HPE is expanding its infrastructure portfolio with updates to its network resilience and recovery capabilities, including updates to its Alletra storage server family, Zerto disaster recovery software, and its networking product line.
These updates include an integration hub in Zerto for third-party cybersecurity platforms and data protection integration for the HPE Alletra Storage MP X10000 (the vendor's all-flash object storage platform, released last fall).
Jon Brown, an analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group (now part of Omdia), said these updates from HPE echo other product releases from backup storage vendors that integrate data storage in backups as a key component of their AI initiatives.
He stated that backup systems that previously focused solely on simple recovery operations must now be prepared to participate in a more active data lifecycle.
"It's clear that simply storing data is no longer enough," Brown said. "You can try to build a resilient system, but the whole way you handle data has changed. Data is no longer static."
According to an HPE spokesperson, the Alletra Storage MP X10000 now supports integration with popular backup platforms such as Commvault, Veeam, and Cohesity NetBackup as a storage target.
According to the vendor, this integration supports features such as deduplication and encryption, and enables the creation of off-site cloud backups with major hyperscale cloud service providers such as Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and AWS.
Zerto's new integration center will connect backup data to a cybersecurity platform, initially supported by CrowdStrike Falcon.
These connections will allow the security platform to automatically suggest rollback dates for Zerto snapshots when suspicious activity or active attacks are detected. According to the company, HPE plans to eventually connect the integration center to Zerto and other infrastructure components, such as HPE's own network appliances.
Brent Ellis, principal analyst at Forrester Research, stated that connecting Zerto to a cybersecurity platform and supporting recovery with all-flash hardware demonstrates the continued convergence of the roles of backup and security.
He stated that a growing number of businesses need to maintain high uptime, meaning that technologies capable of supporting uninterrupted, resilient operation are becoming a priority.
"This further demonstrates the convergence of security and availability technologies to support overall business resilience," Ellis said.
As part of these updates, HPE is now also providing a new Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) co-pilot for HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect (the vendor's SD-WAN architecture).
The vendor says this new AI assistant can analyze network and security conditions and report anomalies, unpatched systems, security vulnerabilities, and other suspicious activity.
Part of the SASE update includes expanding HPE Aruba Networking Central NAC to enforce security policies for Juniper (a networking vendor recently acquired by HPE) and other third parties that manage identity access controls for users and IoT devices.
The future of Juniper as an HPE division remains uncertain. Although HPE approved the acquisition of Juniper after reaching a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in late June, recent political backlash from the Trump administration's Department of Justice has reignited scrutiny of the deal from lawmakers.
