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Loay Mohamed - PeerSpot reviewer
System Service Representative at IBM
Real User
Good support, simple installation, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The performance of VMware vSAN is very good."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use VMware vSAN as a VDI solution.

    What is most valuable?

    The performance of VMware vSAN is very good.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using VMware vSAN for approximately two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    VMware vSAN is a stable solution.

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    How are customer service and support?

    The support from VMware vSAN was good. When I had to contact the support for my clients everything was as expected.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is straightforward. It took us approximately one month to implement for one of our customers but there were some delays on our customer's side. We could have done it in a shorter timeframe.

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

    My customers have found VMware vSAN to be a little expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    VMware vSAN is the most trending hypervisor that most of the customers are working with.

    I would recommend this solution to others.

    I rate VMware vSAN a ten 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
    reviewer1738062 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Technical manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Stable and scalable software for storage virtualization; its storage management feature is good
    Pros and Cons
    • "Storage virtualization software with a good storage management feature. It's a scalable and stable software."
    • "The monitoring feature in VMware vSAN could be better."

    What is our primary use case?

    VMware vSAN is a storage virtualization software.

    What is most valuable?

    What I found most valuable in this software is its storage management feature.

    What needs improvement?

    I don't recall an area for improvement in VMware vSAN, because it's a concept, a brand, and a product. If the concept doesn't change, we can't improve this software that much, but VMware can probably make the monitoring feature much better.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been dealing with VMware vSAN for eight years now.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    VMware vSAN is a stable software.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    VMware vSAN is a scalable software.

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

    Clients have to pay for VMware vSAN licensing based on the number of CPUs. Whether it'll be a yearly or a monthly subscription, you have to check with the vendor, because you can buy it for one year, two years, or three years. The purchases would be lifetime or perpetual, but you need to have support, e.g. the support is negotiated from one, two, three, or four years.

    What other advice do I have?

    VMware vSAN is my main product, and I'm an integrator for it.

    The current version we're using is the VMware vSAN 6.2 version.

    The setup of VMware vSAN is the same setup as the ReadyNodes, because the ReadyNodes are built on top of vSAN technology. As for how long it takes to deploy, it depends on the number of hosts you're deploying.

    We have six clients currently using this software.

    For deployment and maintenance of VMware vSAN, we have two technical staff who are in charge: one for setting up the network, and the other one for setting up the physical environment.

    I'm recommending this software to others who want to start using it. You can install it on any kind of ReadyNodes.

    I'm rating VMware vSAN nine 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
    VMware vSAN
    June 2025
    Learn what your peers think about VMware vSAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
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    IT Manager at Triara
    Real User
    Storage software that is dynamic and compatible with many other solutions including VCF and VMware Cloud Foundation
    Pros and Cons
    • "The feature we have found most valuable is the compatibility of VMware products with VCF and VMware Cloud Foundation."
    • "We often run out of space but we have enough capacity for memory and CPU. It's difficult to find the balance between storage and memory CPU."

    What is most valuable?

    The feature we have found most valuable is the compatibility of VMware products with VCF and VMware Cloud Foundation.

    What needs improvement?

    We often run out of space but we have enough capacity for memory and CPU. It's difficult to find the balance between storage and memory CPU.

    Overall, this is a simple solution but could be improved due to the issue with vSAN ReadyNodes. There are many compatibility requirements for storage using this solution that are difficult to meet.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have used this solution for two years. 

    How are customer service and support?

    The enterprise customer service and support are very good and feedback is fast. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was straightforward but we have experienced some setbacks with deployments. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. 

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Technical Specialist at NTT Security
    Real User
    Top 20
    Has worked well for two years, but requires a minimum of nodes for maintenance mode
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable thing about vSAN is that all of its features have been working well for us for the past two years. We haven't had an issue with them."
    • "When designing the implementation for vSAN, I have noticed that it requires a minimum of six nodes, and this creates a problem when it comes to maintenance. If, out of the six nodes, I put one node in maintenance mode, then vSAN does not create other VM components."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are an implementation partner for VMware vSAN and we use it alongside our hyperconverged infrastructure solutions with products such as Nutanix, HyperFlex, and SimpliVity. It is currently implemented in key areas off-site for over seven customers.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable thing about vSAN is that all of its features have been working well for us for the past two years. We haven't had an issue with them.

