Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Reviews

Our primary server solution is the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, which we leverage for a variety of purposes. Its robust capabilities enable us to deploy it as a hypervisor platform, most notably utilizing VMware or for secure data backup operations. Additionally, it excels in handling large-scale storage needs and can accommodate bare-metal installations of the Windows operating system.

Recognizing the need for a more streamlined and uniform server ecosystem, we made the decisive move to incorporate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, effectively resolving the longstanding challenges associated with disparate server configurations.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have demonstrably simplified a multitude of IT processes, transforming what could be intricate configurations into exercises of remarkable expediency. This newfound ease is further amplified by the seamless integration between PowerEdge and VMware, fostering a user experience characterized by intuitive clarity and straightforward execution.

The Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Server's robust Cyber Resilient Architecture framework has demonstrably bolstered our organization's cybersecurity posture, proving itself an effective solution for mitigating and recovering from cyber threats.

The Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers shine in terms of energy efficiency, dynamically adapting their power draw to match workload demands. However, my current data pool for comparative analysis is somewhat limited.

Managing the ever-shifting demands of high-performance workloads isn't an insurmountable challenge with Dell PowerEdge servers. The true differentiator lies in the scale of operation: from compact, nimble servers to robust, expansive workhorses, the PowerEdge portfolio offers adaptability across the entire spectrum. This comprehensive array ensures that, regardless of our needs, we'll find the ideal configuration for our specific processing tasks. Moreover, Dell operates as an invaluable partner, readily equipped to identify and deliver the perfect PowerEdge solution to seamlessly tackle our evolving computational requirements.

By leveraging the advanced capabilities of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, I am empowered to meticulously track and analyze their energy consumption. This oversight allows me to generate detailed reports and actionable insights, readily available to be disseminated to the sustainability department, or any other stakeholder requesting such data.

Thanks to our robust high availability architecture, meticulously crafted with VMware's leading virtualization capabilities and the unparalleled reliability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, we've experienced an immaculate track record of zero production downtime. This means our critical operations consistently run like clockwork, uninterrupted by unexpected outages, ensuring seamless service delivery for our valued customers and fostering an environment of uninterrupted productivity.

The implementation of the Open Management Console has demonstrably enhanced the operational efficiency of our IT team by streamlining and reducing the volume of administrative tasks they previously undertook. This has resulted in a significant optimization of their workflow, freeing up valuable resources for them to focus on more strategic initiatives. 

The defining characteristic of the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers lies in their ability to function as the pivotal nexus of the server infrastructure. This central platform orchestrates the flow of data and facilitates seamless operation across all interconnected components.

Enriching the operational efficiency of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers could be achieved through the strategic implementation of a central management console hosted in the cloud. Such a cloud-resident platform would empower administrators with enhanced visibility and granular control over the entire server fleet, fostering agility and optimizing performance.

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for about 15 years.

In terms of rock-solid stability, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are a near-perfect ten out of ten. However, even the most robust machinery is susceptible to the occasional gremlin, and we've encountered instances where an SSD might unexpectedly conk out, a RAID controller hiccups, or a battery throws a tantrum. It's the nature of the beast; these are, after all, intricate marvels of engineering comprised of numerous, hardworking mechanical components. It's like that saying... even the sturdiest oak can shed a leaf or two now and then.

But here's the beauty of Dell's proactive approach: when one of these hiccups does occur, their automated error reporting system ensures we're promptly notified. It's happened before – we'd stroll into the office on a Monday morning, greeted by a chipper receptionist with, "Guess what? A taxi dropped off a replacement hard drive at 3 AM on Saturday!" "Which hard drive?" we'd gasp, scrambling to review the security footage. And there it was, undeniable evidence of a fallen comrade. Turns out, Dell had pre-emptively dispatched the cavalry, delivering the fresh drive two days prior - all without us even missing a beat.

At its core, the capacity to scale Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers gracefully is unquestionably advantageous. However, the notion of swapping out central processing units, the brains of the operation, is rarely entertained. Instead, augmenting the system's memory or storage capacity reigns supreme. This approach proves particularly fruitful when we have the foresight to anticipate the system's potential demands three or even five years down the line. For instance, neglecting to incorporate hard drives during the initial configuration renders their subsequent addition impossible, creating a technical hurdle and, undoubtedly, impacting the financial equation.

Awarding Dell's technical support a perfect ten would be bordering on the realm of unreality, where glitches and hiccups cease to exist, a near-impeccable nine feels eminently fitting. This singular point of contact, often an initial call center interaction, serves as a well-oiled gateway to a seamless resolution. Problems are promptly absorbed, swiftly escalating to the realms of L2 and L3 technicians, where collaboration blossoms. Imagine: we launch a ticket about storage woes, and the designated expert confidently identifies the issue as server-related. Instead of bouncing us back and forth, they seamlessly hand us off to a competent server specialist, keeping us firmly anchored in the loop. The beauty lies in their proactive approach, tirelessly seeking solutions with minimal disruption to our workflow. Of course, access needs might necessitate contacting us, but Dell's arsenal of innovative techniques, both current and yet-to-come, are poised to further streamline and standardize the entire process, promising an even smoother sailing experience in the future.

Positive

Prior to our current configuration, Hewlett Packard Enterprise servers were entrusted with managing our critical operations. However, after thorough evaluation, we embarked on a strategic shift towards Dell's PowerEdge Rack Servers. This decisive action has demonstrably enriched our organization by fostering a more stable and robust technological environment.

The initial deployment unfolded with unexpected simplicity. The seamless integration and pre-configuration of the server components, coupled with the foresight of ordering my VMware directly from the factory, streamlined the process to a handful of minor configurations. As a result, the system sprang to life effortlessly. It truly was a plug-and-play experience – unpack, install, power on, and everything runs.

Our deployment strategy generally revolved around the substitution of aged server units. The process essentially amounted to a seamless sequence of insertion, installation, network attachment, activation, and rudimentary baseline configuration. This enabled the initial decommissioning of the legacy servers, facilitated by the meticulous pre-configuration undertaken in collaboration with Dell. Essentially, they delivered the system precisely as per our specifications.

Due to limitations in both personnel resources and physical proximity, collaborating with a partner emerged as the optimal solution for facilitating the implementation process. The on-site presence of certain team members proved impracticable, necessitating the valuable expertise and capabilities offered by our external counterpart.

