing technology investments,” said Brad Anderson, general manager, Management and Services Division, Microsoft. “For customers with HP ProLiant and BladeSystem hardware, HP Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center extends deep control of their infrastructure directly from System Center to more effectively manage across their enterprise, lowering costs and improving performance.”
HP ICE-SC includes a full year of 24/7 phone support, providing unmatched service levels. It will be available in June for download from www.hp.com as well as from select partners. This solution also includes access to software updates. Pricing starts at $549.(2)
HP and Microsoft have a 25-year-plus history of executive-level integration, joint engineering, research and development, and joint solutions development. The only worldwide Microsoft prime integrator, HP is one of Microsofts largest partners and offers more than 30,000 technology services experts globally.