Dell SC Series OverviewUNIXBusinessApplication

Dell SC Series is the #2 ranked solution in top Frame-Based Disk Arrays and #17 ranked solution in best All-Flash Storage Arrays. PeerSpot users give Dell SC Series an average rating of 8.6 out of 10. Dell SC Series is most commonly compared to Dell PowerStore: Dell SC Series vs Dell PowerStore. Dell SC Series is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 57% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 22% of all views.
Dell SC Series Buyer's Guide

Download the Dell SC Series Buyer's Guide including reviews and more. Updated: May 2023

What is Dell SC Series?

Dell EMC SC Series arrays provide a unified platform for the ultimate in performance, adaptability and machine-driven efficiency. SC Series software delivers modern features that help you meet aggressive workload demands using the fewest drives necessary. With an open, future-ready design, SC Series storage integrates seamlessly with applications and infrastructure, enabling you to scale on a single platform and add capabilities without forklift upgrades.

Dell SC Series was previously known as SC Series Storage, Compellent.

Dell SC Series Customers

TGen, Frost Science, Gerrie Electric

Dell SC Series Video

Dell SC Series Pricing Advice

What users are saying about Dell SC Series pricing:
  • "The SC Series was priced fairly. I wouldn't call it either expensive or cheap because we had a very tight budget, so if they were able to fit in that type of budget, they met our expectations."
  • "We have the basic license for the use of this solution and it is a permanent license. The overall cost could be less, it is expensive."
  • "The pricing is reasonable, but it is expensive."
  • Dell SC Series Reviews

    Filter by:
    Filter Reviews
    Industry
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Company Size
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Job Level
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Rating
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Considered
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Order by:
    Loading...
    • Date
    • Highest Rating
    • Lowest Rating
    • Review Length
    Search:
    Showingreviews based on the current filters. Reset all filters
    Infrastructure Business Lead
    Real User
    Top 20
    The performance was staggering and more than what we paid for
    Pros and Cons
    • "One of the most valuable features is the capability to switch between all-flash to hybrid, which have have actually done for one of our arrays. We started with the hybrid, with the limited if I'm not mistaken, and then over a period of time, we swapped all the hybrids with the SSDs. This was one of the big features because it gave us the capability to not stick with just one kind of media. Secondly, since it has sorted clustering, we were able to bring in the newer boxes and have it all clustered together. These were the two main features that we really looked into, which benefited our use case from an expansion/growth perspective. Another valuable feature is the ease of management."
    • "What I understand is that this is a 13 year old architecture, so it has lived its life and they're phasing it out. Honestly, we were initially struggling with the integration with VMware (but it was fixed with the VMware 6.5) and, then, it was around a 10GB network. At that time, it had the longevity to go to 100GB as well. It got us thinking about, when we go into the containerized architecture, what do we need to do to fix the infrastructure?"

    What is our primary use case?

    Regarding our use cases of Dell EMC SC Series, from a core perspective, we are going to phase out Oracle and move to SAP HANA. Oracle was part of our SAP legacy architecture, so we are migrating it to HANA. From a business perspective, we have a couple of Microsoft SQL-based applications that are using the SQL database and which we have for on-the-go users. Our core business is running on SAP and then, from a legacy structure, we have a bit of Microsoft SQL and the rest is on Microsoft. 

    The technology was declared end of sale last year, so we switched to the newer PowerStore, but we still have the SC Series working and functioning in test and dev. If I'm not mistaken, we got the updated code as well. Our agreement is extended, but we don't plan to continue with it because we've already shifted the workload onto PowerStore

    This solution is deployed on-prem. 

    What is most valuable?

    One of the most valuable features is the capability to switch between all-flash to hybrid, which have have actually done for one of our arrays. We started with the hybrid, with the limited if I'm not mistaken, and then over a period of time, we swapped all the hybrids with the SSDs. This was one of the big features because it gave us the capability to not stick with just one kind of media. 

    Secondly, since it has sorted clustering, we were able to bring in the newer boxes and have it all clustered together. These were the two main features that we really looked into, which benefited our use case from an expansion/growth perspective. Another valuable feature is the ease of management. 

    What needs improvement?

    What I understand is that this is a 13 year old architecture, so it has lived its life and they're phasing it out. Honestly, we were initially struggling with the integration with VMware (but it was fixed with the VMware 6.5) and, then, it was around a 10GB network. At that time, it had the longevity to go to 100GB as well. It got us thinking about, when we go into the containerized architecture, what do we need to do to fix the infrastructure? 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using this solution since 2013. 

