We performed a comparison between Dell PowerScale (Isilon), NetApp FAS Series, and NetApp Private Storage based on real PeerSpot user reviews.
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, NetApp, Nasuni and others in NAS."I don't have to rebuild the cluster to add a node."
"The tool comes with cheap disks and works fast for video content."
"The flexibility and the user-friendly interface are the most valuable features."
"The solution is extremely easy to manage. This is its most valuable feature."
"Dell PowerScale's performance is good."
"The tool's most valuable features are scalability and stability."
"The fact that we were able to set it up, use it, and, for the most part, didn't have to worry about it after we had it set up has been valuable."
"Since it can scale so easily, as long as I have money to buy more nodes, I can grow it as big as I need to. That is important in our business. As sequencing technologies continue to evolve, and as those technologies evolve, the amount of data generation never gets smaller. It just always seems to get bigger. This is one of the absolute key aspects: We can grow on demand without having to forklift stuff."
"The most important features are SnapVault, Snapshots, and SnapMirror."
"The initial setup was so straightforward. It was well-documented."
"The input and output per second performance are satisfactory."
"The most valuable feature is SnapMirror."
"The most valuable feature for us is the combining of HA and SnapMirror."
"A reliable and easily managed storage system is a key performance factor. The system also has more features than we require."
"The strong point is that our clients like this are RadLV (Radiology Low-Value). They also use SnapMirror and MetroCluster."
"Saves space with deduplication"
"It gave us a platform which could clearly arrange all our files and volumes."
"NetApp has really added a lot of features over the years to improve the product and performance. They can do things now like control ingress. They can control egress."
"The most valuable feature of NetApp Private Storage is out-of-the-box integration with the SAN switches. They are much easier compared to Dell solutions. Additionally, the connector that comes with the solution that allows connection back to the Cisco SAN switches is very good. In Dell, I would need to use an FCIP or CIP port that is required."
"At the moment, we are extensively using SnapMirror."
"NetApp is faster than other storage brands."
"Very stable and very scalable."
"The most valuable feature is integration."
"NetApp has its own dedicated operating system, so it will not be affected by any wireless piggybacking or malware. That's the beauty of NetApp's operating system."
"Additional metadata reporting would be great. We have to use a separate tool to report on that. We would like to view the age of data and how long it has been since someone has accessed a file."
"Isilon has limitations on the number of files that can be generated."
"The price of the solution could be reduced."
"The only thing that I think PowerScale could do better is improving the HTTP data access protocol. At the present, you cannot protect access to data via HTTP or HTTPS the same way that you can secure data access through other protocols like NFS or SMB[...]the Unified Permission Model that would allow a user to authenticate before being able to access a private file, does not apply."
"The legacy file system for Epsilon didn't scale into the cloud and didn't have a separate OS. It would be key if this was made possible."
"There is room for improvement in its handling of object storage."
"The solution can be a bit complex for those not well versed in the technology."
"The biggest weakness is small file handling. Small file compression options are not enabled out of the box. It would be good to have this enabled by default."
"For long term partnership in Myanmar, the local warehouse should be built in Myanmar that's something I'd like to see. We have some issues with supply so there is sometimes a delay in getting the hardware."
"Technical support needs to be improved, as there are no longer partners in our country."
"Cost is always a factor. Some people choose EMC or Dell because they perceive NetApp as being more expensive."
"The high cost of the product is an area of concern, so from an improvement perspective, the tool needs to be made cheaper."
"NetApp is costly when compared to Dell."
"Needs more SAN support."
"I think this kind of infrastructure is mostly obsolete. To keep up with developments in this space, you need to move all these features to an All-Flash solution."
"Dedicated storage efficiency accelerators could improve the overall performance of the system."
"The users find the new version's GUI complicated to use."
"I would like to have the Active-Active feature. Some competitors already have it. I would like NetApp to add it to stay competitive."
"I would like to see the GUI management simplified in the next release."
"The solution could improve by having better support experts. For example, they do not have clear instructions on configuration."
"It is not the fastest storage solution."
"I think that it should work better with Microsoft solutions, more integrated with Microsoft. We also need integrated NAS and block storage."
"There may actually be so many features that the end-user gets lost in the volume."
"NetApp Private Storage is still integrated into the ISCSI connectivity and the FC protocol. I would recommend them to migrate to the FCIP because the SAN switches are moving further to an FCIP, and are scaling out of the ISCSI connectivity. Sooner or later, that will be an issue for NetApp Private Storage. An NFCIP should be available to them moving three years down the line."