I understand the frustration of wanting to quantify the value of our work in concrete terms like monetary return on investment, but sometimes the intangible benefits are just as, if not more, important. It's fantastic that managing these servers now demands significantly less attention from us, freeing up precious bandwidth for other endeavors that were previously shackled by the complexities of their administration. This palpable reduction in workload has demonstrably translated into enhanced satisfaction among our colleagues, which in itself speaks volumes about the success of our efforts. While a meticulously calculated ROI figure might be absent, the liberated resources and elevated morale constitute a powerful testament to the value Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers undoubtedly deliver.

Pricing appears to be comparatively favorable, particularly within the project's scope. However, the licensing terms can occasionally be somewhat opaque, making it difficult for me to fully grasp them. I often rely on my partner's expertise in this area for clarification. It would be more agreeable if the licensing could be streamlined a little, potentially by providing more transparent and concise language.

Furthermore, the current nomenclature for different tiers, e.g., Enterprise, Super Enterprise can be confusing and uninformative. It would be much more beneficial if the functionality of each tier were simply described in plain language, allowing for easier understanding and comparison. Additionally, the process of requesting clarification or support could be improved. Having to ask multiple times can be cumbersome and inefficient. Ideally, there would be a more streamlined and efficient system for obtaining assistance.

During our initial search, established industry giants like Lenovo, HP, and Fujitsu were naturally under consideration. However, after thorough evaluation, the team arrived at a conclusion: Dell, with its comprehensive and compelling value proposition, emerged as the clear frontrunner in meeting our stringent requirements. Dell's distinct advantage lies in its ability to function as a one-stop shop, a convenience often lacking when dealing with multiple manufacturers. By consolidating our needs under the Dell umbrella, we eliminate the complexities of juggling various vendors and establish a single point of contact for all product-related matters. This streamlined approach translates to seamless communication and eliminates the dreaded "ping-pong effect" that can often plague collaborations involving multiple manufacturers. Dell's commitment to holistic solutions ensures a frictionless experience, allowing us to focus on our core objectives with unhindered clarity.  

While I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers an eight out of ten, the intricacies involved in pre-configuring the system leave me yearning for a touch more user-friendliness. The sheer breadth of its capabilities necessitates a certain complexity, a sprawling landscape of options that, at times, can feel overwhelming. It's almost as if the system strives to be a one-size-fits-all solution, encompassing every conceivable need under the sun – an admirable ambition, yet one that occasionally comes at the cost of streamlined user interaction. Ideally, I'd prefer a configuration process that guides the user along a predetermined path, gently navigating through key decisions rather than presenting a daunting open expanse. However, I readily acknowledge that this is largely a matter of personal preference, and the inherent power and flexibility offered by the current system are undeniable. In the grand scheme of things, the configuration complexity isn't a deal-breaker, merely a minor bump in an otherwise smooth and rewarding experience.

The standardization inherent in Dell PowerEdge rack servers significantly enhances the overall operational malleability of our organization. This is primarily due to their ubiquitous compatibility, allowing for unimpeded deployment across diverse locations, as we've already successfully demonstrated. However, while this standardization excels in initial placement, it hasn't been fully tested in terms of intra-operational adaptability. Granted, component failure mitigation remains straightforward, with replacement parts readily dispatched and swiftly configured, ensuring rapid service resumption. Nonetheless, the internal flexibility facilitated by these servers hasn't been extensively explored.

Foreign Language:(German)

Ist Vielseitig, Energiesparend und Macht Unsere IT-Prozesse Einfacher

Was ist unser Hauptanwendungsfall?

Unsere wichtigste Serverlösung sind die Dell PowerEdge Rack Server, die wir für verschiedene Zwecke verwenden. Dank ihrer robusten Funktionen können wir sie als Hypervisor-Plattform einsetzen, vor allem für VMware oder für sichere Datensicherungsvorgänge. Darüber hinaus eignet sich der Server hervorragend zur Bewältigung umfangreicher Speicheranforderungen und kann Bare-Metal-Installationen des Windows-Betriebssystems verarbeiten.

Da wir die Notwendigkeit eines rationalisierten und standardisierten Server-Ökosystems feststellten, entschieden wir uns für die Integration von Dell PowerEdge Rack-Servern und lösten damit die langjährigen Herausforderungen, die mit unterschiedlichen Serverkonfigurationen verbunden sind.

Wie hat es meiner Organisation geholfen?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern haben zahlreiche IT-Prozesse deutlich vereinfacht und damit komplizierte Konfigurationen in besonders einfache Abläufe verwandelt. Die nahtlose Integration von PowerEdge und VMware trägt zu dieser Vereinfachung bei und fördert eine Benutzererfahrung, die sich durch intuitive Klarheit und unkomplizierte Ausführung auszeichnet.

Das robuste Cyber Resilient Architecture-Framework des Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servern hat die Cybersicherheitslage unseres Unternehmens nachweislich gestärkt und sich als effektive Lösung für die Eindämmung von und die Wiederherstellung nach Cyberbedrohungen erwiesen.

Die Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern zeichnen sich durch ihre Energieeffizienz aus, da sie ihre Leistungsaufnahme dynamisch an die Arbeitslastanforderungen anpassen. Dennoch ist mein aktueller Datenpool für eine vergleichende Analyse etwas begrenzt.

Mit Dell PowerEdge-Servern stellt die Verwaltung der sich ständig ändernden Anforderungen von Hochleistungs-Workloads keine unüberwindbare Herausforderung dar. Das wahre Unterscheidungsmerkmal liegt in der Betriebsskala: Von kompakten, wendigen Servern bis hin zu robusten, umfangreichen Arbeitspferden bietet das PowerEdge-Portfolio Anpassungsfähigkeit über das gesamte Spektrum hinweg. Dieses umfassende Angebot stellt sicher, dass wir unabhängig von unseren Bedürfnissen die ideale Konfiguration für unsere spezifischen Verarbeitungsaufgaben finden. Darüber hinaus agiert Dell als unschätzbarer Partner, der in der Lage ist, die perfekte PowerEdge-Lösung zu finden und zu liefern, um unsere sich entwickelnden Rechenanforderungen nahtlos zu bewältigen.

Durch die Nutzung der fortschrittlichen Funktionen von Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern bin ich in der Lage, den Energieverbrauch genau zu verfolgen und zu analysieren. Diese Übersicht ermöglicht es mir, detaillierte Berichte und umsetzbare Erkenntnisse zu erstellen, die der Nachhaltigkeitsabteilung oder anderen Interessengruppen, die solche Daten anfordern, zur Verfügung gestellt werden können.

