Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Huawei OceanStor 9000 vs IBM FlashSystem comparison

Dell Technologies and Huawei are both solutions in the NAS category. Dell Technologies is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Huawei is ranked #17. Dell Technologies holds a 14.8% mindshare in N, compared to Huawei’s 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Huawei users who would recommend it.

Dell PowerScale (Isilon)

Read 80 Dell PowerScale (Isilon) reviews

12,311 Views
6,402 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Huawei OceanStor 9000

Read 2 Huawei OceanStor 9000 reviews

734 Views
734 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM FlashSystem

Read 113 IBM FlashSystem reviews

9,254 Views
3,424 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Dell PowerScale (Isilon)

Huawei OceanStor 9000

IBM FlashSystem

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Dell PowerScale (Isilon), Huawei OceanStor 9000, and IBM FlashSystem based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, NetApp, CTERA and others in NAS.

To learn more, read our detailed NAS Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

NAS

March 2026

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Helped 886,664 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the NAS category, the mindshare of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is 14.8%, down from 17.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei OceanStor 9000 is 1.9%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM FlashSystem is 6.6%, down from 13.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

NAS Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Dell PowerScale (Isilon)	14.8%
IBM FlashSystem	6.6%
Huawei OceanStor 9000	1.9%
Other	76.7%

NAS

Featured Reviews

Bill Engelmeyer

Systems Engineer at Unisity LLC

Flexibility and reliability have supported seamless data growth

I cannot think of anything to improve about Dell PowerScale (Isilon). The hardest challenge we have is due to how we've bought things over time. The way that we moved to the PowerEdge platform for the newer systems creates a scale problem as I still buy the older style systems, which are more dense storage. They're different chassis, so the problem we run into in the data center is the depth of the actual equipment. The newer equipment, if we buy an FX910 or a 900, it's a lot shorter in scale than if I buy an 83,000, which is much bigger. This makes it more complicated for deployment.

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ChukwuemekaOnyemelukwe

Infrastructure Administrator - Server, Storage & Virtualization at MicroAccess Ltd

An entry-level, flash-based storage system designed for enterprise-class applications

It took significantly longer to set up the solution with Huawei compared to other options. But when creating servers for VMware virtualization in one data center, it was a relatively quick process. The Huawei's solution, even with the assistance of an engineer, took more than one month, possibly extending to two months. Chinese engineers were involved in the process, which contributed to the delays.

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OmarIsmail1

Infrastructure Technical Specialist II at Clicks Group

Offers high performance and dependable support for fast storage needs

The most valuable feature of IBM FlashSystem is its robust back code. When integrated properly into the environment and configured according to the guidelines, it provides a very solid infrastructure that does the job on demand. Additionally, IBM FlashSystem offers competitive pricing and reliable performance. The hardware is dependable, ensuring that it functions effectively when the setup is done correctly.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"PowerScale allows us to manage storage without managing RAID groups or migrating volumes between controllers. It has really simplified things. We're not having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. That takes care of itself. We just worry about the data. It's really easy for deploying and managing storage at the petabyte scale."

"Dell PowerScale overall is easy to use."

"There are also the policies that you set up on replication and purging files, and policies for something called WORM. That's a "write once, read many," where you can't overwrite certain files or certain data. It puts them in a "protected mode" where it becomes very difficult for someone to accidentally delete. We use that for certain files or certain directories, because we're dealing with video and some video has to be protected for chain-of-custody purposes. The WORM feature works great."

"I don't have to rebuild the cluster to add a node."

"Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is a platform that is very easy for teams to work with."

"Dell has the AI to protect the EMA."

"The best thing is that it works. We don't have to maintain it too much; we usually upgrade once a year."

"The stability of the solution is good."

More Dell PowerScale (Isilon) pros

"The storage capacity is really one of the most valuable features. Also, the GUI is very friendly and the switches gives high performance. The technology used in storage is RAID which as helped us a lot to expand and store various items ."

"It has many options for scalability, and it is stable."

"IBM FlashSystem is flexible, quick, and has a solid design."

"The most crucial feature of IBM FlashSystem is compression."

"IBM FlashSystem is a very stable solution and its default rate is low."

"The most valuable features are flexibility and performance."

"Speed (IOPS/second) – It is most vital for applications that need low latency and high speed for transferring the data."

"IBM FlashSystem has improved the way the organizations of my customers function."

"With IBM FlashSystem the report takes two hours or less than a two-hour on a rotation, we can get our reports very quickly and this is something very valuable to our management."

"The ease-of-use and scalability are the most valuable features."

