HDS Allows Storage Monitoring Via iPhone

Hitachi Data Systems has partnered with storage optimisation software provider Aptare in an initiative that modernises its software portfolio.

HDS said this week that it has expanded its management software portfolio with three new offerings: the Hitachi Virtual Server Reporter, supplied by Aptare; Hitachi IT Operations Analyzer, and the Hitachi Storage Command Portal.

The new software options will provide HDS customers with a more extensive management view beyond the storage system, so they can better monitor and utilise current IT assets tied to business applications, virtualised servers and the data centre, the company said.

Aptare, based in Campbell, Calif., provides Web-based storage reporting and management software. It even has an application that allows a user to check a system’s storage condition via an iPhone.

The Virtual Server Reporter provides an end-to-end view of virtualized VMware servers and their respective storage usage. The new software, designed for enterprise customers, provides storage reporting management in mixed-environemnt data centers down to control of individual virtual machines, the company said.

By integrating the reporting functions of virtual servers, customers can more effectively manage their storage and backups, allowing them to obtain better utilization of storage assets and decrease costs, the company said.

IT Operations Analyzer, aimed mid-market customers, handles data centre management by providing integrated monitoring of data centre servers and IP networks, along with fibre channel storage area networks (SANs) and LANs (local area networks).

The new reporting package features automated root cause analysis, network visualisation, agentless architecture to support simple deployment and a unified intuitive, web-based interface.

IT Operations Analyzer is designed to streamline IT operations and improve customer service levels. Specialized training is not necessary, the company said.

“Hitachi IT Operations Analyzer helps manage fast remediation for network issues and outages,” said Mary Johnston Turner, research director in system management software at IT researcher IDC.

The Hitachi Storage Command Portal unifies storage reporting and provides a business-application view of the Hitachi storage environment.