Dank unserer robusten Hochverfügbarkeitsarchitektur, die sorgfältig mit den führenden Virtualisierungsfunktionen von VMware und der unvergleichlichen Zuverlässigkeit der Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern entwickelt wurde, haben wir eine makellose Erfolgsbilanz von null Produktionsausfällen erreicht. Das bedeutet, dass unsere kritischen Abläufe stets wie ein Uhrwerk laufen und nicht durch unerwartete Ausfälle unterbrochen werden, was eine nahtlose Servicebereitstellung für unsere geschätzten Kunden gewährleistet und eine Umgebung mit ununterbrochener Produktivität fördert.

Die Implementierung der Open Management Console hat die betriebliche Effizienz unseres IT-Teams nachweislich verbessert, indem sie den Umfang der zuvor durchgeführten Verwaltungsaufgaben rationalisiert und reduziert hat. Dies hat zu einer erheblichen Optimierung ihrer Arbeitsabläufe geführt, wodurch wertvolle Ressourcen freigesetzt wurden, die sie für strategischere Aufgaben einsetzen können.

Was ist am wertvollsten?

Das Hauptmerkmal der Dell PowerEdge Rack Server liegt in ihrer Fähigkeit, als zentraler Mittelpunkt der Serverinfrastruktur zu fungieren. Diese zentrale Plattform orchestriert den Datenfluss und ermöglicht einen nahtlosen Betrieb über alle miteinander verbundenen Komponenten hinweg.

Was muss verbessert werden?

Die Verbesserung der betrieblichen Effizienz von Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern könnte durch die strategische Implementierung einer zentralen, in der Cloud gehosteten Verwaltungskonsole erreicht werden. Eine solche in der Cloud gehostete Plattform würde den Administratoren eine verbesserte Sichtbarkeit und granulare Kontrolle über die gesamte Serverflotte ermöglichen und so die Agilität fördern und die Leistung optimieren.

Wie lange nutze ich die Lösung schon?

Ich habe Dell PowerEdge Rack Server seit etwa 15 Jahren im Einsatz.

Was halte ich von der Stabilität der Lösung?

Wenn es um solide Stabilität geht, sind die Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern eine nahezu perfekte Zehn von Zehn. Doch selbst die robustesten Geräte sind anfällig für gelegentliche Probleme, und wir haben Fälle erlebt, in denen eine SSD unerwartet ausfällt, ein RAID-Controller nicht richtig funktioniert oder ein Akku einen Ausbruch erleidet. Das liegt in der Natur der Sache, schließlich handelt es sich um komplizierte technische Lösungen, die aus zahlreichen, hart arbeitenden mechanischen Komponenten bestehen. Es ist wie mit dem Sprichwort: Selbst die stärkste Eiche verliert ab und zu ein oder zwei Blätter.

Aber das Schöne an Dells proaktivem Ansatz ist, dass das automatische Fehlermeldesystem von Dell sicherstellt, dass wir sofort benachrichtigt werden, wenn eines dieser Probleme auftritt. Es ist schon vorgekommen, dass wir an einem Montagmorgen ins Büro kamen und von einer fröhlichen Mitarbeiterin an der Rezeption mit den Worten begrüßt wurden: "Wissen Sie was? Ein Taxi hat am Samstag um 3 Uhr morgens eine Ersatzfestplatte geliefert!" "Welche Festplatte?", stöhnten wir und sahen uns krampfhaft die Sicherheitsaufzeichnungen an. Wie sich herausstellte, hatte Dell vorsorglich die neue Festplatte bereits zwei Tage zuvor geliefert, ohne dass wir überhaupt etwas mitbekommen hatten.

Was denke ich über die Skalierbarkeit der Lösung?

Die Fähigkeit, Dell PowerEdge Rack Server problemlos zu skalieren, ist zweifellos von großem Vorteil. Der Gedanke an einen Austausch der zentralen Recheneinheiten, dem Herzstück des Systems, wird jedoch nur selten in Erwägung gezogen. Stattdessen steht die Erweiterung des Arbeitsspeichers oder der Speicherkapazität des Systems im Vordergrund. Dieser Ansatz erweist sich als besonders nützlich, wenn wir die Voraussicht haben, die potenziellen Anforderungen des Systems in drei oder sogar fünf Jahren vorauszusehen. Wenn beispielsweise bei der Erstkonfiguration keine Festplatten eingebaut werden, ist eine spätere Erweiterung unmöglich, was eine technische Belastung darstellt und sich sicherlich auch auf die finanzielle Belastung auswirkt.

Wie sind Kundenservice und Support?

Es wäre an der Grenze zur Unwirklichkeit, den technischen Support von Dell mit einer perfekten Zehn zu bewerten, denn dort, wo es keine Ausfälle und Störungen mehr gibt, ist eine nahezu tadellose Neun durchaus angemessen. Die einzige Ansprechstelle, oft ein Callcenter, dient als gut funktionierendes Tor zu einer nahtlosen Lösung. Probleme werden umgehend aufgegriffen und eskalieren schnell in die Bereiche der L2- und L3-Techniker, wo die Zusammenarbeit besonders gut funktioniert. Stellen Sie sich vor: Wir stellen ein Ticket über Speicherprobleme aus, und der zuständige Experte identifiziert das Problem sicher als Serverproblem. Anstatt uns hin und her zu schieben, werden wir nahtlos an einen kompetenten Serverspezialisten weitergeleitet, so dass wir immer auf dem Laufenden bleiben. Das Schöne daran ist, dass sie proaktiv vorgehen und unermüdlich nach Lösungen suchen, ohne unseren Arbeitsablauf zu stören. Natürlich kann es sein, dass wir bei Zugriffsbedarf kontaktiert werden müssen, aber Dells innovative Techniken, sowohl die aktuellen als auch die zukünftigen, sind darauf ausgerichtet, den gesamten Prozess weiter zu rationalisieren und zu standardisieren, was in Zukunft eine noch reibungslosere Abwicklung verspricht.

Wie bewerten Sie den Kundenservice und -support?

Positiv

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

Bevor wir unsere aktuelle Konfiguration vorgenommen haben, haben wir unsere wichtigsten Prozesse mit Servern von Hewlett Packard Enterprise verwaltet. Nach einer gründlichen Evaluierung haben wir jedoch eine strategische Umstellung auf PowerEdge-Rack-Servern von Dell vorgenommen. Diese entschlossene Maßnahme hat unsere Organisation nachweislich verbessert, indem sie eine stabilere und robustere technologische Umgebung geschaffen hat.

Wie war die Ersteinrichtung?

Die anfängliche Bereitstellung verlief unerwartet einfach. Die nahtlose Integration und Vorkonfiguration der Serverkomponenten sowie die vorausschauende Bestellung von VMware direkt beim Hersteller reduzierten den Prozess auf eine Handvoll kleinerer Konfigurationen. Das Ergebnis war, dass das System mühelos zum Leben erwachte. Es war wirklich ein Plug-and-Play-Erlebnis - auspacken, installieren, einschalten, und alles läuft.