More IBM FlashSystem pros

Cons

"The management and monitoring tools comprise a disparate suite of products and the roadmap is very unclear."

"It would be good to have synchronized mirroring between two clusters without using a third-party program."

"There aren't many templates still coming out for it. They need to provide templates so we can copy and paste what we've done in the past to future, new things."

"The price of the solution could be reduced."

"Its configuration needs to be more straightforward."

"They should add some new services that should be for on-premises, and more analytics should be there for the data, allowing for a deep dive from that analytics, which is currently missing."

"There is room for improvement with the updates. It can take a significant amount of time to do a major OS update."

"PowerScale is not suitable for virtual environments."

More Dell PowerScale (Isilon) cons

"The handling of data deletion and bulk servers setup could have been more straightforward and easier when dealing with data removal or setting up servers. I believe Huawei could enhance their solutions, especially managing storage, to provide a better experience for customers."

"The call charges and the management cost should be more friendly."

"The call charges and the management cost should be more friendly. They can also include monitoring and management."

"One area for improvement is in the GUI, where host clusters are not properly dealt with. With Hypervisor host clusters, all hosts must see the same volumes in the same order. Using the concept of a “host-group” has been around (even with IBM) for many years, so why not with the V7000?"

"The interface could improve in IBM FlashSystem."

"At the beginning of every year, IBM releases firmware. When I find any bugs in the firmware during the year, I am unable to find any information from IBM regarding the bug."

"It is a good storage solution, but there many other options out there with more resources."

"The solution is not easy to implement. It takes a lot of time to study the product and it's a little complicated in general."

"The ease of installation should be improved. We had issues with the configuration model."

"Deduplication and DRC synchronization. Deduplication is small, limited. We need better deduplication and disaster recovery."

"We sometimes had a problem with some bugs in FlashSystems. One time, one FlashSystem was burnt up. There was some smoke and the data was damaged."

More IBM FlashSystem cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Price was also a significant factor in our decision to go with PowerScale. The team at EMC, now Dell EMC, came through with a highly competitive offer that tipped the scales towards their solution. There was only one other solution around the same price point, but it could not match PowerScale on features. That other solution is no longer on the market."

"The pricing is excellent."

"It is a really expensive solution."

"Dell PowerScale is an expensive solution compared to other products like Qumulo."

"The pricing for this solution is reasonable."

"The general cost for a system like this is expensive. The total cost depends on your use case. You need to pay for every additional feature that you use."

"Dell PowerScale is expensive on the start-up side but we can recoup those costs quickly by not having to reapply the savings to other equipment."

"The solution is expensive; it is not the cheapest solution out there. If you look at it from a total cost of ownership perspective, then it is a very compelling solution. However, if you're looking at just dollar per terabyte and not looking at the big picture, then you could be distracted by the price. It is not an amazing price, but it's pretty good. It is also very good when you consider the total cost of ownership and ease of management."

More Dell PowerScale (Isilon) pricing and cost advice

"It is cheaper than other solutions."

"The installation is expensive as they often come as a comprehensive package. The design is more integrated, and everything is bundled together as part of the solution. This is what contributes to the higher cost of their solutions because when you purchase one element, it often comes with additional features and components, and you end up paying for the entire package."

"Its price is very good."

"For a yearly license, it is about $100,000. There are no additional costs. The entire system is included."

"Our customers would like IMB FlashSystem to be less expensive."

"You purchase it as a bundle and the price is comparable."

"I'd rate the basic licensing and the Virtualize software a ten out of ten, and the extra Spectrum and other an eight out of ten."

"The cost of the IBM FlashSystem is lower than the HPE solution."

"It pays to go back and get the best price you can from your supplier. The first offer is not always at the best discount."

"There are no licensing fees, it is a one-time purchase of the IBM FlashSystem."

More IBM FlashSystem pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

12%

University

12%

Educational Organization

10%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	44

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	47
Midsize Enterprise	21
Large Enterprise	59

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?

The solution provides massive performance, scalability, efficiency, and ease of management.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?

As I mentioned before, we did not purchase Dell PowerScale (Isilon) directly. Since our organization is a government ...

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What needs improvement with Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?

I have experienced a RAM failure in some of the nodes of Dell PowerScale (Isilon), and that required hardware replace...

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What do you like most about IBM FlashSystem?

It is simple to make an update.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FlashSystem?

The pricing is high; storage solutions are always expensive. I do not know if the price needs to be reviewed, but it ...

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What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem?

As far as I know, IBM FlashSystem has already improved, but I do not see room for improvement. It is simple to use an...

