Hewlett Packard Enterprise Networking (abbreviated as HPE Networking) is the Networking Products division of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. HPE Networking and its predecessor entities have developed and sold networking products since 1979. Currently, it offers networking and switching products [1] for small and medium sized businesses through its wholly owned subsidiary Aruba Networks. Prior to 2015, the entity within HP which offered networking products was called HP Networking.
HP's networking division was previously known as HP ProCurve. The HP division that became the HP ProCurve division began in Roseville, CA, in 1979. Originally it was part of HP’s Data Systems Division (DSD) and known as DSD-Roseville. Later, it was called the Roseville Networks Division (RND), then the Workgroup Networks Division (WND), before becoming the ProCurve Networking Business (PNB). The trademark filing date for the ProCurve name was February 25, 1998.[2]
On August 11, 2008, HP announced the acquisition of Colubris Networks, manufacturer of wireless capabilities, such as 802.11n. This completed on October 1, 2008.[3]
On November 11, 2009, HP announced its intent to acquire 3Com Corporation for $2.7B.[4] In April 2010, HP completed its acquisition.[5]
In April 2010, following HP's acquisition of 3Com Corporation, HP combined the ProCurve and 3Com entities as HP Networking. [6][7]
The acquired 3Com Corporation. Based in Marlborough, MA, USA. Global sales outside of China.
The 3Com division H3C Technologies Co., Ltd. Based in Hangzhou, China. Developer of networking switches, routers, telephony and wireless solutions.[buzzword] Sales within China.
The 3Com division TippingPoint. Based in Austin, Texas. Developer of networking security solutions[buzzword], particularly intrusion prevention systems. Global sales.
On May 19, 2015, HP completed the acquisition of Aruba Networks and subsequently moved all its networking business into the Aruba Networking entity.
Network architecture encompasses the entire framework of an organization's computer network, including hardware components that are used for communication, network layout and topologies, physical and wireless connections, and cabling and device types, as well as software rules and protocols.[8] The core and aggregation layers of a traditional three-tier, hierarchical model provide built-in redundancy, but this design can be inefficient for virtualized environments.[9][10] The flat layout of the HP FlexNetwork Architecture is designed to provide more agility to the network and to support functionality such as virtualization, convergence, and automation.[11]
HP FlexNetwork Architecture unites an organization's networks in the data center, campus, and branch offices through a cost-efficient, consistent architecture, according to published reports.[12] Four product groups make up the architecture: FlexFabric, for data centers with physical and virtual environments composed of converged computing, storage, and networking resources; FlexCampus, for converged wired and wireless networks; FlexBranch, for providing branch offices with networking and security; and Flex Management, which provides one unified management interface for the entire FlexNetwork and includes the HP Intelligent Management Center (IMC).[12]
The HP Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) software virtualization technology is designed to provide rapid recovery from failure to the FlexNetwork, and to improve vMotion performance in VMware environments.[13]
The focus by enterprise data center networking technologies on virtualization has caused organizations' networks to become more automated and simplified.[14] Several factors are driving these changes: the recognition by IT that network operations can be aligned with an organization's business goals; the request from an organization's leaders for the data center to respond rapidly to variations in demand; changes in application network traffic patterns; and changes in size and density of the data center, due to some services being offloaded to cloud computing resources, greater compute density, and an increased use of virtual technology.[14] In turn, these changes have led to an increased demand for software-defined networking (SDN)technology from organizations.[14]
In 2007, HP collaborated with Stanford University to develop Ethane, an early version of the open-source standard OpenFlow upon which SDN is based.[15] HP is a founding member of the nonprofit Open Networking Foundation. Organized in March 2011, the foundation provides support for SDN and manages the OpenFlow standard.[16]
HP is also a founding member of the Open Daylight Project, which was announced on April 8, 2013, by the Linux Foundation as an industry-supported collaboration to further the open development of SDN and Network Functions Virtualization.[17] Other founding members include Arista Networks, Big Switch Networks, Brocade, Cisco, Citrix, Ericsson, IBM, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, NEC, Nuage Networks, PLUMgrid, Red Hat, and VMware.[17]
Because OpenFlow is based on open standards, there is little risk of vendor lock-in when using OpenFlow-enabled products. It is claimed that networks using SDN will result in a more efficient and reliable data center infrastructure.[14] An SDN controller serves as the core of an SDN network, managing flow controls based on protocols such as OpenFlow, and relaying communications between applications and network devices.[18] In 2012, HP introduced the Virtual Application Networks (VAN) SDN OpenFlow controller, which is available in a software format.[19] The HP SDN Manager application is intended to allow administrators to configure, monitor, and manage policies for SDN switches and controllers.[20]
