Dell EMC Unity XT reviews

We use it for storage for our ESXi hosts at our smaller sites.

It increased our uptime because we switched from physical stuff to virtual stuff, and being able to have that we could do the high-availability and failover.

I like the ease of configuration, the quick setup, and the fact that it seems to be hardened. We haven't had any issues with them. In terms of simplicity of ownership, once they're running you don't have to touch them.

They're also simple to manage. We came from the VNXe 3200s so it's very similar.

We integrated it with vSphere but that integration was "iffy". It was okay but we had a few challenges with it.

It's very solid. No issues at all. The only issue we have is that the power supply ramps up and down and makes some noise on SPA. But other than that being a nuisance, we haven't had any reliability issues at all.

Scaling is easy. Just add drives, extend the space. It's super simple.

We called them and put in a service ticket on the power supply issue. We tried a few things and then they sent us another one, but other than that we haven't had any issues. They've been easy to work with.

The initial setup was straightforward. Coming from the VNXe's, it was almost identical, just has a different GUI platform. It was very easy.

The price is up a little bit from what we used to pay so I'm hoping that it's a little bit of a better system than the VNXe was. But I still think it's a good value. It's new, so I'm sure there's room for the pricing to drop.

We did have an issue with licensing once but we were able to reach out to the licensing group and do an online chat. They helped instantly, so that was nice.

My advice is to follow the installation guide, it's pretty straightforward, step-by-step.

In terms of the purchasing process, after we had figured out what we wanted, it became easy. But we had to get into our first set of standards. The first one that we ordered had the SFP module cards in it, which we didn't need. We just use the 10-gigabit copper. After figuring out our standard template, it has become super simple every time.

What I look for when selecting a vendor to work with is somebody who

• is big
• guarantees their product
• has good support; somebody who is going to answer their phone 24/7.

So far, I rate the Unity a nine out of 10. It has been easy to set up, we've only had a few small issues. Once they're set up, they're running, you don't have to touch them. The one point I held back is because we're new to them. The version we're using is the 300 and it's also new out there so there has been a little bit of a struggle here and there with some small things; for example, the fans ramping up and we have one right now that's not responding after updates.

It fits what we're trying to do. It has everything and more. There are some features that we're not even using yet.

It has improved the environments for many customers who have transitioned from other vendors storage platforms to Unity, due to technical proposals and offerings defined by us.

• The ease of management and “user-friendly” management environment (GUI).
• Simplicity for deploying and controlling storage elements.
• Ability to redefine storage policies and improve performance (adding dynamic cache and “Auto-tiering”).
• Hardware simplification (e.g., not requiring NAS dedicated hardware).
• The true “Unification” (to have a fully-flexible solution combining multiple technologies and protocols in 2U of rack space).

There are features still to come, like compression and deduplication on hybrid platforms, VDM improvements to be developed for NAS environments, and also improvements in the “self-migration” tools to push or pool information (to assist the migrations to and mostly from third-party arrays).

It has evolved from what it was one year and a half ago, but there are more features incoming with the scheduled “UnityOS” updates (planned on roadmap) that will provide the product with new features only available in VNX2, but most important, all newly added features will have no additional cost for the customers, because the platform is fully-licensed from the base configuration.

Very few (some NAS related issues with early “UnityOS” versions, prior to 4.1).

None. Data-in-Place Conversions are available, for “scaling-up”. This feature may be driven online, in the next “UnityOS” release (4.2 SP1).

With the new support options offered with Unity, this support is always offered on a 24/7 basis (if the customer allows it, the system will be permanently monitored for issues). In this case, the system will be “two-way” connected remotely to Dell EMC proactive support via an ESRS gateway. Now, with the option to add a feature called “CloudIQ” that consists of an online portal offering (totally free, without additional fees) to access online and watch the system health and behaviour (in real time, from a customer point of view).

This does not apply directly to us. I had a very close contact with all “EMC legacy” storage platforms from the times of Clariion and Celerra. Thus, I have experienced the evolution and consolidation of these products, first on VNX, and later on in Unity, that is the pinnacle of this unification.

The initial configuration is guided by an “Initial Configuration Wizard” that is completely straightforward.

