VxRail is a hyper-converged infrastructure appliance co-engineered by Dell Technologies and VMware, designed to optimize VMware environments by simplifying compute, storage, virtualization, and management.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| VxRail | 9.9% |
| Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) | 9.0% |
| VMware vSAN | 7.9% |
| Other | 73.2% |
| Title | Rating | Mindshare | Recommending | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) | 4.3 | 9.0% | 94% | 199 interviewsAdd to research |
| VMware vSAN | 4.2 | 7.9% | 87% | 234 interviewsAdd to research |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 35 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 39 |
| Large Enterprise | 51 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 569 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 271 |
| Large Enterprise | 861 |
Built on VMware vSAN software, VxRail ensures high performance, reliability, and flexibility. It supports a broad array of workloads, from business-critical applications to next-generation use cases. VxRail simplifies infrastructure management with powerful integration and seamless scalability, offering centralized management and user-friendly interfaces. Streamlined updates, robust lifecycle management, and one-click upgrades facilitate a user-centric experience that minimizes deployment complexity and staffing needs. However, its performance with disk deduplication, integration with public clouds, and processor support can be enhanced, along with pricing and licensing improvements.
What features define VxRail?Organizations across sectors such as finance, telecommunications, education, and manufacturing utilize VxRail for its scalability, ease of deployment, and infrastructure management capabilities. It aids in server and application hosting, storage, and virtualization management, often employing VMware integration. The platform is valued for its ability to consolidate IT components, support VDI solutions, and enhance cloud readiness and resource allocation.
VxRail was previously known as VCE VxRail .
World Wide Technology Inc, Renault Sport Formula One Team, 8x8 Inc, Brownes, Canadian Pacific, Canopy, Denton, EDF, Unilin, Xerox
| Author info | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure Director at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees | 4.0 | I use VxRail and value its automation and lifecycle management capabilities. However, the pricing policy for later years, especially separate licensing costs, is a major concern, negatively impacting my overall eight out of ten rating. |
| Technical architect at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees | 4.5 | I use VxRail to manage centralized resources efficiently with VxRail Manager and vSAN integration. The automated upgrade process is invaluable, but improvements are needed in the razoring process, which should be accessible to experienced customers. Previously, I used Quest NetVault Plus. |
| Data Center Solution Manager at a computer software company with 51-200 employees | 4.0 | I initially worked with VxRail implementation and support, eventually leading a team handling Dell solutions. VxRail's ease of management and VMware integration stand out, though upgrades demand a clean environment. Nutanix is a key competitor in the market. |
| computer scientist at Imam University | 3.5 | I've used VxRail for general VMware-based services due to its simplicity, stability, and single support line, though it lacks external vCenter support and has scalability limits, making it best suited for medium-sized workloads. |
| Principal Consultant at Sycor GmbH | 4.0 | We use VxRail for virtualization services as a Broadcom Cloud Service Provider, valuing its easy update mechanism and support for VMware and hardware management from a single source. Improving update stability would enhance its effectiveness. |
| Presales + Solution Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees | 4.0 | I’ve found VxRail to be a scalable and mature HCI solution suited for mid-size to enterprise customers, though licensing costs could improve; its integration with NVMe and strong local support make it a solid choice overall. |
| Leiter IT at Deutsche reihenhaus ag | 4.0 | We chose VxRail for streamlined management of roughly 35 virtual machines, valuing its rapid updates and single-person operability. It suits our on-premises needs but could improve installer expertise and support resource accessibility. Cloud solutions were considered but rejected. |
| Procurement, Information Technology, Infrastructure at Rgbsi | 4.0 | We use VxRail primarily for small-scale deployments, finding its plug-and-play nature valuable for easy node addition and upgrades. Although initial implementation can be complex, it handles storage and computing needs well, but shutdown procedures could be simplified. |
| Senior Systems Engineer at MultiChoice Group | 4.0 | We use VxRail for hardware consolidation and running compute and database workloads. Support issues are resolved quickly through a single line. We switched from traditional servers in 2018 due to VxRail's cost-effectiveness and scalability advantages. Licensing improvements are needed. |
| AG at SIS. | 4.5 | We use VxRail for virtualization and appreciate its seamless VMware integration and caching mechanism that boosts performance. While there's a learning curve and a need for OS-level encryption, it significantly increases uptime and ROI compared to alternatives like Azure Stack HCI. |
I am using NetApp and working with NetApp products including FlexPod, BlueXP, and Cloud Sync. At the moment, I am not dealing with FlexPod that much.
