4.3 HPE GreenLake Offerings for Storage and Data Protection

HPE GreenLake Offerings for Storage and Data Protection

Quick Answer: Think of HPE GreenLake offerings in two groups. Cloud data services are software that HPE runs in the GreenLake cloud, such as Data Services Cloud Console, HPE GreenLake for Backup and Recovery and HPE GreenLake for Disaster Recovery. Infrastructure offerings are systems in the customer's data center, such as the Alletra Storage MP B10000, the X10000 and HPE GreenLake for File Storage, which can be consumed as a service through GreenLake Flex Solutions. Section 1.3 covers the consumption mechanics; this section explains the offerings themselves.

Offering map

Block storage: from GreenLake for Block Storage to the B10000

HPE first sold its Alletra Storage MP block offering as HPE GreenLake for Block Storage built on HPE Alletra Storage MP. The current QuickSpecs list it as the HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 and note the rebranding. What did not change:

• It runs on the Alletra Storage MP hardware platform, with controller nodes and NVMe drive shelves that scale independently.
• It is managed from DSCC, with intent-based provisioning and non-disruptive, cloud-delivered upgrades.
• It carries HPE's 100% data availability guarantee.
• The customer can buy it outright or consume it as a service. Its software and support subscription enables cloud management either way.

The B10000 now also offers unified file services from ArcusOS 10.5.0, so one system can serve block volumes and NFS file systems. Chapter 6 covers the B10000 in depth.

File storage: HPE GreenLake for File Storage

HPE GreenLake for File Storage pairs Alletra Storage MP hardware with file software from HPE's partner VAST Data. VAST's disaggregated, shared-everything (DASE) design separates two roles:

• Stateless protocol servers handle client connections (NFS and other file protocols) and data services such as data reduction.
• Shared NVMe flash enclosures hold the data and metadata, and every protocol server can reach every enclosure over a high-speed NVMe network.

Because the protocol servers keep no persistent state, any of them can serve any request, and performance and capacity scale independently. HPE positions the service for high-throughput file workloads such as AI training and analytics, life sciences, and media.

Exam distinction: GreenLake for File Storage is VAST-based file storage. The X10000 is HPE-developed object and file storage. Both run on Alletra Storage MP hardware and are managed from the GreenLake cloud, which is why they are easy to confuse.

Object storage: the X10000 as a service

The X10000 delivers S3-compatible object storage, with a native NFSv4.1 file namespace added in recent releases. HPE describes it as managed through the GreenLake cloud, with cloud-like, consumption-based acquisition available. Typical uses are active data lakes, AI pipelines (with data intelligence nodes that add metadata and vector embeddings) and fast backup targets.

Data protection services

HPE GreenLake for Backup and Recovery

A SaaS backup service in DSCC. It protects:

• VMware virtual machines and datastores
• Microsoft SQL Server databases on virtual machines and physical servers
• AWS EC2 instances, EBS volumes, RDS instances and Kubernetes applications on EKS
• HPE array volumes, through volume protection groups

On-premises VMware and SQL Server protection uses two small virtual machines that the service deploys and manages: the Data Orchestrator and the Protection Store Gateway. Backups can be kept as array snapshots, in an on-premises protection store and in the HPE Cloud Protection Store. Section 8.3 covers the architecture.

HPE GreenLake for Disaster Recovery

This service delivers HPE Zerto continuous data protection as a GreenLake service. Zerto replicates every write of protected virtual machines into a journal at the recovery site, giving RPOs measured in seconds and point-in-time recovery from any moment in the journal. Section 8.4 covers Zerto.

Choosing offerings for a scenario

A regional hospital wants to modernize:

Common exam traps

• GreenLake for Block Storage is not a separate product today; the current name is the Alletra Storage MP B10000.
• GreenLake for File Storage uses VAST software; the X10000 does not.
• Backup and Recovery is not a disaster recovery orchestrator. Continuous replication with failover orchestration is the Disaster Recovery service and Zerto.
• A cloud data service does not move production data into the cloud. Only backup copies sent to the Cloud Protection Store leave the site, and only because the policy says so.