Lenovo XClarity Controller vs VMware vCenter comparison

Lenovo and VMware are both solutions in the Server Monitoring category. Lenovo is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.5, while VMware is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.6. Lenovo holds a 3.5% mindshare in SM, compared to VMware’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Lenovo users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of VMware users who would recommend it.

Lenovo XClarity Controller

Read 4 Lenovo XClarity Controller reviews

1,189 Views
975 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

VMware vCenter

Read 35 VMware vCenter reviews

187 Views
80 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Lenovo XClarity Controller

VMware vCenter

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Lenovo XClarity Controller and VMware vCenter are solutions in the IT management space. User reviews suggest VMware vCenter stands out due to its comprehensive features, making it more favorable despite higher costs.

Features: Lenovo XClarity Controller offers efficient hardware management, simplified infrastructure setups, and user-friendly deployment. VMware vCenter provides sophisticated virtual machine management, extensive automation options, and robust security features.

Room for Improvement: Lenovo XClarity Controller could enhance integration options and improve performance. VMware vCenter could benefit from better scalability and more intuitive management processes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Lenovo XClarity Controller is commended for easy deployment and responsive customer service. VMware vCenter has a more complex deployment but efficient and expert customer support.

Pricing and ROI: Lenovo XClarity Controller is recognized for cost-effectiveness and quick setup, offering favorable ROI. VMware vCenter, despite higher setup costs, delivers significant ROI through its advanced features and long-term benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Lenovo XClarity Controller vs. VMware vCenter Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Lenovo XClarity Controller vs. VMware vCenter

March 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Lenovo XClarity Controller

Ranking in Server Monitoring

13th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

VMware vCenter

Ranking in Server Monitoring

4th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of Lenovo XClarity Controller is 3.5%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware vCenter is 0.6%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Monitoring

Featured Reviews

Muhammad_Salman

Senior Finance Executive at Texitech

Simplifies RAID computation and technical support resolves issues effectively

The Lenovo configuration tool helps us with the computation of the RAID Controller and the installation of the operating system. If we encounter any sort of issue, we can troubleshoot the problem with the assistance of the Lenovo technical team. Sometimes, we do not receive complaints from the controller. We also receive software issue resolutions by managing the process with the assistance of the Lenovo technical team.

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SivaKuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

Performance monitoring tools help track resource usage, identify performance bottlenecks, and optimize the efficiency of virtual environments

It is like a single point of failure. In an environment, vCenter is deployed as a single instance, which represents a single point of failure. The concern here is that tasks such as provisioning, monitoring, and maintenance may be impacted until the server is restored. This only affects management; users are not impacted. But, again, management capabilities will be impacted. The entire system goes down until recovery is completed. You will not be able to provision new VDI. Also, vCenter requires a lot of additional resources for managing capabilities. It uses a significant amount of CPU, memory, and network bandwidth, which can sometimes slow down. Proper sizing is important for vCenter so that it does not impact end-users. vCentre licensing cost is on the higher side as well.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Lenovo XClarity is the ease of use because of the interface browser that is highly compatible and it has mobile web management."

"The remote management capability was also good."

"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to provide insights into server status and alerts."

"I would rate Lenovo XClarity Controller ten out of ten."

"The Lenovo configuration tool helps us with the computation of the RAID Controller and the installation of the operating system."

"The product is scalable."

"The most valuable features of VMware vCenter for our organization include its centralized management capabilities and the ability to handle virtual machines across multiple ESXi hosts efficiently."

"The initial setup is a very user-friendly process. Installation and configuration are easy."

"The user-friendliness and stability are the product’s most valuable features."

"The DRS, high availability and manageable switches are the most valuable features of VMware vCenter"

"The product's emphasis on high availability and DRS aligns with our priorities, making vCenter an integral component in our virtualized environment."

"We must create a VIN on each node. You want to make the VIN ten times if you have a thin host. We mostly create VMs, and the vCenter publishes the template on all hosts."

"I usually use the DRS, distributed resource scheduling, to balance resources between mini ESXi and CPU."

More VMware vCenter pros

Cons

"It worked very slowly. It was not well on performance."

"Sometimes we do not receive the complaint from the Controller. However, software issues are managed and processed with the help of the Lenovo technical team, and they sort them out."

"Lenovo XClarity can improve the dashboard integration. For example, graphs could be better. Additionally, more integration with other vendors is needed. For example, VMware has integration with a lot of vendors."

"Sometimes we do not receive the complaint from the Controller."

"They could enable notifications on emails and phones regarding control panel information."

"We face some upgrade patch management issues."

"There is a feature called Fault Tolerance (FT), which has been part of vCenter servers since the product's inception. However, it has a lot of complexity, and when my team tested it, we found it difficult to manage. It also has some bugs. Consequently, we decided not to offer any fault tolerance features to our customers."

"The protocol interface or web page is not easy to use, and the personal portal is difficult to navigate."

"The technical support team could respond faster."

"If VMware integrates some features of their other solution into VMware vCenter, operational managers might find it beneficial. Many organizations prefer to maintain separate solution sets based on specific needs and data requirements."

"There needs to be improvement in the pricing model, as the host license is already very high, and customers should have more open options for creating automation scenarios out of the box."