In 2013, HP introduced its SDN Developer Kit and announced the SDN App Store, as well as integration with VMware NSX. The SDN App Store can be used to browse, search, purchase, and download SDN applications onto the HP VAN SDN Controller.[21] HP certifies that applications offered in the SDN App Store will function reliably on HP network infrastructure.[22] New HP network applications will be run on or integrated with the HP VAN SDN Controller and made available through the SDN App Store.[22]
In 2014, HP was producing more than 50 models of OpenFlow-enabled switches, including the FlexFabric 7900 switch series, which is optimized for SDN deployment.[22][23] The FlexFabric 12900 switch series, also optimized for SDN deployment, was awarded SearchNetworking's Network Innovation Award in December 2013,.[24]
The HP Virtual Cloud Networking (VCN) SDN Application is designed to provide virtual network overlays to the OpenStack technology open source cloud computing software, serving as a bridge between the HP Helion OpenStack cloud computing platform and the HP VAN SDN controller.[25] According to published reports, the HP VCN SDN Application will help organizations transition from legacy networks to the cloud.[23]
Mobility/bring your own device (BYOD) refers to the practice of employees using their privately owned mobile devices such as laptops, tablet computers, and smartphones for work purposes. This practice allows employees to perform work functions from these devices both in the office and remotely, increasing working satisfaction and boosting productivity, according to a study by IBM.[26] Wired and wireless network technologies enable organizations to provide connectivity for these mobile devices throughout an office space.
To provide wired and wireless access, legacy IT infrastructure requires two individual networks, each with its own management applications.[27] HP provides a unified BYOD solution[buzzword] that includes an SDN security application, which provides real-time threat detection and simplifies operations, reducing costs by up to 38 percent, according to published reports.[27]
The HP IMC Smart Connect includes integrated mobile network–access control to manage enterprise access to mobile devices.[27] To help administrators oversee the use of mobile devices on enterprise networks, HP has integrated into IMC support for the Citrix XenMobile and MobileIron mobile device management applications.[28]
In March 2014, HP renamed its SDN BYOD security application from Sentinel to Network Protector.[29] HP Network Protector sits on top of the HP SDN VAN Controller.[29]
When employees use mobile devices to download files or stream rich media applications such as video, the network traffic can consume much of the bandwidth on the company’s core network.[30] One way to reduce the impact of this increased traffic is to create a separate guest network for mobile devices that is completely segregated from the corporate network, and to set network access control (NAC) policies that limit access to certain sites.
In addition to the VAN SDN controller, HP provides a number of SDN products that can help reduce the occurrence of a network bottleneck and enable mobile voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video, and other rich media apps.[31] HP offers a pay-per-use cloud service model designed for small and mid-sized businesses and distributed offices.[32] The HP Cloud Managed Network Wireless LAN solution[buzzword] is designed to enable organizations to manage wireless infrastructure without having to have an on-premises controller.[29] The HP Cloud Managed Network Wireless LAN works only with HP 300 series Cloud-Managed access points, which provide cloud management capabilities for distributed organizations.[29] In the event of a loss of connectivity to a cloud management service, the access points can keep a local wireless network up and running, allowing businesses to continue to operate.[31]
The HP 870 Unified Wired-WLAN Appliance is designed to help administrators bridge the gap between wired and wireless networks. According to published reports, the appliance simplifies management and access and supports up to 30,000 communication endpoints. The HP 850 Unified Wired-WLAN Appliance supports up to 10,000 endpoints.[31]
Network virtualization involves the process of combining available resources in a network by dividing available bandwidth into independent channels that can be dynamically assigned to a specified device or server.[33] The hardware and software network functionality and resources can be merged into one software-based administrative entity. Network virtualization enables the automation of many network management tasks, and allows the network administrator to centrally manage files, images, programs, and folders from a single physical site. The technology is designed to make networks faster and more flexible, scalable, and reliable.[33]
Virtualization enables administrators to run multiple operating systems and multiple applications simultaneously on one server. It is the technology that underlies cloud computing.[34]
At HP Discover in June 2014, HP announced the Virtual Cloud Networking (VCN) SDN Application, which provides a multitenant network virtualization service for KVM and VMware ESX multi-hypervisor data center applications. Expected in fall 2014, the initial version is an enhanced OpenStack-technology module in HP Helion OpenStack.[35] Centrally orchestrated virtual LAN (VLAN) or VXLAN-based virtual networks provide multitenant isolation.[35]
