Cisco MDS Series vs HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 comparison

Cisco MDS Series vs. HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

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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 March 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 6.7%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 is 2.0%. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000	2.0%
Cisco MDS Series	6.7%
Other	91.3%

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

"Cisco MDS 9148 SAN switch model is the best product, highly reliable and low cost, easy to deploy, easy to upgrade, easy to configure, easy to administer, and it gives effective performance when used for SAN switch connectivity between hosts and storage boxes."

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

"The product is easy to use."

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

"This solution is required for any type of IT infrastructure for Storage Networking and provides high availability for storage service."

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

"The product is very stable and performs well."

"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."

More Cisco MDS Series pros

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

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

"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."

"The scalability is very good."

"The features of HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 that I prefer the most are the snapshotting and ease of administration."

"Moving to a consumption model is highly desirable from the client side. everyone seems to be moving in that direction."

"The features of HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 that I prefer most include its performance, which has benefited my organization by meeting our capacity requirements and enhancing operational efficiency as our data and capacity grow."

More HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 pros

Cons

"Webui needs Data Center Network Management tool licensed copy for accessing Cisco Switches instead a web-based GUI should be made easily available the way Brocade san switch is managed."

"Data Center Network Manager is good but it is not free and requires purchasing a separate license."

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

"I find it difficult to operate and troubleshoot."

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

"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having SAN Manager with life cycle management features and Integration with 3rd party storage monitoring tools."

More Cisco MDS Series cons

"It could be a good solution, but the performance and reliability depend on how the hardware is sustained for a longer duration, including the controllers and everything."

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

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

"HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 could be improved by integrating it with GreenLake, as this would enable us to do end-to-end monitoring across both on-prem and cloud environments better."

"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."

"They need to put back in the feature in which you can export volumes by set instead of individually."

"The debugging of devices could use improvement. Connection problems on devices as well."

More HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

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

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

15%

Government

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Healthcare Company

University

11%

Media Company

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

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	5
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.

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.

What is your primary use case for Cisco MDS Series?

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

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...

What needs improvement with HPE GreenLake for Block Storage?

One area that has potential for improvement is the replication side, as Alletra Direct GUI does not provide options to view replication details. While the DSCC portal offers this information, it is...

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

For my use cases with HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000, I am trying to replace the existing 3PAR, so a primary use case would be to configure it as block storage for application servers and other ente...

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Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Azure File Storage vs HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

More HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 Competitors

Product Reports

Enterprise SAN

Download Cisco MDS Series product report

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000

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

Cisco MDS Series vs. HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000