Unsere Implementierungsstrategie konzentrierte sich im Allgemeinen auf den Austausch veralteter Servereinheiten. Der Prozess bestand im Wesentlichen aus einer nahtlosen Abfolge von Einsetzen, Installation, Netzwerkanbindung, Aktivierung und einer rudimentären Basiskonfiguration. Dies ermöglichte die anfängliche Außerbetriebnahme der Altserver, die durch die sorgfältige Vorkonfiguration in Zusammenarbeit mit Dell erleichtert wurde. Grundsätzlich lieferten sie das System genau nach unseren Anforderungen.

Wie sieht es mit dem Implementierungsteam aus?

Aufgrund begrenzter Personalressourcen und räumlicher Nähe erwies sich die Zusammenarbeit mit einem Partner als optimale Lösung zur Erleichterung des Implementierungsprozesses. Die Anwesenheit bestimmter Teammitglieder vor Ort war nicht möglich, so dass wir auf das wertvolle Fachwissen und die Fähigkeiten unseres externen Partners nicht verzichten konnten.

Was war unser ROI?

Ich verstehe, dass es frustrierend ist, den Wert unserer Arbeit in konkreten Begriffen wie der monetären Kapitalrendite messen zu wollen, aber manchmal sind die immateriellen Vorteile genauso wichtig, wenn nicht sogar noch wichtiger. Es ist fantastisch, dass die Verwaltung dieser Servern nun deutlich weniger Konzentration von uns verlangt, wodurch wertvolle Zeit für andere Aufgaben freigesetzt wird, die zuvor durch die Komplexität ihrer Verwaltung eingeschränkt waren. Diese spürbare Arbeitserleichterung hat sich nachweislich in einer höheren Zufriedenheit unserer Kollegen niedergeschlagen, was an sich schon für den Erfolg unserer Bemühungen spricht. Auch wenn eine exakt berechnete ROI-Zahl fehlen mag, sind die freigesetzten Ressourcen und die gestiegene Motivation ein eindrucksvoller Beweis für den Wert, den Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern ohne Zweifel bringen.

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

Die Preisgestaltung scheint vergleichsweise günstig zu sein, insbesondere im Rahmen des Projekts. Allerdings sind die Lizenzbedingungen gelegentlich etwas undurchsichtig, so dass ich sie nur schwer nachvollziehen kann. Zur Klärung bin ich oft auf das Fachwissen meines Partners in diesem Bereich angewiesen. Es wäre angenehmer, wenn die Lizenzierung ein wenig vereinfacht werden könnte, möglicherweise durch eine transparentere und präzisere Sprache.

Außerdem kann die derzeitige Nomenklatur für die verschiedenen Stufen, z. B. Enterprise, Super Enterprise, verwirrend und wenig informativ sein. Es wäre sehr viel vorteilhafter, wenn die Funktionen der einzelnen Stufen einfach in klarer Sprache beschrieben würden, was das Verständnis und den Vergleich erleichtern würde. Auch das Verfahren zur Anforderung von Klarstellungen oder Support könnte verbessert werden. Mehrmaliges Nachfragen kann umständlich und ineffizient sein. Wünschenswert wäre ein einfacheres und effizienteres System für den Erhalt von Unterstützung.

Welche anderen Lösungen habe ich bewertet?

Bei unserer anfänglichen Suche kamen natürlich auch etablierte Marktgrößen wie Lenovo, HP und Fujitsu in Betracht. Nach einer gründlichen Bewertung kam das Team jedoch zu einem Ergebnis: Dell hat sich mit seinem umfassenden und überzeugenden Leistungsangebot als klarer Spitzenreiter bei der Erfüllung unserer strengen Anforderungen erwiesen. Der eindeutige Vorteil von Dell liegt in seiner Fähigkeit, als One-Stop-Shop zu agieren - ein Komfort, der bei der Zusammenarbeit mit mehreren Herstellern oft fehlt. Durch die Konsolidierung unserer Bedürfnisse bei Dell entfällt die Komplexität des Jonglierens mit verschiedenen Anbietern, und wir haben einen einzigen Ansprechpartner für alle produktbezogenen Fragen. Dieser rationalisierte Ansatz führt zu einer nahtlosen Kommunikation und verhindert den gefürchteten Pingpong-Effekt, der bei der Zusammenarbeit mit mehreren Herstellern häufig auftritt. Dells Engagement für ganzheitliche Lösungen sorgt für eine reibungslose Erfahrung, die es uns ermöglicht, uns mit ungehinderter Klarheit auf unsere Kernziele zu konzentrieren.

Welche anderen Ratschläge kann ich geben?

Ich würde die Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern zwar mit acht von zehn Punkten bewerten, aber die komplizierte Vorkonfiguration des Systems lässt mich mit dem Wunsch nach etwas mehr Benutzerfreundlichkeit zurück. Die enorme Bandbreite der Funktionen erfordert eine gewisse Komplexität, eine ausufernde Landschaft von Optionen, die manchmal überwältigend wirken kann. Es scheint fast so, als ob das System danach strebt, eine Einheitslösung zu sein, die alle denkbaren Bedürfnisse abdeckt - ein bewundernswertes Ziel, das jedoch gelegentlich auf Kosten einer optimierten Benutzerinteraktion geht. Idealerweise würde ich einen Konfigurationsprozess bevorzugen, der den Benutzer entlang eines vorgegebenen Pfades führt und ihn sanft durch wichtige Entscheidungen navigiert, anstatt ihm eine entmutigende offene Fläche zu präsentieren. Ich gebe jedoch gerne zu, dass dies größtenteils eine Frage der persönlichen Präferenzen ist, und die dem aktuellen System innewohnende Leistung und Flexibilität sind unbestreitbar. Im Großen und Ganzen ist die Komplexität der Konfiguration kein Hindernis, sondern lediglich ein kleiner Störfaktor in einer ansonsten reibungslosen und lohnenden Erfahrung.

