VxRail Reviews

More than anything, we are using VxRail for network outages.

By implementing VxRail, we were looking to reduce the physical footprint in our stores. We wanted to have a platform with which we could virtualize our data.

VxRail has allowed us to reduce the physical footprint in the stores and optimize the maintenance that we had previously with so much physical equipment. It has allowed us to reduce the space of the environments and gain store space or storage space.

Its ability to simplify the management is excellent. VxRail gives me unique access to the environments. I have real-time graphics and information about the state of the virtualization platform that I have.

VxRail has the ability to consolidate infrastructure from multiple locations, but we do not use this capability. We have VxRail in each store. We have 36 stores in Spain and 16 in Portugal, and at the moment, we have an environment in each store.

The consumption levels and the benefits or best practices that it offers you to optimize those consumptions are quite optimal. For example, you can reduce the number of machines or lower the level of the fans to consume less.

In the past, we were late in terms of sales. The sales process was quite slow. VxRail has allowed us to overcome delays and reduce the sales time or the time for the end-customer, for example, when a person is buying a TV or a personal product.

VxRail has had an impact on our business in terms of immediacy. The impact we have had is in terms of microseconds. We have a checkout system on the VxRail platform that allows us to make a sales operation in a matter of a microsecond and reduce sales time.

The sustainability or the path we are taking is a more cloud-oriented hyperconvergence and reducing the physical footprint of VxRail environments. It has allowed us to take virtualized systems to the cloud in an easy way.

The low latency and response times and having a virtualized environment within a single computer are valuable. I have no physical elements, and I can optimize or balance my data depending on the sales volume that I have in a specific store.

I want to have a hybrid solution between the virtual environment that we have on-premises in the store and a replica or replication system in the cloud. I want a system to be able to balance my workload based on the volume and the real needs of my business at all times. I want a system more appropriate to what I need.

I would like to have a unified platform where I, for example, can manage my 50 stores from a single portal in VxRail and be able to apply all the updates at once. I want to unify them into a centralized console.

I have been using VxRail for approximately eight years.

VxRail is totally stable. It is a platform that I have been using in other environments in other companies for a long time. The truth is that although expensive, it is a completely reliable solution.

It allows you to do whatever you want. You can scale to a very good level.

Their support is optimal.

Positive

We did not use any other solution previously.

The clearest ROI, above all, has been the reduction in physical footprint and the reduction in electrical consumption compared to other types of solutions.

They will have to optimize costs. Currently, the retail sector is complicated because it does not sell as much, and it should precisely be aligned with the reality and current situation of the retail business. Implementation and implementation costs are expensive compared to other on-premises solutions.

I know that they evaluated solutions from HPE and hyperconvergence solutions from other manufacturers.

VxRail surpasses them due to the solidity it offers in terms of the stability of the platform. It is a platform that is easy to set up and easy to deploy, and once it is implemented in production, you do not have to constantly attend to the environment. It is an environment that does not require continuous maintenance time. I just set it up and implement it, and it works independently.

We considered public cloud infrastructure before choosing VxRail. We have public cloud environments. The commerce website is in the public cloud, and we are considering taking many virtualized VxRail environments to the public cloud in the future.

Especially with the public cloud, one of the problems I have is that if tomorrow, for example, I have a problem with a communications line going down in a store, I would not be able to sell in a public cloud. VxRail allows me to continue operating even if the store is completely cut off.

It is a reliable platform. It is easy to deploy. It allows scalability for an SME company, and there is ease of use for support and administration teams.

I would rate VxRail a ten out of ten.

Foreign Language:(Spanish)

Proporciona información en tiempo real y reduce la huella física y el mantenimiento.

¿Durante cuánto tiempo utiliza Dell VxRail?

He estado usando VxRail durante aproximadamente ocho años.

¿Cuál es su principal caso de uso de esta solución? (Incluya detalles sobre su entorno).

Más que nada, utilizamos VxRail para cortes de red.

Al implementar VxRail, buscábamos reducir el espacio físico en nuestras tiendas. Queríamos tener una plataforma con la que pudiéramos virtualizar nuestros datos.

Comparta cómo Dell VxRail ha mejorado su organización. Si no fue así, explique por qué.

VxRail nos ha permitido reducir la huella física en las tiendas y optimizar el mantenimiento que teníamos anteriormente con tanto equipo físico. Nos ha permitido reducir espacios de poca necesidad y ganar espacio de tienda o almacén.

La capacidad de VxRail para simplificar la administración es excelente. VxRail me brinda acceso único a los entornos. Tengo gráficos e información en tiempo real del estado de la plataforma de virtualización que tengo.

VxRail tiene la capacidad de consolidar infraestructura desde múltiples ubicaciones, pero no utilizamos esta capacidad. Contamos con VxRail en cada tienda. Disponemos de 36 tiendas en España y 16 en Portugal, y de momento tenemos un entorno en cada tienda.

Los niveles de consumo y los beneficios o mejores prácticas que te ofrece para optimizar esos consumos son bastante óptimos. Por ejemplo, puedes reducir el número de equipos o bajar el nivel de los ventiladores para consumir menos.

En el pasado, llegabamos tarde en términos de ventas. El proceso de venta era bastante lento. VxRail nos ha permitido superar retrasos y reducir el tiempo de venta o el tiempo para el cliente final, por ejemplo, cuando una persona compra un televisor o un producto personal.