The HP VAN Resource Automation Manager is designed to increase the speed at which network services are rolled out by improving service deployment and provisioning accuracy, providing policy-driven resource management from access to core, according to published reports.[20] The HP IRF software virtualization technology is intended to allow administrators to connect multiple devices through physical IRF ports, configure the devices, and then virtualize those devices into a distributed device. According to published reports, IRF simplifies switch configuration and management, providing horizontal scaling that reduces network hops and delivering support for technology such as Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) and transparent interconnection of lots of links (TRILL).[36][37]
Unified communications (UC) products integrate multiple interactive, real-time enterprise communication methods, such as instant messaging, desktop sharing, and telephony with non-real-time communication services such as unified messaging (integrated voicemail, e-mail, SMS, and fax). UC products can enable administrators to control and manage these methods.[38] The HP Network Optimizer SDN Application for Microsoft Lync functions as a unified communications-and-collaboration (UC&C) application that is designed to improve voice quality with Lync;[31] in March 2014 it received a NetEvents Cloud Innovation award in the category of SDN Solution for the Enterprise.[39]
Networking professional services
Companies engage networking professional services to help them plan how to build networks that support their business needs. HP Trusted Network Transformation is designed to help organizations that want to use private cloud. These networking professional services include workshops, consultation, network assessment, and architectural design services involving network virtualization and SDN.[25]
Switches: HP offers a range of networking switch series for various locations and configurations: data center core, data center access, HP BladeSystem blade switch, campus LAN core/distribution, and campus/branch LAN access, as well as small business—smart web managed and small business—unmanaged.
Network security: HP security modules and appliances include intrusion prevention systems, traditional firewalls, centralized module and appliance management, centralized network access management, and centralized threat management. HP also provides security research, delivered as actionable security intelligence.
Wireless LAN (WLAN): HP provides several different series of unified wired-WLAN enterprise switches, 802.11ac and 802.11n enterprise access points, Unified Wired-WLAN Modules and stand-alone Wireless Controller series, WLAN client bridges, Unified Walljacks, wireless adaptors, WLAN security, and an RF planning tool.
Routers: HP routers include series of products for branch locations (fixed port, modular, and virtual), campus (modular), and data center (modular).
Transceivers and accessories: Transceivers include series for SFP 1G/100M, SFP+ 10G, X2 10G, XFP 10G, and GBIC. Cables include CAT 5e, CX4, direct attach copper, and fiber optic. Miscellaneous adapters, external power supplies, interconnect kits, and rack-mounting kits are also available.
Technologies
Bring your own device (BYOD): The HP BYOD solution[buzzword] provides a secure way for users to access an organization's network and applications from mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. It includes a number of switch series for unified wired and wireless networks, as well as these BYOD HP products: IMC User Access Manager, IMC Endpoint Admission Defense, Intelligent Management Center (IMC) Standard Software, IMC Smart Connect WLAN, IMC Smart Connect, and IMC Wireless Services Manager.
Dynamic Virtual Private Network (DVPN): The HP DVPN solution[buzzword] interconnects data centers, campuses, and branch offices with standards-based IPsec VPN encryption. It includes HP 6600 router series, HP MSR series routers, and Intelligent Management Center.
Software-defined networking: HP software-defined networking products are designed to provide an end-to-end solution[buzzword] to automate the network from data center to campus and branch. The SDN Ecosystem includes the HP Network Protector SDN Application and the HP Network Optimizer Application for Microsoft Lync, as well as SDN-related products from third-party developers that integrate with HP SDN products. The HP SDN Dev Center provides resources for developers to produce applications for HP SDN products; it includes the HP SDN App Store and an SDN developer community forum. The SDN App Store can be used to browse, search, purchase, and download SDN applications onto the HP VAN SDN controller.[21] HP SDN infrastructure technologies, including over 50 OpenFlow-enabled switches such as the HP FlexFabric 5930 Switch Series, support the Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN), an encapsulation protocol for running virtual networks across the network. The HP Virtual Cloud Networking (VCN) SDN Application provides a multitenant network virtualization service for KVM and VMware ESX multi-hypervisor data center applications and acts as a bridge between the HP Helion OpenStack cloud computing platform and the HP VAN SDN controller.[25][35]
Data Center Interconnect (DCI): Data center interconnect solutions[buzzword] are intended to extend the benefits of multi-tenant private clouds across multiple data centers.
