Dell ObjectScale Reviews

For object storage, I will give some use cases related to the object storage that we already use. The object storage provides a huge capacity size. It is very good for file sharing. PowerScale is also a good selection for file sharing. For archiving in general, whether it is archiving at file level, email system, or backup itself, it is the best use case you can select. One of the selections we already use involves major backup using Data Domain as a first tier, and Dell ECS as a second tier. Data Domain has advanced features related to backup, such as compression and deduplication, but it is expensive. If you need a huge capacity for backup, this will be too costly. For example, one of our customers needed more than one petabyte as usable capacity for backup, so we divided the backup into two tiers: Data Domain for the first tier and Dell ECS as object storage for the second tier.

Another customer, a major organization in Saudi Arabia, uses CCTV across more than 64 branches. For CCTV, compression and deduplication are not applicable solutions because image compression ratios are not high. In this case, it is better to use PowerScale as first tier and Dell ECS as object storage for the second tier.

Dell ECS provides compatibility between on-premises and cloud-based storage, supporting protocols such as S3, which is commonly used in cloud storage. This protocol enables integration between on-premises storage and cloud storage. Dell ECS offers scalability features and scale-out upgrade capabilities. Some backup solutions, such as Veeam, recommend object storage as it provides lock retention features for security, enabling its use as an air gap solution for backup.

The main use cases are backup and archiving scenarios, and applications requiring huge capacity sizing, such as big data and AI solutions. Dell ECS is particularly effective for data analytics, integrating with systems such as Cloudera or OpenText for data classification. We have two customers using it specifically for analytics purposes, with one using Cloudera for data management and another using OpenText for data classification.

Dell ECS provides features such as active-active and geo-replication, which offers a good approach for disaster recovery. As a Dell platinum partner, we appreciate that most Dell portfolio products are integrated together. For example, Dell ECS can be integrated with other file share systems or PowerScale without requiring third-party tools.

The integration between Dell products is particularly noteworthy because Dell provides the full cycle of storage solutions, from NAS, SAN, hybrid, to object storage. All these solutions are fully integrated together. The pricing is competitive when compared to other vendors. While comparing with HP's offerings, Dell ECS as object storage is one of the best. Pure Storage might offer better pricing, but you won't find the same level of integration across products if you source the full cycle from one vendor.

The complete integration of Dell solutions is one of the main features I appreciate, and I often advise my customers to consider this ecosystem. This integration helps with having a single point of contact and support.

There are some limitations with integration with certain cloud providers, particularly with Google Cloud Platform in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, there is no native analytics capability - Dell ECS requires integration with third-party analytics software or tools, as there are no advanced analytics features built natively into the system.

It would be beneficial to see full AI integration and machine learning capabilities added to the solution.

I have been working with Dell ECS for more than five years.

Based on our experience, the stability rating would be between 7.5 and 8 out of 10. We use it in very critical areas inside Saudi Arabia with critical customers.

Dell support generally merits a rating of seven out of ten. Our engineers are highly experienced, so we conduct all necessary troubleshooting and follow required steps before opening support tickets. We typically only open tickets for major cases. The support team performs well, warranting at least a seven out of ten rating.

Positive

Pure FlashBlade is one of the main competitors because it is easy to implement and cost-effective compared to Dell ECS.

The complexity of setup depends on experience level. With good implementation experience and proper scenario planning, it becomes straightforward for us as a partner. It is not complex because we have implemented it numerous times, and our team is certified with more than 10-15 projects completed in the last two years by Accelerated Solution technical team.

Most implementations are on-premises because Dell ECS has special requirements and is typically sold for mega projects and large customers. It serves as the main destination storage for big data and archiving areas. These customers are predominantly in the government sector, where cloud usage is restricted in Saudi Arabia. The hyperscalers still lack full hybrid integration capabilities, and regulations require data to remain on-premises. Approximately 95% of our customers are government entities and ministries where hybrid deployment setups are not permitted by regulations. Recent regulations require some data and critical services to migrate to cloud infrastructure within Saudi Arabia, though limitations still exist.

As a Solution Architecture Manager, I handle the architecture itself and build the bill of quantity. Our team manages the detailed implementation and configuration. We maintain discussions between the implementation phase and pre-sales phase, though I am not directly involved in the deep technical implementation.

I am still working with Dell and using Dell products nowadays. I would rate Dell ECS a seven out of ten.

I have used PowerStore, and we have experience dealing with the storage, including all the VMAXes or PowerMax currently.

For PowerStore, some of the main use cases that we have are generic virtualization, which in our cases is a very common generic virtualization case, usually with VMware, so it's the common practice as a storage.

I also have experience with databases and generic use cases, and while I can't recall the specific model currently, we also work with NetApp, which includes all kinds of low to middle mid-range storage.

My day-to-day job involves designing or incorporating the storage that clients have into their environment and needs; all these are mid-range storages, which are quite common tasks. It depends less on the vendor depending on customer requirements, such as either IP-based or Fiber Channel-based solutions from the storage perspective.