VxRail ha tenido un impacto en nuestro negocio en términos de inmediatez. El impacto que hemos tenido es en términos de microsegundos. Contamos con un sistema de checkout en la plataforma VxRail que nos permite realizar una operación de venta en cuestión de microsegundos y reducir el tiempo de venta.

La sostenibilidad o el camino que estamos tomando es una hiperconvergencia más orientada a la nube y la reducción de la huella física de los entornos VxRail. Nos ha permitido llevar los sistemas virtualizados a la nube de una forma sencilla.

¿Qué características le han parecido más valiosas y por qué?

La baja latencia y los tiempos de respuesta y el hecho de tener un entorno virtualizado dentro de una sola computadora son valiosos. No tengo elementos físicos y puedo optimizar o equilibrar mis datos dependiendo del volumen de ventas que tenga en una tienda específica.

¿En qué áreas se podría mejorar Dell VxRail?

Quiero tener una solución híbrida entre el entorno virtual que tenemos on-premise en la tienda y un sistema de réplica o replicación en la nube. Quiero un sistema para poder equilibrar mi carga de trabajo en función del volumen y las necesidades reales de mi negocio en cada momento. Quiero un sistema más adecuado a lo que necesito.

Me gustaría tener una plataforma unificada donde yo, por ejemplo, pueda administrar mis 50 tiendas desde un único portal en VxRail y poder aplicar todas las actualizaciones a la vez. Quiero unificarlos en una consola centralizada.

¿Utilizó anteriormente una solución diferente? De ser así, ¿por qué la cambió?

No utilizamos ninguna otra solución anteriormente.

Antes de elegir, ¿evaluaste otras opciones? ¿De ser asi, cuales?

Sé que evaluaron soluciones de HPE y soluciones de hiperconvergencia de otros fabricantes.

VxRail los supera por la solidez que ofrece en cuanto a estabilidad de la plataforma. Es una plataforma fácil de configurar y de implementar, y una vez implementada en producción, no es necesario atender constantemente el entorno. Es un entorno que no requiere tiempo de mantenimiento continuo. Simplemente lo configuro y lo implemento, y funciona de forma independiente.

Consideramos la infraestructura de nube pública antes de elegir VxRail. Disponemos de entornos de nube pública. El sitio web de comercio está en la nube pública y estamos considerando llevar muchos entornos virtualizados de VxRail a la nube pública en el futuro.

Uno de los problemas que tengo, especialmente con la nube pública es que si mañana por ejemplo tengo un problema con una línea de comunicaciones que se cae en una tienda, no podría vender en una nube pública. VxRail me permite seguir operando incluso si la tienda está completamente aislada.

¿Qué aconseja a otros sobre el costo de instalación, el precio y/o la licencia?

Tendrán que optimizar costes. Actualmente el sector del retail es complicado porque no vende tanto, y precisamente se debe alinear con la realidad y situación actual del negocio del retail. Los costos de implementación son costosos en comparación con otras soluciones locales.

¿Cuáles son sus impresiones sobre la escalabilidad de esta solución?

Te permite hacer lo que quieras. Puedes escalar a un muy buen nivel.

¿Cuáles son sus impresiones sobre la estabilidad de esta solución?

VxRail es totalmente estable. Es una plataforma que vengo usando en otros entornos en otras empresas desde hace tiempo. La verdad es que aunque es costosa, es una solución completamente confiable.

¿Has visto el ROI (Retorno de la Inversión)? En caso afirmativo, ¿de qué manera (es decir, métricas/puntos de datos)?

El retorno más claro, sobre todo, ha sido la reducción de la huella física y la reducción del consumo eléctrico en comparación a otro tipo de soluciones.

Cuéntanos tu experiencia con el servicio y soporte al cliente.

Su soporte es óptimo.

¿Cómo calificaría esta solución en una escala del 1 al 10 en cuanto a servicio y soporte?

9.

En una escala del 1 al 10 (1=peor, 10=mejor), ¿cómo calificaría Dell VxRail? Por favor explique por qué.

Es una plataforma confiable. Es fácil de implementar. Permite escalabilidad para una PYME y es fácil de usar para los equipos de soporte y administración.

Calificaría a VxRail con un diez de diez.

VxRail is a suitable solution where more transactions are required and the TPMs exceed the standard requirements. For example, we have sold VxRail to a government weather company. This company runs extensive simulations to predict upcoming weather, analyzes images, and employs AI for analytics. These tasks demand significant computing power. Considering the budget, they need solutions that offer this level of performance. Typically, banking, education, and manufacturing customers opt for VxRail servers. 

VxRail integration with multiple products is among the best key points for selling to any end customer.

The main feature of VxRail is its integration. VxRail integrates with almost all major products. Another key feature is its monitoring capabilities. VxRail provides detailed monitoring from the application level, making it easy to troubleshoot issues. Additionally, their CloudIQ software suggests best practices automatically. For instance, if you are taking snapshot backups on VxRail, CloudIQ will inform you in advance if there are any issues. For example, if you planned to take ten snapshots in one day but only eight were successful due to a receiver issue, CloudIQ will help you identify the problem and suggest best practices to resolve it. It provides comprehensive data and information without consulting different websites or people.

The solution is expensive.

