HP adds virtual desktops to turnkey VirtualSystem portfolio

HP is extending its VirtualSystem line-up of reference platforms for virtualisation to include VMware or Citrix virtual desktop configurations, while also extending its HP-UX Virtual Partitions technology to its Integrity blade systems.

Available now, HP VirtualSystem for Enterprise Desktops is designed to speed deployment of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) by providing customers with an integrated solution that includes all the necessary hardware and software.

Customers can choose between HP VirtualSystem for VMware View or HP VirtualSystem for Citrix XenDesktop on Microsoft Hyper-V, depending on their requirements.

Both are delivered as single rack configurations based on HP ProLiant server blades with HP LeftHand iSCSI storage arrays and HP Virtual Connect networking, and are able to scale up to support up to 2,000 virtual desktops per system, according to HP.

Because HP also offers its own range of thin clients capable of serving as the user access endpoint, the company is able to offer organisations a complete end-to-end solution for VDI deployment.

"With HP VirtualSystems, clients can easily deploy a simplified virtualised environment that quickly delivers the information or applications users need," said Paul Miller, HP vice president for Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking.

The HP VirtualSystem portfolio is available directly from HP. Pricing varies according to location and implementation, the firm said.

Meanwhile, HP also announced that its HP-UX Virtual Partitions (vPars) software is now available on HP Integrity server blades with vPars v6.0.

Previously available only on HP's Superdome, vPars is aimed at customers needing to virtualise mission-critical workloads and allows clients to attach an unlimited number of storage devices to each virtual partition.

The new version allows for shared I/O resources across virtual partitions, and HP offers a full control GUI, unlike with vPars v5.