Lenovo XClarity Controller vs VMware vCenter comparison

Lenovo and VMware are both solutions in the Server Monitoring category. Lenovo is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.5, while VMware is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.6. Lenovo holds a 3.6% mindshare in SM, compared to VMware’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Lenovo users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of VMware users who would recommend it.

Lenovo XClarity Controller

Read 4 Lenovo XClarity Controller reviews

1,169 Views
489 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

VMware vCenter

Read 36 VMware vCenter reviews

237 Views
60 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Lenovo XClarity Controller

VMware vCenter

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Lenovo XClarity Controller and VMware vCenter are solutions in the IT management space. User reviews suggest VMware vCenter stands out due to its comprehensive features, making it more favorable despite higher costs.

Features: Lenovo XClarity Controller offers efficient hardware management, simplified infrastructure setups, and user-friendly deployment. VMware vCenter provides sophisticated virtual machine management, extensive automation options, and robust security features.

Room for Improvement: Lenovo XClarity Controller could enhance integration options and improve performance. VMware vCenter could benefit from better scalability and more intuitive management processes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Lenovo XClarity Controller is commended for easy deployment and responsive customer service. VMware vCenter has a more complex deployment but efficient and expert customer support.

Pricing and ROI: Lenovo XClarity Controller is recognized for cost-effectiveness and quick setup, offering favorable ROI. VMware vCenter, despite higher setup costs, delivers significant ROI through its advanced features and long-term benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Lenovo XClarity Controller vs. VMware vCenter Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Lenovo XClarity Controller vs. VMware vCenter

June 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Lenovo XClarity Controller

Ranking in Server Monitoring

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

VMware vCenter

Ranking in Server Monitoring

3rd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of Lenovo XClarity Controller is 3.6%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware vCenter is 0.7%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Monitoring

Featured Reviews

Muhammad_Salman

Senior Finance Executive at Texitech

Simplifies RAID computation and technical support resolves issues effectively

The Lenovo configuration tool helps us with the computation of the RAID Controller and the installation of the operating system. If we encounter any sort of issue, we can troubleshoot the problem with the assistance of the Lenovo technical team. Sometimes, we do not receive complaints from the controller. We also receive software issue resolutions by managing the process with the assistance of the Lenovo technical team.

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Muhammad Fahad

Manager Tech. & Support (Information Technology) at Texitech

Great for live migration and storage management with simple deployments

I am using vMotion for live migration and storage migrations. I can use vCenter for both now. In vCenter, I can easily manage storage and move it from one server to another, which is beneficial for the environment. If any server is down, I can utilize the storage for different servers. I can easily manage from anywhere. Deployments are simple, and optimization can improve security management. Troubleshooting is easy, and it is possible to detect noncompliance configurations, minimizing costs. The deployment does not require high-cost human resources. I use a single dual machine for multiple VMs. This offers many benefits compared to physical servers or machines.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to provide insights into server status and alerts."

"The Lenovo configuration tool helps us with the computation of the RAID Controller and the installation of the operating system."

"I would rate Lenovo XClarity Controller ten out of ten."

"The most valuable feature of Lenovo XClarity is the ease of use because of the interface browser that is highly compatible and it has mobile web management."

"The remote management capability was also good."

"The initial setup is straightforward even for complex environments with around 100 hosts."

"It is easy to create and manage virtual infrastructure."

"I am using vMotion for live migration and storage migrations. I can use vCenter for both now."

"VMware vCenter is the best from a management perspective, scoring ten on a scale of one to ten."

"The filtering capabilities also enhance scalability by optimizing resource allocation."

"VMware vCenter has significantly improved our infrastructure management by enabling virtualization. We can virtualize our infrastructure, eliminating the need to access servers physically. Everything can be managed remotely."

"We must create a VIN on each node. You want to make the VIN ten times if you have a thin host. We mostly create VMs, and the vCenter publishes the template on all hosts."

"It's a very good tool for centralized management."

More VMware vCenter pros

Cons

"Lenovo XClarity can improve the dashboard integration. For example, graphs could be better. Additionally, more integration with other vendors is needed. For example, VMware has integration with a lot of vendors."

"Sometimes we do not receive the complaint from the Controller."

"Sometimes we do not receive the complaint from the Controller. However, software issues are managed and processed with the help of the Lenovo technical team, and they sort them out."

"It worked very slowly. It was not well on performance."

"They could enable notifications on emails and phones regarding control panel information."

"We have to buy more VMware products to leverage the centralized management."

"There have been some ongoing conflicts since VMware was taken over by Broadcom."

"The monitoring features are limited."

"vCentre licensing cost is on the higher side as well."

"The technical support team could respond faster."

"The product's technical support services could be better."

"The product should improve its storage. It's not necessarily about needing more storage but improving how it handles technology. We believe there could be more effective ways to manage it in our user environment. It should also look into network management."

"The main issue with VMware vCenter is its pricing and licensing model. The licensing model has shifted, leading to higher costs, particularly for smaller organizations."