I am now using VxRail and find the automation features most valuable. VxRail's advanced automations have helped streamline my IT operations. The lifecycle management capabilities of VxRail have benefited my organization's maintenance and update processes.
For the first three years, I have a combo pricing policy. For the fourth year and fifth year, I have to buy separately for the licensing from VMware and from VxRail, so I think the combo cost for the fourth and fifth year is huge and does not make sense. Due to the pricing policy, I would not like to see additional functionalities at this time as it is not in my strategy. I would rate VxRail an eight out of ten because of the pricing.
{"rating":4}
I primarily use VxRail for managing centralized resources. All the resources are handled through VxRail Manager, which facilitates unified access to storage with vSAN.
The most valuable feature of VxRail is the VxRail Manager, which centralizes resources like storage built with vSAN. It provides a unified way to access these resources, making management straightforward.
Another benefit is the fully automated upgrade process, which is completed with just one click through the VxRail Manager. This centralization and automation enhance efficiency significantly.
The major issue with VxRail is the razoring process, which can only be performed by Dell. Although as a premium Dell customer, I am sometimes allowed to do it myself during big extensions, customers with enough experience should be allowed to handle the razoring process independently.
I have been working with VxRail for more than five years. I am experienced with four generations of VxRails, which has allowed me to navigate the solution easily.
I would rate the stability of VxRail 9.5 out of ten. It is a very stable and mature product, with centralized management and upgrades being perfect for us.
Scalability is easy with VxRail, and I would rate it almost a ten out of ten. While no product is perfect, the scalability is excellent.
If we are talking about Dell, their technical support is a nine out of ten. However, if we are referring to VMware, it is a seven out of ten. A key area for improvement for VMware would be response time.
Previously, an intermediary helped improve our communication and relationship with VMware.
Positive
As someone with over eight years of experience in VMware, I find the initial setup of VxRail straightforward. It is similar to deploying a vCenter, and comes with an internal vCenter deployment.
The cost varies for us as a large company because we receive special offers from Dell.
I recommend VxRail for medium or large companies as it might not make sense for small businesses due to its price. I would rate VxRail nine out of ten overall.
Initially, I worked as an implementer with VxRail, handling support and implementation. Later, I transitioned to managing a team responsible for professional services and support for Dell storage and backup solutions. I work with PowerMax, PowerStore, VxRail, and Data Domain.
The primary reasons customers choose VxRail include ease of management, ease of upgrades, and integration with VMware. The hyper-converged infrastructure simplifies software and hardware upgrades.
Customers prefer the single pane of glass management and integration with VMware, which makes it easier for them to proceed with decisions involving VMware products.
During code upgrades, VxRail can be sensitive. It requires a very clean environment to proceed without issues. Upgrading often necessitates a support ticket if the environment is not pristine.
I have been working with VxRail for around five to six years.
The product is very stable, and I rate its stability as nine out of ten.
In our current environment and requirements, VxRail is rated ten for scalability. However, there are limitations, such as the inability to upgrade from a single to dual CPU in certain configurations. Therefore, I rate its scalability as seven out of ten.
Technical support for VxRail is rated as eight out of ten.
Positive
The setup process can be straightforward if the technical requirements are properly understood and prepared. Inadequate preparation or customer misunderstanding can lead to problems.
