Lenovo Flex System is a robust platform known for its high performance, stability, and user-friendly setup. It efficiently supports virtualization and cloud services with minimal support needs, offering consistent power for compute model operations.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Lenovo Flex System | 4.5% |
| HPE Synergy | 9.2% |
| Dell PowerEdge MX- Series | 9.1% |
| Other | 77.2% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 3 |
| Large Enterprise | 4 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 27 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 13 |
| Large Enterprise | 29 |
Lenovo Flex System provides a reliable infrastructure with a focus on performance and stability. It supports high resource consumption with its 14 blade server design, making it suitable for complex compute operations. Users benefit from straightforward setup, optimal pricing, and network efficiency. While highly valued for its storage and computation capabilities, improvements in management software and integration with XClarity Management System are desirable. Enhancements in driver updates, single-screen infrastructure management, and customer support can further optimize its use, especially in virtualization and private cloud environments utilizing VMware and databases like Oracle.
What are the most important features?Lenovo Flex System is ideal for industries focused on virtualization and private cloud services. It supports creating virtual machines using VMware for frontend and backend applications. Companies use it for managing Microsoft and Linux operating systems and integrating hybrid cloud solutions for automated environments, benefiting those requiring robust, reliable platform management for daily operations.
Lenovo Flex System was previously known as Flex System Blade Servers, Flex System SN Series.
| Author info | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Senior System Administrator at Khushhali Microfinance Bank | 3.5 | I use the Lenovo Flex System for virtualization and standalone applications. It's valuable for running compute loads on servers, though upgrading firmware and drivers can be challenging. Compared to Dell, both systems are stable with good support. |
| Head manager at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees | 4.5 | We use the Lenovo Flex System for our VMware environment, finding its functionality reliable with minimal support needed over four years. The pricing is competitive, but lack of current support necessitates exploring new servers and potential cloud migration. |
| Assistant Manager Systems - IT Infrastructure at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees | 3.5 | I find this virtualization solution user-friendly with excellent 14-blade scalability. However, forced restarts from upgrades and inadequate customer support are major drawbacks. It also needs cloud-native features for future readiness. |
| VMware Software Engineer at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees | 4.0 | I find this hybrid cloud solution stable, reliable, and performs well, with a straightforward setup. However, its integration capabilities could be better. Overall, I recommend it and rate it an eight out of ten. |
| Data Solution Architect at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe | 4.0 | I find Lenovo Flex System stable, scalable, and easy to use for virtualization, though initial setup wasn't easy. Support is good, and I recommend it (8/10), but it could improve with more platform integration. |
| Head manager at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees | 4.0 | I highly recommend Flex System for its excellent performance, stability, and scalability, having used it for four years. While integration with XClarity could improve, it's a great solution overall. |
| CEO at Top-IT Solutions Ltd | 4.5 | I find the Lenovo Flex System's storage excellent, stable, and scalable. Its support is good, and I recommend it. However, the high price, including annual licensing costs, needs improvement to satisfy customers. |
| CEO at DUKSCO SARL | 4.5 | I recommend the stable, scalable Lenovo Flex System for private clouds, despite missing the module flexibility from IBM Blade. Setup is easy, and I'd like Flex System Manager integration. |
| Head manager at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees | 4.0 | I find the Lenovo Flex System stable and fast, significantly improving our VM performance and scalability. While initial setup was easy and support responsive, the management application's user interface is a major drawback that requires substantial improvement. |
| Consulting Manager at Angkor Group SAC | 5.0 | We use the Lenovo Flex System for our Oracle database, appreciating its good price and reliability. Initial setup was challenging, but ROI is achievable in 18-24 months. We also consider both HPE and Lenovo based on pricing. |
We use the solution for multiple purposes, such as in the virtualization cluster and the standalone applications.
We use the solution as a compute model to run the compute load on servers.
The solution's firmware and driver upgrades are a bit difficult.
I have been using Lenovo Flex System for two to three years.
The solution provides good stability. The same system has been running in our organization for about six to seven years now, and we haven't faced any stability issues.