Durch die Standardisierung von Dell PowerEdge-Rack-Servern lässt sich die gesamte betriebliche Flexibilität unserer Organisation erheblich verbessern. Dies ist in erster Linie auf ihre allgegenwärtige Kompatibilität zurückzuführen, die einen ungehinderten Einsatz an verschiedenen Standorten ermöglicht, wie wir bereits erfolgreich unter Beweis gestellt haben. Während sich diese Standardisierung jedoch bei der Erstplatzierung auszeichnet, wurde sie im Hinblick auf die Anpassungsfähigkeit innerhalb des Betriebs noch nicht vollständig getestet. Zugegeben, die Behebung von Komponentenausfällen ist nach wie vor einfach, da Ersatzteile schnell versandt und schnell konfiguriert werden können, um eine schnelle Wiederaufnahme des Betriebs zu gewährleisten. Dennoch wurde die interne Flexibilität, die diese Server ermöglichen, noch nicht umfassend erforscht.

Welches Modell nutzen Sie für die Entwicklung dieser Lösung?

Im Hause.

Our company offers various solutions, but for Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, our clients had specific requirements such as a very new, unsupported CPU, extensive RAM support, and numerous PCIe lanes. Only Dell met all these needs.

The learning curve for Dell products is not steep due to the excellent support and easily accessible information. Compared to other projects I'm involved in, I found it much easier to learn and use Dell products. 

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have redundant power supplies that would help reduce downtime.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers offer flexibility due to their remote management capabilities, redundant components, and ease of diagnosis and repair.

The most valuable aspect of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is that they don't require support for card installation and offer extensive diagnostic software. I was able to work on the servers installed in our lab remotely from my office via the management tools. This eliminated the need for a physical display connection, requiring only an ethernet cable and power for remote access and management. 

Their servers are modular, but there are specific applications for which I wish they would publish the specifications, such as the specs of internal connectors. If Dell doesn't provide a connector, I'd like to be able to provide it myself.

The limited connectivity of the Rack Servers, due to having only three USB ports, is an area of improvement for Dell. Dell continues to use micro USB for the management port, and that cable type is increasingly more difficult to find. A shift to USB-C for the management port would be a welcome improvement from Dell.

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for one year.

We sometimes build in-house using components from vendors we represent, but this project required something completely different, so we went with Dell. I hadn't worked with Dell before and had no prior experience. I had designed PCs based on Dell-style motherboards from one company and cards from another, handling integration, software support, and everything else. This was different because they didn't conform to usual standards and used their own products. There was a learning curve, but it was much easier overall.

I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers nine out of ten.

We collaborated with Dell Professional Services to obtain cable design specifications. The power supplies used DC voltage, and we needed to determine the recommended cable thickness and any other pertinent design considerations. We planned to install our cards, which necessitated an internal power supply, so we needed the specifications to ascertain the maximum power draw from each connector.

Dell Professional Services were great compared to others I have used. I would rate them ten out of ten.

We are an MSP that sells, deploys, installs, and maintains Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for our customers who use them for storage and as their main server.

Our customers implement Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for better performance and lower prices. They have a lower price and the best performance. 

Dell is an established and trusted name for our customers. They have proven themselves as a leader in storage. 

PowerEdge cyber-resilient architecture approach to security is good. The updates come regularly and quickly when there is a zero-day occurrence. We trust that security is tight. 

PowerEdge does a good job handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads.

PowerEdge has minimal downtime. Out of 100 servers, we may have an issue with two servers per year.

The OpenManage console has improved productivity through ease of maintenance. It's easy to use and it's good for the team. We use it every day. 

Because the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are stable and work well, our customers can work around the clock, giving them the flexibility to do what they need.

From a technical perspective, the iDRAC system's most valuable feature is its performance, while from the customer's perspective, it is the other features. It's easy to manage. 

I want Dell to offer more virtualization platforms because the cost of VMware is getting too high.

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for almost ten years.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are stable.

We are able to plan for scalability based on the customer's requirements and have not had any issues with it.

We use Dell technical support two to three times a year. They are professional and always meet our SLA time. However, there are sometimes service delays on weekends.

Positive

We also sell HPE and Lenovo servers. When we buy a Dell PowerEdge server, most of the features are included in the price, but for the others, such as HPE iLO for connecting or IBM X servers, we must purchase add-ons.

The deployment of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is similar to that of other vendors in terms of complexity. It's easy.

We implement the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for our customers.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are reliable, ensuring customers see a return on investment as they don't need to extend warranties on their servers.

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers ten out of ten. I also deal with Lenovo and HPE, and we must pay extra for support and add-on features. This is not the case with Dell PowerEdge. With Dell, it includes all the servers. 

It is very easy to sell Dell.

We won a contract, and the customer preferred Dell as the OEM manufacturer. 

PowerEdge is flexible enough to integrate the IOs we need into the server.

Dell's team supported us all the way. It's an excellent corporation, and customers here in Israel are different. They're difficult to deal with and constantly change their minds. We wouldn't have won this tender without cooperation from the CMS distributor and Dell.

We could install all the other accessories and cards the customer asked us to implement on Dell servers and integrate cards from different companies. Each requires a different OS. Dell helped us integrate all the systems.

When integrating the PowerEdge rack, we needed help from all the different companies to combine it with the servers. Each company has a system, and things must align with the server. 

It would be better if they integrated Dell and Ubuntu, for example. It would be easier to handle the mission. 

We are in our first month of working with the Dell team. 

PowerEdge's overall scalability is excellent. We've got a great technical team.

I rate Dell Professional Services 10 out of 10. They were excellent and were the reason we won the tender. They supported us. We had a whole team supporting us and providing us with answers. When we were implementing VxRail, they found the person in charge  who gave us the correct information. 

Positive

I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers nine out of 10. We're happy with it. 

We use them for everything—from infrastructure services to virtualization, as well as storage.

By implementing these servers, we wanted to meet our needs regarding office automation. I work for a national library, so it was essentially about being able to distribute digital books and being able to create applications and a digital library.

At the time, they were the only ones to offer a remote management system, and that is a very important feature for us, especially bearing in mind that we have only two people for hundreds of servers. It is indeed very important.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have the PowerEdge Cyber Resilient Architecture approach to security, but I do not believe in that. We put the security in place well in advance and early on the servers as well as the networks in order to filter everything, so we have minimal exposure to the servers. Once it is on the servers, it is too late. They must be stopped well in advance.

In terms of energy consumption, it depends on what you are doing with the machine. If it is to manage AIs or other similar things, they consume far too much energy. If it is for the purpose of heritage conservation, then it is consuming what it needs to. It depends on what you are using it for. If you leave the light on in a room and everyone has their eyes closed and nobody is doing anything, then it is excess energy consumption. Even if it is barely a fraction of any watt being used, it is already too much. However, if it is for reading and learning about things, it can be justified. The justification does not take place at the server level but at the level of how we use that server. Certain servers are very energy-consuming because there are certain projects that have no purpose at all, and there are projects, such as the digital library, that are very useful, and I do not find them very energy-consuming.

