Dell PowerEdge R-Series Reviews

We use Dell PowerEdge servers for various purposes, including running databases on Windows platforms, blades, and chassis for high-performance computing. Our VMware environment relies on PowerEdge servers, particularly in the HPC setup, which involves complex networking and interconnects. 

While the infrastructure can be intricate, the consistent performance of Dell servers makes maintenance easier. Coming from a Unix environment, I find the reliability of these servers comparable, if not better, and they require less time for repairs.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have been stable and reliable over the last decade.

There is room for improvement in certain aspects of the deployment process as it is a bit complex.

I have been working with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for ten years.

Evaluating the stability of Dell PowerEdge servers, we focus on security patching and follow-ups on vulnerabilities. While our team emphasizes security core aspects, our primary concern is a balance between green IT and cost efficiency. Power and heat consumption are challenges across all brands, mainly influenced by Intel chips. 

The server's reliability in storage is dependent on how storage is divided over multiple storage arrays. Although downtime is required for server replacement, the overall architecture provides a good overview and easy management of multiple servers. 

The stability of Dell PowerEdge servers is excellent, with minimal hardware defects in the last three years. The impact of server maintenance is reduced due to virtualization, allowing easy movement of VMs within the cluster. I would rate the stability as a nine out of ten.

Comparing Dell to Lenovo in our hybrid brand solution for HPC, Lenovo is sometimes a bit more expensive but can be easier to install with less driver complexity. 

Dell, on the other hand, can be cheaper. Dell's recent shift has resulted in a larger data center footprint, but the cost-driven nature of IT decisions often favors the most economical solution. While our return on investment with Dell is generally good, IT views these solutions as costs rather than revenue generators. Overall, the reliability is strong, but our focus remains on minimizing costs.

Deploying Dell servers feels like rocket science, but as a seasoned professional, it is generally straightforward and intuitive for me. I rarely use manuals and rely on my experience. Occasionally, finding the right person with multi-disciplinary knowledge can be a challenge, leading to minor delays. Overall, the experience is good, but there is room for improvement in certain aspects.

Overall, I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers as an eight out of ten.

We are using the solution for our virtualization environments. We are using a VMware environment and some hypervisor environments, and we are using this for that purpose.

With virtualization, you have a lot of freedom to manage the environment. We have a lot of requests coming in, a lot of machines to build, as well as some dev servers, test servers, et cetera. There is also the protection of all the systems. Compared to the cloud, if you have your own bare metal in your own office, that's cheap. That's one of the real advantages.

We can manage and configure all the storage systems ourselves. We have a lot more liberty there. When we add more things like storage servers, we can manage the backup. We are on the safer side since we have our own infrastructure and we have a good backup mechanism. It's more easy and more convenient for a system admin to manage these environments. 

Poweredge has helped our organization. The model we're using is great. We had issues with an older model, however, this new one has been good. We have some production environments in our system. We shifted those to the new systems, and so far, I'm happy with the performance. 

The power is cyber resilience is good. So far, with the security upgrades, it's quite good. 

We have three or four servers and so far, it's going very well. 

It's helped us reduce unplanned downtime. We have PowerEdge in collaboration with VMware. That's going well so far. We can utilize various features, like, B Motion, et cetera, to manage zero downtime. 

I'd need to research the product more. Maybe it needs a little bit more support. We have storage and would like to manage more backups without adding extra storage devices. Maybe it's already there. I need to look at it more. Some hypervisors don't seem to have any extra storage. However, it may already be there, and I haven't found it yet.

I've used the solution for almost two years. 

It's great. It's stable so far. I have not experienced any issues with stability, so I would definitely say it's good.

From a scalability point of view, we are using the servers in cluster mode. It's great so far. We can migrate workloads and do whatever we want to do, including updates, with zero downtime.

Dell support is great, with us, at least. We have direct contact with Dell, so whenever we have a question, they are always there. 

Everyone is great. They really care about their customers. They have offices in Pakistan, the Netherlands, and Germany. They really try to understand the Pakistani market. 

Positive

We did not previously use a different server. I've always used Dell. 

