Systems & Support Engineer at CWG Plc
Reseller
Top 5Leaderboard
It's easy to provision and set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are that it's easy to set up PowerVault. I also like the provisioning of storage."
  • "I would like Dell to improve on the configuration of the disk groups. Only one group is expandable. Once you configure the other disk group types, you cannot expand them. It limits scalability. If you want maybe to grow a disk group, you lose information, and then you need to build it up again, which is not a good use case for customers."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for PowerVault is for virtualization. It's a target, it's a storage, it's a direct-attached storage for the virtualization. So the nodes are in the FX tool and the storage is the PowerVault, so it is for a virtualization use case.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are that it's easy to set up. I also like the provisioning of storage. It's very easy. 

What needs improvement?

I would like Dell to improve the configuration of the disk groups. Only one group is expandable. Once you configure the other disk group types, you cannot expand them. It limits scalability. If you want maybe to grow a disk group, you lose information, and then you need to build it up again, which is not a good use case for customers.

Maybe they could upgrade the firmware to allow other kinds of disk groups that are the usual disk group protection. It should let you expand without destroying the disk groups first.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using PowerVault for three years.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

PowerVault is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability depends on how you configure PowerVault. I can set the disk groups initially, but the scaling is tied to how you configure it. 

There's a particular configuration that you will also need that can limit you. It's a Dell custom configuration for disk grouping that gives you a limitation. It will allow you to scale and add disks so that your disk group will scale. But when you configure it in a conventional way, like configuring, a disk group of rate five, that disk group cannot be expanded.

How are customer service and support?

I rate Dell support six out of 10. Contacting them can be tricky because their contact methods aren't straightforward. In the East African region, we call them by Skype to log a ticket. You can follow up to get an engineer, but it's time-consuming. You can't get something immediately if you need it. 

You contact the person in charge of registering the ticket. They put it in the queue and assign it to an engineer. It would be easier if you could log the tickets online or have support engineers online to attend to customers.

How was the initial setup?

PowerVault is easy to set up. I rate PowerVault 10 out of 10 for ease of setup. It doesn't require a lot of maintenance because it's a simple solution. It can be used as disk-attached storage theoretically. You can use it as a server or connect it to the SAN, so it's a simple solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

PowerVault starts at $15,000, but it's $25,000 on average, and you pay 10 percent annually based on the size of the area. I rate PowerVault eight out of 10 for affordability. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate PowerVault eight out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator Reseller
PeerSpot user
HPC Admin at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Real User
The tool's price is its main attraction
Pros and Cons
  • "Dell PowerVault is cheap."
  • "The tool needs to improve its UI."

What is most valuable?

Dell PowerVault is cheap. 

What needs improvement?

The tool needs to improve its UI. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the solution for 10-15 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the tool's stability around six to seven out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate Dell PowerVault's scalability a five out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

Dell PowerVault doesn't have much support since it is cheap and cheap. 

How was the initial setup?

Dell PowerVault's setup was easy. 

What was our ROI?

We have seen ROI with the solution's use.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Dell PowerVault's price is the tool's main attraction. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerVault a seven out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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April 2024
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Dragan Knezevic - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Presales System Engineer at OBLAK tehnologije
Real User
Top 10Leaderboard
An user-friendly and easy to deploy solution, but supports only block storage
Pros and Cons
  • "Dell PowerVault is user-friendly and easy to deploy."
  • "Dell PowerVault is block-oriented storage only."

What is most valuable?

Dell PowerVault is user-friendly and easy to deploy.

What needs improvement?

Dell PowerVault is block-oriented storage only. It could benefit if Dell PowerVault's storage could support blocks and files.

Dell PowerVault is a simple base model storage system where you receive as much as you pay, and you cannot expect more than you paid for. It is good to have file protocols instead of a dedicated NAS device, even for small environments. It is better to have only one reliable storage than some NAS devices. It is better to have a unified storage system that supports block and file protocol for the environment. Some other functionalities should be improved. The power functionality adaptive RAID improves the functionality compared to the traditional rate.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerVault for more than 25 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Dell PowerVault has good scalability, but its scalability for front-end SaaS connectivity is limited. It is possible to add some more storage space with Dell PowerVault.

How are customer service and support?

Dell PowerVault has good technical support. However, in Serbia (non-EU country), we have some issues with customs, and some unavailable parts take a few days to arrive.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

Dell PowerVault’s initial setup is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

Dell PowerVault's deployment is very user-friendly, and anyone with some basic IT knowledge can do it by themselves.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I rate Dell PowerVault an eight out of ten for pricing.

What other advice do I have?

One of the limitations of Dell PowerVault is that its RAM is small, but we can accept it since it is a solution for small businesses. Dell PowerVault is a storage system designed mostly for small business environments.

Dell PowerVault can be used for high-performance clustering and video recording.

Overall, I rate Dell PowerVault an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Abdul Rehman Abid - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager Enterprise Solutions at Megaplus
Reseller
Top 5Leaderboard
Useful small to medium storage, beneficial for large video files, and priced well
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Dell PowerVault is its ability to provide small to medium-range storage. It doesn't have any specific standout features, but it's great for applications, such as surveillance where a large number of videos need to be recorded and performance isn't a priority."
  • "Dell PowerVault could improve by having a higher cache and file protocol support added."