I have been using VxRail for ten years.

The stability is excellent.

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

You can have over 64 nodes in one cluster. It's plug-and-play. You just need to add the load to the cluster.

It is suitable for telcos and enterprises. If you have a university with two hundred campuses, then it is not recommended for them.It is the best solution for one of the departments, such as the electronics or business departments, that are running simulations. 

I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.

Support is wonderful. You email them, and they come to Webex and take the session.

The price of VxRail is a bit higher. However, they focus on general specifications when selecting products in the environment sector.

When we compare VxRail with Cisco HyperFlex, Lenovo, Nutanix, and HP, we find it to be more cost-effective. Additionally, VxRail offers integrated backup and application support. In contrast, HP often lacks application support and relies on third-party solutions like Veeam or NetBackup. This can sometimes cause issues with smaller or in-house applications that may not be compatible with these backup solutions, leading to problems. On the other hand, if we decide to go with VxRail, they provide Avamar and NetWorker. Additionally, we can integrate it with a dedicated domain if we want to use separate storage.

When providing VxRail solutions to customers, they bring their own system engineers or system administrators with one or two years of experience in servers and VMware. We do not just hand over the hardware as a simple plug-and-play solution. Instead, we provide a comprehensive solution that requires some level of expertise. Ideally, the person should have two to three years of experience in VMware and server administration.

For instance, a six-node installation can be completed in two hours, given the proper preparation. The system doesn't work automatically for the engineer; they need to be proactive. It is crucial to prepare around four or five key points before deployment. This proactive preparation ensures a smoother installation and deployment process. This is one of the strong points of VxRail solutions.

VxRail competes with Cisco HyperFlex, HPE SimpliVity, and other major players in the HCI market. Locally, there is limited market penetration, which keeps them relatively safe. Apart from Dell EMC's VxRail, other significant providers include HPE with SimpliVity, Lenovo with Nutanix, and Cisco with HyperFlex.

We have repeatedly asked the R&D team about external storage and how we can improve it for CI. Previously, there was an issue with FCI traffic, which was not supported. However, it is now supported on FCI with external storage.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Our primary use case for VxRail is traditional server storage for a Windows environment currently hosting approximately 35 virtual machines.

Our small IT team, with only one colleague managing the infrastructure, led us to choose VxRail. We primarily sought a solution that would simplify and expedite infrastructure management, ensuring our sole infrastructure manager wouldn't be burdened by juggling various systems, individual storage systems, and separate server environments. Therefore, an all-in-one package offering fast deployment, easy updates, and single-person manageability was key for us.

While any other server deployment system could have achieved similar results, VxRail's key benefit has been simplifying the process for our team, reducing their management and update workload. It offers a hassle-free, complete package, comparable to what a traditional storage-plus-server solution of similar size would provide.

Considering our organization's size and comparing VxRail's manageability for VMware to traditional approaches, I'd rate it a nine out of ten. It eliminates concerns about update dependencies, offering a significant improvement over conventional solutions for us.

While I'm aware of VxRail's energy consumption, I lack a direct comparison to other systems. That said, I'd characterize its power usage as surprisingly low. This became evident during our move to a new building with a dedicated server room last year. Planning for air conditioning and power supply, considering VxRail's needs, turned out to be much simpler than anticipated. However, I wouldn't be able to quantify this observation without comparing it to other systems' power consumption.

Our production environment differs from traditional setups, and we fortunately have ample time windows for maintenance. This makes it difficult for me to definitively say whether VxRail has reduced unplanned outages. However, the update process itself is a significant improvement. Compared to the traditional infrastructure I'm used to, which often involved extended periods of downtime, VxRail has streamlined the process, allowing us to schedule maintenance within manageable timeframes.

Compared to the traditional approach, I'd rate the impact VxRail has had on our business flexibility as a nine out of ten. This translates to no longer worrying about dependencies. Updates no longer require fretting about order or compatibility; instead, I receive a comprehensive package ready for application. The improvement over conventional solutions has been significant.

While VxRail's impact on our core business is minimal due to our size, it has significantly improved the IT team's flexibility and efficiency, indirectly benefiting the overall organization. Our current needs don't necessitate rapid scaling or high flexibility.

The update capability of VxRail is crucial for us. It allows us to apply updates quickly and easily, which is especially valuable with our smaller team. Even though the team has grown slightly, we still have the same person managing the system. Fortunately, VxRail's efficient update process enables this colleague to perform updates rapidly without significant disruptions to our business operations.

I would like to suggest two areas for improvement. First, a greater emphasis should be placed on ensuring that installers possess not only relevant certifications but also in-depth knowledge of the system. Second, the accessibility of support resources could be enhanced. While the system itself functions well technically, obtaining timely access to necessary support materials has proven to be a challenge at times. Obtaining support was hindered by the frequent changes to the hotline numbers. We would call one number, only to be told they weren't responsible, and then be directed to another number with the same outcome. This administrative complexity presented a significant challenge. However, once we established contact with the correct personnel, both the hardware and support services were satisfactory.

I have been using VxRail for almost five years.

We've enjoyed exceptional stability with no outages in nearly five years. I'd confidently rate it a ten out of ten. There was a single controller failure on a node, but the system seamlessly maintained operation. In short, there's nothing negative to report; it runs flawlessly, exceeding our expectations.

