We use Oracle Sun ZFS Storage Appliance for storage management.
A stable unified storage system that enables quick access to data
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I like its storage capacity, quick access to the data, speed, and overall storage management.
What needs improvement?
The main thing Oracle can improve is the cost. It would be better if Oracle opened up the system to enable integration with other vendors. Whether it's the database, application server, or storage appliance, they should make it easy to integrate them. They need to open up more to ensure that it can work in any environment and IT ecosystem.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Oracle Sun ZFS Storage Appliance for about two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't had any issues with Oracle. Oracle Sun ZFS Storage Appliance is a very stable and durable product that's very strong and mature. The Liferay Digital Experience applications are different. Liferay has been used for automation while ZFS was working in collaboration with Liferay for storage purposes. So, both applications complement each other.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Although Oracle Sun ZFS Storage Appliance is very modular, it's also very scalable, depending on what you require and what size you want. It's scalable to your needs. They have a quarter rack and a half rack. Depending on what your requirements are, you can procure the storage appliance.
How are customer service and technical support?
Oracle's technical support is excellent, but it comes at a cost. If the prices come down, that would be very helpful.
What was our ROI?
It's a durable machine, and it's a big machine. In terms of data output and data processing, you get back what you expect. Depending on what you're doing, you get returns on your investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price could be better. We have many competing products now like Huawei and Dell EMC, and these are slightly cheaper.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Oracle provides a full-stack solution. If you buy one box, you have everything. It's everything all in one stack as opposed to Huawei, where you have to switch from one vendor to another and go back and forth in the data cabinet.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise potential users to do a proper hardware analysis, storage analysis and analyze their requirements. It helps if they can come with the right requirements and the appropriate hardware sizing requirements.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Oracle Sun ZFS Storage Appliance an eight.