    What needs improvement?

    When designing the implementation for vSAN, I have noticed that it requires a minimum of six nodes, and this creates a problem when it comes to maintenance. If, out of the six nodes, I put one node in maintenance mode, then vSAN does not create other VM components. I think the reason for this is that the minimum configuration is a six node arrangement. If any one of the six nodes is put into maintenance mode, we're simply unable to create a VM, but if there are seven nodes in that cluster, then we are able to put one under maintenance. That's one thing that should be looked at.

    More generally, the features of vSAN as we see them are dependent on the quality of the storage, since each different storage technology has its own separate features that go along with it.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with VMware vSAN for at least two years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a stable product, especially now that we have it fully implemented. However, if any two or three of the nodes go away, vSAN goes down. I think we've had a few VMs where the data has been lost for this reason. I guess that the way it works would be similar to other technologies, but that's what we have observed.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    You can increase the compute capability as well as the disk storage, so it is scalable.

    How are customer service and support?

    I've already escalated the issue regarding the six nodes, which I've mentioned. This has been escalated to VMware and they know that it is a limitation, because apparently it is normal behavior for any nodes that are put in maintenance mode.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup is easy.

    What other advice do I have?

    We have been working with vSAN for the last two years, and we haven't seen too many issues overall, but because of the troubles we have faced with the fact that vSAN doesn't let you put a node in maintenance mode unless you have six or more nodes, I would rate VMware vSAN a six out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1269042 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Account Executive at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
    Real User
    Storage solution that's easy to manage, use, deploy, and upgrade; offers good technical support
    Pros and Cons
    • "VMware vSAN is an easy to use and easy to manage storage solution. Deploying and upgrading are easy. Technical support is very good."
    • "As no product is 100% perfect, the price for VMware vSAN could still be improved, though it is good when compared to some of its competitors."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our customers who use VMware vSAN are in these industries: government, healthcare, education, and supply.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of VMware vSAN is that it's easy to manage and it's also comfortable to use. Another unique feature is its hardware upgrade, but I'm unsure if this is also present in other players in the market. Upgrade and authorization for this product is very easy. Deployment of VMware vSAN is also easy. Everything in this product is perfect.

    What needs improvement?

    As no product is 100% perfect, the price for VMware vSAN could still be improved, though it is good when compared to some of its competitors.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been working with VMware vSAN for seven years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This product is stable and comfortable to use.

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support for VMware vSAN is very good.

    How was the initial setup?

    This product is easy to set up. It is easy to deploy.

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

    If you compare the price of VMware vSAN with other players like Nutanix and Cisco, its price is good, but could still have some improvement.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We evaluated Nutanix and Cisco.

    What other advice do I have?

    We are a partner of different vendors, e.g. Dell, VMware, Microsoft, AWS, Azure, etc. As we are a partner, we don't use the technology. It's our customers who use it. We've been working with the newest model of VMware vSAN.

    There are four engineers who handle the deployment and maintenance of this product.

    I strongly recommend VMware vSAN to others because it is easy to manage, especially if you compare it with traditional server and network storage solutions. It's also easy to deploy. Upgrade and authorization for this product is also very easy. These are the reasons why I strongly recommend VMware vSAN to people looking into using it.

    I'm giving VMware vSAN a score of ten out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1227132 - PeerSpot reviewer
    System Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
    Consultant
    Simple to set up and manage without the need for configuration
    Pros and Cons
    • "The simplicity, as well as the integration with virtualization."
    • "Based on my testing, I would like to expand deduplication to include hybrid deployments and not just for all-flash deployments."

    What is our primary use case?

    I am a system integrator, and this is one of the products that we implement for our customers.

    VMware vSAN is used in the deployment of OpenShift Containers.

    What is most valuable?

    It is simple to manage without the need for configuration which is the feature that I like the most. The simplicity, as well as the integration with virtualization.

