Cisco MDS Series vs HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 comparison

Cisco and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are both solutions in the Enterprise SAN category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 10.0, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.9. Cisco holds a 6.1% mindshare in ES, compared to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s 1.8% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users who would recommend it.

Cisco MDS Series

Read 9 Cisco MDS Series reviews

816 Views
775 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

Read 14 HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 reviews

1,638 Views
262 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Cisco MDS Series

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco MDS Series and HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Enterprise SAN solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco MDS Series vs. HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco MDS Series vs. HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

February 2026

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Helped 881,821 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco MDS Series

Ranking in Enterprise SAN

4th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

Ranking in Enterprise SAN

3rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Public Cloud Storage Services (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 6.1%, down from 10.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 is 1.8%. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise SAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000	1.8%
Cisco MDS Series	6.1%
Other	92.1%

Enterprise SAN

Featured Reviews

OğuzKalaycı

system engineer at Yaşar Holding

Ensures consistent availability during updates and integrates seamlessly

I am using Cisco MDS in SAN environments for storage connections and server connections The product is very stable and performs well. During the update periods, the devices do not need to reload, ensuring constant availability. It is easy to set up and use. I do not have a central management…

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Warren Owens

Global Senior Manager, Information Technology Operations at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Efficient scaling and reliability have enhanced operational capacity and support

The feature of Alletra Storage MP B10000 that I appreciate the most is the product line, especially since the Alletra MP is bringing to bear quite a lot of features that are important in the different plans, including file services, block storage, file, and everything. The older storage products we have were limited to just block storage, and we're really excited about the Alletra MP and where that's going to go, which we plan to continue when we do our data center refresh next year with a much larger array. An example of how the features of Alletra Storage MP B10000 have been benefiting my organization is through the reliability and stability we experience, as the engineering team that takes care of it, plus my team that reports up to me, are very comfortable with the technology, which has been reliable, and HPE's support has been fantastic. Anytime we have issues, such as a failed drive or code updates, they are very helpful, and I think part of that is brought to us by the GreenLake program, having that dedicated team to keep us aware of updates, but generally, we have experienced reliability with no failures.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The product is easy to use."

"The product is very stable and performs well."

"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is security."

"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is its reliability, support, and scalability."

"The features I found most valuable are the ease of deployment, it's easy to upgrade, easy to configure and easy to administer. There is no need for vendor professional services which saves project cost. The usage of WebUI for all primary features like hostname, IP address, SNMP traps, zone sets, addition and deletion of zone members or zone sets, backup of switch DB is very simple."

"The issues with these switches are extremely rare, and the whole product line is very predictable and stable."

"The most valuable features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."

"SAN switches in Cisco MDS Series are a valuable feature of the solution for our company."

"The features of HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 that I appreciate the most are availability for the company."

"The feature I like is that I can create a template and apply it to multiple switches. I don't have to do the same task on every switch, and the same goes for access points. It's central management, with the features that come with central management."

"The performance of HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 with high-performance workloads is very good; the new controllers with the system and the software are very fast, and we have no performance issues when we change to it from other hardware."

"In the past three years, I have not had even one escalation call, which demonstrates how simple it is to manage and monitor our global block storage environment using HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000."

"HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 takes advantage of Nimble DNA, which is a super feature and provides the best experience in the world."

"The features of HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 that I appreciate the most are availability for the company."

"An example of how the features of HPE GreenLake for File Storage have been benefiting my organization is through the reliability and stability we experience, as the engineering team that takes care of it, plus my team that reports up to me, are very comfortable with the technology, which has been reliable, and HPE's support has been fantastic."

"The ease of use, the reporting, and the setup are excellent."

More HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 pros

Cons

"The GUI client is Java-based and we know that Java is not secure, so everyone disables it."

"Cisco MDS Series could improve by adding more gigahertz. However, they are doing this over time."

"The licensing model could be less complicated."

"I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost. It would be beneficial to have central management software for easier handling."

"The product is very expensive."

"The solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."

"It is quite a stable product. It should be shipped with the latest firmware to avoid download and upload schema at the beginning of the initial setup. There should also be the possibility of downgrading the firmware when required. WebUI needs DCNM instead a web-based GUI should be made available like Brocade san switch."