    Buyer's Guide
    Dell SC Series vs. Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform
    May 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about Dell SC Series vs. Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform and other solutions. Updated: May 2023.
    708,830 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The performance was staggering and it was more than what we paid for. We were able to bring a lot of juice out from the SC Series. It took us some time, but we were able to get a higher performance once we understood the technology. 

    The SC Series was very low maintenance, which was one thing that we liked. We had Phone Home enabled, so we were getting all the patches from Dell. They were also able to help us from a drive failure perspective. Nothing went wrong with it—it was a good experience, which is why we are still sticking with Dell. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability was one of our main purchasing decision data points. We wanted the architecture, which is highly clustered, and which gave us the scale up and scale out altogether. It was good. We never intended to go beyond 500 to 600 terabytes, but from a scalability perspective, it really proved its worth. 

    How are customer service and support?

    We are happy with Dell's technical support, which is one of the reasons why we stuck with Dell when the SC Series was coming to end of life. We explored other vendors as well, but we are comfortable with Dell. 

    On a scale from one to five, I would rate them a five. When we were in the midst of rolling out our containerized app for our mobile users, we had an issue. It was our own application issue and had nothing to do with them, but they came forward with a lot of APIs. From a data perspective, they even got one of their engineers to work and to support our application team. From a hardware perspective, they were able to come in and help us on our application, which is why I rate them a five. 

    How was the initial setup?

    From an acquisition perspective, it was very straightforward. From an implementation perspective, we had a little difficulty because it was a newer technology. From our admin perspective, it was not something that they were equipped with, so initially we had hiccups. However, I believe that this is fair for every new technology. 

    The automation part wasn't there, so we had hoped that we could automate it back in when we were acquiring it. We felt that this would've made our life easier, but we only came to realize this when we migrated our workloads from SC to the newer generation of PowerStore—it provided all the automation and everything that was missing on day one from an SC Series. 

    If I were to rate the initial setup on a scale from one to five, I'd put it at a four, from a technology perspective. From an internal perspective, I would rate us a three, but the shortcomings were on our end, in terms of internal skill building. The DSM, Dell Storage Manager, really came in handy, but we didn't know how to best leverage it. 

    What about the implementation team?

    For the deployment, we actually got the partner to come in and work with our team. We also leveraged Dell, but it was mainly from a documentation perspective. We didn't have any issues where we had to go and seek support or help, but it was our internal staff which slowed us down, not the platform or the product itself. 

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

    The SC Series was priced fairly. I wouldn't call it either expensive or cheap because we had a very tight budget, so if they were able to fit in that type of budget, they met our expectations. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate the SC Series a 10 out of 10 because it was a lifesaver. One of the use cases that we had, where we found it really gave us an edge, was back in 2015. There was a compliance requirement where we had to roll out a lot of old logs and data. We had it sitting on the old 2TB SATA drive, the slowest drive possible. We always worried about how we were going to get the data since we were using all-flash and archiving on the slowest 2TB drives, but when the stacking came, it really gave us all the data without any purchase—the tiering feature really shone at that time. So, that is one of the reasons why we trust and love this product. 

    If the SC Series was still in use, I would honestly recommend it to others, at any given time. When we moved out from business critical workloads, away from SC Series, we did a lot of crazy testing. It gave us the capability to get a lot of performance out and it was very flexible. If it was still there, we would still be buying more of it. 

    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.
    PeerSpot user
    Senior Consultant at a tech company with 11-50 employees
    Consultant
    Top 20
    Easy to scale with fair pricing and very good storage capabilities
    Pros and Cons
    • "The setup is straightforward."
    • "In some customer cases, customers experienced more performance or latency."

    What is our primary use case?

    The solution is mainly used for primary storage and in more than half of the cases, we use the Live Volume, the Synchronous Replication - this Automatic Failover. Its function is for primary storage on two sites.

    What is most valuable?

    The customers really appreciate that the storage is cost-effective and that has enterprise features. The Synchronous Replication and the Live Volume, for example, are excellent. The storage is flexible. If you want to upgrade the storage with more capacity you can add one or two drives. It is very easy to upgrade in the future if you need to. 

    The setup is straightforward.

    The solution has very good stability.

    The scalability is excellent.

    We find the pricing to be quite fair.

    What needs improvement?

    Dell will discontinue this storage. That's the main pain point for clients right now. They will focus on Power Store and the SC Series will be at end-of-life soon - possibly as soon as one or two months from now.

    In some customer cases, customers experienced more performance or latency. The performance overall could be better.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been working with the solution for more than five years at this point. It's been a while.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability is okay, however, the performance could be better, as there have been a few issues surrounding latency. In most cases, the customer feedback is positive. It's only in extreme situations where there have been problems. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability is great. If a customer needs more storage, they can simply add more drives. It's very flexible and very easy to expand.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    I've gotten positive feedback in terms of technical support. My understanding is that they have been very helpful and responsive and customers have been happy with the service they receive. 

