Senior advisor at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
A user-friendly hybrid solution for DR

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for DR.

What is most valuable?

We use the LDM component within our government. Additionally, SRM, a leading VMware product, is user-friendly and supports all our requirements.

What needs improvement?

There could be an integration between VMware SRM and Nutanix products, which can benefit many users.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware SRM since last year.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There is a minimum downtime.

I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution’s scalability is good.

2000 users are using this solution.

I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

Whenever we have an issue or need help, we raise it directly to VMware.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple.

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

I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

We have a cloud environment that requires disaster recovery capabilities. We utilize HZX to extend layer two connectivity and leverage Site Recovery Manager (SRM) for replication.

I recommend the solution to other users.

Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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VMware NSX T/V Consulting Engineer /Solutions Architect at Onebox Solutions
Real User
The solution allows organizations to have a solid business continuity plan but some research needed for configuration

What is most valuable?

Integrated replication / recovery plan ease of use and creation.

Running Production out of DR site


How has it helped my organization?

This product allows organizations to have a solid BC business continuity plan in place in case of disaster. By running regularly scheduled simulated test fail overs a business can realistically plan accordingly and customize their DR strategy.


What needs improvement?

Perhaps the array replication or vm guest customization features. Perhaps more features are needed to allow

For recovering VMs in situations where replication on production site has been paused for (ie: 1 week or more)

For how long have I used the solution?

4 years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

Deployment is fairly straight forward but it still requires a good amount of VMware experience on the architecture side to properly deploy and scale.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No issues. Product is fairly stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No issues. This product scales according to licenses purchased.

SRM 5.8 scales very well as compared to v5.5

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

VMware customer service is great.

Technical Support:

VMware technical support really delivers.

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

Previously used Netbackup and Avamar.

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup is straight-forward but you need to really do some research on prerequisite environment config needed for this product to work as developed.

What about the implementation team?

It was implemented in-house and on-site in customer environments.

What was our ROI?

100% ROI.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Other options evaluated were EMC Avamar and Symantec Netbackup.

What other advice do I have?

You should aspire to be really well versed on supporting this product you need to have in-house engineers that are well rounded in the networking, storage and operational aspects of vSphere/vCenter/SRM. I would recommend getting hands-on training through a VMware a Partner before implementing this product in your environment.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Chris Childerhose - PeerSpot reviewer
Chris ChilderhoseLead Infrastructure Architect at ThinkON
ExpertTop 5Real User

I found implementation very straightforward and configuration as well. This is a great product and has helped us to further our DR strategy. Array based replication is great with our Nimbles.

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April 2024
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Customer Success Engineer at Digital Network Solution (DNS)
Real User
Top 10
An easy-to-deploy solution for synchronous replication and asynchronous replication
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a very stable solution...I was involved in VMware SRM's deployment phase two years ago, and it was an easy process."
  • "The technical support is not quick enough to respond when a user tries to contact them."

What is our primary use case?

In my company, we use VMware SRM for synchronous replication.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of the solution is that vMotion is possible in VMware SRM, making it a great tool, especially when doing a DR drill. Synchronous replication and asynchronous replication are also some of the good features of the solution.

What needs improvement?

The weakness in VMware SRM is visible when, in our company, we try to do some cross-platform programming. For cross-platform programming, we might need some external tools, like Veeam or Commvault, for cross-hypervisor replication. It is not so easy to integrate it with other solutions. The aforementioned details can be considered for improvement of the solution.

The technical support is not quick enough to respond when a user tries to contact them. For improvement, the support should respond quickly to a user.

Cross-hypervisor restoration support or multi-platform support would be some of the best traditional features I would like to see in VMware SRM's future releases.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware SRM for two to three years. My organization functions as a cloud service provider. My company uses the product as well as recommends the product to the company's customers.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a very stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't found any issues with VMware SRM's scalability.

In my company, most of the machines have been replicated through VMware SRM, which consists of very few and not many in numbers. We also use Veeam as a backup for external storage, making VMware SRM a handy tool for our company.

