The primary reason our customers use vSphere is to consolidate their workloads and realize the other benefits that virtualization provides. For example, they create HA or VM-level HA to facilitate DR.
Essentially, our clients use vSphere for all of the reasons that people use a virtualization layer.
I am a virtualization technician, doing software technology consulting for virtualization and VDI.
This is a solution that is normally very straightforward. It doesn't give you many surprises. It's very stable. However, one should have good knowledge when it comes to it because sometimes, you have to use the command line for troubleshooting. For unseen problems, you sometimes need to dig deep to troubleshoot.
vSphere is a robust and feature-rich virtualization platform. It is the number one virtualization-layer platform available, and a lot of people trust it.
Many other platforms now provide similar features but VMware was the first to provide enhanced recorders, DRS, fault tolerance, vMotion, and others. They pioneered these features and they are very stable.
VMware also provides software-defined storage, vSAN, which is built into the kernel. This is a plus point.
Other good features include DRS, HA, fault tolerance, vSAN, and vCenter is a very good management interface.
This platform is easy to maintain.
To manage it properly, you have to know this product really well. For the most part, it is very easy to use.
I began working with VMware vSphere in 2007 or 2008 when it was version 3.x.
This is the most stable virtualization platform available.
In the three years that I have been running my consultancy, I've found that VMware is always part of a large project. Most of the time, I have had a good experience with it.
We have done multiple enterprise services projects using this solution. For example, we were working on a Horizon View PoC for a client.
vSphere is scalable; you just have to add to your cluster and it will increase. You can scale up or scale-out, like any other software. Basically, you can add to it as much as you want to.
I trust VMware products and I definitely want our installed base to increase. I want to enhance my own knowledge and skillset, as well. As we move forward and expand, I am equipping myself with more cloud knowledge and focusing on new technologies. One new product that I am looking at is Carbon Black. Throughout this, I will continue to promote VMware because they are a vendor that I trust.
The VMware support is very professional. Most of the time we've used them, they were very good.
As a technology consultant working for customers with varying requirements, I work with other virtualization platforms. Two of these are Microsoft Hyper-V and Citrix XenServer.
The initial setup is very easy and there is nothing difficult about it. Initially, some people get stuck when they are setting up the supporting services, like DNS, but other than that, the setup is plain and simple.
The length of time required for deployment depends on whether your disk is an SSD. If so, then the copying will be fast. Also, if you have more memory then it will install quicker.
Regardless of how it is set up, you have to build the basic infrastructure to put in most of your workloads. Sometimes, you manage an existing one but most of the time, we have to deploy a VMware infrastructure.
A single person can basically manage it, although this depends upon the deployment size. If it's a huge deployment, then it requires a good design and it requires proper planning. You need to know your capacity requirements, for example.
If you understand the environment and the design then maybe you can segregate the work into two or three people. Sometimes if it's a small project, a single person can do it. It all depends on the files and complexity of the solution you are providing to the customer.
We deploy this product ourselves.
The licensing model is not complex.
It is a perpetual licensing but there is also an annual maintenance cost. The price of the solution depends on the features that you want. You can have a very basic setup or you can choose a more advanced set of features. The more features that you want and the more extensive your requirement is, the more you have to pay.
In Pakistan, for the most part, organizations are still catching up in terms of the cloud. There are no large data centers because cloud providers do not exist locally. Neither AWS nor Azure has a presence.
The closest data centers to us are Singapore and Dubai. As such, the cloud is not very popular yet and most of our customers have on-premises deployments. We do expect this to change.
My advice for anybody who is implementing this product, or any piece of software, is to have a reasonable level of knowledge in advance of the deployment. That is key in IT.
If you are a consultant, as opposed to an end-user, then you need to have a deep knowledge of the product because there are circumstances where you have to go beyond the normal configuration. Sometimes you have issues that can only be resolved if you are well-equipped with the knowledge.
I also recommend that people plan their deployment. VMware is a wonderful product and it will definitely provide you with the functionality to meet your technical requirements. You will be a very satisfied customer while using it, but the key is to know the product and plan things properly.
Overall, this is a good product and I do not feel that there is much missing. It is the best virtualization platform available.
I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.
The solution is primarily used for server virtualization. We have opportunities that we want to learn from. For our customers, we recommend this product. We have Oracle databases or Oracle, Linux, or Red Hat Linux to run it on a virtual machine, and Oracle VM fits perfectly into that.
The most valuable aspect of the solution is the resource management from the OVM Manager. It makes document management very smooth. The performance is excellent.
I'm still evaluating the product and getting to know it.
The only thing I'm finding is that the backup software, which is supporting Oracle's virtualization platform, needs improvement. We're struggling to get a solution that will support my Oracle virtualization environment for backup purposes. I just found one on the internet. I was trying to reach out to that team now, to see how best we can use it. However, if Oracle had a solution to this, that would be ideal.
You need to have a model for documentation available for the users. Right now, if you have to search for some troubleshooting, you need to have Oracle login. Many personnel might not have that login. The reach, the availability of information to the end-user, is not there.
There are some articles that are publicly available, but there are some important documents that are not available to the public. You need to subscribe, or you need to have a licensed copy, some subscription with the product.
Any product, at the end of the day, needs support. When the support or the knowledge base or the information is not available or the documentation is not available for any of this, for the person who is implementing this, it's very difficult for them to get used to this product. They will simply move to another product.
