Free 1TB StoreVirtual VSA

Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Q: Whats the offer? ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
Q: Is this offer only valid for HPE servers?................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Q: Whats in it for me? ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Q: Why is SDS so popular now? .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
Q: Is SDS expensive?........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Q: Who can benefit most from HPE SDS?.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Q: Are there reference configurations for StoreVirtual VSA?..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Q: What if I want to set up larger capacity nodes for my trial, or if I want to test Adaptive Optimization? ...................................... 3
Q: Does the free storage software come preloaded on servers? ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Q: How long can I use the free VSA software? ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Q: Is it true that StoreVirtual VSA is built into HPE ProLiant servers? ..............................................................................................................................3
Q: I have a server from another vendor (not HPE). How do I get the free software?.......................................................................................... 3
Q: I recently purchased an HPE ProLiant server. How do I get the software? ........................................................................................................... 3
Q: If I have more than one server, do I need to download multiple copies of the VSA files? ........................................................................ 4
Q: Do I need to set up any other software on a server before installing VSA? .......................................................................................................... 4
Q: What are the system requirements for StoreVirtual VSA? .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Q: What is Adaptive Optimization and how can I get it? ................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Q: What is the CMC and how can I get it? .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Q: I accidentally started the 60-day trial period. How can I return to a 3-year licensed version of the trial?................................ 4
Q: I previously downloaded free StoreVirtual VSA software and installed it. Can I install the latest free 1TB VSA on a
different server and cluster them together?..............................................................................................................................................................................................4
Q: Can I pool all of my VSA storage into a single cluster?............................................................................................................................................................. 4
Q: How can I upgrade to higher capacity VSA?...................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Q: If I upgrade, will I need to set everything up again? .................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Q: What options do I have for support? ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Q: Where can I go for more information?...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions Page 2

Introduction
Learn how you can easily deploy virtualized storage in your IT environment with a free 1TB license of HPE StoreVirtual VSA. The following FAQs
will help you understand the free software program, and answer the most common questions concerning the download and installation process.

Q: Whats the offer?

A: To help customers start gaining the benefits of software-defined storage (SDS), Hewlett Packard Enterprise is providing a 1-terabyte (TB)
HPE StoreVirtual VSA license at no cost for deployment on industry standard x86 servers, including previous generation ProLiant servers. The
offer includes storage up to 1TB per node on up to 3 storage nodes. This offer does not include the Adaptive Optimization feature. HPE support
is not included in the offer.

Q: Is this offer only valid for HPE servers?

A: No. HPE StoreVirtual VSA software can be installed on any industry standard server to create highly available, resilient shared storage.
This free 1TB software program applies to server models from vendors including Dell, IBM, and Lenovo, as well as HPE.

Q: Whats in it for me?

A: There has never been a better time to get into SDSeven for smaller sites that lack budget to invest in new storage technologies.
Proven HPE StoreVirtual storage technology can help you move to a virtualized environment quickly and with minimal risk. StoreVirtual VSA is
engineered to perform at its best on HPE ProLiant servers.
The free 1TB StoreVirtual VSA software taps unused capacity within a server to provide resilient shared storage.
Powerful HPE ProLiant servers can easily support the performance needs of both virtual applications and data services co-resident on the
same platform.
Put these two technologies together and you get a simple, open, and consolidated solution that eliminates the cost of dedicated storage
hardware and lets you manage servers and storage from a single console.

Q: Why is SDS so popular now?

A: There are several reasons SDS has gained recent attention:

SDS is simple and open. Simple, vendor-agnostic, and efficient, SDS technology does not have the cost or complexity of dedicated hardware.
HPE is an industry leader in this fast-growing market.
New server technology is ideal for virtualization. HPE StoreVirtual VSA can help you tap into the power of new servers and faster, higher
capacity disks to cost-optimize virtual infrastructures.
Overcome the challenges of rising costs and shrinking physical space. Organizations need to reduce power and cooling costs and
decrease data center footprints. HPE StoreVirtual VSA is proven technology that can help you:
Save up to 80% on storage costs
Reduce the data center footprint by 50%
Gain back 60% savings in energy costs
Limited budgets make increased efficiency a must. Companies need to leverage the hardware infrastructure they already have in place.
SDS can be integrated into your existing infrastructure and deployed on servers of your choice.