    How was the initial setup?

    There is no complexity in the setup. It's very straightforward. A company shouldn't have any issues with the setup process.

    What about the implementation team?

    We are integrators and can help a customer with the installation of the product.

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

    All the models and especially the entry model, the SC30/20, have a competitive price that is fair and offers very good value for money. It's reasonably and competitively priced. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I'm an integrator. Our company is a company that is delivering solutions in IT for other customers. So, I'm not using some solution like this storage. I'm an architect, so I'm architecting these solutions for our customers. The solutions which we are using are mainly from Dell EMC.

    I'd rate the solution at 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: Integrator
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Dell SC Series vs. Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform
    May 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about Dell SC Series vs. Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform and other solutions. Updated: May 2023.
    708,830 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Evans Chitando - PeerSpot reviewer
    Chief Business Technology Consultant at ITech Associates (Pty) Ltd
    Real User
    Top 10
    Customers are most impressed with the provisioning because you don't need to buy a large amount of storage upfront
    Pros and Cons
    • "Customers are most impressed with SC's provisioning because you don't need to buy a large amount of storage upfront. It's pay-as-you-grow. It also has solid compression and duplication features."
    • "The SC Series doesn't support NVMe storage."

    What is our primary use case?

    The SC includes various models, and we've deployed everything from their entry range to their mid-range storage. We mainly use SC for disaster recovery. 

    What is most valuable?

    Customers are most impressed with SC's provisioning because you don't need to buy a large amount of storage upfront. It's pay-as-you-grow. It also has solid compression and duplication features. 

    What needs improvement?

    The SC Series doesn't support NVMe storage.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been using Dell SC Series for more than seven years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SC is a fairly stable platform. I rate SC eight out of 10 for stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    SC is fairly scalable. I give it a nine for scalability. You can scale up or scale out. You can increase the storage capacity or bring on additional storage boxes, which are viewed as one storage solution. It's a good solution for small or medium-sized businesses.

    How are customer service and support?

    Dell support is superb. I rate Dell support nine out of 10. 

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

    I used IBM earlier in my career, but I have primarily been a Dell reseller for the last 14 years. We also flirt with other technologies like Lenovo and NetApp, but we are primarily a Dell shop. The main difference between Dell and the other products is the simplicity, cost, and support services.

    How was the initial setup?

    Deploy SC series storage is pretty straightforward. If you've worked with other storage technologies, it's easy to adapt to SC's requirements. I rate it eight out of 10 for ease of setup. You can deploy it in a day. We are currently using two people to deploy it: a lead and a support engineer.

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

    The SC software comes with it, so it tends to be cheaper compared to other technologies. It's bundled with hardware, so it's a bit difficult to say what the license costs, but the price of the solution overall is reasonable. I rate the SC series nine out of 10 for affordability.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate the SC series eight out of 10. The product is at the end of its life, so I would recommend Dell Unity XT or PowerStore.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    Infrastructure architect at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Top 20
    Reliable with great support
    Pros and Cons
    • "What is most valuable about the Dell EMC SC Series system was its reliability."
    • "The lack of reporting would be the main issue."

    What is our primary use case?

    It is a global storage solution for all our servers.

    What is most valuable?

    What is most valuable about the Dell EMC SC Series system was its reliability. It did serve us well. Overall it was a good product for us.

    What needs improvement?

    In terms of what could be improved, I would say the lack of reporting would be the main issue.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Dell EMC SC Series for at least 10 - 12 years.

    We keep it up to date, so it is the latest version. The hardware is not the latest, but the firmware and the controllers are the latest.

    We use Compellent and we're looking at other products at this point. The Compellent is going to be phased out in a year or so or maybe two years. I don't know, but it has to be replaced sooner than later which is why I was looking for another product.

    How are customer service and support?

    Component support was great. On a scale of one to ten they were a ten, they were always helpful.

    What other advice do I have?

    It does the work for us. If you're on SSD, it is going to do the the work. Obviously working with tiering at tier 1, 2, 3 was a pain when we got it, because the data is always moving around but since we're using only one tier SSD, there's no management to do with it and we are just checking to see if everything is working well on that. Otherwise, outside of the reporting, I would not complain about that system. If we could extend the support another five years we would have done so because the support is perfect. When you call them, there is always someone.

    Because this product is going to be phased out I wouldn't recommend anyone to start with it. But I'm looking at the PowerStore to see if it is a fit for us. I would assume that PowerStore is going to be the next step after the Compellent.

