Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) Reviews

It is to manage all my clusters. I have nine nodes, splitting six nodes on one side and three nodes on the another side. Prism Pro is the center to manage the whole cluster.

We have a nine node clusters. All machines are NXs from Nutanix. Our environment runs new development tools, like GitLab. DevOps are running inside of Nutanix and a few other systems. We are using Nutanix for new stuff to implement and test new technologies, such as DevOps, Kubernetes, Dockers, and Hadoop (in a few of the clusters for big data).

I am using the latest version.

Prism Pro can do everything that I need to manage my machines. I can manage my storage, priorities, and higher operations.

• The update for all clusters
• The Kubernetes solution for Nutanix
• Calm is a good tool for deploying critical blueprints. 

All these tools are managed by Prism Pro. With Prism Pro, you have the scripting tool where all functions are available through the interface and 1-click centralized upgrades. Though, you can do the same things by programming.

The tool's management for clusters is amazing and simple. It's quite simple to use it daily. With 1-click centralized upgrades, I can update my entire cluster using the data tech software from a single point in an easy way. It shows me that I have an update, then I just apply it, wait a few minutes, and all of the clusters are updated. It doesn't matter if it's a software update or something like bills. Everything is done from one central point. Also, the dashboard are really good. We have some relevant formations where I can see my cluster's CPU age, memory age, virtual machines, etc. All information can be viewed in an easy way, which provides me a cloud-like experience on an on-prem solution.

The dashboards also let me see the efficiency of my virtual machines, e.g., I can set it for a reminder to show me if there are any machines that are overprovisioned or constrained, then I can adjust the machines. In addition, I can create new virtual machines on any clusters from a single point of access. It's a pretty cool tool.

The interface is nice and simple. When the guys did the implementation, they told me, "They will walk me through on the solution and explain most of the important configuration tools." After that, I learned Prism Pro by myself. I never did a training or anything else. When the techs provide a new update, I take a look and see what's new. Sometimes I watch YouTube video from Nutanix with the new features, but it is really simple.

For now, my biggest problem in our corporation is the Nutanix hypervisor (AOS) is not fully operational for some things. We are only allowed to use VMware, but I use AOS. I think the Prism Center needs to include more functions. I know that they're including Nutanix Era, which is the database management and disaster recovery tools. I think that Era should include everything on a single tool where you can manage everything you need inside your organization.

It could maybe have better documentation. Nutanix does have really good documentation, but it could have more details in the future. 

Since 2018.

It's really stable. In two years, I never have had a problem with Prism Pro.

I do the maintenance.

It can grow with my environment. With Prism Pro, it manages your entire Nutanix cluster. If I add more clusters onto that, I can manage it from the Prism Center, I just need to redistribute the cluster, then I can manage it like it's one machine. It doesn't matter if I have two or 100 clusters, I can manage it from a single point, which is good. This saves me time because if I need to update (for example), I can update a lot of machines from 1-click. Then, it will go on each machine of the clusters and update them. I am saving at least 40 percent of my time managing multiple clusters from a single point.

I am using the solution’s machine learning algorithms for things like predictive capacity planning or other functions but I already sp;have good capacity inside of my cluster. I think if I create new machines, it is really good but I am not using it so much. I have enough capacity at the moment. For the tools on Prism, I'm not planning to create so many machines. However, I already do use the tool and the predictions are really amazing. It is really helpful for planning in advance (e.g., six months, one year, or two years) the capacity for the cluster. I can estimate what will be the capacity of my cluster. For example, if I am a planning for one year to create 20 machines with a specific size, the machine learning algorithms can show me if I have enough capacity on the cluster to do that or if I need to expand the cluster. 

Between my colleagues from the operations team and me, there are around six people using it. I'm the owner of the contract for this company as the infrastructure architect. The other five guys are Linux and Windows administrators.

The support quality for Nutanix is unbelievable. The normal way support works from some other vendors: If I open a web ticket, then I need to wait three to four hours for a first contact from the company. Normally, this contact will ask me, "What is my problem," and try to direct me to the right person, then need to wait more. A few times, an engineer talked with me and acted on the solution. However, with Nutanix, I open a ticket, and in five minutes, I am talking with an engineer who can solve my problem. 