Q: Is SDS expensive?
A: SDS is extremely cost-effective. Cost and resource limitations are the biggest barriers to server virtualization for many businesses.
Transitioning to a virtualized environment to handle data growth is a smart move, but it may leave you with a complicated IT environment
that challenges your staff.

SDS removes these barriers. You can experience the benefits of fully featured shared storage with HPE StoreVirtual VSA, the first
software-defined virtual storage appliance that supports all major industry-standard servers and multiple hypervisors.
Frequently asked questions Page 3

Q: Who can benefit most from HPE SDS?

A: Anyone who needs to address virtualization, rising costs, and efficiency can benefit from world-class storage that relies on hardware they
already have in place or in their choice of new servers.
General virtualizationRealize the benefits of virtualization and improve efficiencies.
Cloud providersDeliver new cloud and managed services with more efficient, flexible infrastructure.
ROBO sitesImprove resiliency by replicating data from virtualized remote offices into large enterprise data centers and managing it all from
a central console.
VDIScale to meet demand, auto-tier data to improve performance (through Adaptive Optimization), and manage your entire storage
infrastructure from a single console.

Q: Are there reference configurations for StoreVirtual VSA?

A: The HPE Reference Architecture for StoreVirtual VSA Ready Nodes with ProLiant Gen9 servers describes several tested VSA reference
configurations for general virtualization. HPE Software-Defined Storage Blueprints also provide some high level guidance for setting up
VSA in a variety of environments.

Q: What if I want to set up larger capacity nodes for my trial, or if I want to test Adaptive Optimization?
A: Instead of a 3-year, 1TB trial, you can set up a StoreVirtual VSA trial with up to 50TB of storage for 60 days. Visit hpe.com/storage/tryVSA
and download the 1TB VSA software. Override the warnings that appear when you go over 1TB of storage, enable Adaptive Optimization, or add
more than 3 nodes to the management group. You will automatically be entered into a 60-day trial period with fully featured storage.

Note:
Neither version of free software includes HPE Support Services or major software upgrades.

Q: Does the free storage software come preloaded on servers?

A: StoreVirtual VSA is included with new HPE ProLiant servers. Since every IT environment is different, HPE does not preinstall software.
Visit hpe.com/storage/storevirtual to find best practices for installation and configuration.

Q: How long can I use the free VSA software?

A: The End User Licensing Agreement for HPE StoreVirtual VSA 1TB software allows you to use it on a single server for 3 years after installation.

Q: Is it true that StoreVirtual VSA is built into HPE ProLiant servers?

A: Yes, HPE ProLiant servers now feature an integrated single-click VSA deployment. Intelligent Provisioning, an HPE ProLiant server feature,
automates VSA deployment as part of server setup. Configured in just minutes, HPE ProLiant servers can easily be up and running with an
operating system and VSA software to support virtualized applications and shared storage on the same hardware. Your StoreVirtual OS license is
automatically activated with installation.

Q: I have a server from another vendor (not HPE). How do I get the free software?
1. Go to hpe.com/storage/tryVSA and download the HPE StoreVirtual VSA software plus the Centralized Management Console (CMC).
2. Install VSA on the server.
3. Configure VSA using the CMC.

Q: I recently purchased an HPE ProLiant server. How do I get the software?

1. Select the free 1TB HPE StoreVirtual VSA option during server setup. The Intelligent Provisioning wizard will install VSA onto the server.
2. When you install the software, your 3-year license will be automatically activated.
3. Configure VSA using the CMC.

If you already completed server setup and did not select free HPE VSA storage, or if you want to download a different version of the StoreVirtual
OS, go to hpe.com/storage/tryVSA and download the software and the CMC.
Frequently asked questions Page 4

Q: If I have more than one server, do I need to download multiple copies of the VSA files?
A: No. You can use the same software file on multiple computers.

