VMware ESXi Reviews

We used it to run production and development workloads. It is quite a stable product in comparison to alternatives like Hyper-V.

The best advantage is that it reduces the footprint in your data center. By utilizing virtualization and a highly optimized hypervisor, you can run more workloads and reduce the physical space needed in your data center.

We haven't encountered any limitations because we already have a vSphere license. When running VMs, people don't request excessive configurations. We haven't reached any limits regarding storage or memory, as customers don't demand such high-end services.

In ESXi, they use different technologies like memory compression, TPS, and ballooning for resource optimization. These features allow you to run more workloads on the servers.

So, these features have been effective in optimizing server resource management.

The 6.5 and 6.7 versions already have features like graphics card passthrough and virtual compatibility.

I'm happy with the product. But what I feel is that FT (Fault Tolerance) is not used much. So maybe more focus on that feature is needed.

Sometimes, it takes some time for the level-one support to troubleshoot and respond. So, that could be improved. 

I started working with VMware ESXi in 2009, so it has been around 15 years.

It's my favorite product due to its stability. I haven't seen many problems with it.

In terms of ESXi, scalability is good. Nowadays, we utilize the full capacity of physical servers, and ESXi allows for good scalability. You can create a cluster and run numerous VMs across multiple hosts.

I'm satisfied with the support. Sometimes, when you open a case, and it lands on the first level, it takes much time to get it sorted out. But whenever level two or level three guys are involved, it’s good.

With VMware, I have worked for around 15 years, and sometimes the initial support takes longer to resolve issues. It seems like they have level-one support that takes more time. However, once the case gets escalated to level two, they provide solutions. So, VMware has a very good resource in their support team, but there are occasional delays.

Positive

I worked on Hyper-V when I was part of an SOC around 2015 or 2016. I deployed it with a four-node cluster. We used antivirus software on top of it, and I feel that caused many problems, like cluster downtime. The resource optimization was also not that great. Later, I migrated that workload to VMware.

ESXi and vCenter. My current organization only uses those two products, but my previous organizations used mostly VMware products, like vSAN, vROps and vRealize. They were a cloud provider and mainly used VMware products.

The installation and deployment are very easy for both vCenter and ESXi.

The ESXi installation and upgrade process is very easy. Even backup is easy now. The recent appliances come with configuration backup, which is a good option.

It is easy to maintain, especially when compared to Hyper-V or AWS.

In my previous organization, we used all VMware products, which were all integrated without any complexity. It was integrated with the Zerto replication tool, vROps, vCloud Director, and NSX. All of these VMware products were integrated together seamlessly. 

We also integrated some monitoring tools, and that was easy as well.

Time-saving is there. Suppose your workload is running on physical data, it’s more time-consuming and costly. But in VMware, it's cost-saving. 

In the case of Hyper-V, you would require more effort because most of the time you need to manage the VM manually due to issues. So, that was time-consuming in Hyper-V. But here, it’s easy to manage in less time.  

One of my colleagues from my previous organization mentioned that Broadcom had increased the pricing on all the products after the acquisition. 

In my current company, we have vCenter and ESXi. The company was doing a POC for the lab environment with vSAN.

Overall, it is good. I would rate it a nine out of ten because there have been issues with the support. 

The tool mainly serves the virtual machines for the development team and the production requirements.

The migration and combination of vCenter, where I can manage everything at once, has helped me do my job.

It would be really helpful if there were options to do things in one or two clicks rather than doing everything through more manual interaction.

I have been using VMware ESXi for six to seven years.

I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.

Scalability is one of VMware ESXi's major factors. Compared to real hardware in virtualization, there are multiple options for scalability and other options on the OS level as well. More than 1,000 users are using the solution daily in our organization.

I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.

The technical support team is good and responsive.

Positive

I also use the Hyper-V tool.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy, I rate the solution's initial setup an eight out of ten.

I and the storage engineer at the data center deployed the solution in-house, which took only a few hours.