Lenovo Flex System is a scalable solution. You can add multiple servers in a single chassis. I would recommend the solution for medium and enterprise businesses.
The response time of the technical support team is very good.
I rate the solution’s technical support a seven or eight out of ten.
Neutral
I also used the Dell solution. If I compare the Lenovo Flex System and Dell, they are almost the same, and I don't see any difference. Both systems are stable, and their support is good.
The solution's initial setup is easy and not very difficult.
We have not recently procured any new servers. We are just paying the operational cost, which is not much.
I would recommend the solution to other users because it is pretty stable and serves its purpose if you only have compute requirements like memory and CPU.
Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
We are using Lenovo Flex System on the server for our VMware environment, which includes our VMs and all our servers, Linux and Windows. It manages the daily operation efficiently.
It saves our time because it is stable. The stability is crucial as all operational servers rely on it, making it critical to avoid downtime.
The functionality is reliable and requires minimal support. We have rarely needed support over the four years we've used it, which is excellent.
Continuing the production of this product is necessary. It is currently out of support, and we are seeking support from other sources besides Lenovo.
We have been using it for nearly four years.
It remains stable, with no bugs or glitches. The stability rating is eight out of ten.
While it can expand, it's currently out of support, so we cannot extend it further. When it was supported, it scaled well, for which I would rate it an eight.
The technical support has good quality, with reliable response times when needed. I would rate their service eight and a half out of ten.
The setup process was straightforward and easy.
Support came and handled the setup, but our team was present to assist and learn, ensuring we could provide first-level support.
The price is very good compared to its quality.
Compared to its quality, the pricing is very reasonable and represents good value.
I am aware Lenovo has new servers at competitive prices. We are planning to migrate to the cloud, so while we maintain our current system for a year, further analysis will determine future choices.
Given its features, particularly its stability, I would recommend Lenovo Flex System.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
We use the solution for virtualization and as a physical system.
The product is very user-friendly and has many resources at the enterprise level.
Lenovo provides a 14 blade server, which allows for high resource consumption before upscaling is required when compared to other products.
This solution is also very good from a network and bandwidth perspective and I would recommend it.
The solution should come with cloud native applications to prepare for cloud based solutions.
Forced restarts due to free upgrades is an issue that needs to be resolved. We can manage this as we have high availability and redundancy, but without that it could be a real problem.
The level of customer support needs to be improved.
There is currently an issue with Lenovo switching out SAN switches from the chassis, which will cause problems for people who already have a set up with the SAN switch connected to the central storage. This could require an entirely different network, adding an additional cost for the user.
We have been using this solution for the past five years.
There is an occasional stability issue when there is a requirement for a freeware upgrade, which happens automatically. This can interfere with workflow and is something that needs to be dealt with.
The scalability is good as Lenovo provide 14 blades. This allows vast accommodation of resources in a single implementation which is important for an enterprise solution. Going with Cisco, HP or Dell would require you to purchase additional chassis, as they are limited to eight or nine blades per month.
We have called them during certain critical cases to avoid delays during production. I would rate the support between fair and good, there is room for improvement.
Previously we used IBM, but switched to Lenovo because it has the 14 blades instead of the eight blade server of IBM. As an enterprise level company Lenovo is more attractive to us from a budgeting and resource perspective. Switching hasn't caused us much of a problem.
The initial setup of this solution is easy, XClarity integration makes management and framework upgrades very simple.
In our environment, deployment complexity is more of a network issue than a hardware issue.
The 14 blade server allows significant room for upscaling before having to invest in another chassis. You would have to purchase another chassis much sooner in the case of an eight or nine blade server.
We also considered Cisco and Dell as potential options.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
We implement this product for 1,500 to 2,000 clients.
They are hybrid clouds solutions, and therefore, we are the product using for virtualization, and automatization as well. We have application servers on these blade servers and rack servers.
The solution is stable and the performance is good.
The initial setup is straightforward.
The product could improve its integration capabilities. For example, it's not optimized as Cisco UCS servers are.
The global team has used the solution for about two years or so.
I have found the solution to be quite stable. The performance is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. it doesn't crash or freeze. We have found the product to be reliable.