We've reduced downtime. The cost is also a big factor. When you have good servers in-house with power backups, you are able to save quite a lot of money compared to the cloud. 

We have a customer relationship with Dell. We have a good account manager that can help in terms of pricing. 

Three or four months ago, we ordered a new Dell PowerEdge. I do not recall evaluating other options. 

We have more control and are saving money as compared to the cloud, which helps with long-term planning. The last Dell PowerEdge is in our local office. I've given our team the servers to do with them as they want. 

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

I can't wait to learn more about their technology. 

Foreign Language:(German)

Leicht zu verwalten und konfigurieren, mit einer guten Vor-Ort-Widerstandsfähigkeit.

Was ist unser Hauptanwendungsfall?

Wir verwenden die Lösung für unsere Virtualisierungsumgebungen. Wir verwenden eine VMware-Umgebung und einige Hypervisor-Umgebungen, und zu diesem Zweck setzen wir diese Lösung ein.

Inwiefern wurde meine Organisation dadurch unterstützt?

Mit der Virtualisierung hat man sehr viel Freiheit bei der Verwaltung der Umgebung. Es kommen viele Anfragen herein, viele Maschinen müssen gebaut werden, sowie einige Entwicklungsserver, Testserver und so weiter. Auch der Schutz aller Systeme ist wichtig. Im Vergleich zur Cloud ist ein eigenes Bare-Metal-System im eigenen Büro günstiger. Das ist wirklich ein großer Vorteil.

Was ist am wertvollsten?

Wir können alle Speichersysteme selbst verwalten und konfigurieren. Dadurch haben wir viel mehr Freiheiten. Wenn wir weitere Dinge wie Speicherserver hinzufügen, können wir die Datensicherung verwalten. Wir sind auf der sicheren Seite, da wir unsere eigene Infrastruktur haben und über einen guten Sicherungsmechanismus verfügen. Es ist einfacher und bequemer für einen Systemadministrator, diese Umgebungen zu verwalten.

Poweredge ist für unsere Organisation sehr hilfreich. Das Modell, das wir verwenden, ist großartig. Wir hatten Probleme mit einem älteren Modell, aber dieses neue Modell ist gut. Wir haben einige Produktionsumgebungen in unserem System. Diese haben wir auf die neuen Systeme umgestellt, und bisher bin ich mit der Leistung zufrieden.

Die Widerstandsfähigkeit gegenüber Cyberangriffen ist gut. Soweit, mit den Sicherheits-Upgrades, ist es ziemlich gut.

Wir haben drei oder vier Server, und bis jetzt läuft es sehr gut.

Es hat uns geholfen, ungeplante Ausfallzeiten zu reduzieren. Wir verwenden PowerEdge in Zusammenarbeit mit VMware. Das klappt bisher sehr gut. Wir können verschiedene Funktionen wie zum Beispiel B Motion usw. nutzen, um Ausfallzeiten zu vermeiden.

Was muss verbessert werden?

Ich müsste das Produkt genauer erforschen. Vielleicht braucht es ein bisschen mehr Support. Wir haben einen Speicherplatz und würden gerne mehr Backups ohne zusätzliche Speichergeräte verwalten. Vielleicht gibt es das schon. Ich muss mehr darüber nachforschen. Einige Hypervisoren scheinen keinen zusätzlichen Speicherplatz zu haben. Vielleicht gibt es sie aber auch schon, und ich habe sie nur noch nicht gefunden.

Wie lange verwende ich die Lösung schon?

Ich verwende die Lösung seit fast zwei Jahren.

Was halte ich von der Stabilität der Lösung?

Es ist großartig. Bis jetzt läuft es stabil. Ich habe keine Probleme mit der Stabilität, so würde ich definitiv sagen, es ist gut.

Was halte ich von der Skalierbarkeit der Lösung?

Aus Sicht der Skalierbarkeit verwenden wir die Server im Clustermodus. Bis jetzt läuft das sehr gut. Wir können unsere Workloads migrieren und alles tun, was wir tun wollen, einschließlich Updates, und das ohne Ausfallzeiten.

Wie funktioniert der Kundendienst und der Support?