The solution has made a lot of major improvements, such as high availability and scalability. There are a lot of functions that make your life easier. The solution's integration with other tools in the infrastructure is very easy.

I would recommend the solution to other users. VMware ESXi is a very user-friendly solution, and it is now being adopted on the cloud platform. Instead of changing their infrastructure, people already on VMware can directly go to the cloud and use exactly what they use in the data center.

Overall, I rate VMware ESXi a nine out of ten.

I am currently on the technical side, making connections so if reports are not working, I handle that. I have knowledge of ESXi, including making a VM and installing operating systems like Linux or Windows.

VMware ESXi has improved the efficiency of the software. It depends mostly on the specs of the virtual machine first created.

The most important features are having a lot of code and CPU threads to ensure the system doesn't lag, and the role of memory is important.

The software could be more user-friendly, allowing customers to easily find the resources and features they need.

I have been using VMware ESXi for less than a year.

I rate the stability of the solution as either nine or ten out of ten.

I rate the scalability about eight or nine out of ten. A lot of customers require this for virtual environments.

I rate the technical support from VMware as nine or ten out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward and simple to understand. It takes about a day or two to set up the system completely.

We use vendor partners to set up according to customer requirements.

The solution is moderately priced, not exactly cheap yet not overly expensive either.

I recommend VMware ESXi because many customers prefer virtual environments over on-premises solutions due to efficiency and flexibility.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

ESXi is used to install multiple operating systems (OS) on a single server. It allows us to monitor these machines, view resource usage for each virtual machine, and adjust allocated resources like RAM, CPU, and hard disk. 

We can also easily back up these virtual machines. We use VMware vSphere to manage these virtual machines and Cisco UCS Manager to manage Cisco UCS servers.

The main function of ESXi is the ability to consolidate multiple machines onto a single server, saving space and energy. It also provides a single-user interface to monitor these machines and easily adjust resources or create backups as needed.

Integration Capabilities:

Integration within the VMware environment is not a problem. We can easily move a virtual machine from one ESXi host to another and back up a virtual machine to a different ESXi host.

If the price could be reduced, that would be good.

I think there should be a direct link for managing the OS side so we can open the web interface directly in the browser.

I have been using it for seven years now. 

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. 

I would rate the scalability of ESXi an eight out of ten.  

Suitable for Enterprise:

ESXi is definitely suitable for enterprise and medium-sized companies. VMware Workstation is suitable for small and medium businesses.

I would rate VMware's technical support as six out of ten. The response time could be better.

Neutral

We use different firewalls, switch servers, and proxy servers. The proxy server is Squid, installed on CentOS, a Linux operating system. We use PRTG Network Monitor to monitor network traffic.

We have our own data center with servers, and one of our servers uses VMware. We use VMware ESXi for server virtualization.

We use both VMware Workstation and ESXi, each with its own benefits. Workstation is installed on the operating system, while ESXi is installed directly on the hardware. I have been working with ESXi for seven years.

The initial setup for ESXi is a bit complex and takes a couple of hours.

We use a hybrid model for deployment.

The price of ESXi is high.

VMware ESXi is better than Microsoft Hyper-V.

Nowadays, Docker is considered to be better than virtual machines (VMs). I am not very familiar with Docker, but I have learned that it is superior in many ways.

I would rate ESXi an eight out of ten overall. I do recommend it to other users.

In our company, we use the solution for visualization for the servers to consolidate all the physical servers into virtualized machines.

Most of our organization's in-house developed applications reside within VMware ESXi. 

The solution brings monetary savings for our company because we use a single server, which is usually converted from ten physical servers. 

For instance, I can connect any Linux server to any host and then implement migration without affecting the server's user experience. When I migrate the virtual machine to another host, it takes only a few minutes while the VM is still running; shutting down is unnecessary. 

Presently, our company is using an old version of VMware ESXi; we are planning to upgrade to the latest version within the next year. The latest version of the solution runs on a cloud, and our company is looking forward to reaping the benefits from it. Some features should be added to the solution to enhance server management. 

