HPE is enabling one to four node Alletra Storage MP B10000 expansion without needing a network switch, saving rackspace and power.
The Alletra Storage MP B10000 is a bit of a name mouthful. It’s based on Alletra Storage MP technology which has scale-out storage nodes with a disaggregated shared everything (DASE) architecture. Proliant server/controller nodes (like the B10140) provide compute and NVMe SSD expansion shelves (JBOF) hold the drives. The nodes are interconnected via RoCE v2-capable Aruba switches. The B10000 is a block protocol version of this system, with the X10000 being an object storage version and GreenLake File Storage being the, obviously, file protocol version. Up until now it has been possible to have a switchless 2-node B10000 configuration, with direct 100 GbE RoCEv2 connections, and HPE has just upped the limit to 4 nodes
HPE’s Jim O’Dorisio, SVP and GM for its storage products, blogs: “This new configuration marks a key step in HPE’s strategy for AI-ready, more sustainable infrastructure. The new 4-node switchless configuration offers industry-leading density and efficiency while minimizing power consumption. For customers, this means they can have more storage and consolidate applications in less space, with the option to build a larger data center as the business’ needs evolve leveraging this modular design as the building block.”
We’e told the 4-node switchless system has up to a 73 percent rack space saving and 47 power saving, compared to switched configurations. An HPE GreenLake Data Services Cloud Console provides AI-driven insights and faster provisioning, reducing operational time by up to 99 percent, while predictive analytics help prevent 86 percent of disruptions. This is based on ESG market research dated April 2021.
The 4-node switchless config “helps meet the needs of customers across financial services, manufacturing, telecom, and cloud operations who prefer incremental infrastructure expansion over single large clusters.”
According to an HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 Quickspecs document, which is 29 pages long – the full specs document must be enormous – the original Alletra MP block system product name was longer still. It states: “HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 has been rebranded – previously HPE GreenLake for Block Storage built on HPE Alletra Storage MP.” Some product namers might strike one as lacking common sense.
The B10140 (4N) is the 4-node, switchless system and has NVMe over TCP host protocol support and a 32-core CPU. It can support up to 3 drive shelves, with up to 24 drives per shelf, and maximum raw capacity of 2.2 PB, with a 6.17 PB effective capacity, a 2.8:1 data reduction ratio.
O’Dorisio teasingly says: “It achieves top-tier performance for SAP HANA with the industry’s smallest footprint and lowest power consumption. Compared to major competitors of a high-end system, the B10000 now delivers capacity density that is up to six times greater and up to 65 percent lower power consumption with similar performance.” He does not identify the comparison systems.