They have very good indicators on them that allow us to follow the workloads as well as consumptions. That is very good. One good thing about those servers is that we are remotely warned. There is a follow-up, and the administration is much easier for us.

In terms of their impact on our sustainability goals, we do not have much money in the public sector, so we make them last for a very long time. I have some servers that are more than ten years old, so the maintenance or support no longer exists for those models. This equipment is well-manufactured and reliable, and it works very well.

For the last 20 years, there have been far fewer breakdowns. The servers function much better and the OS too. For sure, we are getting a much better quality product than we used to about 20 or 25 years ago. That is for sure. The machines no longer stop. We now only stop them for some safety updates or something similar, but that is it.

The OpenManage console does allow us to combine everything, but we had that system well before it was a VM. At the time, it was still an application.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have affected the overall flexibility of our operations. The fact that they are easily manageable is an essential aspect.

These web servers were easily manageable from as early as 2003. We have a very large building, and it was possible to manage them remotely in a simple way from as early as 2003.

All of the marketing terminologies from Dell are very complicated as they have names that sometimes involve the same technology. It is something very complex for me as well as for many people who are not that familiar with Dell’s catalog. Apart from that, from a technical aspect, Dell is following the technical progression of the motherboards and processors from other manufacturers, and as a result, they are always up to date.

Their price could be better.

The first one was in 2003, so we have been using them for about 20 years.

They are very stable. They last a very long time.

We never make any changes. We buy the equipment. Sometimes, we even buy a lot of identical equipment, and according to the lifespan, we add server disks from an obsolete server to make another server more powerful. That is the only thing that we do. We do not make any changes to processors or anything else. We buy the servers based on necessity.

Their support is always very good. It is always a ten out of ten. They have very competent people. There is no need to negotiate something or explain it ten times when a server strip is faulty and needs to be returned. There is no problem regarding this, and it is very good.

Positive

We have some Lenovo servers, and we have some HPE servers. Dell does not always offer the best prices, and the competitors are also offering products at a good price. That is what the competitive game is about, and sometimes, it is the competitor who wins.

I was involved in the initial setup. It is extremely simple.

In terms of the implementation strategy, we had two delivered. We watched how they were cabled up, how they were built up, and we put the others. We had ordered together with a guide, and there were no problems.

We did the implementation with a guide. We always do this, but while telling him what to do. We made our own terms and conditions. We were the ones in charge.

Dell’s licensing is perfect. In comparison to the competitors, it is perfect. It is simple and well done. It is working for us.

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a ten out of ten. Out of all the brands that I know, they are the best together with HPE, but there is something that I do not like about HPE, and that is the licensing. I find their licensing absolutely unbearable.

Foreign Language:(French) 

Offre une gestion à distance, une administration facile et des indicateurs de charges de travail et de consommation

Depuis combien de temps utilisez-vous les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack?

Le premier était en 2003, cela fait donc environ 20 ans.
Quel est votre cas d’utilisation principal de cette solution? (Décrivez votre environnement).

On s’en sert pour tout — autant pour les services d’infrastructure que pour la virtualisation et le stockage.

En implémentant ces serveurs, on voulait répondre à nos besoins en bureautique. Je travaille pour la bibliothèque nationale. C’est donc essentiellement pour distribuer des ouvrages numérisés et d'être capable de concevoir des applications et une bibliothèque numérique.

Veuillez décrire comment les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack ont amélioré votre organisation. Si ce ne fut pas le cas, veuillez expliquer pourquoi.

C'était les seuls à l'époque qui proposaient un système de gestion à distance et ça, c’est un aspect très important pour nous, sachant que nous sommes que deux pour plusieurs centaines de serveurs. C’est vraiment très important.

Les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack ont l’approche de l’architecture PowerEdge Cyber-Résiliente mais je n’y crois pas trop. On met la sécurité bien avant et bien en amont des serveurs, ainsi que sur les réseaux afin de tout filtrer et donc, on expose un minimum les serveurs. Une fois qu’ils sont sur les serveurs, c’est trop tard. Il faut les arrêter bien avant.

En termes de consommation d'énergie, ça dépend de ce qu’on fait avec la machine. Si c’est pour gérer des IAs ou autre chose de semblable, ça consomme beaucoup trop d'énergie. Si c’est pour la conservation patrimoniale, alors ça consomme ce que cela doit consommer. Ça dépend de ce qu’on fait dessus. Si on laisse une lumière allumée dans une pièce et que tout le monde ferme les yeux et que personne ne fait rien, c’est une consommation d'énergie en trop. Même si ce n’est qu’une fraction de watt qui est utilisée, c’est déjà trop. Par contre, si c’est pour lire et apprendre des choses, ça se justifie. La justification ne se passe pas au niveau du serveur mais au niveau de l’utilisation qu’on en fait. Certains serveurs sont très énergivores parce qu’il y a des projets qui ne servent à rien et il y a des projets comme la bibliothèque numérique qui sont très utiles et je ne les trouve pas très énergivores.

Ils ont de très bons indicateurs dessus qui nous permettent de suivre les charges ainsi que les consommations. Ça, c’est très bien. Une bonne chose au sujet de ces serveurs, c’est qu’on est averti à distance. Il y a un suivi et l’administration est beaucoup plus facile pour nous.

En termes de leur impact sur nos objectifs de durabilité, on n’a pas beaucoup d’argent dans la fonction publique et on les fait donc durer très longtemps. J’ai des serveurs qui ont plus de dix ans donc, la maintenance et le support n’existent plus sur ces modèles. C’est du matériel bien conçu, fiable et qui marche très bien.

Il y a beaucoup moins de pannes depuis 20 ans. Les serveurs fonctionnent beaucoup mieux et les OS aussi. C’est sûr qu’on arrive à une meilleure qualité de produit qu'il y a environ 20 ou 25 ans. Ça, c’est sûr. Les machines ne s'arrêtent plus. On les arrête uniquement pour faire des mises à jour de sécurité ou des choses comme ça mais c’est tout.

La console OpenManage permet de tout regrouper mais on avait ce système bien avant que ce soit une VM. A l'époque c'était encore une application.

Les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack ont affecté la flexibilité globale de nos opérations. Le fait qu’ils soient faciles à gérer est un élément essentiel.

Quelles fonctionnalités avez-vous trouvé le plus utile et pourquoi?

Ces serveurs web étaient faciles à gérer dès 2003. On a un bâtiment qui est très grand et c'était possible de les gérer à distance et de manière simple et dès 2003.

Dans quels domaines les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack pourraient-ils être améliorés?