Q: Do I need to set up any other software on a server before installing VSA?

A: StoreVirtual VSA is self-contained software with a built-in OS. You will need Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware vSphere, or CentOS/RHEL
KVM installed. During installation, you will be asked to download and install the CMC to manage your VSA storage. Beyond that, no
additional software is required.

For deployment setup details, refer to the Before You Start checklist in the HPE Reference Architecture for StoreVirtual VSA Ready Nodes with
ProLiant Gen9 servers.

Q: What are the system requirements for StoreVirtual VSA?

A: HPE StoreVirtual VSA requires VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, or CentOS/RHEL virtualized servers. For detailed specifications, see the
HPE StoreVirtual VSA QuickSpecs.

Q: What is Adaptive Optimization and how can I get it?

A: Adaptive Optimization (AO) is HPEs sub-volume automated storage tiering feature. Using AO, you can store the most active part of your
volume on fast disk or SSD to make it readily accessible. The remainder of your volume is stored on a less expensive, typically slower, higher
capacity disk. The data is balanced between tiers automatically and continuously in real-time. To get the AO feature, purchase StoreVirtual VSA
Ready Nodes or a full StoreVirtual VSA license (10TB or 50TB).

Q: What is the CMC and how can I get it?

A: The HPE StoreVirtual Centralized Management Console (CMC) lets you configure and manage all VSA storage in your virtualized
infrastructure from a single screen. Visit hpe.com/storage/tryVSA to download the software.

Q: I accidentally started the 60-day trial period. How can I return to a 3-year licensed version of the trial?
A: Customers who wish to revert to a 3-year license must deactivate Adaptive Optimization, reduce their storage to less than 1TB, and
follow these steps:
1. Expand the StoreVirtual VSA feature registration tab in Management Group under Cluster under Storage Systems.
2. Open edit license key located at the bottom of the feature registration task window.
3. Apply the license key: 0541-AAAC-3BE0-9031-B2A9-D510-A18D-FEC0-AE75-F6A5-20DD-BE99-939D-3466-751A-674A-7D03-D6DD-
3273-B688-4A04-5907-FFE8-2E5D-7159-B4D0-18C6-9421-36C8-4D4E-C4C4-5B50-5B.

Q: I previously downloaded free StoreVirtual VSA software and installed it. Can I install the latest free 1TB VSA
on a different server and cluster them together?
A: You may not mix different versions of StoreVirtual VSA software in the same management group. To upgrade your existing 1TB software to
the latest OS, contact your HPE sales representative to purchase StoreVirtual VSA Ready Nodes or licenses (4TB, 10TB, or 50TB).

Q: Can I pool all of my VSA storage into a single cluster?

A: StoreVirtual VSA lets you cluster all of your storage together into a single virtual pool. The free 1TB license only allows up to 3 VSAs to be
clustered together. To pool more, purchase 4TB or larger VSA licenses.

Q: How can I upgrade to higher capacity VSA?

A: Contact HPE or your local reseller to purchase StoreVirtual VSA Ready Nodes or individual 4TB, 10TB, or 50TB VSA licenses.

Q: If I upgrade, will I need to set everything up again?

A: No. The upgrade is non-disruptive as long as you first apply the new, larger capacity license key to your existing software. Note: You must
apply the purchased license before you upgrade to a newer version of VSA, or you risk losing your configuration. The free software does not
allow upgrades.
Frequently asked questions

Q: What options do I have for support?

Go to the HPE StoreVirtual/LeftHand Forum for free community support.
Purchase a full-license version that offers more functionality and retroactive support. HPE StoreVirtual VSA licenses are available in 4TB,
10TB, or 50TB capacities, and the software upgrade is non-disruptive.
Contact HPE or your local reseller for more options.

Q: Where can I go for more information?

Learn more about the free 1TB VSA program at hpe.com/storage/tryVSA
Learn more about HPE SDS at hpe.com/storage/sds

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Copyright 20142015, 2017 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP. The information contained herein is subject to change
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Enterprise shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

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4AA5-5143ENW, February 2017, Rev. 3