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Dell PowerStore is currently being used for our core banking solution. The core banking software runs on it. For security constraints, we do not use this storage for other services like clouds or any VM solutions. We use standalone servers integrated with this for security. This is our internal policy not to use other cloud services or internet services.

However, we do have internet banking and a mobile app which integrates with another system, taking core banking data through API. This is a standalone system we prefer to run according to our internal policy.

Over the past few years, we experienced performance challenges, particularly during year-end and half-year-end processing. Our existing storage system lacked sufficient IOPS and was unable to provide the high-speed data processing required for these peak workloads. In addition, our previous Dell EMC XtremIO storage platform had reached its End of Service Life (EOSL).

After evaluating our requirements, we selected Dell PowerStore and placed the work order according to our desired specifications. Since its implementation, PowerStore has successfully addressed the performance limitations we previously faced. It provides the IOPS and processing speed required to handle our critical workloads efficiently, even during peak business periods. We are pleased that Dell PowerStore has met our expectations and fulfilled our organization's storage performance requirements.

Dell PowerStore is a full-flash storage. From the point of view of manageability, Dell PowerStore is much easier and user-friendly. We use the most advanced features of Dell storage, including snapshots. We mount the snapshots to different servers for our internal testing purposes. In terms of configuration, it is very easy and user-friendly. For performance and efficiency, it is better than even the previous model we used, XtremIO, which was also a very good storage that we used from 2017 to 2023.

Since 2023, we have been using Dell PowerStore, and it provides better performance than the previous one and compared to other vendor storage such as NetApp.

We have been able to consolidate data using Dell PowerStore. We have already purchased the cyber resiliency of Dell solution. We are also using HP servers, not Dell. We are using HP Superdome Flex, which is the highest capable X86 server. We have already integrated it with several servers and the cyber resiliency solution. This is a live system. We do not have any additional option to do any research and development work here as this is a live system. We only do what is required according to the bank's requirements.

Initially, while we were configuring Dell PowerStore, we faced some problems related to snapshot configuration. The storage is a trusted device that you do not have an opportunity to experiment too much on because it is a live system. We can conduct experiments before deployment or before live operation. During that period, while we were configuring or installing it, we faced problems with snapshot configuration regarding how we wanted it to work. Previously, it was very difficult to implement. In the meantime, an upgraded OS firmware was released. Then we could find the solution. Beyond this, we did not encounter any challenges from then onwards.

I want the replication feature integrated into Dell PowerStore in the way Dell has with other solutions, such as RecoveryPoint. For banks, replication is very important.

We have been working with Dell PowerStore for almost three years.

For using Dell PowerStore for two and a half years, we did not find any major problems. However, recently, we received some warnings or errors. We are working on it, and Dell is also working on it. Sometimes we do not find the right engineers to support us when we raise any service request. There may be a time gap problem in other countries, but that is acceptable.

Dell PowerStore is scalable if required. Right now, as we have been using it for two and a half years, we do not require scalability at this moment. However, if we need it in the future, we will update it.

The product we have purchased has IOPS of 0.2 million, which is 200,000. That is more than sufficient for the bank right now. We do not find any problems with this IOPS. I cannot predict with certainty, but in the next two or three years, if required, we may scale out and increase the IOPS by purchasing a few additional disks as well as for space.

Dell's technical support can be rated as eight or nine on a scale of one to ten, where ten is the highest score. Sometimes we do not find the right engineers to support us when we raise any service request. There may be a time gap problem in other countries, but that is acceptable.

Before Dell PowerStore, we used XtremIO. Before that, we also used EMC storage.

Previously, we used RecoveryPoint, which is a replication feature that has to connect to a DR site or remote site. This is a separate appliance which we used to receive in the package with XtremIO. RecoveryPoint has many features, such as the ability to go back to any previous state or any point in time.

The initial setup and deployment of Dell PowerStore were straightforward. However, during the configuration of advanced features, such as snapshots, we encountered a few challenges because the functionality differed from our previous Dell EMC XtremIO storage system.

After upgrading to the latest versions of PowerStoreOS, these issues were resolved. The platform has since become stable and easy to manage, and the advanced features now work as expected. Overall, our experience with Dell PowerStore has been positive.