Currently, we mostly use Dell EMC Isilon, HPEs, or Ceph storages for software-defined storages, depending on the use case such as HPC, or main generic office applications or modernization cases. For generic cloud usage cases, Dell ECS is mostly for S3 and backups; for data manipulation for business customers or enterprise customers, it's usually Isilon, and for HPC cases and scientific applications, we usually go with Ceph.

Some of the best features with Dell ECS are that it's scale-out storage with compatibility, which are the main drivers, along with very good support from Dell EMC that usually makes customers happy. The important drivers for enterprise level support, price, ease of use, and a combination of these three usually work effectively.

Dell ECS is a software-defined scalable solution.

Dell ECS helps with managing storage requirements since it's S3 kind of object storage with all needed enterprise features such as immutability, snapshotting, and application management, which are nice sets of features usually required.

Regarding multi-tenancy support in the Dell ECS, it's built-in S3-based storage, but our experience is limited; where we do have it, we provide separate buckets and connectivity to that storage, but it's not multi-tenancy from the perspective that each tenant manages its own hardware part, as we have centralized management authority.

It's difficult for me to comment on improvements for Dell ECS because we typically do not engage in those areas. We haven't heard any escalations or discussions that suggest there are issues; everything seems to be operating fine with customer operations.

I have had experience with Dell and with tier storage; we recently started to work with tier storage, and with Dell, we're working since the company established, which I believe is something around 10 plus years or so.

While there can be occasional issues with routing to the wrong region that lead to slight delays, it's typically business as usual. I acknowledge that it requires additional effort to get to the right person, but it's comparable to the service of others in the industry, and I understand the limitations of call center support.

My thoughts on the technical support or customer service from Dell are generally positive; we are very satisfied, either during delivery or otherwise, and we do not receive many escalations.

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward.

I am not familiar with the Dell CloudIQ.

I am familiar with the encryption and access control features for data protection available in the storages; this functionality is definitely present.

These features help in meeting organizational security and compliance requirements, as it serves as a gentlemen's set for enterprise needs.

Generally speaking, I do not consider advanced analytics capabilities of Dell ECS; customers might use them, but we are not stepping so far with that storage since our role is usually delivering, installing, and forgetting about it.

I cannot answer how the Dell ECS impacts our organization positively.

Our implementations are usually on-premise focused, and as an infrastructure company, we provide cloud solutions to offer cloud services rather than focusing on deployments in the cloud.

Our company is a Titanium partner for Dell in a certain region, though I need to clarify the company name with our marketing team.

I appreciate the time given to type up the review, and I look forward to it being available to other users.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Dell ECS a nine out of ten.

Some valuable features with Dell ECS include its support for various use cases, but I would say the best features here are its reliability and security.

My experience with the multi-tenancy support in Dell ECS is limited because we have only one tenant, so although this is a cool feature, we're not operating as a cloud provider.

Some valuable features with Dell ECS include its support for various use cases, but I would say the best features here are its reliability and security.

The impact of Dell ECS on my organization has been positive, improving user experience, security, and reliability.

I cannot think of anything as an area for improvement with Dell ECS.

I do not see any pricing or usability concerns.

I have been using Dell ECS for two years or a little bit longer.

Dell ECS is very stable, and we have a geographical cluster that spans both data centers, so there are no issues so far.

So far, we have not needed to scale out with Dell ECS, so we are satisfied with the amount of storage that we purchased.

We have not reached the need to scale up with Dell ECS, so I cannot provide any information about that.

I have reached out to Dell for support on this product, and I would rate their support a 10.

Positive

I have seen both time savings and cost savings, so there is definitely a return on investment with Dell ECS, along with peace of mind.

We evaluated other options before choosing Dell ECS, and the best products that met our requirements were Pure Storage and PowerStore.

The main differences between Pure Storage and Dell ECS are noticeable; for instance, the upgrade would be simpler, and I recall a specific feature on an upgrade that was better than Dell's, but I do not remember exactly what it was.

They would exchange the whole appliance on an upgrade at no cost or for a lower cost.

I do not use the advanced analytics capabilities of Dell ECS so much.

These features have helped with meeting my organization's security and compliance requirements.

I have implemented the encryption and access control features for data protection in Dell ECS.

I think Dell ECS is a nice product that meets the requirements that we set up, so far my experience has been good. I rate Dell ECS a 10 out of 10.

Positive

We use Dell ECS primarily for archiving and backups. NetBackup is used in the front, backing up files to ECS.

Moving old data to the archive saves money in the front end.

We mainly use the replication feature. It is primarily just for storage.

We have had issues when the ECS is expiring or the NetBackup is expiring images. It takes quite a long time, and we had to get a patch for that.

I've used the solution for three or four years.

I'd rate stability maybe 9.5 out of ten.

I would rate scalability ten out of ten since you buy what you want. It is designed to be expanded to a limit. It's a good size for our company.

The support is good. I would rate it eight out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup is fairly simple.