It is a really good experience to call Nutanix support via the phone. E.g., I explained a problem that I was having, and they told me, "I don't know so much about this problem, but my colleague at my side does know it. Just a minute." They transferred the call to the guy, whom I talked to and he help me. When they are going to end the call, they only ask for my serial number of my cluster to open a ticket. This is just to register the case. Before this, I had never seen a company where you call, get the support, and after that, they create a ticket for you. Normally, with companies, you need to call to a call center who registers the calls, then sends them to the engineer. When you call to Nutanix, you talk with the engineer.

We are still using VMware vCenter for virtualization management. Unfortunately, many systems are managed by my colleagues from Germany, and we're located in Brazil. 

We brought on Nutanix because we were looking to improve our environment and boost its speed. We were also looking for a new solution/tool. We trust Nutanix, and especially like the cloud-like solution for on-prem. We have been happy with them.

It was really simple for me. When I purchased the hardware, I also asked for an implementation. I followed the implementation with the guys. It was one to two days. When we deployed the machines we needed to do some updates, after that the configuration was quite simple and fast.

For deployment, we needed to install the hardware, do the start up, connect all the cables, and build the network, then install the Prism Pro and all the software. This took two days for us to unpack and put in the rack.

Our implementation strategy was to install the rack and configure the system, then when it was up and running, deploy the machines. It all worked and was really amazing. 

Two guys from the vendor did the installation. I used a third-party integrator, Servex (a Brazilian reseller/partner of Nutanix), to implement Prism Pro for me because because they have some configurations hided in Nutanix. They configure every piece of the driver, etc. I preferred that a third-party company do the implementation for me and I just follow up on all the activities.

Our experience with Servex was really good. Those guys really know the product and tools. The implementation went well.

We needed to install the hardware in two data centers. We installed in one location, then went to another location for install. However, this was a fast implementation.

I haven't fully recovered my investment.

If you compare a three layer solution, server, cell network, and storage to Nutanix, the prices are quite similar. However, if you take a look at the whole environment including the management, Nutanix has a better cost when compared with other solutions, especially because it's hardware. 

Nutanix has good central management tools where one guy can manage the entire system. Looking at other systems, I need a guy to manage the servers and another guy to manage the cell network and storage. I need a bigger team for other solutions compared to Nutanix where I can use a small team and reduce my operations to manage the cluster. Sometimes what you hear with this solution is, "It is so expensive," but the cost and benefits that Nutanix has inside are really good.

When I purchased the cluster, I could use the Nutanix hardware or purchase Dell EMC hardware using Nutanix software. However, when I purchased Dell EMC hardware in the past, if I needed some support, first I would need to call to Dell EMC and they would need to see if it's a hardware or software problem. If it's a software, then the issue is for Nutanix to resolve. This is the reason that when I purchased the solution, I purchased the hardware from Nutanix. I wanted to have the full support experience from Nutanix. I have been really happy with them.

I did a small evaluation of HPE SimpliVity and Dell EMC VxBlock, but I did not like these two tools. I preferred Nutanix because the scalability is better than the other two solution. It also has a better hardware solution that is simpler to use.

While I know that VMware has some hyperconversion tools like Nutanix, the problem is the licensing cost for VMware. For a hyperconversion system, Nutanix has a better solution than VMware, especially if you take a look at the costs.

I only use the Calm automation feature where I can create machines, but only inside my clusters. Its codeless approach to automation is amazing and good. It does some automated tasks on drag and drops. It also provides you the power to adjust scripts and the code so you can do more than the basics. Specifically in Calm, admins can confidently set up automation rules. In the Prism Pro, we have the CLI tool where you can deploy a machine and administration cluster over command line. Basically, you can create your automations on your own without using a DB. This provides us with a single tool for monitoring automation.

I would rate this solution as a 10 (out of 10). I really love this solution. It is excellent.