Toutes les terminologies marketing de Dell sont très compliquées car ils ont des noms qui regroupent des fois, la même technologie. C’est très complexe pour moi et pour beaucoup de personnes qui ne sont pas tout le temps sur le catalogue Dell. Sinon, techniquement, Dell suit la progression technique des processeurs, des cartes mères d’autres constructeurs et ils sont donc, toujours à la pointe de l’innovation.

Leur prix pourrait être meilleur.

Avez-vous utilisé une solution différente auparavant et le cas échéant, pourquoi avez-vous changé?

On a des serveurs Lenovo et des serveurs HPE. Dell ne fait pas tout le temps les meilleurs prix et les concurrents offrent également des produits à des prix intéressants. C’est tout le jeu de la concurrence et parfois, c’est le concurrent qui gagne.

Que conseillez-vous à d'autres au sujet des coûts d’installation, des tarifs et/ou du licensing?

Le licensing Dell est parfait. Par rapport aux concurrents, c’est parfait. C’est simple et bien fait. Ça fonctionne pour nous.

Quelles sont vos impressions sur la scalabilité de cette solution?

On ne fait jamais de changements. On achète le matériel. Parfois, on achète plusieurs matériels identiques et en fonction de la durée de vie, on ajoute du disque de vieux serveurs qu’on a de-commissionné pour en faire un serveur plus puissant. C’est uniquement ce que l’on fait. On ne fait pas de changements de processeurs ni d’autre chose. On achète des serveurs pour un besoin.

Quelles sont vos impressions sur la stabilité de cette solution?

Ils sont très stables. Ils durent très longtemps.

Le déploiement initial était-il simple ou complexe et de quelle manière?

J'étais impliqué dans le déploiement initial. C’est extrêmement simple.

En termes de stratégie d'implémentation, on en a fait livrer deux. On a regardé comment ça se câblait, comment ça se montait et on a fait les autres. On avait commandé un guide et il n’y a pas eu de soucis.

Avez-vous fait l'implémentation avec l'équipe d’un revendeur ou en interne? Si avec l'équipe d’un revendeur, comment évalueriez-vous leur niveau d’expertise?

On l’a fait avec un guide. On fait toujours comme ça mais en lui indiquant ce qu’il faut faire. Nous faisons le cahier des charges nous-mêmes. Nous menons la tâche.

Décrivez-nous votre expérience avec le service client et le support.

Leur support est toujours très bien. C’est toujours dix sur dix. Ils ont des gens compétents. Il n’y a pas besoin de négocier pour quelque chose ou expliquer dix fois lorsqu’une barrette de serveur tombe en panne et qu’il faut la renvoyer. Il n'y a pas de soucis là-dessus. C’est très bien.

Comment évalueriez-vous cette solution sur une échelle de 1 à 10 pour le service et le support?

10

Sur une échelle de 1 a10 (1=le pire, 10=le meilleur), les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack? Veuillez expliquer pourquoi.

Je donnerais un dix sur dix aux serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack. Parmi toutes les marques que je connais, ce sont les meilleurs avec HPE, mais il y a des choses que je n’aime pas chez HPE, comme leur licensing. Je trouve leur licensing absolument insupportable.

We are currently using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers to run about ten virtual machines. Within these virtual machines, we have our ERP systems, remote access systems, and more. It is primarily used as a Hyper-V server for virtualization purposes.

The performance and scalability are the most valuable features of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. The servers perform excellently, and they are adaptable to the evolving needs of high-performance workloads. They provide the reliability needed to manage the consumption of RAM efficiently without needing to expand the rack.

I do not have anything specific in mind for improvements. The support provided is very good when we need it, and the identification of the server is excellent. Overall, there are no areas of significant improvement that I can suggest.

We have had experience with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for about two years.

The servers are reliable. We do not experience significant downtime, and they continue running effectively.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are highly scalable. We were able to resolve performance issues by managing RAM consumption without needing to physically expand the rack.

Customer service provides very good support, with an SLA of about one business day to respond to our tickets.

Neutral

We have always used Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. We had evaluated Lenovo solutions previously but chose to stick with Dell because of its reliability and support.

The initial setup is easy with the support of iDRAC services.

Our implementation team typically includes a system administrator or a support engineer.

The pricing can vary. Some customers find it cheaper due to contractual agreements, while others find it expensive, especially when scaling up. In Brazil, the parts for servers are particularly expensive.

Before choosing Dell, we evaluated Lenovo solutions. However, we preferred Dell due to its superior reliability and support.

I would recommend Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for their reliability and support. Overall, I rate the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers ten out of ten. They are excellent.

We deploy PowerEdge to meet our customer's requirements.

Brand recognition is a big reason we went with this. The customer wanted to use Dell's product. Dell integrates with other cards and boards inside a system. The iDRAC is a selling point. It gives you an easy way to manage the system, services, and installation. 

PowerEdge is not that flexible. For example, it's difficult if I need something that is not in Dell's portfolio. We offer the flexibility to the customer. We can implement different things Dell doesn't have. If you have preconfigured systems, it's hard to transition them to what you need.

We have used PowerEdge servers for two or three months. It's new for us. 

I rate Dell customer service 10 out of 10. We had a problem implementing the RAID system on a rack. The Dell RAID specialist helped us a lot and provided more internal information to install RAID on the system successfully. I have experience with many companies, and it was very fast. The guys in Dell support don't waste your time. They find a way to provide a solution. 

Positive

We used industrial systems, so PowerEdge rack servers are more flexible than our previous industrial systems. If we compare them, they're ahead of the industrial systems, so I can say they're better.

We purchase the systems from a reseller and integrate them for our customers. PowerEdge Rack. Servers are easier than other systems we have integrated, but I can't say how easy it is for customers to do it themselves. 

I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers nine out of 10. 

We started full-scale deployment in 2013 exclusively with Dell PowerEdge. We have the fourth generation of servers. We went from 720, 730, 740, and now 760. I have all the models.

We use PowerEdge to connect directly to electronics and readout systems so it is all deployed on-prem, on a private network with no connection to the outside.

I work in a research environment. We use these 400 huge clusters to connect to the electronics of readout detectors to read the data out of the homemade front-end electronics and then assemble the data files to be analyzed. It's moving data between electronics and the IT world of storage grid analysis, etcetera. I'm the service manager only for the readout part and that is already enough of a job.

