Cisco Catalyst Switches and Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers compete in the enterprise IT infrastructure market. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have an upper hand due to their flexibility in configuration and remote management capabilities, making them more adaptable for diverse workloads compared to Cisco’s focus on high security and reliability for traditional setups.
Features: Cisco Catalyst Switches offer extensive security measures such as Port Security, DHCP snooping block, and VLAN. They also allow for the creation of stacks for ensuring availability and port channels for enhanced data transfer reliability. Additionally, Perpetual PoE and VTP assist with seamless VLAN management. Meanwhile, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers feature OpenManage for simplified IT management, iDRAC for comprehensive remote control, and robust hardware options tailored for virtualization and heavy workload management.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Catalyst Switches require more expansion slots and offer a complex initial setup process which can hinder integration with dynamic configurations. They are also perceived as costly in comparison to competitors. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers could improve on customization options, optimization of shipping processes, and enhancing remote management features, with concerns also raised over their premium pricing.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Catalyst Switches are mostly deployed on premises, aligning with traditional infrastructure, and their customer service, though generally positive, sometimes experiences slow response times. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers provide both on-premises and cloud-adaptable deployments, offering superior flexibility and effective technical support that ensures readiness across environments.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco Catalyst Switches are seen as more expensive due to a complex licensing model that may not be cost-effective for smaller organizations, but are often considered a stable long-term investment. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are valued for their competitive pricing and transparency in licensing, which are seen as providing good value and faster ROI, particularly favored by users for their long-term deployment efficiency.
From an investment standpoint, deploying Cisco Catalyst Switches offers tangible benefits, including cost reductions.
By not having to worry about it, I would estimate we save two to four hours a week, depending on what's happening, such as if we need to spin up a new server, which would contribute to more time if done the old way.
In my immediate case for antenna analysis, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers offer a reduction from days of computing to half a day or hours.
The value of uptime to us is critical.
Cisco's support is good, one of the best supports that you will get.
Cisco support is very good and responsive.
I am paying for Cisco support and would rate it nine out of ten.
It has always been scheduled maintenance, which says a lot for a production environment, as we haven't had to call in a trouble ticket for the actual hardware during its entire run.
Typically, the contacts we have on-site are very knowledgeable, they come in within a day and usually have it fixed and taken care of if there are issues.
When we had a power supply failure out of the box, we called support, and they delivered the replacement within four hours as promised.
The scalability of Cisco Catalyst Switches is very much scalable, as it supports the stacking feature and growth; for instance, with 94K modular switches, based on the requirement, we can even increase modules for more bandwidth.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable, and I would rate them eight to nine out of ten for scalability.
The scalability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is excellent.
Any outages or blackouts are limited to particular servers, not affecting the whole chassis or enclosures.
We bought our product with scaling involved, and we've been scaling it up anytime we've needed more storage.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable.
Over four years, we've had less than 1 percent downtime.
There is a feature to update the server while it is running, so there is no need to restart.
We have truly not had any downtime on the infrastructure at all.
Currently, I don't see much AI integration with Cisco Catalyst Switches; though they've started, it still needs improvement.
Cisco Catalyst Switches could be a little bit cheaper as they are very costly.
There could be improvements in the repeat configuration with some file integration that is currently missing.
We need to know about any upcoming updates so that we can plan accordingly.
The beneficial aspect of that feature was that we could skip the PowerStore and just have the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers alone, as they also served as storage, which helped us save money.
This forces you to go up to a larger server to get the desired processor, which increases the cost.
Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.
Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors.
They have been stable and running for years without performance downtime or significant disc failures.
Some customers find it cheaper due to contractual agreements, while others find it expensive, especially when scaling up.
The software associated with servers, like VMware subscription licenses, drives costs.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are valuable for their reliability and performance.
The most beneficial features for our network management are their stability and good customer support.
Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization.
They keep running for at least five to seven years without any issues.
With PowerEdge Servers, I don't need a one-to-one ratio redundancy, which leads to about eighty percent downtime reduction.
One of the valuable features is Active Directory, which helps in managing the network.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.
The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are designed to optimize performance and efficiency in a data center environment, supporting various applications. Dell stands as the leading vendor in accelerated servers for AI, commanding a 33.8% revenue share. Based on user reviews, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers supporting tasks from basic web hosting to more demanding applications like data analytics and virtualization. They are engineered to offer high performance, reliability, and scalability. With a focus on automation and integrated security, these servers simplify operations and protect against threats, making them a smart choice for businesses of all sizes.
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are a robust, secure, and scalable solution that can meet the diverse needs of businesses, backed by comprehensive support. Benefits to look for in reviews include performance, reliability, scalability, and customer support.
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers key features include:
In terms of implementation, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are used across various industries, from small businesses to large enterprises. They serve as the foundation for IT infrastructure, powering critical applications in healthcare, finance, education, and more. The adaptability of these servers means they can be tailored to specific industry needs, from handling large datasets in research institutions to supporting high-transaction databases in financial services.
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