We had some help from Dell themselves.

Compared to others, I would rate the solution six or seven out of ten. It is fairly good compared to other competitors doing the same things.

You have Hitachi and HP as main competitors.

Make sure to look at all the features you need and select the one that suits your requirements. Dell ECS does what it is supposed to do, and it does it very well.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Neutral

It's our internal application, which is using ECS as an object storage. ECS is primarily used for storing objects securely.

The cost of storage is cheaper since the active objects are now stored outside the database, reducing the amount of data stored in the online database. This provides cost savings for massive storage requirements, like four hundred to six hundred terabytes.

The performance and support from Dell EMC are very good. If we encounter any issues or need to upgrade anything, we can simply open a ticket, and the EMC team is there to assist us.

The graphical user interface should offer more options, and the documentation with respect to administration could be improved, as it is quite weak in this product. Additionally, the log viewer should be integrated with Elastic. Live logs should be viewable through the GUI like with Logstash or Elasticsearch.

I have been working with Dell ECS for six years.

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.

I would rate scalability between eight or nine, as it provides a good ability to scale and expand storage.

The response time and quality of the technical support are satisfactory. I would rate them a nine out of ten.

Positive

Initially, we evaluated IBM ESS, but it had limitations, leading us to choose Dell ECS.

The initial setup process was handled by the Dell team.

The Dell team handled the implementation.

The pricing model is on the higher side compared to other vendors, indicating a need for more flexibility.

We evaluated IBM ESS before deciding on Dell ECS.

From my perspective, the GUI should include more options, and the administration documentation should be enhanced.

In our organization, the main use cases for the platform are long-term archiving of backup solutions and sharing space with some applications. The appliance stores backups and retains them for a long time, integrating well with Dell NetWorker.

The solution's most valuable features are its excellent data compression capability and its ability to integrate with Dell’s data domain. It minimizes the backup size, so we don’t need to back up all the original data sizes onto the appliance.

One area for product improvement would be the garbage collection process. It takes longer than expected, so speeding up that process would be beneficial.

I’ve been working with Dell ECS for about four years.

I rate the product's stability an eight out of ten. 

The platform is highly scalable. Our company has 30 users connected to the appliance. We plan to increase the capacity as our business requirements grow.

I rate the scalability a ten out of ten. 

When we encounter critical issues, a less experienced engineer often handles the initial response, leading to delays in resolving the problem. Escalating the case to a more experienced engineer takes additional time, and the issue may have become more complicated by the time this happens. I also believe the support engineers would benefit from broader, cross-functional knowledge rather than focusing solely on the product. However, once we are connected with a more experienced engineer, my experience with the support team has generally been positive.

Positive

The setup was straightforward and took about one or two days to complete. 

The deployment involves several steps, such as initializing the system, checking the disks, forming a virtual data center, defining RAID or erasure coding, and creating a namespace and bucket. Once these steps are completed, the appliance is shared with the applications, which must be ready to integrate with object storage.

I rate the process an eight out of ten. 

The solution's cost is quite reasonable, especially considering the long-term benefits, such as scalability and data compression. Over time, it is a cost-efficient platform, particularly when integrated with Dell’s data domain.

The solution compares well to other options available in the market, especially in terms of compression, scalability, and integration with Dell’s ecosystem. However, some competitors may offer faster garbage collection or more user-friendly interfaces.

We evaluated a few other solutions before selecting this platform but ultimately chose Dell because of its compatibility with our existing Dell systems and cost-effectiveness.

I recommend Dell ECS to others, especially organizations looking for a scalable and efficient storage solution that can handle long-term archiving and integrate well with other Dell systems.

Overall, I rate it a nine out of ten. 

Dell ECS is used for HCI and storage. The good thing about NetApp is that it has the same operating system from start to end. Dell ECS uses multiple environments and operating systems for multiple use cases, which can sometimes be challenging.

Dell ECS is a price-optimized solution that is easy to deploy. Dell ECS is a cost-effective solution that provides ease of use and availability. Running a virtual machine, environment, or instance with Dell ECS is much cheaper.

The solution’s stability could be improved.

I have been using Dell ECS for eight years.

We are serving the solution for almost 50 to 60 servers.

I rate Dell ECS a seven to eight out of ten for scalability.

The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.

On average, the solution's deployment does not take more than three to four man-days for a ten-node cluster with 10 to 15 servers and DCDR. We had to set up DCDR and a private cloud to deploy Dell ECS. For that, we used VMware as a platform. Some boxes were from VxRail, and some were from servers and storage.

Running the operating system, application, or list of applications on Dell ECS is much cheaper. Depending on the project, we can get a return on investment in less time.

Dell ECS is a cost-effective solution.

From Dell's perspective, everything is usually hardware-bundled from day one for 80% to 90% of the cases. We have to go for a monthly subscription only in two to three cases where backup is involved.

We have one project manager and two to three engineers per technology, depending on the technologies we are using.

Overall, I rate Dell ECS an eight out of ten.