Lenovo ThinkSystem DM Series alternatives and competitors

I work with customers all over demark, which consists of small to large companies. I normally make dual data centers with one HPE 3PAR StoreServ on each side. Our customers are mainly running with failover/failback mission-critical systems.

There's a lot of good features. HPE 3PAR StoreServ is similar to Dell EMC. It is a high-speed system with automatic failover/failback, integrated with Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware.  These are the main reason for choosing HPE 3PAR StoreServ in Denmark. We have a very good consulting service together with the product. 

HPE 3PAR StoreServ could have better integration into the cloud and converged infrastructure.

I have been using HPE 3PAR StoreServ for approximately 13 years.

HPE 3PAR StoreServ is a highly stable solution.

The solution is easy to scale. It is normally used for enterprise companies.

The support from HPE is good but slow. The speed of the resolution could be faster.

We use HP Enterprise, Dell EMC, Hitachi, Fujitsu, IBM, and Lenovo.

A lot of the solutions today are very similar. This was not the case five years ago. If some new functionality comes out with, for example, Dell, other vendors will have the same features in a short time.

The initial installation is complicated. The storage administrator needs to be trained or they need to have a contract with someone who can take control over the system. Mainly in Denmark, the customers prefer someone to take control of the system. There are companies that will take care of their systems.

We can do the implementation of the solution.

There is some maintenance that is required for HPE 3PAR StoreServ, such as upgrading firmware software, upgrading the system to a larger system, increasing the capacity, or increasing the performance of the system.

The price of HPE 3PAR StoreServ is reasonable, but buying upgrade licenses are priced very high. There are additional fees.

HPE have have made a new system to substitute with 3PAR. It is the HPE Primera solution. It is a product similar to 3PAR, but it's more converged together with the hybrid system. You can implement it on-premise of the cloud. It has cloud connect functionalities and the market is going that way. 

If you want a solution better than HPE 3PAR StoreServ you will be using Primera.

I would advise those wanting to implement this solution to use a partner which has high-scale competencies. They need to be technical experts, both in hardware and software. Customers cannot implement this solution themself. 

In the beginning, it was allowed for customers to do the installation, but after one or two years, HPE decided that it was not allowed. It is not allowed today. You need a certified person to do the installation and configuration.

I rate HPE 3PAR StoreServ a nine out of ten.

Huawei OceanStor Dorado is a flash storage solution.

There are plenty of features available in this solution.

This solution can improve by providing easier migrations and better Metro features.

In an upcoming release, Huawei could improve by adding migration services to allow customers to migrate from other solutions, such as HPE or Dell. This would help make this solution more attractive to those wanting to switch.

I have been using this solution for approximately one year.

The solution is highly stable.

I have clients of all business sizes.

The support is good. However, there are times when it can be challenging.

I have previously used IBM, HPE, Dell, and Lenovo and when comparing Huawei OceanStor Dorado, it is a very good solution.

The difficulty level of the installation depends on the client's environment. There are easy installations and very complicated ones. For example, if the client needs to have replication and backups a few times a day and there is more than a 200-kilometer distance for the data to be transferred it can be difficult.

We usually recommend our customers choose advanced licensing and enterprise companies are more inclined to choose this solution because it is more cost-effective than competitors.

I rate Huawei OceanStor Dorado a nine out of ten.