HPE GreenLake

What is HPE GreenLake?

HPE GreenLake is HPE infrastructure rental with pay-per-use. Instead of buying servers and arrays for millions upfront, you get them from HPE and pay monthly - for each TB of storage used, for each vCPU, for each network port.

Specifically: HPE brings hardware to your data center, installs it, configures it, and services it. You only pay for what you actually use. If you use 100 TB in January, you pay for 100 TB. In February 150 TB - you pay for 150 TB. Like an electricity bill.

Difference vs public cloud: In AWS or Azure, your data is with them. In GreenLake, hardware is at your location - you have full control over data, comply with GDPR/NIS2 regulations, but the payment model is the same as in the cloud.

What exactly do you get?

HPE hardware in your data center

HPE delivers a ready-to-work set:

• ProLiant servers - configured for your workloads
• Alletra/Nimble arrays - with configured tiering and replication
• Aruba switches - if you need networking
• 20-30% buffer - extra capacity for growth, which you don’t pay for until you use it

HPE manages the hardware

You don’t have to worry about hardware:

• 24/7 monitoring via HPE InfoSight
• Drive/memory replacement - HPE comes and replaces
• Firmware updates - HPE plans and executes
• Capacity planning - HPE informs when you’re approaching the limit

Self-service portal

Through a browser you can:

• Order new resources - VMs, storage volumes, networks
• See usage - how many TB/vCPU you’re using in real-time
• Forecast costs - how much you’ll pay at month’s end
• Download reports - for accounting and audit

Example: how it works in practice

Company X needs infrastructure for virtualization - 50 VMs, 100 TB storage, growing 20% annually.

Traditional (CapEx):

• You buy servers and array for $460K
• After 3 years, hardware is outdated
• You buy again
• For the first 2 years you have 40% unused capacity

With GreenLake:

• HPE brings hardware configured for virtualization
• You pay ~$18K/month for actual usage
• When you need more - HPE delivers
• When you need less - you pay less (after commit period)
• After 3-5 years, HPE replaces with new hardware

What can you rent through GreenLake?

Service	What you get	How you pay
GreenLake for Compute	ProLiant servers	Per vCPU-hour or server-month
GreenLake for Storage	Alletra/Nimble arrays	Per TB-month (after deduplication)
GreenLake for Private Cloud	Hyper-V on HPE	Per VM-hour
GreenLake for Backup	Veeam/Commvault on HPE	Per TB of protected data
GreenLake for Networking	Aruba switches and APs	Per port or access point

For whom does it make sense?

GreenLake pays off when:

• You want to avoid one-time expense of $230K-2.3M on infrastructure
• Your demand changes (seasonality, growth, projects)
• Regulations require keeping data on-premises (banks, medicine, public sector)
• You don’t want to deal with hardware - prefer to focus on applications

GreenLake does NOT make sense when:

• You have stable, predictable load for 5+ years
• You have your own team to manage hardware
• You prefer to own the hardware

How much does it cost?

Approximate indicative prices (depend on configuration):

• Storage: ~$45-90 per effective TB monthly
• Compute: ~$11-35 per vCPU monthly
• Minimum contract: Typically from $50K ARR (~$50K annually)

HPE prices individually after needs analysis.

Specifications

Hardware location	Your data center or colocation
Hardware ownership	HPE (buyout option at end)
Metering	Every 1 minute, per resource
Billing	Monthly
Min. contract	Typically 1-3 years
Capacity buffer	20-30% without charges

FAQ

How does GreenLake differ from leasing? In leasing you pay a fixed installment regardless of usage. In GreenLake you pay for actual consumption - like electricity or water.

Where does the hardware physically sit? At your location - in your data center or in chosen colocation. Data never leaves your location.

What if I need more capacity? You use the buffer (20-30% surplus). If you need more - HPE delivers additional hardware within weeks.

What if I need less? After the commit period (usually a year) you can reduce usage. During commit you pay the base minimum.

Who services the hardware? HPE. Monitoring, parts replacement, updates - all included in service price.

What happens at contract end? Three options: extension, hardware buyout at residual value, or return to HPE.

Can I move existing HPE hardware to GreenLake? Depends on model and age. HPE evaluates individually.

How quickly can you start? 4-8 weeks from contract signing to working infrastructure.

Does it pay off vs buying? Depends on scenario. For variable workloads - yes. For stable, 5-year projects - buying may be cheaper.

What is the minimum entry threshold? Typically from $50K ARR. For smaller needs, GreenLake Flex Solutions available with lower threshold.