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Comparisons

NetApp FAS Series vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon)

Compared 19% of the time

Everpure FlashBlade vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon)

Compared 10% of the time

Qumulo vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon)

Compared 6% of the time

VAST Data vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon)

Compared 4% of the time

More Dell PowerScale (Isilon) Competitors

Panasas ActiveStor vs Huawei OceanStor 9000

Compared 12% of the time

NetApp FAS Series vs Huawei OceanStor 9000

Compared 10% of the time

Nasuni vs Huawei OceanStor 9000

Compared 10% of the time

Hitachi NAS Platform vs Huawei OceanStor 9000

Compared 9% of the time

QNAP NAS Storage vs Huawei OceanStor 9000

Compared 7% of the time

More Huawei OceanStor 9000 Competitors

Dell PowerStore vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 13% of the time

NetApp AFF vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 10% of the time

Everpure FlashArray vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

Dell PowerMax vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 5% of the time

Dell Unity XT vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 3% of the time

More IBM FlashSystem Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerScale (Isilon)

April 2026

Download Dell PowerScale (Isilon) product report

Buyer's Guide

NAS

March 2026

Download Huawei OceanStor 9000 product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem

April 2026

Download IBM FlashSystem product report

Also Known As

PowerScale, Dell EMC Isilon

OceanStor 9000 Scale-out NAS

IBM Storwize

Overview

Dell PowerScale leads in unstructured data management with unified file and object storage, massive scalability, security, and cloud adaptability, enhancing AI, analytics, and enterprise applications with exceptional performance and resilience.

Dell PowerScale Isilon provides a comprehensive platform for unstructured data, excelling in scalability, management, and performance. With features like single-pane management, SyncIQ, and SmartQuotas, it handles large datasets with flexibility and robust security. Its multi-protocol support and seamless expansion improve operational efficiency. While it offers strong data protection, enhancements in cloud integration, cybersecurity, and performance are sought. Users note potential for cost reductions and streamlined configurations and mention desired improvements in object storage handling and NFS support.

What are the key features of Dell PowerScale Isilon?

Single-pane management: Simplifies data control and monitoring through a unified interface.
SyncIQ: Ensures efficient data replication for business continuity.
SmartQuotas: Provides intelligent quota management for optimized storage allocation.
Multi-protocol support: Facilitates cross-platform data access and integration.
Seamless storage expansion: Allows effortless scaling to accommodate growing data needs.

What benefits should users consider when reviewing Dell PowerScale Isilon?

Operational efficiency: Reduces workload with easy management and automation.
Enhanced security: Offers comprehensive data protection and recovery options.
Scalability: Supports large-scale data storage with flexible growth capabilities.
Performance: Delivers high-speed data processing for demanding applications.
Integration flexibility: Adapts to on-prem and hybrid cloud environments for diverse deployment needs.

Organizations across industries utilize Dell PowerScale Isilon for large-scale unstructured storage, supporting applications like video archiving, genomic data storage, and high-resolution imaging. Educational institutions, research centers, and media enterprises rely on its scaled-out storage capabilities, providing centralized, secure storage for diverse applications in hybrid, cloud, and on-prem environments.

Dell Technologies

OceanStor 9000 is a scale-out NAS storage system specifically designed for massive data storage.

It employs a fully symmetric distributed architecture, supports either file or object storage, and delivers superior performance, extensive scale-out capabilities, and super-large single file system for unstructured data storage.

It is widely applied in media, satellite mapping, gene sequencing, energy exploration, scientific research, education, backup and archiving.

Huawei

IBM FlashSystem products are enterprise computer data storage systems that store data on flash memory chips. Unlike storage systems that use standard solid-state drives, IBM FlashSystem products incorporate custom hardware based on technology from the 2012 acquisition of Texas Memory Systems. This hardware provides performance, reliability, and efficiency benefits versus competitive offerings.

IBM

Sample Customers

OMRF, University of Utah, Translational Genetics Research Institute, Arcis, Geofizyka Torumn, Cyprus E&P Corporation, Colburn School, Columbia Sportswear, Harvard Medical School, University of Michigan, National Library of France,

Piraeus, Clinique Univeritaires Saint-Luc, Absolut Bank

Celero, Friedhelm Loh Group, Clarks, Mingkang Natregro Health Food Group, Sofia, Etisalat Fights Fraud, UF Health Shands Hospital, Generali, Elecon Engineering Company Limited, Ventiv , Technology, CPFL Energia, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., SciQuest, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Paddy Power, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Interconnect Services, Severstal IP-Only AB, PVU Group GmbH

Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, NetApp, CTERA and others in NAS. Updated: March 2026.

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