HPE Alletra 5000 and 6000: mid-range arrays
Alletra 5000 and Alletra 6000 are HPE’s mid-range arrays, sitting above MSA and below Alletra Storage MP. The 6000 line is the all-flash side and the 5000 line is the hybrid side; both are managed through the same cloud-based operations model. Our table carries the values HPE publishes in the Alletra 6000 QuickSpecs; per-model figures for the 5000 line are supplied on request.
Technical specification
| Model | Type | Maximum capacity | Controller | Protocols | Drive type | Rack U |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alletra 5010 | Mid-range hybrid and all-flash array | – | – | FC, iSCSI | – | – |
| Alletra 5030 | Mid-range hybrid and all-flash array | Up to 210 TB raw per expansion shelf | – | FC, iSCSI | – | – |
| Alletra 6010 | Mid-range hybrid and all-flash array | – | – | FC, iSCSI | – | – |
| Alletra 6030 | Mid-range hybrid and all-flash array | – | – | FC, iSCSI | – | – |
| Alletra 6050 | Mid-range hybrid and all-flash array | – | – | FC, iSCSI | – | – |
| Alletra 6070 | Mid-range hybrid and all-flash array | Up to about 368 TB per base array; up to 3.26 PB raw fully scaled | – | FC, iSCSI | 1.92 / 3.84 / 7.68 / 15.36 TB SSD | 4U (24 drive bays) |
Source of the values: HPE Alletra Storage 6000 QuickSpecs. The QuickSpecs we hold covers the Alletra 6000 line; per-model figures for the 5000 line are supplied on request. An en dash means the manufacturer does not publish that value; we do not fill it in with an estimate. Confirm every figure against the current manufacturer document before it is written into a contract.
The references we quote in this family are Alletra 5010, Alletra 5030, Alletra 6010, Alletra 6030, Alletra 6050 and Alletra 6070. Send us the reference if you already have one, or the usable capacity and the protocol you need if you do not, and we will confirm availability and lead time.
Which one should you choose?
5000 or 6000 is a media decision
The 6000 line is all-flash and aimed at latency-sensitive production. The 5000 line is hybrid and aimed at capacity workloads where cost per terabyte matters more than response time. The management experience is the same, so the choice is genuinely about the workload rather than about the tooling.
Expansion shelves carry most of the capacity
A base array is only the start. HPE publishes up to about 368 TB in a base Alletra 6070 and up to 3.26 PB raw for a fully scaled system; on the 5000 side an expansion shelf adds up to 210 TB raw. Budget the shelves at the same time as the head, because a head without shelves is a capacity ceiling you meet early.
Drive sizes set the practical granularity
The 6000 line takes 1.92, 3.84, 7.68 and 15.36 TB SSDs in 24 bays. That means capacity grows in fairly large steps, and a half-populated array is a common and sensible starting configuration. Ask for the populated and the fully populated price so the growth step is visible before you commit.
Fibre Channel or iSCSI, decided at the head
The array serves block storage over FC and iSCSI. If the estate is already on Fibre Channel the array joins it; if it is Ethernet-only, iSCSI avoids building a second fabric. This is one of the few decisions in a storage project that is cheaper to get right than to change.
Ask what the published number measures
Vendors quote capacity as raw, usable or effective, and the three differ by large factors. Our table marks each cell. Where HPE publishes only a family-level figure we leave the model cell blank rather than distributing an average across models, because an invented per-model number is worse than an empty one.
Where it fits, and where it does not
Fits a mid-size data centre consolidating virtualisation, databases and file shares onto one block platform with cloud-based monitoring. Does not fit a site that needs scale-out file or object storage, and does not fit an entry budget, where MSA is the right class.
What we need in order to quote it
- All-flash or hybrid, and why
- Usable capacity today and the growth step you can fund
- Fabric in place: Fibre Channel or Ethernet
- Rack units for the head plus expansion shelves
- Snapshot and replication requirements
Request a Quote
Tell us the usable capacity, the protocol and the delivery country. A priced quote comes back within 48 hours, usually with a second option so the trade-off is visible.
