HCP is a combination of hardware and software that provides an object-based data storage environment. An HCP repository stores all types of data, from simple text files to medical images to multi-gigabyte database images.
HCP provides easy access to the repository for adding, retrieving, and, when allowed, deleting the stored data. HCP uses write-once, read-many (WORM) storage technology and a variety of policies and internal processes to ensure the integrity of the stored data and the efficient use of storage capacity.
HCP nodes
An HCP system includes multiple servers, called nodes, that are networked together. Nodes are the essential part of an HCP system. They manage the data that resides in the system storage.
Each node runs the complete HCP software. HCP runtime operations are distributed among the nodes. If a node fails, the system adapts by redirecting processing to other nodes.
RAIN and SAIN systems
Hitachi Vantara offers three HCP products: HCP G11 with Local Storage, HCP G11 with Attached Storage, and HCP VM:
- HCP G11 with Local Storage systems run on a redundant array of independent nodes (RAIN) and use storage that’s internal to those nodes.
- HCP G11 with Attached Storage systems run on a SAN-attached array of independent nodes (SAIN) and use storage in Fibre Channel SAN arrays. SAN stands for storage area network.
To optimize performance for certain usage patterns, nodes in an HCP G11 with Attached Storage system can have internal storage in addition to being connected to SAN storage.
- HCP VM systems run on virtual machines in a VMware® environment.
HCP SAIN systems support larger repositories than HCP RAIN systems.
HCP System Management Console
HCP includes a web application called the System Management Console. Your HCP system administrator uses this Console to configure, monitor, and manage the system. The Console reports certain hardware problems as they occur, so the system administrator can take appropriate action to initiate repairs.