We use the solution for virtualization and as a physical system.
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What is Lenovo Flex System?
Flex System is Lenovo’s proven, 2nd generation blade, that efficiently runs your infrastructure applications with up to 80% better density than standard rack server deployments.
Lenovo Flex System was previously known as Flex System Blade Servers, Flex System SN Series.
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What users are saying about Lenovo Flex System pricing:
Lenovo Flex System Reviews
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Assistant Manager Systems - IT Infrastructure at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
Provides a high initial ceiling before upscaling is required, user-friendly and rich in resources, but has occasional stability issues
Pros and Cons
- "The product is very user-friendly and has many resources at the enterprise level."
- "Forced restarts due to free upgrades is an issue that needs to be resolved. We can manage this as we have high availability and redundancy, but without that it could be a real problem."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The product is very user-friendly and has many resources at the enterprise level.
Lenovo provides a 14 blade server, which allows for high resource consumption before upscaling is required when compared to other products.
This solution is also very good from a network and bandwidth perspective and I would recommend it.
What needs improvement?
The solution should come with cloud native applications to prepare for cloud based solutions.
Forced restarts due to free upgrades is an issue that needs to be resolved. We can manage this as we have high availability and redundancy, but without that it could be a real problem.
The level of customer support needs to be improved.
There is currently an issue with Lenovo switching out SAN switches from the chassis, which will cause problems for people who already have a set up with the SAN switch connected to the central storage. This could require an entirely different network, adding an additional cost for the user.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for the past five years.
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March 2023

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There is an occasional stability issue when there is a requirement for a freeware upgrade, which happens automatically. This can interfere with workflow and is something that needs to be dealt with.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good as Lenovo provide 14 blades. This allows vast accommodation of resources in a single implementation which is important for an enterprise solution. Going with Cisco, HP or Dell would require you to purchase additional chassis, as they are limited to eight or nine blades per month.
How are customer service and support?
We have called them during certain critical cases to avoid delays during production. I would rate the support between fair and good, there is room for improvement.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously we used IBM, but switched to Lenovo because it has the 14 blades instead of the eight blade server of IBM. As an enterprise level company Lenovo is more attractive to us from a budgeting and resource perspective. Switching hasn't caused us much of a problem.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of this solution is easy, XClarity integration makes management and framework upgrades very simple.
In our environment, deployment complexity is more of a network issue than a hardware issue.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The 14 blade server allows significant room for upscaling before having to invest in another chassis. You would have to purchase another chassis much sooner in the case of an eight or nine blade server.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We also considered Cisco and Dell as potential options.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
We implement this product for 1,500 to 2,000 clients.
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.

VMware Software Engineer at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Stable with good performance and a simple setup
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is straightforward."
- "The product could improve its integration capabilities."
What is our primary use case?
They are hybrid clouds solutions, and therefore, we are the product using for virtualization, and automatization as well. We have application servers on these blade servers and rack servers.
What is most valuable?
The solution is stable and the performance is good.
The initial setup is straightforward.
What needs improvement?
The product could improve its integration capabilities. For example, it's not optimized as Cisco UCS servers are.
For how long have I used the solution?
The global team has used the solution for about two years or so.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found the solution to be quite stable. The performance is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. it doesn't crash or freeze. We have found the product to be reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I'm not sure how many users are on the solution, however, there are currently 10,000 VMs on the servers.
How are customer service and support?
I've never been in touch with Lenovo's technical support. I cannot rate their level of service, having never dealt with them directly.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use Cisco UCS. We use both solutions at the moment.
How was the initial setup?
It's my understanding that the initial setup was not overly complex or difficult. It was quite straightforward.
That said, I wasn't directly involved in the deployment. I'm not sure how long it took.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I wasn't involved in the licensing and I don't have any information about the costs involved with the solution. The global team handles these details and I am not in any way involved.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not sure which version of the solution I am using. I'm pretty sure it is the latest version.
I am not on the hardware team, and therefore it is hard to rate it. That said, I would give it an eight out of ten based on my personal experience.
I'd recommend the solution to others.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Blade Servers
March 2023

Find out what your peers are saying about Lenovo, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco and others in Blade Servers. Updated: March 2023.
687,947 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Data Solution Architect at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
Easy to use, stable, and good support
Pros and Cons
- "One of the most valuable features of this solution is its ease of use."
- "The solution could improve by providing more integration with other platforms."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Lenovo Flex System for our internal platform where we store our operating systems, Windows, Linux, and VMware. VMware vCenter is where we store it and then virtualize our machines.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable features of this solution is its ease of use.
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve by providing more integration with other platforms.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Lenovo Flex System for approximately nine years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found the solution to be stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. You can buy a chassis with the minimum nodes and then scale them up to a maximum of 14 nodes.
We had approximately 2,000 clients that were using the solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
In my experience the support was good.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was not easy.
What about the implementation team?
We used a third-party vendor for the implementation.
We had a team of 10 for the deployment of the support infrastructure.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a one-off payment to buy the equipment and the support is purchased annually.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Lenovo Flex System an eight 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.
CEO at Top-IT Solutions Ltd
Useful storage system, good support, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of the Lenovo Flex System is the storage system."
- "The most valuable feature of the Lenovo Flex System is the storage system."
What is our primary use case?
We have provided Lenovo Flex System to a small local bank for storage.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the Lenovo Flex System is the storage system.
What needs improvement?
The price of the Lenovo Flex System could improve.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Lenovo Flex System for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Lenovo Flex System is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the Lenovo Flex System is good.
How are customer service and support?
The support for Lenovo Flex System is good.
How was the initial setup?
Lenovo Flex System typically takes three days to do the implementation.
What about the implementation team?
We do the implementation of the Lenovo Flex System.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The is an annual license cost to use the Lenovo Flex System. If the price was less expensive and flexible overall and for additional features, our customers would be happier.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend the solution to others.
I rate Lenovo Flex System a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
Stable, high-performing solution
Pros and Cons
- "Flex System's best features are its performance and stability."
- "Flex System's integration with the XClarity Management System could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use Flex System on Linux and Windows servers for our front and back end, orders, and mailing.
What is most valuable?
Flex System's best features are its performance and stability.
What needs improvement?
Flex System's integration with the XClarity Management System could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Flex System for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Flex System is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Flex System's scalability is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Sun Microsystems (now Oracle).
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy, and deployment took one to two days.
What about the implementation team?
A Lenovo partner did the implementation for us.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Dial and Tesco.
What other advice do I have?
I'd recommend Flex System to others as it's much better than any other product we've had and advise that they use XClarity for system management. I would rate Flex System eight 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.
Last updated: Sep 14, 2022
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