Dell's local partner, Smart Technologies (BD) Ltd., served as the system integrator and deployment consultant for the project.

Our overall experience with their team was very positive. Their engineers were knowledgeable, energetic, and hardworking throughout the implementation process. They provided timely support, demonstrated strong technical expertise, and ensured the deployment was completed successfully.

We have seen a return on investment with Dell PowerStore. Previously, we used RecoveryPoint, which is a replication feature that has to connect to a DR site or remote site. This is a separate appliance which we used to receive in the package with XtremIO. RecoveryPoint has many features, such as the ability to go back to any previous state or any point in time. Dell PowerStore also has a replication feature, which is nice. However, I do not find it to be equivalent to RecoveryPoint. If Dell develops such a solution with features similar to RecoveryPoint, I believe it will be a great advantage for customers. The present feature is nice, but since we used RecoveryPoint, we experienced the best features. I have that expectation that if we get this feature, it will be better.

I am from Shahjalal Islami Bank. We got the best offer from Dell and the local partner. Initially, we called for a tender. Considering the price, Dell gave us a huge discount. I am also in the committee of procurement with a small role, as I deal with everything related to storage. I know this better. Dell gave a tremendous discount offer to the local partner, and that partner also worked with us at my bank, Shahjalal Islami Bank. Thus, the price was very good during that period.

We have another storage right now called NetApp AFF300. That is also a good storage.

We are enrolled in the Lifecycle Extension program by Dell, but I am not sure due to our budgetary constraint. We have budget limitations, so at this time, we cannot say clearly. My overall review rating for Dell PowerStore is eight.

Dell PowerStore serves as our main data store and functions as a primary storage type in our environment. We utilize it for very high performance with an all-flash model, which provides excellent efficiency, scalability, and cost savings.

We use the storage on a continuous basis and it acts as the main component for the primary side of our environment. We have been using this type of storage in our organization for a long time and regularly depend on it.

We have used different NAS and SAN storage solutions previously, but Dell PowerStore is our main storage choice in our environment for high performance, all-flash storage array capabilities, efficiency, and scalability.

Dell PowerStore storage features an active-active cluster where both controllers serve the I/Os. We have not experienced any low I/O issues on the other controller, and it performs optimally in terms of density. The platform uses all non-volatile memory, making it very fast and capable of storing large amounts of data. We also utilize Metro Node with active-active node configuration and synchronous replication, which replicates data from one side to another every few minutes. Additionally, we have a storage pool for disk collection.

The main valuable features are high performance and data reduction, which prove very useful as data sizes increase. Data reduction maintains performance while managing storage capacity effectively. The active-active configuration allows us to use both nodes continuously, enabling both nodes to serve I/O and run data operations in an active-active manner, which optimizes performance and density.

Improved performance is achieved through load balancing and data protection. The array delivers very high performance along with significant data reduction benefits. Dell PowerStore architecture is very advanced with different model types available in our environment.

Enhancing AI features in Dell PowerStore would allow the system to easily identify issues and improve our issue resolution time. The system could analyze what issues occurred so we can fix them immediately without waiting. AI capabilities would also increase the security side of the array by easily identifying any bugs or known issues so we can fix them very quickly.

Increasing reliability would be very strong if AI and security enhancements were implemented.

I have used this solution for more than five years.

There are no stability issues.

The scalability is very good and very efficient. It delivers high performance as an all-flash storage array. The data reduction ratio is very high.

We have used different NAS and SAN storage solutions in the past.

During the installation and configuration process at the time of purchase, we can optimize performance to be high and maximize the usability of the storage. This solution is very easy to handle and use. We can manage the storage very easily.

Comparing Dell PowerStore with other storage solutions, the main differentiators are the all-flash storage array capability, high performance, active-active node configuration with very low latency, and high data reduction ratio. We chose Dell PowerStore specifically for these features.

Dell PowerStore is used by other teams in our environment as well for virtualization, creating file systems, and other applications. We recommend using Dell PowerStore all-flash storage array model for its high performance, excellent data reduction ratio, very high scalability, and efficiency.

From our end, we provision volumes and hand them over to the development team. They create and build applications on those volumes and use them continuously. High performance and data reduction are the main benefits.

We suggest referring to Dell PowerStore vendor for future deployments. I give this product a rating of 10 out of 10.