Universal Storage Platform

Lore & Background

The Universal Storage Platform was first introduced in 2004. An entry-level enterprise and high-end midrange model, the Network Storage Controller, followed in 2005. The second generation Universal Storage Platform V replaced the original USP in 2007, and the Universal Storage Platform VM replaced the original Network Storage Controller also in 2007. At the core of the USP V and VM is a fully fault tolerant, high performance, non-blocking, silicon based switched architecture designed to provide the bandwidth needed for infrastructure consolidation.

Notable features include support for online local and distance replication and migration of data non-disruptively between heterogeneous storage, using products such as Tiered Storage Manager, ShadowImage, TrueCopy and Universal Replicator. The system enables virtualization of external SAN storage from Hitachi and other vendors into a single pool, and supports storage partitioning to host multiple applications without one set of users affecting the quality of service of others. Thin provisioning and storage reclamation are supported on both internal and external virtualized storage, along with encryption, WORM, data shredding, data resilience, business continuity and content management services.

The USP V specifications include an integrated control/drive group frame with one to four optional drive group frames, an aggregate bandwidth of 106 GB/sec, and support for up to 1,152 disks of types including Flash, Fibre Channel, and SATA II. RAID levels 1, 10, 5, and 6 are supported. The system supports a wide range of mainframe and open systems operating systems, and is managed via the Hitachi Storage Command Suite (formerly HiCommand) as well as open standards interfaces such as SNMP and SMI-S.

Reader's Guide

The Universal Storage Platform represents a significant shift in enterprise storage architecture by moving virtualization from the network fabric into the storage array itself. This approach allowed the USP to present heterogeneous external storage as a single pool, simplifying management and enabling non-disruptive data migration and replication across different vendors' arrays. Its high-performance, non-blocking switched architecture and support for up to 247 PB of total capacity (internal and external) positioned it for large-scale consolidation in both mainframe and open systems environments.

The platform's support for storage partitioning, thin provisioning, and a range of data services—including encryption, WORM, and replication—addressed enterprise requirements for multi-tenancy, efficiency, and business continuity. The introduction of the USP V and VM in 2007 continued the line's evolution, maintaining compatibility with a broad ecosystem of operating systems and management standards. The USP family's legacy is reflected in its influence on subsequent Hitachi storage products and its role in establishing array-based virtualization as a mainstream enterprise capability.

Did You Know?

• The Universal Storage Platform was one of the first disk arrays to virtualize other disk arrays in the appliance instead of in the network.
• The USP V and VM use a fully fault tolerant, non-blocking, silicon based switched architecture.
• The system supports up to 1,024 virtual host ports per physical Fibre Channel port.
• Maximum internal raw capacity with 2 TB SATA II disks is 2,268 TB.