"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having API functionality for automation and programming."

"The solution could improve the integration with sustainability-related services. A lot of clients ask us about that."

"They need to put back in the feature in which you can export volumes by set instead of individually. I mentioned this in a meeting I recently had with them."

"I would like to see HPE GreenLake for File Storage improved in terms of the program's speed, as the administration, creation of change orders, issuance of those orders, and shipping of products take a while."

"With support, occasionally, we have a little trouble escalating things."

"The administration UI is only in English, not Spanish."

"You need two different boxes for block and file storage."

"When the system first came out, it had some problems with the Data Center Cloud Console, which made implementation difficult."

"They take a long time to return the action plan after I send the logs. It takes them one to two days to respond."

More HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the Cisco MDS Series is high."

"It's perpetual licensing and maintenance is a recurrent cost."

"Pricing cannot be considered an advantageous trait of the solution since it is expensive. I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten."

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

15%

Government

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Healthcare Company

10%

Computer Software Company

11%

Media Company

11%

University

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco MDS Series?

The pricing could be improved as the solution is very expensive. I am on a yearly payment basis.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco MDS Series?

I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost. It would be beneficial to have central management software for easier handling.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cisco MDS Series?

I am using Cisco MDS in SAN environments for storage connections and server connections.

See all answers

What do you like most about HPE GreenLake for Block Storage?

The feature I like is that I can create a template and apply it to multiple switches. I don't have to do the same task on every switch, and the same goes for access points. It's central managemen...

See all answers

What needs improvement with HPE GreenLake for Block Storage?

The main point for choosing HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 over the vendors we compared it with is the costing, which is much lower compared to the others. Currently, I believe HPE Alletra is giving...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for HPE GreenLake for Block Storage?

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 is primarily used for managing data storage needs. The usual use cases involve all storage being generally used for the storage of computing operations and data that i...

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Compared 32% of the time

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Compared 13% of the time

NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP vs HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

Compared 11% of the time

Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) vs HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Azure File Storage vs HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

Compared 8% of the time

More HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise SAN

February 2026

Download Cisco MDS Series product report

Buyer's Guide

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

January 2026

Download HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 product report

Also Known As

Cisco MDS 9100, Cisco MDS 9222i, Cisco MDS 9700

HPE GreenLake for Block Storage

Overview

Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switches have met and often exceeded the demanding requirements for storage area networks for more than a decade. They offer a combination of performance, non-stop operations, and multiprotocol flexibility.

Cisco

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000, formerly HPE GreenLake for Block Storage, is a flexible solution known for central management and scalability, ensuring improved uptime and seamless system integration.

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 offers an intuitive interface, AI-driven predictive analytics, and the ability to scale capacity and performance independently. It provides a pay-as-you-go model for simplified management and reduces operational expenses and downtime. The solution is characterized by high availability, strong support, and a simplified disaster recovery process. Intent-based and self-provisioning features streamline storage management. Despite its strengths, enhancements in configuration speed, portal updates, and connectivity are needed. Users request improved data classification, vendor marketplace details, a deeper GreenLake integration, and enhanced sustainability services.

What are the key features of HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000?

Central Management: Streamlines control across storage resources.
Scalability: Independent scaling of capacity and performance.
AI-driven Predictive Analytics: Anticipates and resolves issues proactively.
High Availability: Ensures continuous operation and minimal downtime.
Intent-based Provisioning: Simplifies storage allocation with minimal input.

How does HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 benefit users?

Cost Efficiency: Pay-as-you-go model reduces expenditure.
Improved Uptime: High reliability minimizes operational interruptions.
Simplified Management: Easy-to-use interface and self-provisioning streamline processes.
Reduced Downtime: Proactive analytics and robust disaster recovery enhance system resilience.

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 is primarily used for virtualization in VMware and Hyper-V environments, addressing storage provisioning, database hosting, and SAP data requirements. It supports video-on-demand infrastructure and containerized applications, facilitating disaster recovery and data backup solutions. Many users integrate it with VMware infrastructures, transitioning from Nimble systems to meet storage demand.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Sample Customers

National Rugby League

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Cisco MDS Series vs. HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

February 2026

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