I've been using the solution for two or three months now.
The solution certainly is stable. We don't seem to suffer from bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
The solution is very easy to scale.
I've never reached out to technical support, so I can't speak to their level of service. I tend to handle troubleshooting myself.
I have experience with Hyper-V, VMware, and Citrix ZenServers.
The technology is all similar. It's about virtualizing the servers. However, I feel that VMware is much better and much more stable than Oracle VM.
At first, the initial setup was not so straightforward and was rather complex. This is largely due to the fact that we were not aware of the environment and how to use it properly. I believe it will get easier to implement over time.
You need to deploy the server and have the virtualization on top of that. Then you configure and install everything. How long it takes depends on the environment. If it's a small deployment, it may only take about two days. A larger deployment could take as long as six to eight weeks.
I've done a file server deployment, and that only took three days.
You only need one person to deploy the solution.
We are consultants. We assist our customers with implementations.
We're partners with Oracle. We're consultants.
My advice to other potential users is this: nothing is better than planning. It's much in a better way to start a project. That way, you understand how much it is that you need to have or how many servers you require. It seldom matters when you deploy in the virtual environment.
You need to be very hands-on in Linux environments. I come from a Windows background. I am not a Linux user, for the most part. That said, fo this project, I learned Linux.
I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.
I primarily use Proxmox for training in university. I use its virtual environment.
The availability of the platform is okay.
If we compare Proxmox with VMware, VMware provides an environment with a client. And Proxmox provides us an environment with a web client. Most important things for me. And Proxmox uses a middle person with an improviser.
Some items that we use within this solution are not available in other virtual environments.
The solution works well with Linux based systems.
There's a SPICE protocol that's very useful in managing aspects of Proxmox.
The product is pretty easy to install.
The solution is open source and free to use.
The availability of the solution could be a bit better.
I've used the solution for about three years or so.
Sometimes I see the stability can cause little problems. I've noticed that, when I use, I merge two, three, or four virtual machines, and when I merge all of these machines at the same time, we have some running slowly. Even if I use the virtual environment I see things running slowly sometimes.
The scalability is okay. If a company wants to scale it, they can.
I've rarely contacted technical support. I have a pretty good competence with Proxmox at this point in time.
We also use VMware or sometimes Citrix as well. We use a variety of virtual environments and compare them. I use them as learning devices for my students.
If you look at the overall market, VMware is the best in terms of offering and popularity, however, I personally prefer Proxmox and will continue to use it and advocate for it.
The installation is very easy. It's straightforward. It's not complex. This is due to the fact that it's an environment that depends on Linux with the version of the kernel in Linux.
When we install it the environment is so easy, we just have to put the image of the system and we choose the mode of installation. It's quite simple.
When we are in the environment, we just need to create an instance of a VM.
I use the open-source version of the solution. We build on a general public license. We don't pay for using the service. For us, as an open-source version, it's free. I'm not sure if there are other versions that cost more and what the pricing is. I've never looked into it.
I'm just an end-user of the solution. I don't have a business relationship with Proxmox. I use the product in my classroom as a learning aid.
I'd recommend the solution. It's been an invaluable learning resource for myself and my students. It works well and shows off the potential of virtual environments. I use it often for my classes and with my students as a teaching device.
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate this product at an eight. I would only give VMware a higher rating. It's definitely at the top of my list in terms of technology in this area.
We mostly use Microsoft Hyper-V in our production environment.
I find that most of the competition is more or less the same. However, Hyper-V is, when you compare it to the older platforms like VMware, a little bit more advanced at this stage.
I like the System Center part of it, the System Center VMM, where you can manage all the stuff together in the orchestrator and those kinds of things. That was not really available when we looked at Proxmox and other options.
Microsoft's got the better deployment tools like MBT and conflict manager, which is not in the other platform.
For me, the initial setup was very easy.
The solution has been very stable.
The scalability on offer is good.
It's hard to compare it to other solutions. Everything has almost the same offering.
It's possible that more deployment tools might make it a bit better.
If a person has never implemented the solution before, they might find the process difficult.
The next generation should at least include most of the tools of the next operating system.
I've been using the solution from the start. I likely started using it around 2006. It's been well over a decade. I've used it for many, many years at this point.
The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
The product is scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.
The initial setup was very simple in my case. I've got a certification, so for me, it's almost like second nature. For someone with less experience, it's possible it may be a bit difficult.
I am able to handle the implementation myself. I do not need an integrator or consultant.
We did look at Proxmox and Citrix Hypervisor, among other solutions.
I'm just a customer and an end-user.
I'm using the 2012 and 2016 versions of the product.
I'm more familiar with Hyper-V and with Microsoft products. I've got certification in that as well. There are some management solutions out from Microsoft, which are not just for Hyper-V, but for a lot of things. With these, it's almost like an all-in-one product, which you don't really get when you look at your Linux-based virtualizers. For example, with Proxmox, there is not really management. You have these notes that you couple up and then you have a backup server, however, you don't really have something that you can orchestrate those things with. Citrix, I can't speak to as I didn't really work with Citrix that much.
If you run any kind of network solution, I would rather recommend Hyper-V over any other hypervisor at this moment - unless you are looking at it from a cost of ownership perspective.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. There's no such thing as a perfect product, however, I'm pretty happy with this.