Our servers are on the private network completely disconnected from the outside world. It's less of an issue than it would be for a front-end server to the Wild West. The whole firmware handling what Dell is doing through OAK Management Enterprise or other tools from the iDRAC is also important so that we get signed from the packages we can trust that were tested and don't render our server into a brick. When I get a maintenance window, it's once every four, or five months for four hours. I don't have time to do something, figure out if it doesn't work, and undo it. It has to work with the first job. Resilience in total globally is also important. I can install firmware and updates and have trust that it will work.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are good for power consumption compared to other brands. When we buy our Servers, we always take platinum, it's the best quality power supply. Maybe the others consume more power but I can certainly compare them to other platforms or vendors, and they are absolutely on the low side. Now with the 16th generation that came out, there's another huge step in the positive direction compared to the previous generations. In general, every time there's a new generation, I see that we get the same computing power for less electrical power. It moves in a good direction. We cut our energy consumption by half. This has saved us costs because we are running 300 days a year 24/7 on a full load. Thanks to PowerEdge we can lower our energy consumption lower than the competitors.

In our case, we figured out how much computing power we needed and bought more from the start. However, I'm spending my days buying memory and plugging additional memory. The change increases network bandwidth by changing onboarding functions. The memory capacity you can plug in is absolutely impressive for the bigger form factor. We can go through terabytes of memory without a problem. This is something impressive for me as we can open the chassis, and see how it's engineered inside so that we can easily access all the components, and change components without hours and hours of dismantling it. It is a bottom-up engineered product.

PowerEdge Rack Servers' impact on our sustainability goals is important but hidden. Based in Switzerland, we have to abide by the Swiss sustainability laws, which now forbid heat waste. If we build a data center now, we have to recuperate the heating and do something with it. We're no longer allowed to blow out the energy. 

For example, we are building new data centers now that are collecting it, and there's a residential area around it, and we heat the houses through hot water heating. We are legally obliged to do that. The times when we put a chiller outside and blow energy out are gone. That's the core context. If, when we started with the PowerEdge already at the time, we were 100 kilowatts for one room, we moved the junk out and put the first PowerEdge Servers in, and the power consumption went down to 80. So we recovered 20 percent for more computing. That was already more than ten years ago. by now, we have gone down to less than 50 with the latest generation of PowerEdge. So we are going down in power consumption while at the same time providing more computing power to the users. This is very important because the infrastructure to recuperate the heat costs money as well. The less I consume, the less I have to pay to recuperate it afterward.

There are two valuable features for me. Number one, we are always at the edge of technology, Dell is a great partner, so going to Austin to the HBC Lab, so we can test machines and platforms before they go commercial so we can adapt our developments because we plug homemade cards into the Servers. We have to make sure they're compatible. That's the development side. 

On the operations side, the value of service is always underestimated in terms of debugging, availability of spare parts, and the fact that they don't explode weekly. The quality of the products, the monitoring, the managed enterprise, pro support, TechDirect, self-dispatch of spare parts, etcetera, all of this allows us to run in the order of 500 servers if you take other clusters together. It is a tenth of a human host of a full-time equivalent. This means that if you would scale up linearly, one person could take care of 3000 Servers. That's quite impactful. Google published three people for 1000. We are doing one person for 3000. That allows us to free human resources for other tasks. The last time somebody had to go to the data center for support was five months ago. We could do many functions remotely, so there was no hardware fault. We could do daily maintenance remotely through iDRAC. Its remote management capabilities are one in a lifetime. I don't know any other platforms that offer the same level of manageability.

The world market for CPUs is excited. We have new ideas popping up left and right like new accelerator cards because there are GPUs. Dell is already working with Kalray, for example, that builds accelerator cards. There are new FPGA cards available on the market that are not in the portfolio. The last time I looked was when buying the new 760 Servers because it changes every couple of months, and not all Intel CPUs were certified. The adoption speed of new CPU and GPU technologies has room for improvement. 

However, I know coming from the technical side this is a lot of work, and it's difficult. I know they are working on it and it's not something you do in five minutes. We have to stay fair. It would be nice but I know that now Intel and AMD come up with new CPUs twice a year. In the past, there was a new CPU generation every two years and now it's every six months. So the developers of servers and all the devices and programs are running to keep up with the speed itself.

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for 11 years.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are stable.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are scalable.

The support is efficient. We have access to the spare parts catalog, We can diagnose a file and send it to them, and within two hours we have somebody on the phone. They are reactive and the problems were solved in the first attempt. This allows us to pay a little bit more for the initial investment but over the lifetime of the equipment, we have zero manpower costs to keep them running. The total cost over the lifetime of the equipment, we are largely positive compared to other brands where we have to pay a team of ten people to manage the equipment.

During the deployment, the amount of rails turned out to be a disaster. We asked for two fewer rails and I had the whole team come over and install the rails for PowerEdge. I had a colleague, who did the Rack all by himself, he was so fascinated with it. From the mechanical aspect, it's extremely easy and solid. 

There is also the engineering of the chassis down to the rail and how to put it in was well thought out. It was not some rails that were purchased out of a catalog from Taiwan. 

I use OAK Management Enterprise to control the whole cluster. Once we plug in the cable, the service tag is realized, and the server is deployed by itself. From plugging in a new machine to installation ready if there are not too many firmware updates, it's ten minutes. It's easy, requires little manpower, and is fast. 

When we had to install five hundred servers in the rack, there was a discussion about whether we should call on the professional deployment services from Dell to do that, and then we decided not to. Because we are two people, we could install 25 servers in two hours. It was done in two weeks.

We do the implementation in-house.

We have the equipment itself, but Dell also provides the full software framework infrastructure around it. That is crucial in monitoring in terms of what's going on and also that one allows for example one person to have a view over thousands of machines. I have CloudIQ on my phone so I can see what my servers are doing. I can predict its failure so we can react before something explodes. We can react before things fail. That, of course, reduces downtime, and increases happiness, on the customer side. 

As scientists, we want as much data as possible. In the experiment equipment running, there are no official numbers, but we are in millions per hour. Therefore, half an hour of downtime is costly. Not everything will be down, but if the data is unusable because there's one piece missing, it's as if everything will be lost.

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers ten out of ten. We never have problems and if there is an issue we get help, and the issue is resolved quickly. I never found myself sitting around, not knowing what to do or not getting help. With other full-brand vendors, I couldn't get a support person to look at an issue. These vendors always underestimated support and the follow-up with the customer afterward. In my experience, Dell is the best.

I also spend a lot of time on the advisory board for the Dell HPC Community. I spent time with the developers in most of the service. Ten years ago, the Servers had two power supplies and they were both on the same side. Now on the new ones, one of the power supplies has moved to the other side. That was something we injected seven years ago into the development process because it makes installations in the Rack much more efficient.