We are using Calm to deploy a new server. We have four blueprints: the first one is to bring the network; the second one is to configure the elements; the third and the fourth ones are for deploying new servers.

We save a lot of time with Calm. It has enabled our company to develop and deploy applications faster and it has reduced the time it takes us to QA applications. In addition, the solution's support for scripts, API, and domain specific language, has reduced the man-hours it takes to deploy and support applications because we don't have to rewrite all the scripts.

It also helps us react faster to the changing needs of our business because we can deploy another server easily, with just a few clicks.

Also, all of the deployments are exactly the same. We have exactly the same clusters deployed in each of our environments. 

The time savings and uniformity are the two main advantages for us.

We use the solution's support for scripts, API, and domain specific language.

There is room for improvement in making the solution easier still. If you don't know Calm, it's not so easy to use. Blueprint repositories are not all in the same place. Sometimes they are in the Marketplace, sometimes they are on the cluster. And from start to finish, it's not so easy to create a blueprint.

I have been using Nutanix Calm since January of 2019, so well over a year.

The stability, now, is okay, but in the past it was awful, due to both our environment and the solution.

The support for Calm is really excellent.

To me, the initial setup was complex. The way we are using it, it was not easy to do what we need to do. The deployment took us about two hours.

We used an integrator, SCC, for the deployment. Our experience with them was quite good.

For standard use it is quite easy to use, but for more complex tasks it's definitely more complex to use. An example of a simple task is deploying a new server, while a complex task would be configuring a bucket or another repository. Overall, it's easy to use.

You need to have a clear idea of what you are doing before creating blueprints in Calm. It is a really good solution for doing simple tasks, but it's not a good solution for complex tasks. But it can definitely save you a lot of time.

In terms of the solution's abilities when it comes to team collaboration, our team is really small; we are three people. It's quite easy for us to communicate and to tell each other what we are doing.

We use the solution in our production environment and test environment.

The product is very easy to learn. It has a very user-friendly interface. The technical features of the product are very valuable for us.

The solution should introduce more automation features.

I have been using the solution for two years.

The solution is stable. We did not face any downtime.

We were using another software with a poor interface and faced some difficulties. Switching to Nutanix Cloud Manager was very valuable because it saved us time and money. Our administrators also say that the product is very easy to use. We get all the features we need in one product.

Nutanix Cloud Manager is a lot easier to set up compared to other products.

The product is very cheap.

We are currently constructing a new building with a new data center. We plan to use Nutanix for our new infrastructure, which will be complete by 2025.

We use automation to create virtual machines for CIS Benchmarks for our servers, which is mandatory for banking systems. The product has a lot of helpful features for creating servers. The tool can handle our current automation, which has helped us.

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

We use the solution as a private cloud management tool in our company.

We create some VMs using Nutanix Cloud Manager Self-Service. The solution's simplicity to use and its configurable features are some of the solution's valuable parts.

I am very satisfied with the solution. The pricing of the solution is an area of concern that needs improvement.

I have experience and work with products from Nutanix. I have worked on the solution for three years. I am a customer of Nutanix.

The solution is very stable. I mean, we don't have problems using the solution.

I'm very satisfied with the product's scalability since it's very good.

Customer support is very good. For everything we need, we call the support, and they work together with us to solve the issue and find a solution quickly. I rate the technical support a ten out of ten.

Positive

It's simple and not complex to do the first setup. For deployment, around four people who were from a technical background, who knew how to operate the system, were required. For the maintenance of the product, four people are required.

On a scale from one to ten, if one is a low price and ten is a high price, I rate the solution's pricing a six.

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

Our primary use case to date has been hosting virtual machines of public branch exchanges (PBX) and Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) for our customers' Voice Over IP (VoIP) cloud-based telephone systems.

We currently focus on two PBXs that have performed quite well on Nutanix Prism Pro: Asterisk/FreePBX and 3CX. We are also in the process of implementing cloud-based security systems for our clients and expanding to also offer desktop as a service so that our clients can fully implement a bring-your-own-device policy for their offices.