One or two administrators are enough to handle the solution.

Speaking about the product's future usage, our company doesn't have much of a requirement for VMware SRM because we majorly need it only for testing purposes. For our company, VMware SRM is not an important tool. Our company recommends VMware SRM to our customers since VMware has been putting out all these features, making its product better.

How are customer service and support?

The solution's technical support is not bad since they are responsive. My company successfully resolved most issues we faced while working with the product. My company had raised only one or two issues with VMware, and they had successfully resolved our issues.

I rate the technical support a seven to eight out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

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

In our company, we use Nutanix Leap, which is similar to VMware SRM.

VMware SRM is available to users as a separate package from VMware, while Leap comes with Nutanix allowing users to use it anytime. In terms of utility, Nutanix Leap and VMware SRM are the same.

How was the initial setup?

I was involved in VMware SRM's deployment phase two years ago, and it was an easy process.

The solution is deployed on-premises.

The setup phase of VMware SRM can be done within a day, and then the planning and all policies that need to be set up would take four to five days or even a week.

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

VMware SRM is expensive when compared to Veeam and makes Veeam look cheaper. For support, some additional payments need to be made over the licensing costs of the solution. Even with Veeam, additional payments must be made over the licensing costs.

What other advice do I have?

VMware SRM is a handy solution since it does what it is told to do by its user while staying stable.

I rate the overall product 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
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Director - Cyber Resilience at a tech consulting company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
A highly scalable solution, especially for those who run enterprise-sized businesses
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is strong when it comes to protection and analytics, with the latter being added later on."
  • "The administration guides can be complicated and difficult to use, so it would be helpful if it was made easier."

What is most valuable?

The interface of VMware SRM is quite basic and doesn't offer much in terms of features. The solution is strong when it comes to protection and analytics, with the latter being added later on. Protection has been the major feature that we have been using, and it has been quite effective for our needs.

What needs improvement?

The two main areas for improvement in VMware SRM are pricing and administration guides. Pricing is always a consideration, and it could be improved. The administration guides can be complicated and difficult to use, so it would be helpful if it was made easier. Administrators don't want to find themselves in a situation where they can't find what they need, so it's important to make sure that the tools are easy to use.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware SRM for six to seven years, which is also the longest experience I have had with any VMware product. Our company recommended it to one of our customers initially, and after that, we had complete freedom to implement it for them. It was a good experience overall. Additionally, my company has a partnership with VMware.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of VMware SRM is good. Scalability for Azure and AWS is also good. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

My company deals with enterprise-sized customers.

How are customer service and support?

VMware's vendor support was good. I rate VMware's technical support an eight or nine out of ten. To be more specific, I rate it an eight out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

I rate the initial setup process of the solution a seven or eight out of ten on a scale where one is difficult, and ten is easy. The setup process was not too difficult or too easy. Essentially, we were imaging all their physical servers on the cloud.

In our company, the deployment process takes about an hour. In some cases, due to the size of the data we were dealing with, it took a couple of days, which was the maximum, but usually, it was completed within a few hours.

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

I rate the solution's pricing a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is the lowest and ten is the most expensive.

What other advice do I have?

l always recommend others to have a POC in place. It's always about whether a solution suits your environment or not. So if it does, then go for it. If it doesn't, one should go for another solution. I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Senior BCDR Professional at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
MSP
Reliable, easy to implement, and has good support
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to implement for my clients."
  • "I would like to see this solution be more scalable."

What is our primary use case?

We are consultants in disaster recovery software. We implement VMware products for our clients.

What is most valuable?

It is easy to implement for my clients. 

It's a very nice product.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see this solution be more scalable.

We currently use our security in addition to VMware SRM.

For how long have I used the solution?

I am certified in VMware and VCloud. 

I have been using VMware SRM for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have no issues with the stability of VMware SRM.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

VMware SRM is scalable, but it can be improved.

We have 15 to 20 customers who are using SRM. We have customers not only in the US but in the UK also.

How are customer service and technical support?