Scalability isn't a major concern for us because we initially overprovisioned the systems, giving them more capacity than we initially needed to accommodate potential growth. We're currently evaluating whether to replace the entire system or expand it. Both options are still being considered. There's room for growth, but we haven't had to tap into it yet.

While Dell's technical support is readily available, navigating it to reach the right specialist can be quite challenging. Conversely, the support for VxRail is exceptional. This is due to the dedicated team of highly skilled technicians and support engineers who specialize solely in these products, guaranteeing a superior level of service. It's important to note that these specialists may not be located in Germany, but rather in the UK, Ireland, or elsewhere globally. However, this ensures access to a wealth of specialized knowledge.

Positive

The technician and a colleague from my team handled the deployment. I observed with interest. While the initial rollout seemed less complex and time-consuming than anticipated, the overall undertaking itself remains intricate in terms of its requirements. However, the actual execution was faster than expected.

The technician's tasks might have been intricate, but for us, the process was manageable. We set up the new system in parallel with the existing one, free from time constraints and stress. This allowed us to gradually migrate workloads from the old to the new environment at our own pace. Essentially, the technician guided us up to a certain point, demonstrating how far we could independently handle the transfer, and we took it from there. From our perspective, it was a straightforward approach.

We adopted a methodical approach, constructing the new environment in parallel with the existing one before gradually transitioning workloads. This ensured continuity as some workloads remained in the old environment while others were migrated to the new. The entire process was seamless, causing no disruptions to business operations. For mission-critical systems like the ERP system and file server, we performed the migration outside of business hours, further minimizing any potential impact. The migration itself was uneventful and smooth. Once VxRail was fully operational with multiple nodes and redundant storage, we began provisioning new VMs to accommodate additional workloads.

Our initial implementation was handled by our partner, IT House. However, they partnered with distributor Team AG due to their team's certified technicians. Crucially, having certified technicians alone isn't enough; the individuals involved in the setup also need a deep understanding of the system and, ideally, extensive experience. Unfortunately, after a year or two of operation, we encountered challenges that could be attributed to initial implementation shortcomings. This experience underscores the importance of involving highly qualified technicians from the outset.

While we lack specific details regarding VxRail's latency and cost compared to public cloud infrastructure, it positioned itself at a significantly higher price point than our traditional server and storage setup when we made the decision. In comparison, VxRail likely sits closer in cost to a public cloud solution, with the cloud potentially being slightly more expensive depending on the specific resource requirements. Ultimately, from an IT perspective, the benefits of VxRail outweighed the cost considerations. We opted for the additional investment, despite the roughly 25 percent cost saving that the traditional infrastructure offered. This conscious decision reflected our desire to capitalize on the positive IT impacts of VxRail.

The current VxRail pricing structure is quite opaque for me, especially considering the recent changes. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for us to decide whether to replace or expand our existing VxRail system. The complexity stems from the fact that pricing is heavily tied to specific license version choices. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate a more transparent and straightforward pricing structure that simplifies decision-making.

We seriously considered a public cloud infrastructure before opting for VxRail. However, we ultimately decided against it because many of our applications originated in the traditional on-premises environment and function optimally there. We were concerned that introducing latency or outsourcing these applications to the cloud might compromise their performance. Consequently, we opted for self-management to maintain optimal control.

Depending on the underlying reasons why I would want to use VxRail then, of course, we must evaluate whether the additional costs the system brings are justified by the added value it provides. I believe everyone has to decide that for themselves. But for us, considering the costs, the experience with support, and other factors, I would rate VxRail an eight out of ten. VxRail's cost remains a concern. While its price gap compared to traditional server and storage infrastructure persists, I appreciate the efforts to improve licensing, accessibility, and support. Since our support lapsed, the EMC acquisition seems to have brought some positive changes in these areas, which is encouraging.

While VxRail offers the ability to consolidate infrastructure from multiple locations, it wouldn't apply to our needs as our infrastructure is operated entirely from one location.

Foreign Language:(German)

Problemloses und energieeffizientes Komplettpaket

Was ist unser Hauptanwendungsfall?

Unser Hauptanwendungsfall für VxRail ist die traditionelle Serverspeicherung für eine Windows-Umgebung, in der derzeit etwa 35 virtuelle Maschinen gehostet werden.

Unser kleines IT-Team mit nur einem Kollegen, der die Infrastruktur verwaltet, hat uns dazu geführt, dass wir uns für VxRail entschieden haben. Wir suchten in erster Linie nach einer Lösung, die das Infrastrukturmanagement vereinfacht und beschleunigt, damit unser einziger Infrastrukturmanager nicht mit verschiedenen Systemen, individuellen Speichersystemen und separaten Serverumgebungen jonglieren muss. Daher war ein Komplettpaket, das eine schnelle Bereitstellung, einfache Updates und die Verwaltung durch eine einzige Person ermöglicht, für uns entscheidend.

Wie hat es meiner Organisation geholfen?

Obwohl jedes andere System für die Serverbereitstellung ähnliche Ergebnisse liefern könnte, bestand der Hauptvorteil von VxRail in der Vereinfachung des Prozesses für unser Team und der Verringerung des Verwaltungs- und Aktualisierungsaufwands. VxRail bietet ein problemloses Komplettpaket, vergleichbar mit dem, was eine übliche Speicher-plus-Server-Lösung von ähnlicher Größe bieten würde.

