HPE: Autonomous data centers, predictive analytics & the app-data gap

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is setting out to pave the way toward an autonomous data center with the unveiling of its new AI recommendation engine.

The AI recommendation engine aims to simplify and reduce the guesswork associated with managing infrastructure and improve application reliability.

The AI recommendation engine is built for HPE InfoSight, a predictive analytics platform that's designed to bring software-defined intelligence to the data center.

In addition, HPE also announced the first release of HPE InfoSight for HPE 3PAR, a move that will extend machine learning across the HPE storage and server portfolio.

According to HPE, the complexity of application infrastructure causes an "App-Data Gap" which disrupts businesses.

HPE InfoSight aims to reduce the disruptions and time lost due to delays in applications through AI and predictive analytics. HPE claims  the system can reduce the time spent troubleshooting issues by up to 85%.

HPE InfoSight analyses millions of sensors across the globally connected installed base constantly, explains HPE in the system's announcement, and uses this data to predict and prevent problems from storage to applications.

Bill Philbin, senior vice president, HPE GM Storage, claims HPE InfoSight marks the first time a major storage vendor has been able to predict issues and proactively resolve them before a customer is even aware of the problem.

"As applications increasingly drive today's businesses, we need to help customers move toward a self-managing IT model.

Philbin adds, "HPE InfoSight enables IT to spend more time on projects that add value to the business rather than on troubleshooting issues.

With the new AI recommendation engine, HPE InfoSight advises IT how to avoid issues, improve performance, and optimise available resources, with the recommendations based on advanced machine learning.

HPE InfoSight continuously learns, making customers' systems smarter and more reliable. Third-party research has recently shown that HPE InfoSight lowers storage IT OpEx by 79%.

"InfoSight's predictive analytics have saved us from potentially impactful issues," comments Justin Giardina, CTO, iland Secure Cloud.

"And the new recommendation engine is phenomenal as it's making proactive decisions, showing us how we can improve our environment. iland provides 100% availability to our customers, and InfoSight is a huge part in making that happen.

According to HPE, the first release of HPE InfoSight for 3PAR includes the following features:

Cross-stack analytics: For 3PAR customers running the latest release of the 3PAR operating system2, HPE InfoSight aims to provide IT the ability to resolve performance problems and pinpoint the root cause of issues between the storage and host virtual machines (VMs).

It also provides visibility to locate "noisy neighbor" VMs.

Global visibility: Through a new cloud portal that combines HPE Infosight and HPE StoreFront Remote, all current 3PAR customers with systems that are remotely connected will see detailed performance trending, capacity predictions, health checks and best practice information across all of their 3PAR arrays.

Foundation to enable predictive support: Analytics and automation infrastructure are now in place that in the future will be used to detect anomalies, predict complex problems, and route cases directly to Level 3 support.

"None of HPE's competitors have the predictive capabilities of InfoSight," says Morten Nyhuus-Eriksen, global head of storage - backup, Basefarm.

"The cross-stack analytics will save my team tremendous time troubleshooting our complex environment. InfoSight for 3PAR is going to make a big impact for our business and theirs.

HPE InfoSight with the new AI recommendation engine will be available January 2018 to all HPE Nimble Storage customers. HPE InfoSight for 3PAR will be available January 2018 to all 3PAR customers.