    On a scale of one to ten, I would give Dell EMC SC Series an eight.

    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.
    PeerSpot user
    System Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
    Reseller
    Top 20
    Offers good technical support, has strong usability and is reliable
    Pros and Cons
    • "I've found the stability to be very good."
    • "From a performance point of view, it's getting a bit old."

    What is most valuable?

    The useability is the most valuable aspect of the solution. 

    I've found the stability to be very good. 

    The solution is scalable. 

    We have found the solution's technical support to be helpful.

    What needs improvement?

    The model of the device is quite old. They need to update it a bit. 

    From a performance point of view, it's getting a bit old. Although I know that the storage that we are using is a bit old as well. Beyond that, I don't see any other features that I'm exactly missing.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution for about two years or so, give or take. It hasn't been that long. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is quite stable and the performance is good even though it is getting old. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. We find it reliable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution can scale well.

    We have about ten people using the solution in our organization. 

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support has been quite good. We are very satisfied with the level of support we receive. 

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

    We've worked with a few similar solutions, including HPE Nimble Storage. If you compared it to this solution, I'd say that both have good value and both have their place in environments that are a bit different. I wouldn't compare them directly.

    How was the initial setup?

    I haven't been involved in the usage or installation of the device.

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

    The solution is coming to the end of life. They don't really sell them as new products.

    What other advice do I have?

    I'm a user, consultant, and reseller. 

    I can't remember the exact version number of the solution, however, the model of the series is 5020.

    I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
    PeerSpot user
    Technical Manager at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    Knowledgeable support, reliable, and good performance
    Pros and Cons
    • "The Dell support is helpful and the response is quick. The agents' knowledge is very good."
    • "The configuration could be easier in Dell EMC SC Series."

    What is our primary use case?

    We only build the basic foundation and the basic installation for the end-user on Dell EMC SC Series. However, I'm not sure what they install on it. Our main use case for Dell EMC SC Series is for VMware.

    What needs improvement?

    The configuration could be easier in Dell EMC SC Series.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Dell EMC SC Series for approximately one year.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability of the Dell EMC SC Series is very good.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have approximately 100 users using this solution in my organization.

    How are customer service and support?

    The Dell support is helpful and the response is quick. The agents' knowledge is very good.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation could be easier. The comparable IBM solution is much easier to install.

    The process for the installation takes approximately one day.

    What about the implementation team?

    I did the implementation of the solution myself using the user guides.

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

    We have the basic license for the use of this solution and it is a permanent license. The overall cost could be less, it is expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Dell EMC SC Series a nine out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    System Administrator at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Top 20
    The solution is stable
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is stable."
    • "While the scalability is good, there are certain limitations."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the product in our company and I deal with it personally.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution is automated, but we still don't get a complete speech from the disc. The flash speed should be addressed. 

    While the scalability is good, there are certain limitations. Our racks are at their limit, so we do not have the requisite scalability to expand. 

    We would like to see replication of the data storage without the need to resort to third party tools. Storage to storage repetition would be a nice feature. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Dell EMC SC Series for four years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    While the scalability is good, there are certain limitations. Our racks are at their limit, so we do not have the requisite scalability to expand.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    When it comes to upgrading, we are contemplating a move to TISON, TI-1, TI-2 and TI-3. There may be a need to move between the TISON. 

    What other advice do I have?

    As this is our first product, I cannot give a comprehensive review or rating.

    I rate Dell EMC SC Series as an eight out of ten. 

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Koba Sopromadze - PeerSpot reviewer
    Head of IT Infrastructure at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
    Real User
    Good technical support, and has many features that work well
    Pros and Cons
    • "The user interface is good, I would rate it a nine out of ten."
    • "The price could be improved."

    What is most valuable?

    Dell EMC SC Series has many valuable features.

    We are very satisfied with Dell EMC SC Series.

    The user interface is good, I would rate it a nine out of ten.

    What needs improvement?

    We had some issues with the battery in the previous version that we were unable to resolve. We are unable to resolve this issue, despite the fact that we have been using this product for over five years.

    The price could be improved.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been working with Dell EMC SC Series and storage for more than 10 years.

    We work with both the MD3620F and PowerStore 1000T versions.

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support is good. We have received good next-day technical support from them.

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

    We are also working with NetApp.

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

    The pricing is reasonable, but it is expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    We are partners with both NetApp, and Dell EMC.

    I would rate Dell EMC SC Series a nine out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our FREE report comparing Dell SC Series and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform based on reviews, features, and more!
    Updated: May 2023
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our FREE report comparing Dell SC Series and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform based on reviews, features, and more!