Der Support von Dell ist großartig, zumindest bei uns. Wir haben direkten Kontakt mit Dell, und wenn wir eine Frage haben, sind sie immer da.

Alle sind großartig. Sie kümmern sich wirklich um ihre Kunden. Sie haben Büros in Pakistan, den Niederlanden und Deutschland. Sie versuchen wirklich, den pakistanischen Markt zu verstehen.

Wie bewerten Sie den Kundendienst und den Support?

Positiv

Welche Lösung habe ich zuvor verwendet und warum habe ich gewechselt?

Wir haben vorher keinen anderen Server verwendet. Ich habe immer Dell verwendet.

Wie hoch war der ROI?

Wir haben die Ausfallzeiten reduziert. Die Kosten spielen ebenfalls eine große Rolle. Wenn Sie gute Server vor Ort mit Stromunterstützung haben, können Sie im Vergleich zur Cloud erheblich Geld sparen.

Welche Erfahrungen habe ich mit den Preisen, den Einrichtungskosten und der Lizenzierung gemacht?

Wir haben eine Kundenbeziehung zu Dell. Wir haben einen guten Kundenbetreuer, der uns bei der Preisgestaltung helfen kann.

Welche anderen Lösungen habe ich geprüft?

Vor drei oder vier Monaten haben wir einen neuen Dell PowerEdge bestellt. Ich kann mich nicht daran erinnern, andere Lösungen geprüft zu haben.

Was kann ich sonst noch raten?

Wir haben mehr Kontrolle und sparen im Vergleich zur Cloud Geld, was uns bei der langfristigen Planung hilft. Der letzte Dell PowerEdge steht in unserem lokalen Büro. Ich habe unserem Team die Server zur Verfügung gestellt, so dass sie damit machen können, was sie wollen.

Ich würde die Lösung mit neun von zehn Punkten bewerten.

Ich kann es kaum erwarten, mehr über ihre Technologie zu erfahren.

We use them for general Windows deployments for domain controllers, file print servers, and database servers.

PowerEdge Rack Servers have helped to reduce unplanned production downtime. They have been resilient.

The iDRAC for remote access is the most useful feature because it's built into the machine. I can reboot them without having to be there physically. We do a lot of what we do remotely, and it handles that fine.

Also, the signed firmware, drift detection, and BIOS recovery are useful features in the current security climate. Physically, they're reasonably secure, with locking mechanisms on the physical hardware, and the update processes for firmware fall within the parameters we require for our security.

The OpenManage console for lifecycle management provides an intuitive user experience. The interface is easy to understand. In terms of our IT staff's productivity, it makes things quicker. It's a lot quicker to access OpenManage remotely than actually having to go and look at the server. It depends on where the server is and where most of our staff are. It could save five minutes or it could save two hours. It has also decreased the time it takes to deploy new data centers.

Perhaps they could make it more power efficient. They're pretty good, but there's always room for improvement.

Also, they could try to reduce heat generation.

I've been using Dell PowerEdge Servers for about 20 years.

They're pretty reliable, so we don't have to replace them that often; we just have to maintain them.

We've not had to scale them up from what we've deployed, generally.

But when it comes to handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads, they seem to be keeping up to date and providing the latest hardware to keep up with the requirements.

Dell's technical support is generally pretty good.

Neutral

We used HPE previously. We switched to Dell PowerEdge because they were more cost-effective.

The servers that we've deployed have all been in place for long enough to give us a full return on their value.

The pricing is usually in line with what we expect from Microsoft.

To protect our systems from malware and other firmware attacks we use third-party tools.

I work at a university in a research environment. We use PowerEdge powered by Intel servers to run geophysics simulations that stay in the system for a long time. The servers are used to image and process massive data sets. We develop code that requires a moderate amount of power, so that's why we use the racks. 

We currently have between five to ten units, but some of them are down. It's mostly graduate students and a few faculty using them, and we primarily run Linux. The built-in security features aren't really an issue because everything is behind the university's firewalls. We don't have to worry about it because they have a dedicated IT security department. We can dial in from the outside, and we have all kinds of VPN solutions.