In Anbetracht der Größe unseres Unternehmens und im Vergleich zu herkömmlichen Lösungen würde ich die Verwaltungsfähigkeit von VxRail für VMware mit neun von zehn Punkten bewerten. Es beseitigt die Bedenken hinsichtlich der Update-Abhängigkeit und stellt für uns eine erhebliche Verbesserung gegenüber herkömmlichen Lösungen dar.

Obwohl ich den Energieverbrauch von VxRail kenne, fehlt mir ein direkter Vergleich mit anderen Systemen. Dennoch würde ich den Stromverbrauch als erstaunlich niedrig bezeichnen. Dies wurde bei unserem Umzug in ein neues Gebäude mit einem eigenen Serverraum im letzten Jahr deutlich. Die Planung der Klimatisierung und der Stromversorgung war angesichts der Anforderungen von VxRail viel einfacher als erwartet. Allerdings kann ich diese Beobachtung nicht quantifizieren, ohne sie mit dem Stromverbrauch anderer Systeme zu vergleichen.

Unsere Produktionsumwelt unterscheidet sich von herkömmlichen Setups, und wir haben glücklicherweise reichlich Zeit für Wartung. Das macht es mir schwer, definitiv zu sagen, ob VxRail die ungeplanten Ausfälle reduziert hat. Der Aktualisierungsprozess selbst stellt jedoch eine erhebliche Verbesserung dar. Verglichen mit der traditionellen Infrastruktur, an die ich gewöhnt bin und die oft lange Ausfallzeiten mit sich brachte, hat VxRail den Prozess rationalisiert und ermöglicht es uns, Wartungsarbeiten in gut überschaubaren Zeitrahmen zu planen.

Im Vergleich zum traditionellen Ansatz würde ich die Auswirkungen von VxRail auf unsere geschäftliche Flexibilität mit neun von zehn Punkten bewerten. Das bedeutet, dass ich mir keine Gedanken mehr über Abhängigkeiten machen muss. Bei Aktualisierungen muss ich mich nicht mehr über die Reihenfolge oder Kompatibilität ärgern, sondern erhalte ein umfassendes Paket, das sofort eingesetzt werden kann. Die Verbesserung gegenüber herkömmlichen Lösungen ist signifikant.

Obwohl die Auswirkungen von VxRail auf unser Kerngeschäft aufgrund unserer Größe minimal sind, hat es die Flexibilität und Effizienz des IT-Teams erheblich verbessert, was indirekt der gesamten Organisation zugute kommt. Unsere aktuellen Bedürfnisse erfordern keine schnelle Skalierung oder hohe Flexibilität.

Was ist am wertvollsten?

Die Update-Fähigkeit von VxRail ist für uns entscheidend. Sie ermöglicht es uns, Aktualisierungen schnell und einfach durchzuführen, was bei unserem kleinen Team besonders wertvoll ist. Auch wenn das Team leicht gewachsen ist, haben wir immer noch dieselbe Person, die das System verwaltet. Glücklicherweise kann dieser Kollege dank des effizienten Aktualisierungsprozesses von VxRail Aktualisierungen schnell und ohne nennenswerte Unterbrechungen unseres Geschäftsbetriebs durchführen.

Was muss verbessert werden?

Ich möchte zwei Bereiche für Verbesserungen vorschlagen. Erstens sollte mehr Wert darauf gelegt werden, dass die Installateure nicht nur über einschlägige Zertifizierungen, sondern auch über eingehende Kenntnisse des Systems verfügen. Zweitens könnte die Verfügbarkeit von Support-Ressourcen verbessert werden. Während das System selbst technisch gut funktioniert, erwies sich der rechtzeitige Zugang zu den erforderlichen Unterstützungsmaterialien zuweilen als Herausforderung. Der Zugang zum Support wurde durch die häufigen Änderungen der Hotline-Nummern erschwert. Wenn wir eine Nummer anriefen, wurde uns gesagt, sie sei nicht zuständig, und dann wurden wir an eine andere Nummer mit demselben Ergebnis weitergeleitet. Diese administrative Komplexität stellte eine große Herausforderung dar. Sobald wir jedoch den Kontakt zu den richtigen Mitarbeitern hergestellt hatten, waren sowohl die Hardware als auch die Supportleistungen zufriedenstellend.

Wie lange nutze ich die Lösung schon?

Ich arbeite seit fast fünf Jahren mit VxRail.

Was halte ich von der Stabilität der Lösung?

Wir haben seit fast fünf Jahren eine außergewöhnliche Stabilität ohne Ausfälle. Ich würde es selbstbewusst mit zehn von zehn Punkten bewerten. Es gab einen einzigen Ausfall eines Controllers an einem Knotenpunkt, aber das System konnte nahtlos weiterarbeiten. Kurz gesagt, es gibt nichts Negatives zu berichten; es läuft einwandfrei und hat unsere Erwartungen mehr als erfüllt.

Was denke ich über die Skalierbarkeit der Lösung?

Die Skalierbarkeit ist für uns kein großes Problem, da wir die Systeme anfangs mit mehr Kapazität ausgestattet haben, als wir für ein mögliches Wachstum benötigen. Derzeit denken wir darüber nach, ob wir das gesamte System ersetzen oder erweitern sollen. Beide Optionen werden noch in Betracht gezogen. Es gibt Raum für Wachstum, aber wir mussten ihn noch nicht nutzen.