"VMware vCenter does not have a centralized security dashboard, and it is pretty tedious to configure."

"One area where VMware vCenter has room for improvement is its transition to Broadcom. The change in licensing structure and pricing, particularly the shift from perpetual licenses to subscription-only models, is a significant drawback."

More VMware vCenter cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The licensing model was a bit complex, but thanks to the vCenter product usage program, which VMware introduced, it's kind of easy for us to use a pay-as-you-go model."

"The product is expensive."

"The platform has reasonable pricing."

"The tool used to be worth the money, but after Broadcom acquired it and changed the pricing structure to subscription-only, it became too expensive for us to continue using. Unfortunately, we haven't found any alternative solutions that meet our needs, so this is a significant drawback for us as we explore other options."

"We have purchased monthly licenses for the platform. There are additional costs involved."

"We utilize the basic licenses of the product."

"The product is affordable for now."

"VMware vCenter is not expensive."

More VMware vCenter pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Educational Organization

Real Estate/Law Firm

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Lenovo XClarity Controller?

The product's most valuable feature is its ability to provide insights into server status and alerts.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Lenovo XClarity Controller?

Sometimes we do not receive the complaint from the Controller. However, software issues are managed and processed with the help of the Lenovo technical team, and they sort them out.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Lenovo XClarity Controller?

The customer has given me this configuration and is asking for the price of the server along with this configuration. They did not mention what kind of requirement they have. They just shared this ...

See all answers

What do you like most about VMware vCenter?

The filtering capabilities also enhance scalability by optimizing resource allocation.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware vCenter?

The pricing and setup cost are rated seven out of ten. It is mentioned that the price might be a little lower to increase customer adoption. The specific details of the financial cost were not prov...

See all answers

What needs improvement with VMware vCenter?

The performance is well, however, i didnot use different products to say my opinion.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 48% of the time

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Compared 37% of the time

HPE Integrated Lights Out (iLO) vs Lenovo XClarity Controller

Compared 8% of the time

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs Lenovo XClarity Controller

Compared 6% of the time

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Microsoft Configuration Manager vs VMware vCenter

Compared 100% of the time

More VMware vCenter Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Server Monitoring

March 2025

Download Lenovo XClarity Controller product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter

March 2025

Download VMware vCenter product report

Also Known As

XClarity Controller, Lenovo XCC

No data available

Overview

Lenovo ThinkSystem servers contain an integrated service processor, XClarity Controller (XCC), which provides advanced service-processor control, monitoring, and alerting functions. This document summarizes the features of XCC and the upgrades available to ThinkSystem servers.

Lenovo

VMware vCenter is essential for managing virtual machines, deploying systems for customers, and centralizing ESXi servers' management. It aids in monitoring hosts, handling backups, recovering data, and virtualizing compute resources.

Organizations leverage VMware vCenter to oversee virtual infrastructure, automate administrative tasks, and provide self-service portals. It simplifies the management of IT environments by offering features like host profiles, high availability, and cluster configuration. Other notable features include scalability, resource management, performance monitoring, cloning, snapshots, DRS, LACP, and lifecycle management. VMware vCenter ensures continuous system availability, benefiting sectors like healthcare through efficient server management and process automation. The platform's alerting mechanisms, backup and restore functionalities, and elastic resource allocation enhance operational efficiency.

What are the key features of VMware vCenter?

Host Profiles: Simplifies and standardizes host configurations.
High Availability: Ensures system uptime and reliability.
Centralized Management: Allows comprehensive control over multiple ESXi servers.
Scalability: Adapts to growing infrastructure needs.
Performance Monitoring: Assesses and optimizes virtual machine performance.
Cloning & Snapshots: Facilitates quick deployment and recovery.
DRS: Distributes resources efficiently across the cluster.
LACP: Enhances network performance and reliability.
Lifecycle Management: Manages software updates and hardware lifecycles effectively.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Operational Efficiency: Automates routine tasks and improves resource management.
System Availability: Minimizes downtime and ensures continuous operations.
Cost Management: Optimizes resource usage and reduces operational costs.
Scalability: Grows with the company's infrastructure needs.
Enhanced Performance: Monitors and optimizes virtual machine performance.

Healthcare organizations use VMware vCenter to ensure uninterrupted access to critical applications and patient data. It helps manage large volumes of virtual servers, providing necessary performance and reliability. This platform's automation and monitoring capabilities are crucial for maintaining efficient IT operations and supporting healthcare needs.

VMware

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

1. Amazon 2. Apple 3. ATT 4. Bank of America 5. Cisco Systems 6. CocaCola 7. Dell 8. ebay 9. Facebook 10. Google 11. HP 12. IBM 13. Intel 14. JPMorgan Chase 15. LinkedIn 16. Microsoft 17. Netflix 18. Oracle 19. PayPal 20. SAP 21. Siemens 22. Tesla 23. Toyota 24. Twitter 25. Visa 26. Walmart 27. WeWork 28. World Bank

Buyer's Guide

Lenovo XClarity Controller vs. VMware vCenter

March 2025

Free Report: Lenovo XClarity Controller vs. VMware vCenter

Find out what your peers are saying about Lenovo XClarity Controller vs. VMware vCenter and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.

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