HPE launches scale-up server for SAP HANA workloads
Tue, 12th May 2026 (Yesterday)
HPE has launched the Compute Scale-up Server 3250, aimed at in-memory databases for business-critical workloads.
The server succeeds HPE's Intel-based Scale-up Server 3200 and is available now. HPE says it is the first scale-up server validated by the SAP BW Edition HANA benchmark with at least 48 TB of memory.
Built around Intel Xeon 6 processors, the Compute Scale-up Server 3250 is designed for large transactional and analytics workloads, including enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and systems of record. It scales from four to 16 sockets and supports up to 64 TB of DDR5 memory.
The server uses a dedicated external node controller rather than the Ethernet links used in scale-out deployments. HPE says the controller delivers latency of about 100 nanoseconds, compared with around 10,000 nanoseconds for an average Ethernet connection.
The launch reflects continued demand from corporate users for larger-memory systems to run SAP HANA and related database environments. Organisations want to process high volumes of transactions and analytics in near real time on a single system image rather than across clusters.
Security and resilience are central to the product design. HPE says protections are built in through its Integrated Lights Out management technology, including a silicon root of trust, validated firmware and post-quantum cryptography.
The server also includes memory error detection and correction, memory healing, and deconfiguration features intended to reduce downtime in critical environments. HPE says it is designed for fault-tolerant uptime in workloads where outages can disrupt business operations.
HPE positioned the system as an option for customers running SAP cloud ERP and other large in-memory applications. It also linked the product to its broader standing in the SAP infrastructure market, noting that IDC MarketScape named it a leader in its assessment of SAP HANA-certified server appliances.
Krista Satterthwaite, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Compute at HPE, described the company's view of the system's role in demanding corporate environments. "HPE Compute Scale-up Server 3250 raises the bar for business-critical infrastructure," said Satterthwaite.
"Designed for complex business applications like enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management systems, this system helps customers in ways competitive offerings cannot - allowing them to run faster transactions, gain insights in real time, and support analytics without slowing down business. With simpler operations, always-on reliability, and chip-to-cloud security - we're redefining what scale looks like for workloads with zero-tolerance downtime," she said.
Intel link
The product is HPE's first scale-up server based on Intel Xeon 6 processors, placing Intel at the centre of HPE's latest push in a segment where processor performance, memory capacity and system reliability are key buying factors.
Kevork Kechichian, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Data Centre Group at Intel, said the release reflected the companies' ongoing collaboration in in-memory computing. "Our collaboration with HPE continues to blaze the trail for mission‐critical, in‐memory computing," said Kechichian.
"The HPE Compute Scale‐Up Server 3250, powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors, brings together exceptional compute density, scalability, and reliability to help enterprises run their most critical data‐intensive workloads," he said.
Financing option
Customers can buy the server through HPE Financial Services' 90/9 Advantage programme, which includes no payments for 90 days and an additional nine months at one per cent.
The launch comes as infrastructure suppliers try to retain customers with large on-premise and hybrid database estates even as more enterprise software shifts to subscription and cloud delivery models. For SAP users in particular, hardware choices remain important for organisations that want certified systems for memory-intensive workloads and strict uptime requirements.
The Compute Scale-up Server 3250 supports up to 64 TB of memory across as many as 16 sockets.