I have been using VMware ESXi for six years. 

The solution is stable enough. 

It's a scalable solution. In our organization, we have three VMware ESXi users who work on visualization, including two network engineers and one system administrator. VMware ESXi was used to run 20 to 30 virtualized machines in our company, but presently, the count has been reduced to around 10 to 15 because most of the servers have already been migrated to the cloud. 

Whenever we sought support, an active response was received in a minimal amount of time. I would rate the tech support a ten out of ten. 

Positive

In our organization, we also tried using open-source virtualization tools like Proxmox and KVM. The aforementioned solutions lack certain features that can be found in VMware ESXi. But the licensing and support cost of VMware ESXi is huge in comparison to open source solutions, as they are free to use. 

The initial setup process for VMware ESXi is simple. A substantial amount of support and help is available from the vendor during the setup process. A lot of documentation is available for setting up VMware ESXi. 

For the solution's deployment in our company, we started from the vendor's initial design and then clustered the product. After the aforementioned step, the cluster was migrated to another server, a new cluster was created, and the deployment process was soon completed. About three to four professionals and a network engineer are required for the initial setup of VMware ESXi.

Our company's security team is also involved in the VMware ESXi deployment process to set up all the ports and the network needed. The solution's initial setup process takes about one week to complete. The one-week setup process in our company includes a testing period, with burnout testing and environment tests, such as physical and virtual machine transfer. 

In our company, we deploy VMware ESXi only after completing several tests. The solution's maintenance is quite easy, the hard drive just needs to be replaced when the storage is full.

The solution consolidates all of our organization's physical servers into a virtualized environment, which further improves server management. 

VMware ESXi allows the management of virtual networks within the servers; switches are not needed to patch any server to a network and allow any type of network transfer. 

After deploying the solution in our company, we have witnessed an improvement in server efficiency; there are minimal problems noticed in the servers. Most of the production services can be moved anywhere and virtualized machines can be transferred to clouds when VMware ESXi is being used. 

When one of the server's failed in our organization, VMware ESXi helped in disaster recovery by utilizing a new host. I am satisfied with the high availability and disaster recovery capabilities of the solution. 

I would advise others to check other virtualization hypervisor solutions before directly adopting VMware ESXi, as it is costly compared to other solutions. Our company is approached by two vendors, one of which is Nutanix. VMware ESXi is more cost-effective than Nutanix. Overall, I would rate VMware ESXi a nine out of ten. 

We are using VMware ESXi for running various kinds of applications in our environment that use virtual machines.

VMware ESXi provides a reliable and stable environment, which makes us confident in our IT operations. We rely on it particularly in production environments where reliability is crucial.

VMware ESXi is very reliable, especially for our production environment. The ability to collapse its vulnerabilities swiftly adds to its reliability. Hyper-threading is a feature we use extensively.

For horizontal scalability, VMware ESXi is not the right product, and we have been evaluating alternative options. There are also some complaints about the web interface and licensing issues after Broadcom's acquisition.

I have been working with VMware ESXi for more than ten years.

VMware ESXi provides a very stable environment, making it a reliable choice for our operations.

Vertical scalability with VMware ESXi is very achievable, allowing easy upgrades to physical components like CPU and RAM. However, its horizontal scalability is not as flexible.

We have received good service from VMware technical support, though the need for assistance has been infrequent.

Positive

I have not had a chance to explore many other solutions in comparison to VMware ESXi.

The initial setup process is not complex and can typically be done in a little more than one hour with the help of one resource.

We are considering moving to another product for better cost-effectiveness, which might improve our ROI.

From a cost perspective, we are not entirely satisfied with VMware ESXi.

We are considering Kubernetes or OpenShift as potential alternatives.

Technically, VMware ESXi is a mature product, and I would recommend it for reliable, stable environments.

ESXi with Hyper Converged Infrastructure and Horizon for hosting virtual machines. There is also AHT for VDI environments.