HP Unified Wired and Wireless Access: Products are intended to unify campus networks and include routers, SDN applications, switches, IEEE 802.11ac access points and unified wall jacks, and controllers.
Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF): The HP IRF switch platform virtualization technology is intended to simplify the design and operations of data center and campus Ethernet networks.
HP Networking Training covers product-, solution-, and sales-oriented topics. The HP ExpertOne program networking training and certification program covers a range of networking curricula, from beginning-level courses to Master engineer classes, on three separate tracks: technical, sales, and partner-restricted. Fast-track programs are designed for participants to build upon current industry certifications from Cisco and other companies. In early 2014, HP initiated eight new sales certifications for its technology partners, designed to lower the cost and simplify the training process by narrowing the focus and making the certifications more specific, though no less deep.[40] The new certifications are role-based.[40]
HP AllianceOne Program
In January 2009, Hewlett Packard launched the ProCurve Open Network Ecosystem (ONE) Alliance, and a programmable module which hosts partner applications from IP telephony to network management[41] This multivendor alliance program objective was to optimize performance of enterprise-class applications with the then ProCurve's (now HP Networking) infrastructure.[42]
In April 2010, HP combined the ProCurve ONE alliance program with the programs from 3Com and Tipping Point, and programs from the rest of HP's Enterprise Business to create a new program called HP AllianceOne.[43]
The HP Networking Specialization program of HP AllianceOne works with alliance partners who develop applications or services that capitalize on integrated network capabilities for business purposes.
Support
HP Networking provides a lifetime warranty on some of its products with next business day advanced shipment. This was seen as a Unique Selling Point, until other networking vendors offered similar warranty on part of their product lines.
User community
The HP Enterprise Business Community page provides resources for HP Networking users, including announcements, tips, and tricks, community feedback and suggestions, and events. Forums include discussion boards and blogs.
Open Networking Foundation
HP Networking is a founding member of the Open Networking Foundation started on March 23, 2011. Other founding companies include Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Verizon, Deutsche Telekom and 17 other companies. The nonprofit organization is focused on providing support for software-defined networking.[44] The initiative is meant to speed innovation through simple software changes in telecommunications networks, wireless networks, data centers and other networking areas.[45]
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3Com Corporation was an American digital electronics manufacturer best known for its computer network products. The company was co-founded in 1979 by Robert Metcalfe, Howard Charney and others. Bill Krause joined as President in 1981. Metcalfe explained the name 3Com was a contraction of "Computer Communication Compatibility", with its focus on Ethernet technology that he had co-invented, which enabled the networking of computers.
Juniper Networks, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. The company develops and markets networking products, including routers, switches, network management software, network security products, and software-defined networking technology.
NetApp, Inc. is an intelligent data infrastructure company that provides unified data storage, integrated data services, and cloud operations (CloudOps) solutions to enterprise customers. The company is based in San Jose, California. It has ranked in the Fortune 500 from 2012 to 2021. Founded in 1992 with an initial public offering in 1995, NetApp offers cloud data services for management of applications and data both online and physically.
Brocade was an American technology company specializing in storage networking products, now a subsidiary of Broadcom Inc. The company is known for its Fibre Channel storage networking products and technology. Prior to the acquisition, the company expanded into adjacent markets including a wide range of IP/Ethernet hardware and software products. Offerings included routers and network switches for data center, campus and carrier environments, IP storage network fabrics; Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) markets such as a commercial edition of the OpenDaylight Project controller; and network management software that spans physical and virtual devices.
Mobile device management (MDM) is the administration of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablet computers, and laptops. MDM is usually implemented with the use of a third-party product that has management features for particular vendors of mobile devices. Though closely related to Enterprise Mobility Management and Unified Endpoint Management, MDM differs slightly from both: unlike MDM, EMM includes mobile information management, BYOD, mobile application management and mobile content management, whereas UEM provides device management for endpoints like desktops, printers, IoT devices, and wearables as well.