Pricing for VxRail has shifted. Previously, the cost was higher, however, recent changes in VMware pricing have reduced it.
Nutanix is viewed as the main competitor. They have secured a good market share, challenging VxRail.
Overall, I rate VxRail an eight out of ten.
Despite some competition, I recommend it highly for its features and performance. I believe it is particularly suitable for medium to enterprise-sized companies, though it might be costly for small businesses.
Our use case for VxRail is for deploying general services, general servers, having a VMware cluster, and having all the workload there as a hyper-converged infrastructure.
The best features of VxRail are its compatibility with VMware, its hyper-converged solution capabilities, and its single line of support. These are the most beneficial aspects of VxRail.
I switched from the previous HP solution to Dell solution because it was a good decision. With HP servers, we dealt with a vendor for the compute servers, another vendor for the storage servers, and another vendor for the networking, which required us to manage multiple vendors. Now, we have a single team who can handle VxRail and a single line of support. We don't need anything other than that, and these are the differences we noticed after we switched.
Areas of VxRail that have room for improvement include support for an external vCenter because they only have support for internal vCenters that they deploy. I have external vCenters on VxRail, but they don't support that functionality.
I have experience working with the solution for around one to three years.
The initial setup of VxRail is actually easy, but they have many requirements, and sometimes if you don't meet any of these requirements, you cannot deploy VxRail. For some servers, if you want to get them out of a cluster and join them in another VxRail cluster, you need to do a deep format for the server, and it has to be done through Dell.
VxRail is a stable solution. Since it's hyper-converged and has advanced RAID features, the data is always safe. You can lose up to two to three nodes in the cluster without having any impact on your workload or business.
VxRail is a scalable solution, but you reach a point where scaling the servers reaches a limit that the hyper-converged infrastructure cannot handle the load. You either need to have a traditional infrastructure where the storage is separated from the compute so you can scale much larger, such as enterprise companies, Amazon, or cloud companies. You cannot rely completely on a hyper-converged solution, as it's good for medium-sized companies.
I would rate technical support a strong four.
Neutral
Before VxRail, I was using HP servers with HP 3PAR storage solution, which was a traditional infrastructure rather than a hyper-converged infrastructure.
The initial setup of VxRail is actually easy, but they have many requirements, and sometimes if you don't meet any of these requirements, you cannot deploy VxRail. For some servers, if you want to get them out of a cluster and join them in another VxRail cluster, you need to do a deep format for the server, and it has to be done through Dell.
Our relationship with Dell is as a customer. We did all the implementation through an outsource company.
Initially, you pay more than traditional infrastructure, but over time, the operational cost is less. You don't need to hire more employees, and it's stable for the business.
The price of VxRail is expensive, but it has a much higher return on investment.
Regarding its automation capabilities, it's considered good in the back end. It has everything automated, especially with VMware vCenter, so it has good automation.
I rated it a four because of external issues and also the SLA as they don't meet the SLA requirements for their tickets.
Based on my experience, I would recommend VxRail to other people for medium-sized companies, but not for large-sized companies. Or more specifically, for medium-sized workloads, because if you are a big company, you will have different kinds of workloads.
Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
Positive
For mid-size to enterprise customers, I would generally recommend VxRail, as we're working with VxRail in general.
VxRail offers scalable small nodes and ROBO office nodes, which I find very tempting for customers. These features address the value proposition of VxRail. The lifecycle management capabilities also represent significant value.
I think the new integration with NVMe is great, and they are moving forward on that front, so more integration with NVMe would be beneficial.
From my perspective, the main area for improvement is the license cost, particularly for the standard vSAN offering. VxRail could be enhanced through additional integration with NVMe technology.
I have approximately one year of experience with VxRail in general. My involvement has been limited to pre-sales activities, and I did not participate in implementation.
Scalability is good with VxRail. Performance is adequate, and scalability is extensive.
