After a brief hiatus, the challenge of addressing data growth is back in the limelight thanks to the introduction of two new software solutions from Hewlett-Packard Co. meant to help organizations cut down on their storage costs. The launch takes aim at the so-called secondary sources that contain the bulk of the files on the typical corporate network.

That lower part of the data iceberg is also the target of Cohesity Inc., a startup that exited stealth only a few weeks ago with the goal of consolidating all the auxiliary information in the enterprise into an appliance that makes it possible to analyze the contents for redundancies in a centralized manner. HP doesn’t go quite as far with its new software, but the underlying value proposition is the same.

Storage Optimizer, the first of the two tools that made their debut this morning, provides the ability to remove unnecessary data from backup operations in order to free up valuable storage capacity better used for more important files. That’s accomplished through automatic analysis of the metadata associated with each item and, some even cases, even its contents.

The engine uses the resulting insights to categorize similar data into groups that organizations can manage differently based on their specific needs. A healthcare provider, for example, might leverage that functionality to selectively back up personal patient data to several different locations while taking a more capacity-efficent approach to less sensitive information.

HP is applying the same concept to improving the migration of that data with the new incarnation of its CloudPoint tool announced in conjunction, which likewise analyzes files for common traits. But instead of  identifying the most efficient backup policy for the information, the software helps administrators find the most appropriate location in which to store it.

According to HP, that can be anything from an on-premise Hadoop cluster to a public cloud, and in particular its Helion infrastructure-as-a-service platform. Which is the best option depends on an even wider range of factors than what Store Optimizer takes into account, including not only costS but also regulatory requirements, internal security procedures and various other operational considerations.

Photo via Elif Ayiter