Avaya Unified Communications Management in Computer Networking is the name of a collection of GUI software programs from Avaya. It uses a service-oriented architecture (SOA) that serves as a foundation forunifying the configuration and monitoring of Avaya Unified Communications Servers and data systems.
OpenFlow is a communications protocol that gives access to the forwarding plane of a network switch or router over the network.
RUCKUS Networks is a brand of wired and wireless networking equipment and software owned by CommScope. Ruckus offers Switches, Wi-Fi access points, CBRS access points, Controllers, Management systems, Cloud management, AAA/BYOD software, AI and ML analytics software, location software and IoT controller software products to mobile carriers, broadband service providers, and corporate enterprises. As a company, Ruckus invented and has patented wireless voice, video, and data technology, such as adaptive antenna arrays that extend signal range, increase data rates, and avoid interference, providing distribution of delay-sensitive content over standard 802.11 Wi-Fi.
Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) is a data center server computer product line composed of server hardware, virtualization support, switching fabric, and management software, introduced in 2009 by Cisco Systems. The products are marketed for scalability by integrating many components of a data center that can be managed as a single unit.
Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) is a proprietary software virtualization technology developed by H3C. Its purpose is to connect multiple network devices through physical IRF ports and perform necessary configurations, then virtualize the devices into a distributed device. This virtualization technology performs the unified management and maintenance of multiple devices. This technology follows some of the same general concepts as Cisco's VSS and vPC technologies.
HP Network Management Center (NMC) is a suite of integrated HP software used by network managers in information technology departments. The suite allows network operators to see, catalog and monitor the routers, switches, and other devices on their network. IT staff is alerted when a network device fails and it predicts when a network node or connection point may go down. The suite was designed to address operational efficiency.
Converged storage is a storage architecture that combines storage and computing resources into a single entity. This can result in the development of platforms for server centric, storage centric or hybrid workloads where applications and data come together to improve application performance and delivery. The combination of storage and compute differs to the traditional IT model in which computation and storage take place in separate or siloed computer equipment. The traditional model requires discrete provisioning changes, such as upgrades and planned migrations, in the face of server load changes, which are increasingly dynamic with virtualization, where converged storage increases the supply of resources along with new VM demands in parallel.
Software-defined networking (SDN) technology is an approach to network management that enables dynamic, programmatically efficient network configuration to improve network performance and monitoring, in a manner more akin to cloud computing than to traditional network management. SDN is meant to address the static architecture of traditional networks and may be employed to centralize network intelligence in one network component by disassociating the forwarding process of network packets from the routing process. The control plane consists of one or more controllers, which are considered the brains of the SDN network, where the whole intelligence is incorporated. However, centralization has certain drawbacks related to security, scalability and elasticity.
Meru Networks was a supplier of wireless local area networks (WLANs) to healthcare, enterprise, hospitality, K-12 education, higher education, and other markets. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States, the company made its initial public offering in March 2010, and was acquired by Fortinet in May 2015.
HP ConvergedSystem is a portfolio of system-based products from Hewlett-Packard (HP) that integrates preconfigured IT components into systems for virtualization, cloud computing, big data, collaboration, converged management, and client virtualization. Composed of servers, storage, networking, and integrated software and services, the systems are designed to address the cost and complexity of data center operations and maintenance by pulling the IT components together into a single resource pool so they are easier to manage and faster to deploy. Where previously it would take three to six months from the time of order to get a system up and running, it now reportedly takes as few as 20 days with the HP ConvergedSystem.
Software-defined storage (SDS) is a marketing term for computer data storage software for policy-based provisioning and management of data storage independent of the underlying hardware. Software-defined storage typically includes a form of storage virtualization to separate the storage hardware from the software that manages it. The software enabling a software-defined storage environment may also provide policy management for features such as data deduplication, replication, thin provisioning, snapshots and backup.
Network functions virtualization (NFV) is a network architecture concept that leverages IT virtualization technologies to virtualize entire classes of network node functions into building blocks that may connect, or chain together, to create and deliver communication services.
Cisco Prime is a network management software suite consisting of different software applications by Cisco Systems. Most applications are geared towards either Enterprise or Service Provider networks. There is Cisco Network Registrar among those.
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