Wie sind Kundenservice und Support?

Der technische Support von Dell ist zwar leicht erreichbar, aber es kann eine ziemliche Herausforderung sein, den richtigen Spezialisten zu finden. Im Gegensatz dazu ist der Support für VxRail außergewöhnlich. Das liegt an dem engagierten Team hochqualifizierter Techniker und Support-Ingenieure, die sich ausschließlich auf diese Produkte spezialisiert haben und so einen erstklassigen Service garantieren. Es ist wichtig zu wissen, dass sich diese Spezialisten nicht in Deutschland, sondern in Großbritannien, Irland oder anderswo auf der Welt befinden können. Dies sichert jedoch den Zugang zu einem umfangreichen Fachwissen.

Wie bewerten Sie den Kundenservice und -support?

Positiv

Wie war die Ersteinrichtung?

Der Techniker und ein Kollege aus meinem Team haben den Einsatz durchgeführt. Ich habe das mit Interesse beobachtet. Obwohl die anfängliche Einführung weniger komplex und zeitaufwändig zu sein schien als erwartet, ist das gesamte Vorhaben in Bezug auf seine Anforderungen nach wie vor kompliziert. Die tatsächliche Durchführung verlief jedoch schneller als erwartet.

Die Arbeit des Technikers war zwar kompliziert, aber für uns war der Prozess nachvollziehbar. Wir richteten das neue System parallel zum bestehenden ein, frei von Zeitdruck und Stress. Auf diese Weise konnten wir die Arbeitslasten schrittweise und in unserem eigenen Tempo von der alten in die neue Umgebung migrieren. Im Wesentlichen hat uns der Techniker bis zu einem bestimmten Punkt geführt und uns gezeigt, wie weit wir den Transfer selbständig bewältigen können, und von da an haben wir ihn übernommen. Aus unserer Sicht war das ein unkomplizierter Ansatz.

Wir gingen methodisch vor, indem wir die neue Umgebung parallel zur bestehenden Umgebung aufbauten und die Arbeitslasten schrittweise umstellten. Dies gewährleistete Kontinuität, da einige Arbeitslasten in der alten Umgebung verblieben, während andere in die neue migriert wurden. Der gesamte Prozess verlief nahtlos und verursachte keine Unterbrechungen im Geschäftsbetrieb. Für unternehmenskritische Systeme wie das ERP-System und den Dateiserver führten wir die Migration außerhalb der Geschäftszeiten durch, um mögliche Auswirkungen weiter zu minimieren. Die Migration selbst verlief reibungslos und ohne Störungen. Sobald VxRail mit mehreren Knoten und redundantem Speicher voll funktionsfähig war, begannen wir mit der Bereitstellung neuer VMs, um zusätzliche Arbeitslasten zu bewältigen.

Wie sieht es mit dem Implementierungsteam aus?

Unsere ursprüngliche Implementierung wurde von unserem Partner IT House durchgeführt. Aufgrund der zertifizierten Techniker des Distributors Team AG wurde jedoch eine Partnerschaft mit diesem eingegangen. Entscheidend ist, dass zertifizierte Techniker allein nicht ausreichen; die an der Einrichtung beteiligten Personen müssen auch ein tiefes Verständnis des Systems und idealerweise umfangreiche Erfahrung haben. Leider sind wir nach ein oder zwei Jahren Betrieb auf Herausforderungen gestoßen, die auf anfängliche Implementierungsmängel zurückzuführen waren. Diese Erfahrung unterstreicht, wie wichtig es ist, von Anfang an hochqualifizierte Techniker einzubeziehen.

Welche Erfahrungen habe ich mit den Preisen, den Implementierungskosten und der Lizenzierung gemacht?

Wir haben zwar keine genauen Angaben zu den Latenzzeiten und Kosten von VxRail im Vergleich zu einer öffentlichen Cloud-Infrastruktur, aber als wir die Entscheidung getroffen haben, lag der Preis für VxRail wesentlich höher als der unserer traditionellen Server- und Speicherlösung. Im Vergleich dazu liegt VxRail bei den Kosten wahrscheinlich näher an einer öffentlichen Cloud-Lösung, wobei die Cloud je nach den spezifischen Ressourcenanforderungen möglicherweise etwas teurer ist. Letztendlich waren die Vorteile von VxRail aus IT-Sicht wichtiger als die Kostenüberlegungen. Wir haben uns für die zusätzliche Investition entschieden, obwohl die herkömmliche Infrastruktur eine Kostenersparnis von etwa 25 Prozent brachte. Diese bewusste Entscheidung spiegelte unseren Wunsch wider, die positiven IT-Auswirkungen von VxRail zu nutzen.

Die derzeitige Preisgestaltung von VxRail ist für mich ziemlich undurchsichtig, insbesondere angesichts der letzten Änderungen. Dieser Mangel an Transparenz macht es uns schwer zu entscheiden, ob wir unser bestehendes VxRail-System ersetzen oder erweitern sollen. Die Komplexität ergibt sich aus der Tatsache, dass die Preisgestaltung stark an die Wahl einer bestimmten Lizenzversion gebunden ist. Daher würde ich eine transparentere und einfachere Preisstruktur sehr begrüßen, die die Entscheidungsfindung vereinfacht.