Dell has good technical support in Saudi Arabia. I would rate their technical support at eight out of ten. Most customers find their support satisfactory.
Positive
We mostly work with a third party for implementation, as my company does not handle implementation at client companies. We offer the hardware, licensing, and solution in general.
I recently joined a system integrator in Saudi Arabia and am exploring new solutions or evaluating existing ones in the HCI space. I previously worked in the backup domain and then transitioned to a system integrator in the HCI field. I have experience with HCIs including VxRail, Red Hat, and Fujitsu. I am VMware certified and almost Nutanix certified, making me familiar with the HCI field in general.
We work primarily with Nutanix and VxRail from Dell. VxRail is very mature because of VMware's operational technology in general. This maturity enables VxRail to handle diverse workloads effectively.
VxRail is purchased directly from the partner rather than through the AWS Marketplace. Dell has the highest market share in Saudi Arabia, making VxRail the dominant product in my region.
More integration would be beneficial, or alternatively, a lower price point would make VxRail even more competitive. I gave this review an overall rating of 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.
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.
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 in our organization for hardware consolidation. VxRail is also used in our company to run compute and database workloads.
In our organization, whenever we require support from VxRail, we call a single support line where we get the issues resolved over the same call, whether it's a hardware or software issue with VxRail.
The present SaaS model license structure can be improved. Our company prefers perpetual licensing instead of the license that expires along with outdated hardware. Whenever the hardware for running VxRail needs to be replaced in our company, the license must be repurchased.
In future releases from the vendor, I would prefer that other parts of the VMware environment, such as NSX, be integrated with the VxRail bundle. Presently, the vendor offers NSX as an add-on feature.
I have been using VxRail for six years.
I would rate the stability a ten out of ten. The solution is exceptionally resilient. Even when we are doing maintenance on VxRail, it doesn't hinder the product's functionality for end users. Managing system downtime for maintenance is a lot more seamless in VxRail compared to other solutions.
When there are hardware failures on the system, it doesn't impact the end customers in VxRail. The downtime issues are managed efficiently in VxRail and it gets back to full-scale production without anyone noticing the outage.
I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten. If nodes are being added to the solution after several years since deployment, a similar type and size of hard drives are required that were primarily used. As processor drives are constantly evolving, it's hard to obtain some specific types of processor drive models, which can be challenging to execute within the cluster. If the ideal hardware equipment can be procured, scaling the cluster is a straightforward process in VxRail.
In our company, there are hundreds of VxRail users, it's a critical component of our daily operations and is used 24/7. In the future, our organization is planning to migrate more systems to VxRail and increase usage due to its satisfying performance over the past few years. In our organization, we have recently replaced the solution's cluster with hardware that will facilitate expansive use in the future.
On rare occasions when we have reached out to customer support, we have experienced quick fault identification from the team and resolution over a single phone call. Whatever challenges we face in our company with VxRail, it's quite easy to overcome with the support from the vendor. I would rate the tech support a ten out of ten.
Positive
We used specific servers prior to using VxRail, in 2018 our company switched to VxRail to virtualize our application. The traditional model of virtualizing at the time was using a standby storage with had a significant cost to enter the virtualizing space.
So, with VxRail, our company was able to start virtualization on a smaller scale and grow as we needed it, whereas traditional three-tier virtualization requires huge storage from the start. In our organization, we also evaluated three-tier virtualization with SAN storage, but we opted for VxRail based on its cost and features.
I would rate the initial setup a ten out of ten. The Dell support team has done an excellent job with VxRail's documentation. Once the prerequisites of the system installation are met, the deployment process becomes extremely easy.
The initial setup of VxRail in our organization took around 48 hours to make the complete cluster operational. Planning is the first step in the deployment of VxRail; there's a set of network requirements that need to be implemented. Once the aforementioned step is completed in our organization, we arrange for cabling off of the system.
