HP, Mirapoint Claim Messaging Performance Record

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HP and Mirapoint are claiming record performance results for a messaging system combined with network storage.

The companies say the record-breaking architecture, which consists of an HP StorageWorks Disk Array xp128 and Mirapoint Message Server M4000, delivers SPECmail message capacity and performance of 1.25 million SPECmail users — nearly 25% higher than the previous record held by Sun Microsystems — and the ability to support roughly 17 million messages a day.

It is also the first SPEC benchmark result to be performed in a storage area network (SAN) environment, according to the firms. SPECmail is a standardized benchmark developed by messaging vendors and research organizations that measures mail server performance using a real-world workload.

With the breakthrough result, HP and Mirapoint claim their solution addresses the messaging and storage requirements of the largest mobile operators, service providers, and enterprises.

“Messaging is a mission-critical application for our customers that demands more system performance and reliability,” says Rusty Smith, director of StorageWorks Lifecycle Data Management for HP Network Storage Solutions. “As today’s benchmark proves, a messaging solution that harnesses the power and scalability of network storage can handle the most demanding message networks.”

The HP StorageWorks and Mirapoint messaging system addresses the complete lifecycle of an Internet message by offering efficient routing, storage, access, and management of any type of messaging information, including text-based emails, instant messages, voicemails, faxes, and multimedia content. For mobile operators and service providers, it supports network storage requirements for advanced messaging applications such as unified communications services. The solution also helps enterprise customers comply with expanding regulatory requirements for email archival and disaster recovery planning.

Email is the number one application for business users and has surpassed Web usage in enterprise environments, according to IDC’s Internet Commerce Market Model, March 2002. With ever-increasing volumes of message traffic, coupled with the growth of multimedia content and expanding wireless connectivity, messaging has become a mission-critical and storage-intensive application for businesses.

“Service providers’ demands for carrier-grade messaging solutions are only going to grow with the increasing convergence of data, voice, and wireless networks,” asserts Lawrence Frank, vice president of market development for LogicaCMG. “For this reason, embedding Mirapoint’s messaging systems and HP’s open, modular network storage into our offering provides our customers with a strategic, high-performance platform to meet their needs today and growth plans for the future.”

The SPECmail benchmark was achieved on a SAN consisting of an HP StorageWorks xp128 disk array and Mirapoint Message Server M4000 products connected to a Fibre Channel SAN. HP StorageWorks management tools — including CommandView xp, LUN Configuration and Security Manager xp, and Business Copy xp — enabled control of the storage environment. The solution, powered by six HP ProLiant m1370 servers, sustained a volume of 6,250 SPECmail messages per minute, equivalent to 1.25 million SPECmail2001 users, or roughly 17 million real-world messages per day.

Additional information about the benchmark is available at http://www.spec.org/mail2001/results/mail2001.html.

HP and Legato Offer Enterprise Email Archiving

Mirapoint isn’t the only company announcing a messaging partnership with HP this week.

HP and Legato Systems have expanded their partnership to include enterprise email archiving solutions for companies looking to route, store, manage, and retrieve electronic mail information, and to meet heightened regulatory requirements.

HP will resell Legato’s EmailXtender as part of a solution for data storage and retrieval for enterprise email. The EmailXtender family supports Microsoft Exchange/Outlook, Lotus Notes/Domino, Bloomberg Mail, and UNIX Sendmail, as well as instant messaging.

“Already faced with the daunting task of managing the explosive overflow of data due to the growth of instant messaging and email, IT departments now must rapidly adapt to meet strictly enforced regulations offering little room for error,” says IDC Research Manager Robert Mahowald. “HP and Legato can offer enterprises scalable, mature, proven solutions that leverage HP StorageWorks products and professional service capabilities, as well as Legato’s archiving technologies to meet customers’ email archiving needs.”

Sector, a subsidiary of the Securities Industry Automation Corporation (SIAC) and an HP Service Provider Partner, is working with both HP and Legato to help customers comply with new regulatory requirements. Sector provides services that manage the lifecycle of the archives from collection, indexing, and archiving to retrieval.

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