Welche anderen Lösungen habe ich bewertet?

Wir haben ernsthaft über eine öffentliche Cloud-Infrastruktur nachgedacht, bevor wir uns für VxRail entschieden haben. Letztendlich haben wir uns aber dagegen entschieden, weil viele unserer Anwendungen in der traditionellen On-Premises-Umgebung entstanden sind und dort optimal funktionieren. Wir hatten Bedenken, dass die Einführung von Wartezeiten oder die Auslagerung dieser Anwendungen in die Cloud ihre Leistung gefährden könnte. Daher haben wir uns für die Selbstverwaltung entschieden, um die optimale Kontrolle zu behalten.

Welche anderen Ratschläge kann ich geben?

Je nachdem, aus welchen Gründen ich VxRail nutzen möchte, muss man natürlich abschätzen, ob die zusätzlichen Kosten, die das System verursacht, durch den Mehrwert, den es bietet, begründet sind. Ich glaube, das muss jeder für sich selbst entscheiden. Aber für uns würde ich VxRail unter Berücksichtigung der Kosten, der Erfahrungen mit dem Support und anderer Faktoren mit acht von zehn Punkten bewerten. Die Kosten von VxRail bleiben ein Problem. Während der Preisunterschied zu traditionellen Server- und Speicherinfrastrukturen bestehen bleibt, schätze ich die Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung der Lizenzierung, der Verfügbarkeit und des Supports. Seitdem unser Support ausgelaufen ist, scheint die EMC-Übernahme einige positive Veränderungen in diesen Bereichen gebracht zu haben, was sehr positiv ist.

VxRail bietet zwar die Möglichkeit, die Infrastruktur von mehreren Standorten aus zu konsolidieren, aber das wäre für unsere Bedürfnisse nicht geeignet, da unsere Infrastruktur ausschließlich von einem Standort aus betrieben wird.

We primarily use VxRail for small-scale deployments in our organization. Our virtual machines and AD servers run on it, utilizing no more than four nodes due to its high recovery capabilities. We rely on it exclusively for storage and computing needs.

VxRail uses a plug-and-play concept, so you can easily add nodes. While the initial implementation might be complex, you won't need a dedicated team to manage it once it's fully set up. VxRail supports straightforward scaling, allowing you to add as many nodes as needed for upgrades and simplifying the upgrade process.

There's a specific procedure to follow when shutting down a VxRail system. The process can be complex due to the system's configurations and load balancing. Because VxRail uses node-based configurations, handling shutdowns, restarts, or reboots might seem challenging. Simplifying this process could improve the overall user experience.

I have been using VxRail for six to seven years.

The device is stable.

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

It is a strong player in the cloud market. While it may sometimes be more expensive, it is well-suited for on-premises needs. 

400 users use this solution, but not everyone is deployed on the VxRail virtual machine because we migrate them to the cloud.

I rate it as ten out of ten.

The initial setup of VxRail can be challenging for someone without a strong background in virtual machines. If a team lacking experience with these systems is tasked with the setup, seeking support from DirectTel for the implementation process may be beneficial. The deployment takes more than six to seven hours.

I rate the initial setup a five out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

It's too expensive.

I recommend that Dell focus on extending the product lifecycle of VxRail to around eight years instead of frequently releasing new products. This approach could lead to a better return on investment.

When comparing large-scale and medium-scale companies to small-scale ones, VxRail is generally more suitable for medium to large enterprises. Small-scale businesses may not require the advanced features of VxRail and might find it less cost-effective for their needs. VxRail can be a good fit for medium and large companies, offering scalability and efficiency that align with their demands. It can be cost-effective in the long run, especially considering total lifecycle benefits.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

The solution is used for companies using hyperconversion. If companies are moving towards hyper-converged infrastructure and want to consolidate everything to one single point of management or vendor, they can use this solution. 

VxRail is a unique product due to its adoption with VMware. It does work with PowerEdge servers from Dell. The hyper-converged software-defined storage is very good. The vSAN acts as software-defined storage. It offers very innovative features. It offers a very solid service alongside its innovative features and capabilities. 

There's an acquisition unfolding with Broadcom and VMware. We're waiting to hear what this will mean for VxRail. Until that happens, it's hard to say what the roadmap will look like. There are a lot of changes happening due to the acquisition, even from a licensing perspective, and we're waiting to see. Therefore, it's tricky to evaluate anything.

The Dell PowerEdge Servers are very good servers. VMware is also a very good product. However, we don't get a full picture of VMware cloud formation as an orchestrated data center. Maybe, Broadcom and VMware could bundle their products together. It's possible they could offer the same experience as a public cloud over the data center. VxEail should offer its own cloud platform. 

There can be a lack of functionality. There are limitations and restrictions of choice. There are only three modes of architecture. The hardware configuration is limited. Other vendors are more flexible.

I have about four years of experience using the solution. I still use it on occasion, although I do also use its main competitor, Nutanix.

The stability of VxRail is very good. However, for scaling, it's ideal to split the cluster into four domains if you have many nodes. This ensures stability. It will protect against data loss. 

The solution scales well. A single cluster can have 64 nodes. My largest project only uses 24 nodes. 