The university provides us with batteries and power supplies. They often run for more than a year without any failures, so power isn't a problem. 

We are working with Intel's Xeon scalable processor, but I'm not sure which models we are using. We typically buy the most advanced processor available when we purchase the racks. 

At this time, we have no plans to switch to cloud servers because it's not as comfortable as having an on-premises rack. Also, there are some security restrictions associated with some of our applications, so we can't transfer the data to the cloud. We work with a lot of data, so we prefer local resources because of the security and the speed. 

It does the job for us. We know it's not a high-end product, but it's good enough. We are looking at getting another box. The next series should be 940. The step is not as big as we expected after having the 930 for several years now. We're thinking about getting another one from Dell, but I'm waiting to see what will be available. We are looking for a 4U rack, fully loaded with CPUs and disks. And we have a disk farm outside that we connect to the server, so we can store a lot of data locally. 

We've had no problems with high-performance workloads on our Dell racks. We use the standard software like Intel compilers plus our in-house code, OpenMP, Pilot Processing, and MPI. Intel's Xeon processors improve the performance of our targeted workloads, which is crucial for us. 

We buy the strongest CPUs and run the Intel compiler. We usually run heavy code, so we're working on traditional software languages like Fortran and C. These are heavy applications that run on this cluster.

We started working on Dell servers more than a decade ago. I think it was the 910 version, and its main advantage was the ability to load a lot of in-core memory into the box. It's irrelevant today because everybody can provide as much as they want, but we had memory issues in the beginning. 

We were running out of memory, and that was the first time we heard of a solution that supports a terabyte of core memory. That was the primary reason we got the first box. We've stayed with it since then because we have so many Dell workstations.

Dell servers are easy to use. We've never had a problem. We do more hardware work with workstations, including adding and replacing cards. It's easy compared to what we used to do with screwdrivers years ago. 

Capacity and performance can always be improved. 

I have been using Dell servers for nearly 15 years. 

PowerEdge servers powered by Intel are highly stable. Some of them have stayed on for two years without ever rebooting. Usually, they only reboot for maintenance or something happening in the building, but it is not due to a failure of the machine. Stability is essential because we have jobs that sit on the system for a couple of days.

I haven't used Dell's technical support much. Usually, when I have a problem, we search online for a solution. Sometimes we use the Dell knowledge base or community groups, but we rarely need to contact someone.

Deploying the PowerEdge Rack Servers wasn't a problem. We just plug it into the rack with help from the university computer center. They let us know where to put it and connect it to the required network.

We take care of all the software, like the operating system, permissions, local security, data access, etc. This is all Linux-based, and we have experience, so it's straightforward. For maintenance, we use Dell's OpenManage console a little to tweak the configuration for performance, but we generally set up the system and let it go. We only update the operating system once a year and upgrade the environment.

The price is reasonable. You have to pay if you want quality. When we purchase something, we have to do some market analysis, and I haven't seen a significant difference compared to other solutions.

I'm used to Dell equipment, and the local network is mainly based on Dell workstations connected to the servers. The other servers are usually IBM and HP. I haven't seen any major difference that would justify switching to other vendors.

I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers nine out of ten. 

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel for Windows Servers and VMware Servers.

With Intel’s Xeon scalable processors in our PowerEdge Rack Servers, we have been able to reduce the number of servers we need when we change our workloads to the new generation, once every five years or so. I can feel a big improvement in terms of workload.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel

• are easy to use 
• are easy to manage with Dell's OpenManage Console
• have extended support for five years.

When it comes to handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads, they're good. They deliver like they're supposed to.

And while I haven't had to use the BIOS recovery, it's a nice feature in case there is a problem.

I've been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for 15 years.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel are reliable, so I can say that they have reduced unplanned production downtime.

We use PowerEdge in a VM environment, so it is scalable.

We haven't used Dell's tech support.

We are also using HPE and Lenovo servers right now.

Deploying PowerEdge is straightforward. To get it up and running takes about an hour.

We always implement with in-house team.

We've been using the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for a long time and have found them to be very reliable. With the extended support, we can use them for five years, so it's a good investment.