They provide very good technical support that is affordable.

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

We are also using Zerto.

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy when it comes to integrating with a data center or an appliance, but it's a bit complicated.

The length of time it takes to deploy depends on the database we are accessing. It can take two hours to deploy.

We have two senior persons to deploy and maintain it.

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

I am not involved with the pricing. 

We have a procurement team and sales team that work with the vendors.

What other advice do I have?

I would definitely recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate VMware SRM an eight 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: Partner
PeerSpot user
Solution Architect at KIAN company
Real User
Good replication and integration capabilities with a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very flexible."
  • "The biggest issue for us is that this product does not have any demo for customers."

What is our primary use case?

We have implemented SRM to replicate around the 800 virtual machines to the data recovery files. Due to the fact that we implemented to data centers as well as the primary and secondary data center, we use SRM to replicate around most of the virtual machines in order to be the secondary site.

How has it helped my organization?

If you can plan and create a recovery plan correctly, it will do and replicate virtual machines and when a disaster occurs, you can easily replicate off the secondary site. If you create a proper primary recovery plan, you have good protection.

What is most valuable?

The most important features that we're using are the replication of VMs as well as the integration with the EMC recovery platform. The replication solutions to replicate the LAN and data storage to the secondary external storage.

The solution is quite stable. We haven't had an issue with the performance.

The solution is very flexible. 

What needs improvement?

VMware introduced the two next versions of the solution. They are SRM 6.5 and 6.7. I don't have any experience with these two products. However, if I was to talk about version 6, which we are using, at that time we faced a problem specifically when we create recovery plans. After the creation of the recovery plan, sometimes an issue happened in the GUI, in the Center. I'm not sure if that has since been resolved.

We've faced issues with the licensing. If you don't choose a specific license, you can only cover around five or ten virtual machines.

The biggest issue for us is that this product does not have any demo for customers. They should offer demos so that clients can try it out before they commit to buying a license.

For how long have I used the solution?

At this point, I have been using the solution for about two or three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is very good. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, you can integrate the POC and you can distribute SRM on three sites. At our project, we use VPLEX architecture to distribute storage between two data centers and therefore we could publish an important file related to SRM virtual machines and the active LANs, which is distributed between two data centers. In terms of scalability and holding of data storage, we can put a doc online whenever we need to.

Our team has around six members for virtual support and maintenance of the VMware infrastructure. In terms of the customers that are related to using the VMware services, there are around 800 people.

How are customer service and technical support?

Due to the sanctions in my country, in Iran, we can not use direct support from VMware and there is not a partner in my country. Therefore, we need to study, we need to design, we need to support everything directly and focus on providing maintenance service to our customers ourselves.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward. It's not too complex. 

Deployments can typically take two months.

In the first month, I dedicate focus on learning and conducting POC sessions. For around two or three weeks, I also spend some time implementing SRM at the site.

What about the implementation team?

I am responsible directly for installations.

I work with a specific team that includes three members. I'm responsible as a team lead and VMware engineer. I have two other team members, one member has a specific focus on its storage concept and another is working on the networking.

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

We are always looking for solutions that are more affordable. SRM is more expensive than, for example, VirtualBox.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have looked into Zerto. I attended a seminar two years ago. If we ever moved off of this solution, we may switch to that. It is quite affordable and is very hands-on. It may even be easier in terms of deployment. They are very similar solutions overall.

What other advice do I have?

We are using two product versions. We are using product versions 6.0 and 6.5.

We need to use only on-premises deployment models. This due to the fact that there are sanctions in my country. We cannot use the cloud services directly as there is no support.

For customers who are using VMware infrastructure, I recommend using VMware SRM due to the fact that it has the ability to integrate with other products like HP, SRA, or even CSRA. It has good features that integrate well with a storage concept.

Overall, I would rate the solution at 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.
PeerSpot user
Operations Engineer at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Disaster recovery that works quickly, is stable, and has excellent technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The installation and initial setup are straightforward."
  • "VMware's tech support gets a nine-out-of-ten. They are responsive and get you a useful reply."
  • "The stability of SRM has been excellent. It gets a nine-out-of-ten."
  • "The version we are currently using is not the latest and greatest but it has buggy behavior in some browsers."