Absolutely. We offer Dell EMC solutions to partners who always work with several offerings from various manufacturers, targeting the same scenario (mostly NetApp, Huawei, HPE and IBM).

When implementing this product, be careful while configuring “Virtual Pools” (on hybrid platforms), in order to assure optimum performance. The proper disk raid choice is critical and may impact directly in the performance of a “Storage Pool” dedicated for a specific purpose or environment.

Dell EMC Unity is actually one of my market focuses, from the understanding that Dell EMC has redefined the core of their mid-range storage portfolio, focusing on two main products: Dell EMC SC (Dell legacy Compellent) and Dell EMC Unity (the last mid-range storage solution developed by the former EMC, just prior to committing the fusion with Dell).

In the Spanish market (which is totally different compared with US), it is considered the “premium” Dell EMC mid-range storage choice for those SMB customers who wish to acquire a full integrated solution, combining “multi-protocol” physical topologies (FC/10GbE) but also combining multipurpose storage (SAN/NAS and “Virtualization Optimized Storage”).

From this point of view, I consider it a “well-thought out” solution who was born from the principles that EMC established with the development of the VNXe Storage Series (considering that VNXe3200 is, in many aspects, the mother on Unity). It has inherited a full refresh regarding the “microcode” that characterized the VNX Series, while retaining all the benefits developed in the VNX MCx codes (optimized for true multi-core processing) and foremost developed (is the case of Unity AFA solutions) as a true “All Flash” solution, from their very foundations.

Unity XT is a flash-based solution that provides extreme performance due to SSD or flash drives. It includes features like data compression and was used in customer environments. The simplicity in terms of configuration and data replication, especially in conjunction with RPA RecoverPoint, are key features.

Managing Unity XT is very easy, and being from Dell EMC, it adds value. The product meets many customer requirements.

The simplicity of configuration, data replication in conjunction with RPA RecoverPoint, and better compression ratios are the most valuable features. Performance is a top feature.

Data replication needs improvement as the future roadmap for RecoverPoint appliance is not there.

I have used the solution for about four years.

It is a high stability solution, and I would rate it ten out of ten.

I would rate the scalability around nine out of ten.

After EMC merged with Dell, the quality of support has dropped, and the time duration for resolving issues is long. However, support is still good.

The initial setup was very smooth.

My clients have seen ROI from the solution.

Pricing is a bit on the higher side and lacks transparency.

Dell Unity XT is a good product and solution. It meets a lot of customer requirements, so I would recommend it.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

We are network service providers, and we use the server storage to create our own cloud or use it for our own internal applications.

Dell Unity XT is a unified box, and it is integrated with VVOL, our software-defined storage.

The challenge we face with Dell Unity XT is availability in some African countries where we operate. In some countries, spare part availability is an issue for us. Dell needs to find some local warehouses. We provide network services in countries like Uganda and Tanzania. If the server fails in those countries and you don't get spare parts, replacing it takes a very long time.

We buy the tool in bulk for some countries, and it becomes a big challenge for us if there is an issue and we get no support.

I have been using Dell Unity XT for eight months.

Dell Unity XT is a stable solution.

We buy vertically scalable boxes because we know how much we want, and we refresh it every five years.

The solution’s initial setup is easy.

We outsource the solution's deployment. It is easy to deploy since our outsourcing partner deploys more than 50 servers per week.

We see a return on investment with the solution in around two years. Compared to other tools, we have seen 30% to 40% time saving with Dell Unity XT.

The solution’s pricing is competitive. Since we buy in bulk, we get equally good prices.

We use the solution's built-in features, like Data at Rest, for data security.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

My clients use it from a virtual environment. So, there is a NAS application as well.

It is an on-prem virtualization solution.

In my experience, the application configuration is a standout feature. It allows users and even admin nodes to be configured more smoothly. The process, especially after zoning, has become more streamlined with enhancements in bin management, cleaning, and initiatives.

The ability to have flash to adapt to your environment. It's one of the best solutions you can actually use for the database.

Dell Unity XT's integration capabilities are good, like VMware features and other features that are already added. It's quite good.

It is easy to use. The interface is quite user-friendly, and the integration is not too difficult.

