Hewlett-Packard Co. kicked off its annual Discover conference in Barcelona with the introduction of new software-defined solutions aimed at countering the rise of emerging hardware startups that are putting a programmable spin on data center equipment. The soon-to-split Palo Alto giant is fighting fire with fire.

The arguably most significant addition to HP’s arsenal is File Persona, a new technology that allows admins to change how an array exposes information to applications through a straightforward management console. That functionality is remarkably similar to what NetApp Systems Inc. and Formation Data Systems Inc. are promising to deliver with their respective solutions, which likewise consolidate block, file and object access under a unified interface, albeit differently.

File Persona will start shipping next year with HP’s latest generation “converged storage” systems, including a new model in the StoreServ 7000 line (pictured above). The new StoreServ 7440c Converged Flash Array is a configurable system that can support either a combination of traditional disk and solid-state memory or exclusively the latter. Starting at the mid-market-oriented price of $78,000, the appliance can scale up to a massive 3.5 petabytes of usable capacity using as little as 5 percent of the space required to accommodate a comparable EMC Corp. box, according to HP.

The company’s messaging leaves no room for doubt that it’s the customers of the storage stalwart who represent the main target with the 7440c, which is made even more evident by the free migration service it’s launching in conjunction with the box. Joining the array is a converged system that takes aim at the another part of EMC’s business – in particular subsidiary VMware Inc.’s EVO:Rail, which, it’s worth noting, optionally incorporates HP servers – with the promise of consolidating into different pieces of the infrastructure puzzle into a single chassis.

The CloudSystem CS200-Hyper-Converged StoreVirtual stands out not only with its mouthful of a name but also the fact that it’s the first HP system to not only integrate the basic hardware building blocks but also management functionality. Specifically, the appliance runs the latest version of the company’s OneView software-defined data center platform, which brings with it new analytics functionality that is touted as capable of predicting issues before they arise and drastically reducing problem resolution times.

Rounding out the new software roster is an automated snapshotting feature for StoreServ systems, including the 7440c, and improved hypervisor support in StoreOnce Backup appliances. Last but not least, HP is also expanding its server portfolio with the addition of two more machines to its ultra-reliable Integrity systems that both sport 86 Xeon processors, another first for the company that signals the beginning of end for what has been a notoriously turbulent relationship with Intel Corp.’s Itanium chips.