What is our primary use case?

Dell PowerVault is normally used for basic applications, such as web applications, exchange, and small environment virtualization. Additionally, it can be used for recording videos and data which does not require high performance.

How has it helped my organization?

Dell Power Vault has been extremely helpful in providing more storage capacity at an affordable price point. It's especially useful for customers who need additional storage but don't require high performance.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Dell PowerVault is its ability to provide small to medium-range storage. It doesn't have any specific standout features, but it's great for applications, such as surveillance where a large number of videos need to be recorded and performance isn't a priority. It helps customers avoid the need to purchase very expensive storage. 

What needs improvement?

Dell PowerVault could improve by having a higher cache and file protocol support added.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerVault for around eight to nine years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is priced reasonably.

I rate the stability of Dell PowerVault a seven out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have more than 20 customers currently using the solution. We plan to continue using Dell PowerVault for all small storage needs.

I rate the scalability of Dell PowerVault a seven out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is excellent. I would rate the support from Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

It is basic storage so we didn't evaluate other solutions. Previous customers also use older versions of PowerVault, for example, the MD3 series, and they upgraded to newer versions.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Dell PowerVault is straightforward. Dell PowerVault only takes one person to deploy and configure it, with an additional helper for assisting.

What about the implementation team?

The installation can be done by the customer.

What was our ROI?

If Dell PowerVault meets your performance needs, it will have a good return on investment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We chose Dell PowerVault because it provided the best cost-to-benefit ratio. It provides better costs. 

What other advice do I have?

My advice to others is the solution is straightforward to implement and there's no need to pay for installation fees from the OEM, they can do it themself.

I would rate Dell PowerVault an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
Systems Engineer at A3 Infotech
Real User
Top 20
A cost-effective solution for small businesses
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the tool's CloudIQ feature."
  • "If the solution came with a synchronous application, it would be particularly advantageous for small businesses operating across multiple sites."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for internal and external ERP.

What is most valuable?

I like the tool's CloudIQ feature.

What needs improvement?

If the solution came with a synchronous application, it would be particularly advantageous for small businesses operating across multiple sites.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the solution since the early 2000s.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. I rate it a ten on ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. I rate it a ten on ten.

How are customer service and support?

We haven't used technical support for assistance. It has been running smoothly for several years now.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is more cost-effective than the competitors. It’s an affordable option for small businesses.


What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate Dell PowerVault a ten on ten.


Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
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Consultant at ÜÇGE Shopfitting & Design
Consultant
Top 20
Highly reliable, good performance, and helpful support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Dell PowerVault is its performance."
  • "The price of the solution could be lower."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Dell PowerVault for backups.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Dell PowerVault is its performance.

What needs improvement?

The price of the solution could be lower. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerVault for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Dell PowerVault has been great.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 3,000 users using this solution and two administrators.

How are customer service and support?

The support from Dell is very good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Dell PowerStrore was simple and took approximately one day.

What about the implementation team?

We used the vendor for the implementation along with two of our employees.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Dell PowerVault could be reduced. It is more expensive than some IBM solutions.

What other advice do I have?

We are replacing this solution with Dell PowerStore.

I rate Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Hassan_Zaki - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Presales Consaltant at VAS Integrated Solutions
Reseller
Top 10Leaderboard
Has a simple setup process, but its scalability needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "It is an inexpensive storage solution."
  • "The product could support an NVMe hard disk."

What is our primary use case?

Our customers use the product for its advanced storage capacity.

What is most valuable?

It is an inexpensive storage solution.

What needs improvement?

The product could support an NVMe hard disk. The customers have to use limited storage drive types such as SSDs (Solid State Drives), HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), and SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) drives.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Dell PowerVault for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the product's stability an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product is unscalable. Beyond a certain limit, you can't expand the performance.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup process is easy from the customers' perspective. It is simple and minimizes the cost as well.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product is inexpensive. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Dell PowerVault a six out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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System Administrator at a tech company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Top 20
An exceptionally stable and scalable tool with strong capabilities related to the system and data
Pros and Cons
  • "Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
  • "The high prices of the solution are an area of concern where improvements are required."

What is our primary use case?

Right now, Dell PowerVault is working okay, but it will become obsolete soon. I will have to look for a new solution in place of Dell PowerVault.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of the solution is the strong and high capabilities related to the system and data.

What needs improvement?

The high prices of the solution are an area of concern where improvements are required.

In the future, I would like Dell PowerVault to provide me with replication features since, currently, it is a feature for which you need to make certain payments and is not included in the standard package provided by Dell.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerVault for three years. I am a reseller of the solution. I use Dell PowerVault LTO7.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten. In my company, we never had any stability issues with the product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

In Italy, my company deals with medium-sized businesses that use the solution, and it is something that you can count on your hands. As per my knowledge, I can say that there are 500 users of the solution. I don't know about how small and medium-sized companies are described in the UK.

How are customer service and support?

I rate the technical support a nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The product's initial setup was very easy. I rate the product's setup phase a ten on a scale of one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

The solution is deployed on a hybrid cloud.

The product's deployment phase takes a few days.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Dell PowerVault is a really expensive product. For many solutions similar to Dell PowerVault, you need to make payments for the amount of GB you want to use. If you want to use the solution in TB, you must pay much more to use it.

I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the overall product a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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Updated: April 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Dell PowerVault Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.