Technical support from Dell is very good. They've always offered very good. So far, we've been very satisfied. 

I also use Nutanix, which is VxRail's main competitor.

Review platforms such as Gartner and Forrester, et cetera, always have VxRail and number two next to Nutanix, which is number one. 

VxRail is adopting some of Nutanix's ideology in order to become even more competitive. 

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. We can handle it. All hyper-converged structures come pre-implemented. You simply open it, and you just have to do a few extra tasks, like attaching the management center and configuring it. It can be handled in a single day.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

We use VxRail for ERC for SAP.

The most valuable feature of the solution is the performance.

The solution's setup is a bit complex, and the complexity needs to be reduced.

I have been using VxRail for three to four years.

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

The solution’s scalability is very good. Our clients for VxRail are usually small and medium businesses.

I rate the solution ten out of ten for scalability.

Dell's technical support is not that good. The support team takes a long time to respond, and there are challenges regarding the people's expertise. We have been facing a lot of problems with the technical support for any of the Dell products, including storage, backup recovery, RecoverPoint, or VxRail.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is bad and ten is good, I rate the solution’s technical support a four to five out of ten.

Neutral

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

The solution’s deployment takes a few days.

If we normally quote for storage, we have to quote for something like PowerStore. In that area, the solution has brought down some costs. VxRail is still more expensive than its competitor solutions.

On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten.

We had some initial challenges because of the networking component. To overcome them, we had to go through a lot of documentation and information from the website. I would recommend VxRail to customers who have a VMware environment and want to consolidate everything into servers without using the storage.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We use VxRail as a hyper-converged infrastructure service within our virtualization environment. We utilize it to run various applications, including virtual infrastructure, Microsoft SharePoint, Citrix solutions, and internally developed applications. These applications serve diverse purposes and are essential components of our environment.

The product has significantly improved our organization. It is highly stable and supported by an excellent support team, ensuring reliability and assistance whenever needed, regardless of time or location. The self-deployment feature is easy to use.

One of the most valuable features we have found is the ease of managing our virtualization environment. The management interface makes overseeing various resources and tasks within our infrastructure simple. Additionally, managing different kinds of hardware and platforms through the same interface is highly valuable.

The product has high pricing. This particular area needs improvement.

The platform is stable. Once you deploy any workflow or virtual machine within the environment, it operates without encountering issues. There are no significant downtimes or interruptions in monitoring. Stability remains consistent unless constraints are due to specific errors.

The product has good scalability. We can connect the required nodes automatically. Deploying VxRail is relatively cost-effective in increasing the number of users. We currently have a low demand for increased user capacity. However, if such demand arises, the process would be straightforward. Adding additional nodes is intuitive and seamless. Connect the new nodes, and the system will automatically update within the centralized management model.

We have only needed to utilize support services once or twice. We have not encountered any major issues. Additionally, when we did require support, the response was immediate, and our requests were promptly addressed.

The initial setup was straightforward as it was deployed with the help of product management partners. As for requirements for deployment and maintenance, no additional software is needed. Basic skills and general knowledge are sufficient for deploying and managing this solution.

The licensing costs can vary depending on the number of processors and specific requirements, which may result in considerable expenses.

The platform has enabled us to reduce the physical machines required to run large-scale services. It supports VDI deployment, enabling easy use for running different platforms in similar environments.

Integrating VxRail with our IT infrastructure has been relatively straightforward, particularly from the network perspective. However, we encountered some challenges regarding firewall integration. Overall, the process has been facilitated by the platform's compatibility with various vendors.

I rate the platform a nine out of ten.

We are using VxRail for the whole infrastructure of our company. We are using VxRail E660F.

The most valuable feature is that it is VMware-embedded. VxRail HCI is on VMware, and we can use VMware vCenter and vSphere. Our infrastructure consists of servers and VMware, and by using VxRail, our experience and familiarity have not changed because VxRail HCI is on VMware.

If they continue developing their product regarding VMware, it will be one of the best products in the HCI space. In terms of additional features, there is nothing missing because, for data protection, they also have the CDP option for VM. They can protect the VM at any point in time.

I have been using VxRail for two years.

We never had any problems with stability. It is very stable.

It is scalable. Currently, we have almost 40 VMs on VxRail.

Only the IT admin works with VxRail. Only the IT admin can monitor and configure VxRail.

We create tickets for support. We are using the Dell portal and if we have any problem with VMware or hardware, we just create a ticket with their support. We do not need to go to the vendor hardware, or we do not need to go to VMware. We can contact them through a single point.

I would rate their support a ten out of ten because once I created a ticket in the afternoon and in about half an hour, I got an email from someone about the problem. He wanted to have a phone call with me. I appreciate it.

Positive

We were using the traditional servers and VMware. We moved to VxRail because we wanted availability and 100% uptime. We do not want any downtime in our company. We want everything to be online 24/7.

Its initial setup is very easy as compared to vSAN, traditional models, and VMware vCenter because everything is automated, but you need to prepare your data, for example, your IP address for the cluster and your username and password.

It is expensive as compared to other products in the same category.

You can use it if you are familiar with VMware because VxRail is VMware. Everything is VMware.

I would rate VxRail a ten out of ten. It is more expensive than other products in this category, but because of the performance, experience, and data protection that you get, it is worth the money.