Nutanix Prism Pro has improved the way that we manage our systems due to the way that the solution is built. Hyper-converged Infrastructure offers us the speed and reliability that is very much needed in our type of environment.

It has cut down our maintenance time significantly and simplified our processes for backups. 

We have had situations before where we have to restore a customers VM on the fly due to bad management of the client, where they would actually break the system and with our old solution, restoring could take upwards of two hours, whereas now, it takes a maximum of 10 seconds.

There are two specific things that stand out to me in terms of what I find most valuable in this product. Number one, how simple and effective the dashboard is at laying out everything that is needed at a glance. Whether it be checking the health of your clusters and nodes or seeing the state of all of your VMs, the information is right in front of you when logging in.

Second, the support for the product is absolutely amazing. Of all of the times that we required assistance for our Nutanix cluster, Nutanix support has been there no matter the time. So far, every support engineer has been a pleasure to work with.

I would appreciate more advanced networking features in the dashboard. There seems to be a lack of GUI functionality for creating/modifying features such as LACP and VXLAN. While these features can be configured, it can only be done via the CLI of your CVM/Cluster and it can be quite a hassle. GUI implementation for these features would really strengthen the product immensely.

I would also appreciate a dashboard that allows for more customization. I would love to be able to eliminate information that I don't consider crucial from the dashboard and/or have the ability to focus on more essential things (such as network utilization) for our use.

We have been using Nutanix Prism Pro for almost three years.

We previously used ESXi. We switched because we found that there was constant maintenance needed for our VSANs and it was quite cumbersome.

While the product may seem to be more expensive at first, it ultimately pays for itself within a short time frame due to the hours saved on maintenance.

We evaluated multiple options before choosing Nutanix. These included Citrix, Hyper-V, and Zen.

Our primary use case is cloud computing for government clients of the territory, which has all its services in the cloud.

So far, the level of performance in each client has been satisfactory. This has helped to earn our organization a high reputation, with thanks to the service provided. Being a hyper-converged infrastructure and market leader, we can have many benefits and a lot of return on investment.

The main benefit is to improve and increase the portfolio of products in the Corporation. The slogan of our cloud is hyper convergent, and the results have been satisfactory.

The administration components are the most useful since, with them, we have been able to win and perform preventive measures in the administration of the hyper-converged Nutanix infrastructure.

It has a very useful and intuitive interface. Administrators trust it to perform preventive diagnoses on the platform, which helps in the administration of the infrastructure. We have been able to gain a lot of experience in all aspects of administration, which has made us a competitive organization in the Cloud Computing market.

All of the tools that Nutanix brings have supported us to improve the service provided to our customers.

The most innovative part of the platform is the set of predictive monitoring tools. They help IT administrators in preventive monitoring and as a service in Cloud Computing services.

We would like to be able to provision virtual machines at the computing level, as that would give us an added value against the competition. Being an infrastructure free of licensing and being able to count on the over-provisioning of resources would be helpful.

We have been using Nutanix Prism Pro for about five years.

This product is highly stable.

The scalability is high.

The Prims Pro tool, being free, improves the ROI in the organization. The most important thing is to have a return on investment, which we have achieved. We have also gained prestige in the face of the competition, and we hope to continue growing in infrastructure.

We evaluated other products before settling on this product. It really has its qualities and as a service provider, we have been able to compare it with other infrastructure and we have seen that it wins in all aspects.

We use Nutanix Xi Beam for cost optimization and security compliance.

Nutanix Xi Beam's executive dashboard is valuable. It provides a complete sense of the whole infrastructure, right from a costing standpoint and a billing standpoint. It also shows your compliance requirements and solution insights.

I think Nutanix Xi Beam can be more cost-effective. 

This product should have a sense of what their users need. Few systems are not business-critical, but they run 24/7. This product usually works on average utilization. It should help us by showing the peak utilization and make recommendations. Otherwise, we play a blind game of cost optimization. If you reduce the configuration of the servers' recent size and the peak workloads come, there'll be a huge outcry because of business disruption.