The only challenge I've ever had was with a Drive firmware upgrade.

However, when I did an on-prem performance [assessment], it didn't pose much of a problem.

I have been using it for six years.

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.

I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten.

I've done upgrades a couple of times. It wasn't too hard to upgrade. A few times, it involved adding capacity depending on how the size of the collections began. And boom, we're good to go.

Within the last three months, I did an upgrade on Unity. It was quite simple. We downloaded the firmware, and then there was a bit of setup. And just a few steps, and we were ready to go.

Our clients are usually enterprise businesses. 

The only time I've ever had a challenge was when the problem had gone beyond the initial support. And when we moved on to the next person who took over, it was really about them fully understanding what we had been troubleshooting.  

Positive

The initial setup is very easy. I would rate my experience with the initial setup a nine out of ten, with one being difficult and ten being easy.

It's quite easy. Once you have the application that needs to set up the connection in utility, we are good to go.

I have not had any cloud training in Unity. But the first time I had to deploy one by myself,  it was one of the easiest things I could ever do.

The deployment takes a few minutes. Because if you have your IPs prepared and your router is done, the deployment usually just takes a few minutes.  

I would definitely recommend using it because of its integration part and scalability. 

I would rate it a nine out of ten. 

The speed and performance that we get through the SSD hard drives. That's a big factor for us.

We have a date warehouse server. Prior to being on Unity, we could get about one or two data warehouse refreshes a day. After standing that up in VMware and using Dell EMC Unity, we are able to get four data warehouse refreshes, which gives our finance and accounting group more information to react to throughout the day for inventory and purchasing.

I'm able to manage it very simply. The interface is a lot easier than the couple of VNX2s that we have. At least to me, Dell EMC Unity has a quicker responsive web GUI for management.

The quick integration with VMware. The ability to stand up a data store in one place, where you don't have to go and rescan for the data store through the vCenter Client, as well as SMB shares. This ended up being a big selling point for us.

I don't know where the hybrid cloud might be going or what connectivity there is between what was recently released as far as AWS and being able to manage both of them. Maybe there is an on-prem and an AWS instance in the same window, like a single pane, but I would like to see something along those lines, where there wouldn't be two locations to manage storage.

Stability has been 100%. We have had zero failures.

We have added one additional shelf to one of the two Unities. As far as I can tell, it went really well. It was not something I was involved with, but we may have had Dell EMC assist us with that.

In the SQL Server instances in our data warehouse, we immediately saw a great return on investment.

We purchased our Unity in September 2017. It was a simple process. We budgeted for it in the prior year. Then, we had the funds to take care of what we wanted to purchase.

I did bring up other vendors that I have worked with: NetApp and HPE SAN. Comparing them to my previous work and working with Unity now, I find Unity a lot easier to work with. For example, the NetApp seems to be more complex in just the ease of setting it up.

Do a little research into how you will create your storage groups. Ensure they have all lined out prior to going in and making one single storage group take up all the hard drives which we've seen some individuals do before and have to break it back down and start over. Definitely manage out what you want to place on the SSDs or on that Unity for your quickest response time. We've made sure that all of our high availability productions devices are on the Unity.

We have Hyper-V and VMware running on the Unity. We have moved Exchange off into Exchange Online onto the cloud. We did most of the integrations in-house. The big thing that we have done on it is running SQL Server. We have quite a few different SQL Server instances running on the SSDs.

We use it for our NAS systems and our SAN systems. On the NAS side, it's used for our end-users' home directories and Departmental shares. On the block side, we use it for VMware storage and we have it integrated with VMware. There was no additional cost for that integration.

We just started doing a bunch of automation where, if an end-user's home directory or Departmental share gets filled, I can set certain things through a Unity API so that if it reaches 95 or 98 percent full, it will automatically expand. Now, instead of our getting a ticket and having to go in and do it manually, it does that for us.

Our end-users are happy with the product, there are no issues.

The product is pretty easy to use. The GUI is nice, really easy to use, and the performance is good. 

For the upgrade from the old system to the new system, if there was a better way to integrate them so I could easily move the data without working all those nights and weekends, that would be nice.

Also, Dell EMC's competitor has a clustering technology. In the next release, it would be nice if they could build that into the product.

