HP Autonomy lifts lid on self-aware backup and recovery offering

HP Autonomy has taken the wraps off HP Data Protector 8.1, which it claims is the industry's first adaptive, dynamic and self-aware backup and recovery software.

Autonomy, HP's big data analytics arm, said it produced the offering in response to the challenges facing IT managers when it comes to backup and recovery, in light of the explosion in data that has happened over the last two years.

The vendor claims this has led to a potentially overwhelming amount of information that needs storing, a problem that is compounded by the fact much of this data generation is happening on smart devices.

HP Autonomy claims HP Data Protector 8.1 overcomes these issues by changing backup from a "send it and forget it" model to being an essential service at the core of an organisation's data centre and business strategy.

According to the firm, the offering enables organisations to set backup strategies and policies based on data and application priority and criticality, uses operational analytics to proactively set backup resource utilisation and can also make recommendations to IT managers to reduce potential conflicts and ensure SLAs are met.

Data Protector 8.1 also enables automated backup and recovery adjustments based on operational analytics gained from a self-learning system, HP Autonomy claimed.

In addition to these four core abilities, the product includes integration with SAP HANA, HP StoreOnce, HP 3PAR StoreServ, Microsoft Active Directory, VMware vCenter 5.5 for Single Item Recovery, and certification of both VMware vSphere 5.5 and vCloud Director 5.5.

It also features new object selection methods, restore options and wizard pages, which the company claimed would offer a better automated disaster recovery experience.

David Jones, general manager of data protection at HP Autonomy, said: "Today's release marks the end of backup as we know it.

"HP Data Protector delivers the industry's first self-aware, self-healing and self-managing solution that will transform how forward-thinking organisations power and protect the modern data centre."

HP Data Protector 8.1 is scheduled for release in January 2014.

HP also announced it now has more than 60,000 customers worldwide using Data Protector, LiveVault and Connected Backup.

"The continued success of HP Autonomy's data protection business is a testament to our unique, intelligent approach and ongoing dedication to customer satisfaction and success," Jones concluded.

Jane McCallion is ITPro's Managing Editor, specializing in data centers and enterprise IT infrastructure. Before becoming Managing Editor, she held the role of Deputy Editor and, prior to that, Features Editor, managing a pool of freelance and internal writers, while continuing to specialize in enterprise IT infrastructure, and business strategy.

Prior to joining ITPro, Jane was a freelance business journalist writing as both Jane McCallion and Jane Bordenave for titles such as European CEO, World Finance, and Business Excellence Magazine.