It's a bare-metal hypervisor, mainly used for hosting virtual machines. The applications vary based on customer requirements. It can be used for running applications, database connectivity, infrastructure applications like software-based networks or firewalls, and managing on-premises applications.

The most beneficial features for me are DRS and HA (High Availability). In case of an interruption at the OS level, they ensure the virtual machine automatically comes back up. 

Another benefit is load balancing with the DRS feature.

Apart from that, it's the main source for us as consultants or architects to manage the infrastructure.

We follow the best practices as per Broadcom and VMware, and we do timely patching on ESXi to ensure security.

The license model has recently changed, which is a bit worrying for customers.

The only other issue is that since changing the portal, downloading patches or images for maintenance or deployment has become slightly more difficult because engineers are facing issues. 

I have been using it for more than ten years now. 

It's very stable because we do regular maintenance. It is not difficult to maintain at all. 

It is a scalable product. That's the reason it's number one, even after a decade.

I get a good response, but in a few cases, I have experienced delayed responses. I'm not sure, but maybe it's because of the transfer to Broadcom.

So, there is a slight delay in getting the support. 

Neutral

VMware is a leader with the new features they introduce on every major release. But regarding licensing, when I talk to Nutanix, they give it for free. With the Hyper Converged solution, we have to pay additional charges based on the core count. But feature-wise, I don't see any additional features that other hypervisors have.

The complexity of the initial setup is fine. We've been doing it for a long time. Compared to other hypervisors, it's very good. On average, it should be around 30 minutes to an hour.

Currently, we use version 7.0. We may upgrade to 8.0, but that will take a few months.

Deployment process: It's all internal discussions based on the load. We select the hardware vendor and do the installation via the ISO image. We do the configuration part ourselves. I take care of the ESXi infrastructure once the parts are delivered to the site.

I would recommend using it b, but it depends on their interest and budget.

Overall, I would rate it a nine out of ten. 

Our organization uses VMware ESXi for server management, specifically focusing on the ESXi and vMotion features. We use it because we have a lot of services that require server management, including financial and enterprise solutions. The use of VMware ESXi helps us support private and public sectors in our enterprise level organization.

VMware ESXi enables us to deliver services to customers more efficiently. It facilitates centralized monitoring and collaboration, and helps us manage our ERP system, which is integrated with our IT infrastructure. ESXi also aids in server management, allowing us to comply with customer standards and ensure operational efficiency.

ESXi's server management capabilities are incredibly beneficial, as it supports software integration with Windows servers and other essential systems. 

Furthermore, features like vMotion significantly improve operational efficiency by allowing seamless resource allocations.

There are concerns about VMware changing their licensing model from perpetual to a subscription model. This has led some customers to reconsider using VMware ESXi due to increased expenses and operational complexities.

We have been using ESXi for around three years within our organization's environment.

We have not faced any significant stability issues with VMware ESXi. It operates smoothly in our environment.

We have not encountered any scalability issues with VMware ESXi. The system effectively supports our operational needs without limitations.

For any issues that we cannot resolve internally, we escalate them to the global technical support team. Their timely assistance helps us address issues quickly and efficiently.

Positive

We are currently using software-only technology and do not rely on hypervisor or on-premise solutions. My previous experience also includes working with different VMware services.

The initial setup of VMware ESXi involves multiple teams to ensure comprehensive integration and security considerations, whether cloud or on-premise. 

It requires alignment and collaboration across teams to ensure proper server implementation.

Our organization relies on various internal teams, including procurement, vendor management, and technical teams, for implementation. This ensures a smooth deployment and operational process.

Currently, I am leading a project focused on cost-saving and optimization, leveraging technology for financial benefits within the organization.

The cost of VMware ESXi revolves around its licensing model. It would be beneficial to purchase licenses tailored specifically to our use needs, to reduce costs and improve performance.

I recommend VMware ESXi due to its virtualization capabilities and security features. It is effective for enhancing service delivery and should be considered by other users for server management needs.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.