What is our primary use case?

VMware SRM is used for our disaster recovery site, which is an on-premises colo (Colocation) facility. The general use case is for disaster recovery for three of our applications those being imaging, payroll, and real estate.  

What is most valuable?

I would say SRM's ability to recover my virtual machines in a timely manner and to perform bi-annual testing are the two things it has provided that are really valuable.  

What needs improvement?

I would say VMware has room for improvement with this product. I am sure it is probably better in their 7.0 version, but there are still some bugs in the 6.O version that relates to using it with different browsers. I think a lot of what I run into is related to the 6.0 version. I believe a lot of those bugs have been fixed in the UI once you upgrade to 7.0.  

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the VMware SRM solution for about six years.  

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of SRM has been excellent. I would give it a nine-out-of-ten. It is a pretty solid solution.  

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I believe it would probably scale just fine. I only protect 25 VMs based on our licensing and I do it that way even though I actually have about 200 virtual servers. I can not really say I have done a lot to test scalability. In the six years that I have been dealing with SRM, I have just been protecting those 25 VMs. I do not have hands-on experience as to how well it would scale out.  

How are customer service and technical support?

I have dealt with the technical support at times in the last year. I would give VMware's tech support a nine-out-of-ten. They are responsive and get you a useful reply.  

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

Disaster recovery was completely done with physical servers prior to when we started using VMware. When we went to VMware, we started using SRM. So the first time we went with the virtual environment we deployed SRM. We just went straight with SRM just because it is a VMware product. It was already well-integrated and did what we needed it to do.  

How was the initial setup?

The installation and initial setup were pretty straightforward. The deployment, overall, was pretty straightforward. There was a little implementation structure we had to factor in related to my storage array. But besides that, it was pretty straightforward and easy enough all the way around.  

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

I pay for SRM per year. It is about $3,000 a year for the 25 pack. The package gives you the ability to protect up to 25 virtual machines.  

What other advice do I have?

From what I have seen, a lot of these new hyper-converged systems come with certain components that do a lot of what SRM does. My opinion and advice to people considering SRM would be to look to your hardware vendor or consultant. They may have some replication pieces in there that allow you to possibly not use SRM or go ahead and stay with what you already have. Depending on your situation, different combinations might prove more beneficial either within the architecture or by cost-benefit. There are a lot of options out there now for disc replication and bringing machines up at other locations.  

On a scale from one to ten (where one is the worst and ten is the best), I would rate the SRM as about 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.
PeerSpot user
System Team Lead at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Reliable with the capability to extend but is very expensive
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution runs well in the background, just in case we need it."
  • "The user experience could be more friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for migrating our DR site.

How has it helped my organization?

We have a system that can now move us to a DR site. I have yet to experience any major crisis, however, so I haven't yet tried it. 

What is most valuable?

The solution runs well in the background, just in case we need it. 

It is stable. 

The solution has the capability to scale well. 

What needs improvement?

I don't have any notes for improvement.

I'd like the installment and configuration to be more seamless.

The user experience could be more friendly.

It's, by definition, a complicated product. 

We'd like the entire solution to be more automated. We'd like as much automation as possible. 

The solution is very expensive. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for more than five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We haven't had any stability issues. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have not tried to scale the solution. However, we are aware that it can be quite scalable. It depends on the license. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup and configuration can be complex. It's a complicated product. I'd rate the complexity of implementation eight out of ten. 

It took us a few months to fully deploy the solution. 

What about the implementation team?

We had an in-house team and professional service to manage the setup process. We did not do it fully by ourselves.

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

The pricing is very high. However, you get what you pay for. You need to invest a lot of money in order to gain any functionality. In order to have a DR site and maintain it, you need the investment. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. It's expensive. However, it's a good investment. 

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
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware SRM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware SRM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.