More VMware vCenter cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The licensing model was a bit complex, but thanks to the vCenter product usage program, which VMware introduced, it's kind of easy for us to use a pay-as-you-go model."

"The product is expensive."

"The platform is highly-priced."

"The tool used to be worth the money, but after Broadcom acquired it and changed the pricing structure to subscription-only, it became too expensive for us to continue using. Unfortunately, we haven't found any alternative solutions that meet our needs, so this is a significant drawback for us as we explore other options."

"We have purchased monthly licenses for the platform. There are additional costs involved."

"For the healthcare industry, the price is considerably higher than the education industry."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten."

"The platform has reasonable pricing."

More VMware vCenter pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

22%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Educational Organization

Retailer

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Lenovo XClarity Controller?

The product's most valuable feature is its ability to provide insights into server status and alerts.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Lenovo XClarity Controller?

Sometimes we do not receive the complaint from the Controller. However, software issues are managed and processed with the help of the Lenovo technical team, and they sort them out.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Lenovo XClarity Controller?

The customer has given me this configuration and is asking for the price of the server along with this configuration. They did not mention what kind of requirement they have. They just shared this ...

See all answers

What do you like most about VMware vCenter?

The filtering capabilities also enhance scalability by optimizing resource allocation.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware vCenter?

The initial package for VMware vCenter is not less than $10,000, which can be prohibitive for smaller organizations. The licensing model now requires purchasing 96-core solutions, even if fewer cor...

See all answers

What needs improvement with VMware vCenter?

The main issue with VMware vCenter is its pricing and licensing model. The licensing model has shifted, leading to higher costs, particularly for smaller organizations. Additionally, the transition...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 40% of the time

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Compared 31% of the time

HPE Integrated Lights Out (iLO) vs Lenovo XClarity Controller

Compared 20% of the time

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs Lenovo XClarity Controller

Compared 6% of the time

More Lenovo XClarity Controller Competitors

Microsoft Configuration Manager vs VMware vCenter

Compared 61% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Server Monitoring

June 2025

Download Lenovo XClarity Controller product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware vCenter

May 2025

Download VMware vCenter product report

Also Known As

XClarity Controller, Lenovo XCC

No data available

Overview

Lenovo ThinkSystem servers contain an integrated service processor, XClarity Controller (XCC), which provides advanced service-processor control, monitoring, and alerting functions. This document summarizes the features of XCC and the upgrades available to ThinkSystem servers.

Lenovo

VMware vCenter is essential for managing virtual machines, deploying systems for customers, and centralizing ESXi servers' management. It aids in monitoring hosts, handling backups, recovering data, and virtualizing compute resources.

Organizations leverage VMware vCenter to oversee virtual infrastructure, automate administrative tasks, and provide self-service portals. It simplifies the management of IT environments by offering features like host profiles, high availability, and cluster configuration. Other notable features include scalability, resource management, performance monitoring, cloning, snapshots, DRS, LACP, and lifecycle management. VMware vCenter ensures continuous system availability, benefiting sectors like healthcare through efficient server management and process automation. The platform's alerting mechanisms, backup and restore functionalities, and elastic resource allocation enhance operational efficiency.

What are the key features of VMware vCenter?

Host Profiles: Simplifies and standardizes host configurations.
High Availability: Ensures system uptime and reliability.
Centralized Management: Allows comprehensive control over multiple ESXi servers.
Scalability: Adapts to growing infrastructure needs.
Performance Monitoring: Assesses and optimizes virtual machine performance.
Cloning & Snapshots: Facilitates quick deployment and recovery.
DRS: Distributes resources efficiently across the cluster.
LACP: Enhances network performance and reliability.
Lifecycle Management: Manages software updates and hardware lifecycles effectively.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Operational Efficiency: Automates routine tasks and improves resource management.
System Availability: Minimizes downtime and ensures continuous operations.
Cost Management: Optimizes resource usage and reduces operational costs.
Scalability: Grows with the company's infrastructure needs.
Enhanced Performance: Monitors and optimizes virtual machine performance.

Healthcare organizations use VMware vCenter to ensure uninterrupted access to critical applications and patient data. It helps manage large volumes of virtual servers, providing necessary performance and reliability. This platform's automation and monitoring capabilities are crucial for maintaining efficient IT operations and supporting healthcare needs.

VMware

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

1. Amazon 2. Apple 3. ATT 4. Bank of America 5. Cisco Systems 6. CocaCola 7. Dell 8. ebay 9. Facebook 10. Google 11. HP 12. IBM 13. Intel 14. JPMorgan Chase 15. LinkedIn 16. Microsoft 17. Netflix 18. Oracle 19. PayPal 20. SAP 21. Siemens 22. Tesla 23. Toyota 24. Twitter 25. Visa 26. Walmart 27. WeWork 28. World Bank

Buyer's Guide

Lenovo XClarity Controller vs. VMware vCenter

June 2025

Free Report: Lenovo XClarity Controller vs. VMware vCenter

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