The pricing could always be better.

When I compare PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel to the other vendors like HPE or Lenovo, I can say that it's a bit better than them. It delivers good value. Dell provides longer support for operating systems when compared to HPE. We also considered all the public cloud servers, but they were not a cost-effective solution for our college. When we buy the on-prem service, we can use it for five years, and with a physical solution, we see a return on investment after about two years. If we were to use public cloud, we would lose after two years. This solution saves us about 1 million shekels (about $289,000 at the time of the review).

Dell's PowerEdge Rack Server is the best solution that I've seen, compared to other vendors.

We mostly use them for managing our testing environment. They manage a different brand of blade servers, not Dell, but the Rack Servers powered by Intel are monitoring and managing the queues that run the tests. Developers are submitting tests to the system 24 hours a day, and nodes on the blade servers run the tests. Our PowerEdge servers manage the test queues.

The management portal is essential because it gives you a lot of flexibility. You don't have to be at the location to manage the server. You can power it on and off remotely or start an installation remotely. All you need to do is connect it to the network and you can do things from thousands of miles away. That is essential when working with data centers. You don't want to be there but you want to have full control remotely.

Another valuable feature is that it's a Dell and that means it's a reliable product.

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel for the last 10 years.

It has performed the way that we expected it to with no technical problems. I don't recall any problems with the server itself that required us to call support or get replacement parts. It does what we expect it to do.

It's stable. It's working 24/7, 365. We don't ever stop it. We have two offices in Israel, and each has two PowerEdge Rack Servers. They're monitoring our testing environment and that environment is running 24 hours a day, so the servers are very heavily utilized.

We usually keep them for four years or stretch them to five years with a warranty extension. We wreck them and have never had to deal with any problems. The PowerEdge servers we have are the third generation that we purchased for this specific role. I'm assuming the integration team that requested these models specifically is satisfied with the outcome.

We got them in a configuration that hasn't required us to make any changes in terms of scalability.

Dell's support works. Here in Israel, Dell works with a third party that handles the contact with the customer. I don't recall if that third party handles servers, but in general, a lot of improvement is required there.

We are a corporate environment. When I call Dell support and give them my credentials or customer number, I expect the guy on the other side to understand who he is talking with. He should immediately see that I have at least 500 laptops, desktops, and more than 1,000 Dell monitors. I'm not just a private customer calling from home. I expect the service to work accordingly. 

Don't ask me, "Did you reboot the machine?" or "Did you update?" We only call Dell support when we cannot solve the problems ourselves. By the time we call, we have done all the testing and all the updating. We have done everything on our side and that's when we need professional, technical support. But when we call them here in Israel, we get what seems like very consumer-oriented customer support. There is a lot of room for improvement in this area.

Neutral

We had HP ProLiant in the past, but we haven't used them for quite a while. Our entire organization is using Dell for end-user machines, laptops, workstations, and desktops. The PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel deliver what we need. It's easier to work with the same vendor and have a unified environment.

While I wouldn't call it a problem, physically mounting the servers into the rails that come with the servers can be a challenge. They could be engineered to be a little bit easier to use. It's not that significant, we can manage it, but you need at least two people to do it together because they're a bit heavy. You have to slide them exactly into the rails. It's a little bit challenging, but not serious.

From unboxing it to preparing the rack and sliding the server into it, connecting everything, and powering it up, it takes about 30 minutes or so.

Integrating it into a particular environment is very simple. We set up an IP, connect it, and install a server operating system. It's a very rapid process. Within about an hour, it is up and running in the environment.

In terms of handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads, you get your money's worth. When you buy something, you need it to perform and deliver and these servers do that. It's a very good product.

PowerEdge pricing is equivalent to that of all the others in the market. We always try to get a better price, but I don't see any problem with the pricing and licensing of Dell's servers. It's not the case, when I compare them to other vendors, that they are extremely more expensive or that the licensing is much more complex.

We looked at HP and Supermicro. We went with Dell, in part, because we are a Dell shop, but price was one of the most critical aspects. We also looked at what we needed to gain from the server. When we connected all these factors, we decided that Dell was the best solution for us.