I'm not sure how many users are on the solution, however, there are currently 10,000 VMs on the servers.
I've never been in touch with Lenovo's technical support. I cannot rate their level of service, having never dealt with them directly.
We also use Cisco UCS. We use both solutions at the moment.
It's my understanding that the initial setup was not overly complex or difficult. It was quite straightforward.
That said, I wasn't directly involved in the deployment. I'm not sure how long it took.
I wasn't involved in the licensing and I don't have any information about the costs involved with the solution. The global team handles these details and I am not in any way involved.
I'm not sure which version of the solution I am using. I'm pretty sure it is the latest version.
I am not on the hardware team, and therefore it is hard to rate it. That said, I would give it an eight out of ten based on my personal experience.
I'd recommend the solution to others.
We are using Lenovo Flex System for our internal platform where we store our operating systems, Windows, Linux, and VMware. VMware vCenter is where we store it and then virtualize our machines.
One of the most valuable features of this solution is its ease of use.
The solution could improve by providing more integration with other platforms.
I have been using Lenovo Flex System for approximately nine years.
I have found the solution to be stable.
The solution is scalable. You can buy a chassis with the minimum nodes and then scale them up to a maximum of 14 nodes.
We had approximately 2,000 clients that were using the solution.
In my experience the support was good.
The installation was not easy.
We used a third-party vendor for the implementation.
We had a team of 10 for the deployment of the support infrastructure.
There is a one-off payment to buy the equipment and the support is purchased annually.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Lenovo Flex System an eight out of ten.
I use Flex System on Linux and Windows servers for our front and back end, orders, and mailing.
Flex System's best features are its performance and stability.
Flex System's integration with the XClarity Management System could be improved.
I've been using Flex System for four years.
Flex System is stable.
Flex System's scalability is very good.
We previously used Sun Microsystems (now Oracle).
The initial setup was easy, and deployment took one to two days.
A Lenovo partner did the implementation for us.
We evaluated Dial and Tesco.
I'd recommend Flex System to others as it's much better than any other product we've had and advise that they use XClarity for system management. I would rate Flex System eight out of ten.
We have provided Lenovo Flex System to a small local bank for storage.
The most valuable feature of the Lenovo Flex System is the storage system.
The price of the Lenovo Flex System could improve.
I have been using Lenovo Flex System for approximately two years.
Lenovo Flex System is a stable solution.
The scalability of the Lenovo Flex System is good.
The support for Lenovo Flex System is good.
Lenovo Flex System typically takes three days to do the implementation.
We do the implementation of the Lenovo Flex System.
The is an annual license cost to use the Lenovo Flex System. If the price was less expensive and flexible overall and for additional features, our customers would be happier.
I would recommend the solution to others.
I rate Lenovo Flex System a nine out of ten.
The primary use case of this solution is for private cloud services.
It does not have the same module flexibility that was present in IBM Blade. On the Blade System, I was able to choose between the Cisco module, or BMC module. Since the switch to Lenovo, I have not had the same choice of modules, only the BMC modules.
In terms of new features, I would like to see the Flex System manager integrate into the acquisition. It is necessary to have something like a Flex System manager to allow for the management of single or multiple items in one place.
I have been using the Lenovo Flex System since 2012 when it was still part of IBM.
The Lenovo Flex System is very stable.
The system is scalable.
The solution is easy to use and takes two or three days to set up the storage, network, and virtualization.
The price is interesting. I am able to quote a client based on their needs and offer them either Lenovo or Dell.
I would recommend Lenovo.
We use the Lenovo Flex System to make virtual machines on VMware for all our frontend applications. We use it to virtualize our frontend or all our Microsoft applications, in addition to our Linux applications.
This system has improved our organization but it was also because of VMware and the visualization itself.
The performance is better now than what we had before, which was very old. We can now create machines easily without waiting to provide more hardware. This is the main virtualization advantage, but we also have a virtualization advantage on Flex because it's stable.
The stability and speed are always good. The processor is good and it's still working with our loads.