The product has been pretty good.

There was one minor issue where we would get these alerts every six hours, but they were fake alerts. We installed a patch a week ago and it fixed the issue. Other than that, no issues, the product has been stable.

We have a Unity 500, which scales to 500 drives, and we're about half full. But it's like their previous systems where you can add a couple of drives or a couple of shelves. There are no issues on that end.

Technical support has always been pretty good. Customer service includes the guys who come in and replace the drives and install the system, and those guys are good too. No issues.

We had the older generation of the Unity system, it was called EMC VNX. It's similar in some ways, but they've definitely improved the GUI, the user interface, and the performance.

When selecting a vendor, a big thing is support. We really need a company that, when something goes wrong, they're there and they can respond immediately, so we don't have to wait a certain amount of time. We experience a little bit of the waiting part with Dell EMC, but we have a technical account manager, and his job is to escalate. Since we already had that with EMC, it made sense to go with Dell EMC. So support would be number one. Number two would be performance, obviously. It has to work well.

The initial setup was pretty easy. We actually have a Dell EMC service engineer who came on site and helped set it up. I had to help in terms of getting all the infrastructure ready, but he did most of the heavy work.

The upgrading experience from our previous solution to this one is definitely better than it was with the VNX product. The only thing that we wished that it had is a way to migrate the data from the old system to the new system. We had to do a manual process for that. To move the data, we had to work a lot of nights and weekends. That was the hardest part of setting it up.

But other than that, it's better in every way.

I get fewer calls at night. That's my ROI.

NetApp and HPE were on our shortlist. HPE support is not good, so we didn't choose them. NetApp does have some good technology, but the relationship that we had with Dell EMC was the reason that we chose them.

In terms of the purchase process, we work with a rep. We have biweekly meetings. They're always on site. We worked with the Dell EMC sales engineer, making sure we got the right kind of drives, the right kind of performance, etc.

The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is a unified storage, and it is useful for mid-range storage. All the SME clients of our company that we have here trying to implement SAP want to use the three-tier architecture for server storage, and they all find that Dell Unity XT is one of the leading products, and our company sells a lot of boxes because of the aforementioned reason.

I don't see any weaknesses in the product, nor did any of our company's clients report any issues. The only issue is with the product's scalability because it's not as scalable as the other polished tools in the market.

It would be good if Dell could work a little bit on the scalability front and make sure that they increase the bandwidth at the back end as well as make the product a more capacity-oriented one, and provide one petabyte to make the solution easier to use.

I have been using Dell Unity XT for six to seven years. I am a system integrator. My company has a partnership with Dell. I am also a reseller of the solution.

It is a stable solution that sells a lot. Though we have sold Dell Unity XT to bigger companies, it is Dell PowerStore that we have sold the most to bigger companies that have around 1,000 to 5,000 users.

The product's scalability has some issues.

The solution's technical support is very good. We haven't faced any issues with the support team. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten.

Positive

Before Dell Unity XT, we were familiar with IBM and had sold a lot of IBM Storwize V3700 storage boxes.

The storage boxes by IBM are not number one in the market since they were not unified storage but SAN storage. Though IBM launched unified storage, our company does not sell much of IBM. After IBM launched unified storage, they allowed Lenovo to sell off their storage, and our company stopped selling IBM products.

The deployment phase of the product was very easy.

The solution can be deployed in four to five hours.

I need two certified personnel in NetApp and Dell to carry out the deployment process.

Dell Unity XT's prices are very competitive compared to HP MSA2000, an entry-level product and another higher-level storage box. Compared to the prices of the storage boxes offered by HP, Dell's prices are competitive.

All the licenses are included from day one of your purchase of the product, so you don't have to buy licenses separately. There are no additional costs to be paid for the maintenance of the solution.

I suggest to those planning to buy the solution to buy it with a five-year warranty rather than the standard three-year warranty provided by Dell since it will be, price-wise, cheap for them. It is better to negotiate during the current because later on, the prices for the warranty will increase from ten percent to twenty percent, and you will stand to lose if you don't sign up for a five-year warranty offered by Dell.

I rate the overall product a nine out of ten.