Before you approach procurement, you should know exactly what you are looking to get out of the product. If you're looking for a reliable vendor and performance, have all your information ready first. Then check the pricing and make sure that you have the budget. It's not like buying a PC for your home. It's a professional server and it costs. You'd better have all the information beforehand, and then you can evaluate whether the purchase of a PowerEdge is suitable for your requirements.

We don't use Dell's OpenManage console. When we need to make changes that don't directly apply to the operating system but to the server itself, we only go into the iDRAC management interface and do it from there on.

I integrate PowerEdge for customers who buy the servers and storage, doing the integration between them. I have helped integrate 20 to 30 customers.

Dell PowerEdge powered by Intel helps improve organizations that we work with a lot.

I like the integration between iDRAC and the system. It is very easy to update the framework and install the operating systems. 

Intel's Xeon CPU makes the system work very well and fast. I like this type of CPU. It has helped to improve the performance of targeted workloads by 70%.

Some customers took the machine to the extreme, which makes it a bit slower and delays the system. Since the customer can put a lot of VMs with a lot of data, it can use up the CPU memory to 20% to 25%, which slows down the system. However, if we reduce the CPU memory or split it to another, then it works very well.

I would like to change the physical rails to be more like how HPE rails are formatted and organized.

I have been using PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel for almost three years.

PowerEdge Rack Servers have helped to reduce unplanned production downtime. The organization will not have downtime at all if you can migrate VMs between servers, but you need at least two. With two or three clusters, you can convert the machines.

The stability is very good, if you have at least two servers. Then, you have full redundancy of all the VMs and the system. If one server has downtime, then all the data in the VMs on the server convert automatically to the other. Therefore, you need at least two or three servers to have full redundancy.

Our customers can run the systems in their organization 24/7 without any downtime.

PowerEdge offers a lot of types, which is very good for customer scalability, from small businesses to large businesses. 

I have not used their technical support.

It is very quick to deploy. It takes something like 30 minutes to an hour for us to deploy.

I recommend reading the documentation before you deploy the product.

It makes the integration with a lot of storage systems cheaper. 

The pricing is very good because there are a lot of types of PowerEdge Rack Servers. You have the R540, R640, and R740. The prices are very scalable through the specific server, e.g., small businesses can take the R640 while large businesses can take the R740 or R840. Thus, Dell technologies touch on every organization.

I like Dell Technologies' products, such as PowerEdge and PowerStore, more than their competitors. It is very easy to work with Dell because of all their documentation for deployments. It is much easier than their competitors.

There are no issues with security in my experience.

I am hoping that some customers will use Dell’s OpenManage console in the future.

I would rate the product as nine out of 10.

We install a lot of VMware and vSAN on the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel.

All the customers that I have implemented PowerEdge for are very happy and like the performance. I think PowerEdge has improved the entire system where I have implemented it. 

Intel's Xeon scalable processors used in PowerEdge Rack Servers have helped to improve the performance of the targeted workloads by about 20 percent, according to feedback from our customers.

• I love the updates from the iDRAC, they are very nice. 
• The installation is easy.
• Replacement, if something fails, is so easy and so good.

PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel are also good at handling high-performance workloads. It depends on the CPU, of course, and the type of server, but the performance is great.

In addition, all the security features work great. That is a very important part.

Dell's OpenManage console is user-friendly. You can connect to everything from Dell. It's simple. In the companies where I have implemented it, I have shown the IT staff how to use it and they are happy with it. I don't know if they use it every day, but during the implementation, it seems like it's good for them.

I don't really know where PowerEdge could be improved. I really like these servers. Even VxRail works great with them. Maybe they could change the logo to something more beautiful.

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for about five years.

PowerEdge is very stable. 

There are issues, of course, but not major issues. On a scale of one to 10, the stability is a nine.

The scalability of all brands is great, and that includes Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel.

I like Dell's tech support very much. Not just for PowerEdge Rack servers but for all of Dell's products, if I have issues, the online support answers and gives solutions very quickly.

Positive

It normally takes one day to integrate PowerEdge.