Hewlett Packard Enterprise Software and Solutions

Nimble Storage is our primary production storage vendor.  We use this with VMware on a daily basis including a new AFA5000 all-flash array for our DMS system.

These arrays perform very well and have allowed us to move many physical servers to virtual and run them from the Nimble arrays without any performance impact and there is actual performance improvement.

The most valuable features are -

1. Ease of setup

2. Ease of Management with Web UI

3. InfoSight - analytics sight that collects data for all Nimble arrays deployed

InfoSight has been very valuable in determining upgrade requirements, bottlenecks, etc. The latest update to the site now allows Per-VM monitoring within the Virtual Infrastructure now too.

No areas require improvement at this time. The arrays run very well and updates are flawless when completed.

I have been using this solution for more than five years.

We have had some stability issues with one array which has happened twice during subsequent software updates but is due to a bad Postgres database. Nimble has been very helpful and are even replacing the array with a brand new one for our troubles.

There are no scalability issues and the arrays can be upgraded with ease.

Customer Service:

Customer service has been top notch with Nimble and would be 10/10. They even worked with use to replace a faulty array.

Technical Support:

Technical Support is one of the best and is 10/10. The autosupport system they have in place that creates tickets for you automatically is great. You can even specify on the InfoSight webpage which ones you want to Auto-Close, etc.

Positive

Previously used Dell EqualLogic arrays but they were end of life.

The initial setup is straightforward. You connect the array to the network and power it up. You then run the Nimble Setup Manager which will detect the array on the network and allow you to complete an initial configuration. Once that is done you can then use the Web UI to finalize the configuration.

It was completed in-house with the assistance from Nimble when required.

Nimble has allowed us to run without much down time giving us a great ROI on our investment.

No other options for storage were evaluated.

Given the chance to evaluate Nimble it is highly recommended. Their CASL architecture is very fast and being able to get the performance from the spinning disk that you see on some flash arrays is great. They are always improving the product and software including the recent changes to the InfoSight web page that allows Per-VM monitoring now. There is also excellent support and customer service when you need it.

My use cases for Alletra Storage MP B10000 primarily include the data stores on the VMware cluster and also SAP, as we have an SAP on-premise that provides a different array to supply the storage for the SAP servers, while everything else throughout the globe serves as data storage for VMware.

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.

I would like to see Alletra Storage MP B10000 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. There's a backend machine that HPE has to go through, and we shared with them a month ago at a user group that we want to see improvements in the efficiency of that backend, as no questions arise about the technology, it's really just the paperwork required to get a contract out that is a little slow.

The solution's scaling abilities affect the operation of my business significantly, as I see it as a key feature that prevents us from being locked into a certain maximum size, and with the Alletra MP, we are able to scale quite large.

I would rate the support I've received from HPE a nine, simply for the fact that no one's quite perfect, but concerning the storage itself, they're pretty damn close to perfect.

Positive

I cannot speak to the solutions I considered prior to switching to Alletra Storage MP B10000, as that was a long time before my time, but this year I reevaluated what we were doing and why, ensuring our pricing was lined up with the market by evaluating both servers and storage technology as well as the intangibles of each vendor's support organization, leading me to the comfortable conclusion that HPE still remains the best choice for us.

I have seen a return on investment, which is a little more nuanced, as with Alletra Storage MP B10000 being an operational expense allows me to do a lot more with fewer dollars, spread over the course of the contract, and that helps bring new technology in or expand what I need to, compared to capital costs.

My experience with the pricing, setup costs, and licensing has been generally favorable, as the account team is pretty strong and experienced. They do their best to get the machine out, and regarding pricing, this year I compared it with other vendors, and HPE is still on par with what the other vendors have out there, so I'm comfortable with the pricing.

The main point that made me come to that realization is some of the intangibles. While pricing is on par and we know what we'll pay whether we go with Dell or stay with HPE, the team that takes care of our organization has been doing so for the last 10 years, providing on-site support quickly to replace parts, fix issues, and help us troubleshoot, with my account rep Rick Beltz and his team having the necessary resources. He keeps us updated and we have routine meetings about new technology, along with events like Discover allowing us opportunities to meet other customers as well as HPE and partners to find resources.

I am not using or managing my storage AI scale through Alletra Storage MP B10000 at this point, as we do not have an AI presence yet. It is still in development, though the storage we have, especially in the MP line, gives us that foundation, and we're ensuring that when we refresh, we refresh with the proper storage to enable that, while we are still defining what our use cases are for AI.

The solution's data reduction technology has reduced our data center power costs. I cannot specify the exact amount, but I can say that we average about a 2 to 2.5 to 3-to-1 reduction, which obviously reduces the amount of storage required and results in less power being needed because we don't require as much storage.

The importance of having independent scaling of performance and capacity for my storage system lies in serving different workloads, as I can configure the various workloads to take advantage of the processing power within the arrays.

My deployment model for Alletra Storage MP B10000 is all on-prem today, while one of the key areas we're looking at during our current visit is the hybrid cloud, with Azure Local being another key theme of the Discover event regarding HPE's collaboration with Microsoft.

I rate Alletra Storage MP B10000 9 plus out of 10.

My use case for Aruba ClearPass is that it's the best NAC solution.

The most valuable functions of Aruba ClearPass include self-service registration with an onboarding license and OnGuard for security to check system status. The solution allows onboarding for users and offers many additional capabilities.

Guest access management is particularly important for Aruba ClearPass. Users can implement self-registration for guest management. The system allows you to identify each device that has access, though this depends on multiple factors. The feature's implementation varies based on these different factors.

I cannot see any improvement in Aruba ClearPass as it has remained largely the same since its creation. It is based on Linux, and I think they must make it a fabric for all products, not only for Aruba ClearPass. It should be one integrated solution from the switching part, Aruba ClearPass part, and access point or wireless solution.

I am uncertain if they have integrated it with Central, but managing Aruba ClearPass through Central would be beneficial. I believe this is in HP's plan.

I have been working with Aruba ClearPass for approximately seven years.

The policy management capabilities of Aruba ClearPass can be complicated for normal users, but for experienced users, it is quite straightforward.

Regarding stability, Aruba ClearPass is the number one NAC solution I can rate. It is better than ICE and better than Forescout in my opinion.

From my perspective as a presales professional, when designing Aruba ClearPass from the beginning, you must make space for scalability. The process is straightforward as you only need to add a license. Everything will be handled when you add new users because all configurations are deployed from the beginning.

The customer service team is very good. When I encountered a problem with Aruba ClearPass, they sent an Indian support representative who was exceptionally experienced. I learned many things from him, as he was extraordinarily knowledgeable compared to other Aruba representatives I have worked with.

Positive

ICE (Identity Services Engine) from Cisco is the main competitor in the market for Aruba ClearPass. While I haven't personally worked with ICE, based on NSS Labs reports and discussions with colleagues, Aruba ClearPass is preferred over ICE.

Regarding on-premises deployment, there are two types: hardware server and VM. The hardware deployment is not simple and requires someone with significant experience. The person deploying should be at minimum a professional level, not someone junior, as the product involves many complex aspects.

We are a partner for Aruba.

Aruba ClearPass is very powerful when integrated with Palo Alto, resulting in enhanced security. The integration between Palo Alto and Aruba ClearPass is straightforward.

Their market share has grown significantly. While they initially had minimal market presence, they have increased their share across all Aruba products, not just one product.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Aruba ClearPass a 10.