The user interface needs improvement because they have an application from which we have to manage the whole system and all of the infrastructure. This application is not working at our premises because of some problem with the hardware itself. So although we brought it with our systems, and we used it to manage all the systems: the storage, the switches, and everything, nevertheless we have to support every part alone and enter the interface in one-by-one. I think we need a more powerful management application that could help us in that regard.
We look forward to management software that will help us manage everything from one screen and include notifications of any hardware problems so we can respond before the problem happens.
The stability has been very good so far. When we started we had many problems with the hardware but it was because of the power. When they changed the module of power and they adjusted the configuration of this power part, it worked well and we haven't had any downtime from then until now. For almost four months, there's been no downtime.
The scalability of this solution is huge. Even if you want to add nodes, it's easy to add it and we considered this in a way that could help us. We could work on it for five years with the extendability.
We bought more memory, more storage, but now we are expanding our storage and if it works, we will buy Oracle hardware, for our Oracle VRP and this hardware will work on the Lenovo storage.
We have 500 distributed users because we are a great company and we have many locations. We have about eight buildings and our users use this application. User roles start from top management to managers and directors and normal team leaders. All types of users use this application and they are quite happy with it.
For internal maintenance, we have two engineers and they do all the support. We do not handle hardware support ourselves. We open tickets with Lenovo because we have the three-year maintenance with them and if we have any problem we can open a ticket. It has to support VMware itself and the connections between everything. The backups are also done; they manage the whole infrastructure.
Our system is currently being used every day, 24-7, because we are working 24-7. We have some users that are working days and others nights. We will expand our storage because we used to have a local new product and it will use our storage. We will buy only new hard disks to be connected to the new hardware.
The technical support is good and they respond very quickly. Sometimes we have needed to follow up but they are good and even the global support was helpful. They came themselves to investigate the processor problem we had.
We previously used the Blade system stackable server from Sun, which is now Oracle. We also used HP but it was an old system. It worked well also but we switched to newer technology. It's good to have a technology evaluation from time to time and we have to cooperate. We also needed more speed and resources. That's why we switched to Lenovo. Usually, we don't buy without making a complete evaluation, technical and financial. Taking into consideration the technical takes 80% of the evaluation and 20% for the financial. The evaluation was done between Dell EMC, Lenovo, NEC, and Cisco. In the end, for our solution, Lenovo was the highest percentage. It took about 92% for the technical and financial spot whereas the others, they were 88, 85 and 84 percent.
Lenovo was the one that fulfilled most of our criteria.
The initial setup was straightforward. They did the removal and installation by themselves, but it was very easy and it didn't take time.
Our deployment took nearly two days between hardware installation and the deployment itself of the VMware, as well as to finalize all our VMs. So it took about two days for deployment, all-in-all.
When we started the deployment of Lenovo Flex, we started with the hardware itself, then the switches, then the storage and the Lenovo tech library. We did almost one after another and finished within one day.
This was done by Kolaly. We had a good experience with them.
We have the whole maintenance for three years, starting the deployment. We also have the VMware license for three years and I think we have another license to buy.
There are no additional costs besides licensing.
My advice is to get the three years maintenance and to follow up with Lenovo International, in addition to Lenovo Cairo. We call our partner in Egypt and they have complete support from Lenovo.
I would rate the overall product as eight of ten. It's stable, it works well, and we have had no problem with it for a long time. The missing two points are because when we started we had some issues which are now solved but it took some time to resolve.
We use it for our database system. We have an Oracle database and some database instances on the server.
It comes at a good price. We didn't face any problems with this product.
I had some difficulties with the initial setup.
I have been using it since 2018.
Very good support.
Positive
We are a consultant company and recommend technology to our customers. In some cases, we recommend Lenovo, but we have suppliers for both HPE and Lenovo.
I had some difficulties with the initial setup, but we called Lenovo support. They helped me to configure the server through a virtual chat.
We could see the ROI in 18 to 24 months.
Good pricing. In 2018, the pricing was good for that.
We are considering both HPE and Lenovo brands for a new server, and our selection depends on the price.
I would recommend it to others. Overall, I would rate it a ten out of ten.