Then, as part of the deployment process, hardware installation and configuration need to be performed. The integration of VxRail is quite straightforward. VxRail offers a simplified way to fill in key data, unlike network subnet ranges and DNS host names. Once the deployment process of VxRail is completed, the cluster gets auto-created.
In our company, I managed the VxRail deployment process along with one external Dell services professional. Only one person is required for the maintenance of VxRail on an ad hoc basis who can maintain multiple other solutions besides VxRail. The solution's maintenance process is straightforward.
VxRail offers satisfying integration capabilities based on the VMware platform. The solution also integrates effectively with VMware vCenter and external backup systems. Our company has hyper-converged infrastructures, where sometimes VMs need to be migrated from VxRail to other systems. The aforementioned migration process can be implemented effortlessly using the solution. The VMware API is easily accessible to third parties, and the solution integrates seamlessly with VxRail.
I would rate the pricing as seven out of ten. It's a highly expensive solution. Our company purchases VxRail with a five-year license agreement. But our organization makes additional payments in between for renewal of support or replacement of equipment. Our company about six years ago paid around five million rands to adopt a four-node VxRail solution.
The solution allowed our organization to dramatically reduce its overall footprint in the data center from about three racks to less than half a rack.
VxRail has improved our organization's resilience of hardware footprint. The solution has enhanced our company's operations in terms of frequent backups compared to physical systems. The total time to recover data has also improved by leveraging VxRail in our company.
The storage virtualization feature of VxRail has been the most vital part of our company's improvement in operations. The solution assisted our organization in achieving the latency we desired. VxRail is a full-time key solution.
I would recommend VxRail as an excellent turnkey solution to any company focusing on applications rather than the hardware platform. Very limited management or maintenance is required for VxRail, and it's considered a safe solution. I would rate the solution as eight out of ten. I would definitely recommend VxRail to other users.
We mainly use it for virtualization across all our applications. We also have a DC/DR setup based on the VxRail infrastructure.
It's a trouble-free architecture. We don't have to juggle multiple components like in a traditional three-tier architecture. With VxRail, it's a pre-built solution offering high performance, availability, and more.
I like the caching mechanism. Frequently used data is stored, so it definitely improves performance.
VxRail's integration with VMware environments is very good. Our VxRail is built on VMware, and the integration is seamless. We haven't faced any challenges. We can migrate VMs between servers in real-time and replicate them to our DR site without any problems.
It can be a bit complex for engineers who are new to it. There's a learning curve involved. They have to learn to operate it.
Moreover, encryption at the OS level isn't available. We'd like to have that feature in future releases.
It's a good product. I have been using it for five years.
I didn't experience any performance issues or stability problems with VxRail.
It is a scalable solution.
We've upgraded two or three times – memory, storage, and even added nodes. Currently, we have eight nodes (our requirement), but it can scale up to 92, which is more than sufficient for most organizations.
So, VxRail's scalability impacted our capacity planning and future IT infrastructure expansion.
There have been some issues, but Dell and VMware resolved them.
Positive
We also use Microsoft Azure Stack HCI, but it's not as mature as VxRail.
Features like Kubernetes and Docker aren't currently available. That's something we're missing.
The initial setup is neither too easy nor too difficult. There are two components: the network setup and the VMware setup.
The deployment took two days. Two resources were involved in the process. One engineer handles the maintenance.
Previously, with our three-tier architecture, a single server failure meant manual backups and restores. VxRail has increased application uptime significantly, and that directly translates to better ROI. For us, less downtime of applications equals ROI.
The cost was cheaper compared to other virtualization solutions. Since VMware was acquired by Broadcom, it's become more costly.
It's a good, reliable, and mature product in the HCI space. So, I would recommend using it.
With HCI, one advantage is that we don't have to worry about single points of failure, whether it's a node or storage. VxRail provides high availability and load balancing, which are great benefits.
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