Integrations are mostly based on APIs. It needs to build some good level of interoperability between the platforms, like in the multi-cloud environments. Otherwise, the process infrastructure isn't fully-fledged, and we won't know what kind of workloads can be offloaded from the cloud to on-premise. This can reduce the cloud's footprint, not just from a cost-saving standpoint within the cloud, but also from understanding the whole ecosystem and the infrastructure. 

I have been using Nutanix Xi Beam for more than a year. 

Nutanix Xi Beam is a stable solution. Our expectations are a bit average and not high. In that sense, it's good.

Initially, we had tech support, but now we're solely dependent on our in-house workforce capability.

I have used a startup solution called CloudOptics, as well.

The initial setup is straightforward. We didn't integrate it with anything, but we plan to integrate it with many other solutions to bring some interoperability to it. 

We started small and then started expanding. Now it's targeting only AWS, and we don't have any difficulty with cloud deployment.

A reseller, a Nutanix partner, implemented it.

Initially, it was monthly, and now it's on a yearly basis.

I have used a startup solution called CloudOptics, as well. We had a good demo of Nutanix Xi Beam in 2018 0r 2017, and it was one of the best tools at that time. We stuck to two or three products. I think one was Tableau. We tried the Nutanix Xi Beam one-month free trial and saved a lot of dollars within that month. That's when our leadership made the call.

On a scale from one to ten, I'll give Nutanix Xi Beam a seven.

I'll tell potential customers to explore their options because there are a number of competitors in terms of competency and pricing.

Our company is a telephony provider for small/medium-size businesses, as well as large scale enterprises. Our primary use of Nutanix Prism Pro is for virtualization of cloud-based Private Branch Exchange (PBX) VoIP/SIP compatible systems that are privately accessible to our clients over the internet. We use Prism for the creation and management of virtual machines for customer use as well as for configuring backup solutions for the systems that we offer. It is one of our main tools for what we offer.

Nutanix Prism Pro and Nutanix AOS have greatly improved our organization by providing a reliable and simple solution that requires little to no maintenance in order to successfully offer a stable service to our clientele, as opposed to the competitors.

For the approximate two years that we have been using this solution, we have not once had an instance where we were left inoperable or non-functional due to the integrated high availability features that are integrated with the product. Even among experiencing hardware failures, we were able to function as if nothing had happened and we could seamlessly repair or replace key components without customers even realizing that there was ever an issue.

The features I have found the most useful are the health checks, extremely fast snapshots/restores, and the high availability service.

The dashboard for Prism Pro is extremely elegant, powerful, and simple, with everything needed at a glance, including but not limited to, the health status of the cluster, the operational state of your environment (in our case virtual machines), and ease of navigation through fields that are less common, but none the less necessary such as disk imaging and simple one-click upgrades.

There is not much to say in this regard. The system is very feature-rich and if it cannot be taken care of in the Prism GUI then it definitely can be in the ACLI.

I do, however, wish that the cluster would come preinstalled with the OS, as ours did not, and it took quite a bit of tinkering, trial and error, calls to Nutanix support, and an ample amount of time to figure out how to get everything up and running. I feel as though this can be greatly improved by providing more documentation and instructions if the system does not come preinstalled with any OS.

We have been using this solution for just over two years.

A1! As I said in one of my previous statements, even in the midst of a critical hardware failure, the solution was able to carry on as if nothing happened due to the way the High Availability feature functions.

The sky is the limit with the scalability of this solution, new nodes and cluster integrate seamlessly and quickly.

Yes, the previous solution that we had used was VMWare ESXi. While it is one of the more popular Hypervisors, it is not nearly as intuitive, or even in the same range of power as Nutanix.

The initial setup was complex initially due to the lack of the base operating system being installed on the cluster.

We implemented in-house.

It is hard for me to speculate on ROI as I am not deeply rooted in the financial aspect of our company, I would estimate that we hit our ROI a year after integrating this product.

While Nutanix can seem more expensive initially than the competition, the return on investment is much faster and all in all, very much worth the price.

We also evaluated Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix, KVM, and a new ESXi solution on newer hardware.