    What needs improvement?

    On the troubleshooting front, it was occasionally difficult for me to perform some troubleshooting. We are currently working in a demo environment, so we are not encountering many issues. However, when you reach production with a heavy load, troubleshooting the vSAN may become difficult. 

    Troubleshooting with vSAN is an area that needs improvement.

    Based on my testing, I would like to expand deduplication to include hybrid deployments and not just for all-flash deployments.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with VMware vSAN for four years.

    I use version 6.7 ESXi with vSAN

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    So far the stability has been good. We have not had any problems with the stability of VMware vSAN.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability appears to be good. I have not tested it that much, but it seems fine similar to clusters in VMware. 

    At the moment, we have approximately 300 users who use this solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    In reality, we haven't used technical support yet. I don't have an opinion on the support at this time.

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

    I have experience with Cisco HyperFlex solutions.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was straightforward. We did not have any problems with it at all.

    The deployment did not take more than two or three days. It was very fast.

    We have two people to deploy this solution.

    What about the implementation team?

    We completed the deployment ourselves.

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

    As an architect, I am not involved in the negotiating process and don't have many details about the cost and licensing.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate VMware vSAN an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Lead Engineer at IBS Platformix
    Real User
    Easy to implement but requires an entire reorganization of the architecture
    Pros and Cons
    • "VMware vSAN is easy to implement in a VMware environment and it is not expensive."
    • "The architecture of vSAN is not good. vSAN works with objects, such as disks, and it causes problems with availability."

    What is most valuable?

    VMware vSAN is easy to implement in a VMware environment and it is not expensive.

    What needs improvement?

    The architecture of vSAN is not good. vSAN works with objects, such as disks, and it causes problems with availability. When we send users caches we lose the total cache disk of the group. It's really a red line for using vSAN. We don't lose all the data because it is replicated in other groups, but when the object is lost in one group, we only have one remaining and this creates a higher risk of losing data.

    Another is the restrictions of using deduplication and compression, it requires all-flash for it meaning that deduplication is on for all clusters and you can't control it for specific ones. I would like VMware vSAN to give hybrid configurations more caches and to add deduplication and compression for hybrid configurations.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using VMware vSAN for a year.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The architecture of VMware vSAN is a major issue with stability. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    There have been no problems with scalability of this solution.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial set up of VMware vSAN is easy. The implementation requires just one click and VMware will take care of the rest.

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

    VMware vSAN is not expensive. We compare it with Nutanix and the discounts from VMware are really good for vSAN.

    What other advice do I have?

    If you want vSAN it is important that you understand all sides of the solution and have the right hardware solution. For example, you should consider if you need reliable disks for cache and split it into more clusters or groups.

    I would give this solution a five out of 10.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1164519 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Director Of Services Nicaragua at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
    Real User
    High availability with a very user friendly implementation process
    Pros and Cons
    • "High availability is a valuable aspect of this solution."
    • "Lacks an integrated backup solution."

    What is our primary use case?

    our primary use case is storage; hyper-converged solutions for our customers. We develop and design higher availability infrastructure for customers with the vSAN as its base. I'm a consultant and an architect for solutions with the software. My company is a partner with VMware.

    What is most valuable?

    High availability is a valuable aspect of this solution.

    What needs improvement?

    An integrated backup solution within the vSAN platform would improve the product. Competitors like SimpliVity, UCS, and Cisco Hyperconverged all have a backup feature in their hyper converged infrastructure, it's something that a lot of people use now.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using this solution for four years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This solution is super stable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    This solution is very scalable. However, we've seen some limits within the platform although I believe the latest version may have solved those problems. 

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is very simple and straightforward. If the setup also involves hardware deployment, the process can take a day or so, but if it's just the vSAN deployment, it can be done in several minutes. I generally carry out the implementation. 

    What other advice do I have?

    It's important to use someone who is familiar with the solution to carry out the implementation. It's fairly straightforward but if you set it up incorrectly then you'll have issues with your underlying storage. It's worth having a professional service to manage things. 

    I rate this solution 10 out of 10. 

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
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