What is our primary use case?
Our entire network is controlled by HPE ProCurve. Essentially, we have an MPLS as part of our MPLS network. There are numerous use cases I can describe, but there is nothing I can say in detail right now.
We have a huge network with a lot of servers. Our operation is small but we need the network infrastructure.
What is most valuable?
It has valuable features. It has an excellent menu system where you can use both the CLI and a menu system and the GUI version. They have three options for manipulating, updating, and changing the switch, which we like.
In general, the CLI functions similarly to the Cisco iOS. Except for a few core Cisco proprietary functions, they have most of the functions.
If you're familiar with Cisco iOS, you won't have to worry about their ProCurve. That's what we like about it. Also, it basically controls, layer three and layer two, we use both functions on it, and it has a lot of routing for us as well.
It does a good job for us. ProCurve CLI is very similar to what Cisco allows you to do with their CLI on iOS.
It is not difficult to work on the transitions or if someone is working on both. The commands don't differ all that much.
What needs improvement?
There is one proprietary function they lack, and I can't remember what it was called, but it monitors the ports, and then every 10 seconds if the port is down, it can divert the traffic somewhere else. I'm not sure what they call it. Cisco uses this method. However, the HPE ProCurve does not provide that.
Essentially, you monitor reports and, if ports are down, you simply, divert the traffic somewhere else. If something goes wrong, they don't do it unless you manually go in and update. Because we have a double and triple backup link. And this is the only one where we need to add a Cisco switch to the network in order to keep track of the traffic. If our main MPLS fails, it switches to another tunnel. As a result, we are still in contact with our other offices.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using HPE ProCurve for more than five years. Since I started working for this company. It was in place long before I joined.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This product is very stable. In the time that I have used it, over the past five and a half years, it's been rock solid.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have a modular system. We update or upgrade it whenever we want to. There are 96 ports, and two of them are stacked together, for a total of 192 ports.
The traffic runs well between the two units.
Although we are a small operation, we have a large network with many servers.
How are customer service and support?
When I get stuck, I call the consulting service company that originally installed it. However, I can also call HPE directly and deal with them. Generally, they are good.
HPE's technical support, overall, is very good. They respond quickly and they give proper solutions. When you give them a time that you want to speak with them, they're very good at that. Most of the time, their immediate supervisor or manager will contact me to try to find out the status. They want to know how we felt about the service.
Nowadays, they send an automated survey, and sometimes, a person will call to personally ask how the service was, and how the technicians were to deal with it.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have Cisco, HPE, Palo, and SonicWall. I believe those are the major brands we use for our switches, firewalls, and routers.
Before using ProCurve it was a Cisco switch, but we decided to go with this one. This decision was made before I entered this organization.
It was, I believe, layer two switches with 3750 Cisco routing capabilities, layer three switches, and a combination of all of those. But, as I previously stated, I'm not sure what the exact situation was, or what was in place before I walked in.
We also work with HPE Comware 1950 switches, which operate on a different operating system than ProCurve.
They are primarily intended for these layer two switches. They also provide layer three functions for the majority of it, but their CLI functions and terminologies differ.
Their login process is different. They are mostly GUI-based, and they don't like it when you use CLI.
There is an SLA monitoring feature, which Comware, ProCurve, or any HPE suite does not provide because they are Cisco proprietary. As a result, we must rely on bandaid solutions such as putting a Cisco switch in front of it to route traffic back and forth.
The only HPE products we use are the HPE layer three ProCurve switch and layer three switches ProCurve, and layer two is the Comware switches.
We do have SonicWall firewalls, and they are good to work with. We work with the TZ version. We have TZ 400 and TZ 500.
I have been working with them since I joined; I wasn't aware of it before I joined, but as soon as I did, I learned about it and now manage it; those are remote site firewalls that come routerly installed.
I have been working with them for approximately five years.
It's remote, which means we have four more remote facilities. All of their local firewalls are SonicWall. They are a component of our MPLS.
It is a somewhat complicated network. They are a component of our MPLS. Their internal traffic comes here to headquarters, but their external traffic goes through SonicWall, which is located on the other side of the world.
We have that SonicWall firewall to control their external traffic.
With TZ, the most valuable feature is their management. It is very easy in the sense that they have completely GUI versions, and they barely use CLI. It is very interactive and easy to use.
Whatever you want to set up, whether it's a failover or an SD-WAN, it's extremely user-friendly, which is a feature we appreciate.
There isn't anything that needs to be improved. They are good at responding.
They provide excellent technical support. They are very good at responding to any questions or concerns we have. We have no major issues with them.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very complex. There were a lot of hiccups at first, which is because it is very deep and complex. However, the configurations are very user-friendly due to the three different options for how you can manipulate them.
Even if you're not too familiar with ProCurve, language, and the terms, you can go through the menus and then manipulate the switch. It's very powerful.
What about the implementation team?
Only one person is required for maintenance. I maintain it for the company.
The only thing that is handled externally is the backup, which is done by a consulting company. They were the ones that install it, perhaps seven or eight years ago. They are at the backend and I can contact them if I get stuck but generally, I take care of most of it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an annual support subscription.
They provide free support during normal business hours. All of their switches include that, but we do purchase extended support from them, which includes 24-hour support.
I was never involved in the pricing. The majority of these are automatic renewals until we decide to redesign or replace our equipment.
What other advice do I have?
As I previously stated, I inherited this. I didn't have much of a choice when it came to revamping the entire thing from scratch, which isn't an easy solution.
Most of the time, when you are looking for a solution like that, my advice is to look at all of the functions available, compare between Cisco, primarily this Cisco and them for layer three and layer two traffic, and determine which functions you are looking for.
If the functions are available, you use them. Know if you are looking for simple management.
Cisco is difficult to manage because the majority of its devices are CLI-based. And while many people are not comfortable with CLI, others are, and some only want it. Some people, however, are not.
I only want CLI, but the other two options they have available are useful in an emergency.
It is difficult to say what you want because, there are some functions that the HPE ProCurve switch does not have, for which we had to add a convoluted appendage solution, such as adding a Cisco 3750, and 3850 to fix the monitoring problem.
As it does not have all of the options that we are looking for, I would rate HPE ProCurve a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises