The solution is primarily used as a general data center and VDI.
Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Very stable with excellent customer support and great scalability
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is perfect for the lifecycle management of hardware."
- "The licensing costs are too expensive. They should work on their pricing model."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
I consult multiple organizations across many industries. VxRAIL is a platform I lead with. It reduces IT admin time and complexity around managing a hyper-converged environment.
What is most valuable?
The solution is perfect for the lifecycle management of hardware.
The solution allows automated updates to hosts os and hardware, and in some cases switch hardware patches as well.
What needs improvement?
The licensing costs are too expensive for smaller deployments. They should work on their pricing model at the low end. many of the customer's at the smaller end of the scale would benefit the most from the automation but it often times becomes cost prohibitive.
The solution needs a little more flexibility in the hardware that is supported by VxRAIL. Right now, they're very restrictive of the hardware supported.
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VxRail
May 2025

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For how long have I used the solution?
I've been dealing with the solution for two or three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution is rock solid. Organizations consider it completely reliable. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash. It's great.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution is very impressive, actually. You can scale a very large environment with ease. It's not trouble at all.
On the converse of that, it doesn't work so well for very small environments. This is mostly for if you've got, for example, four hosts already. It's not for small environments. You need to really have 100 to 200 VMs to really take advantage of it.
As a reseller, I'll typically check in with clients after a few months to see how things are going and to see if they need a new node or anything of that nature. Typically, they are looking to scale a bit more.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is phenomenal. I'd give it five stars. They are very responsive and knowledgeable. We're satisfied with the level of service they provide.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have been selling virtualization platforms for around 10 years. Hyper Converged Infrastructure is perfect for general data center work loads and for VDI.
How was the initial setup?
For myself, it's fairly straightforward and no longer very complex. However, I've done more than a dozen of them so far. If you don't know what you're doing, it can be pretty complex. You really do need some expertise with the solution to manage everything.
In terms of deployment, it chiefly takes about two days of planning and about two days of implementation.
In terms of maintenance, what makes it so nice is that it automates management and patching of all of an organization's virtual hosts and even their switches if the switches are supported. Therefore, it reduces admin.
What about the implementation team?
We handle the implementation for our clients.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Users do find that licensing is quite pricey.
The costs vary from customer to customer.
A typical node that I would sell to a customer has a list price be between $50,000 and $80,000 per node. Organizations typically start with four nodes. That's the hardware, software, VMware licensing, everything.
Customers typically pay about half of that for VSAN REady nodes - approximately $25,000 to $50,000 a node. On average, it costs about $200,000 to get your foot in the door. That can be quite expensive for any organization that isn't a large enterprise.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have trained and worked with all of the major HCI options out there.
VSAN (VxRail is built on top of this)
Nutanix ( a very solid alternative)
Simplivity ( not to the level of VSAN or Nutanix)
Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct ( good idea, not quite ready for production)
What other advice do I have?
We're a partner with Dell VMware. VxRail is a part of Dell.
I largely just sell and set up the solutions; I don't use the solution regularly myself.
It's an amazing product overall.
This solution definitely requires an organization to plan everything out correctly. You need to map out your networking, understand what your resource utilization is going to be, make sure you get the right amount of RAM and storage on the host, and then also understand the impact to your licensing costs for Microsoft.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. I would give it perfect marks if it wasn't so expensive.
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

Software Specialist at Civilpoint Oy
A good performing tool that is also scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's price is competitive and it is easy to use."
- "The tool needs to improve its price."
What is our primary use case?
We have our internal servers allocated to the solution.
What is most valuable?
The tool's price is competitive and it is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The tool needs to improve its price.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable and I would rate it a nine out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used VMware before. We switched to the solution because we needed a system with more performance and scalability.
How was the initial setup?
I would rate the tool's setup an eight out of ten. The tool's deployment got completed in a few hours.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. The tool fulfills our needs.
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.
Buyer's Guide
VxRail
May 2025

Learn what your peers think about VxRail. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
855,752 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Works at Professsionales ‘‘em computer
Has a good design, but storage for databases needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "We like the design and that it meets data storage needs."
- "My customers want more storage for university databases."
What is most valuable?
We like the design and that it meets data storage needs.
What needs improvement?
My customers want more storage for university databases.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using this solution for approximately one year.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support needs to be improved, and I would give them a six out of ten. They could assign more digital architects to the support team.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
What about the implementation team?
We used a reseller for the implementation. It took about two months to deploy the solution.
VxRail is deployed in one location, and we have about 22 people who use the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is good.
What other advice do I have?
I tell customers that VxRail solves a lot of storage problems, and I would rate it a five on a scale from one to ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
SE Infrastructure at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Data infrastructure solution that offers high performance at a reasonable price
Pros and Cons
- "VxRail has improved our organization by providing our admin team with an easy-to-use interface."
- "The upgrade packages require a lot of bandwidth. This could be reduced for an improved experience."
What is our primary use case?
Our customers who have the old infrastructure and are looking for high-performance and modern infrastructure, use VxRail.
How has it helped my organization?
VxRail has improved our organization by providing our admin team with an easy-to-use interface.
What needs improvement?
The upgrade packages require a lot of bandwidth. This could be reduced for an improved experience.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for this solution is great. I would rate it a ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used a different open-source product but it was not easy to manage which is why we switched.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. The time it takes to set up depends on the size of the cluster. For a mid-size cluster of 12 nodes, it usually takes one to two days.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on the investment due to how easy this solution is to use and the time it frees up for our staff.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Its pricing is reasonable compared to other products.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Sr.EMC Storage Specialist at a energy/utilities company with 501-1,000 employees
Host system that offers easy upgrading and virtualization processes
Pros and Cons
- "The major advantage is the blueprint. You do not need to separately manage the sand or network part because it all gets virtualized."
- "The SCL database sends out a warning and you have to download the adjacent file from the Dell website. You have to upload it and retest it. We cannot always connect our systems to the internet which means we sometimes miss these important updates."
What is our primary use case?
We have four to five clusters, and one of those clusters is an OT environment. We work in the oil and gas sector. We have deployed VxRail in three sites, mainly as a DMZ zone. We have another cluster for our internal network and a new VxRail cluster is going to be deployed and dedicated to SAP HANA.
How has it helped my organization?
The major advantage is the blueprint. You do not need to separately manage the sand or network part because it all gets virtualized.
What is most valuable?
The upgrading and virtualization of VxRail are easy to use. Compared to some of the other technology we use which requires a 32 GB memory minimum for one VM, VxRail does not require this additional memory.
What needs improvement?
The SCL database sends out a warning and you have to download the adjacent file from the Dell website. You have to upload and retest it. We cannot always connect our systems to the internet which means we sometimes miss these important updates.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for five years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
The support for this solution is really good. I always use the chat medium because it is easy to open a ticket and get assistance.
I would rate the support for this solution a ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used the initial generation of VxRail but experienced some issues. We went with another vendor but faced hardware-level stability issues and so we returned to VxRail.
How was the initial setup?
The main issue during the initial deployment is if there are any errors, you have to completely re-image the nodes. There is no option to fix the issues and resume from where you stopped. This adds many hours to the process.
We always follow what Dell recommends and their best practices.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Nutanix for Discover FLeX and Dell. The Nutanix hardware is really stable and they still follow the chassis architecture.
Dell changed from the chassis form factor to different nodes, so installing different nodes each time is easy, but when you have too many nodes it needs more space.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend VxRail because after using the solution for many years, I still prefer VxRail.
I would rate this solution a nine 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.
Global Virtualization & Cloud Engineer III at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Scalable solution that improved our operations and reduced system failures
Pros and Cons
- "It improved from an operations standpoint as we have reduced failures compared to a previous vendor. The hardware that we previously used had a lot of issues with components failing regularly."
- "When it comes to maintenance, it takes 16 hours to upgrade a 12 node VxRail plus. This could be improved in the system."
What is our primary use case?
We use VxRail to manage capacity issues. It is very scalable and solved a lot of our challenges. We are an international company and provide services and platforms to customers based in South America, Latin America, and North America.
How has it helped my organization?
It improved from an operations standpoint as we reduced failures compared to a previous vendor. The hardware that we previously used had a lot of issues with components failing regularly.
What is most valuable?
This solution is very scalable and you can add extra nodes to the cluster and bring it online without any interruption to production systems.
What needs improvement?
When it comes to maintenance, it takes 16 hours to upgrade a 12-node VxRail plus. This could be improved in the system.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have used this solution for two and a half years.
How are customer service and support?
The customer support team for this solution are very good at responding to cases. I would rate them a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was a little lengthy but straightforward. To deploy a 12 node plus it took two months.
What about the implementation team?
We partnered with Dell Technologies and they helped us implement the solution. We provided the required data for networking and firewall rules for them to roll out the solution. Four senior engineers were involved in the deployment.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment. It reduced the need for manpower in keeping our hardware up and running.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing for this solution is on the high end but we do get good value for money based on performance.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise those considering this solution to take a closer look at their workload and design clusters needed to meet that workload. Typically it is easy to deploy large clusters and it becomes tedious to maintain a large cluster. Scaling back on the number and nodes in the cluster is something I would recommend considering during implementation.
I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
ICT Project manager and Development Team Leader at Ethiopian Roads Administration
VDI, UCC, and HCI are great features
Pros and Cons
- "Valuable features for us are the VDI, UCC, and HCI."
- "The solution is vendor-locked and Dell is the only supplier of VxRail."
What is our primary use case?
I'm the software system team leader.
What is most valuable?
The valuable features for us are the VDI, UCC, and HCI.
What needs improvement?
My only complaint about this solution is that it's vendor-locked with Dell being the only supplier for VxRail.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for almost a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support has been good so far. It's possible the good service is somewhat related to the license agreement we have, I'm not sure.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. We have close to 1,000 end users who connect directly to the VDI and to the UCC solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We generally procure a three-year license with a support agreement from the supplier.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend this solution, it's a good product. We recommend it to our customers.
I rate this solution nine out of 10.
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.
Principal Consultant at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Scalable, high availability, and good support
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support from Dell was very good."
- "The implementation of a VxRail, it's straightforward, but the ongoing utilization, and integration, are where it can start to become difficult if you're not used to doing it."
What is our primary use case?
In the last deployment, I had VxRail connected to Dell EMC Isilon storage and it increases the complexity of what you're doing and you need to have a team that can manage it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used VxRail within the last 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I did not have any issues with the stability of VxRail.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
VxRail ability to expand was good, I don't remember what it maxes out at but the one deployment that I was working on and assisting with is one where they were running out of storage too quickly. However, this does not matter if it's HCI or if it's a traditional storage array that you're connecting via iSCSI or Fiber Channel or ports. Running out of storage is a lack of knowledge of utilizing the tools, such as vRealize or Turbonomic, and it is important to do capacity planning. When comparing VxRail to Nutanix, Nutanix had similar scalability capabilities.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support from Dell was very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other solutions, such as Nutanix.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation of a VxRail, it's straightforward, but the ongoing utilization, and integration, are where it can start to become difficult if you're not used to doing it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the Dell price a four out of five.
The price of VxRail highly depends on your design and your configuration. For example, if I connect Pure Storage directly to ESXi hosts and bypass Fiber Channel switches and I will save on money. However, it reduces my redundancy and makes it not as robust of deployment and easy to manage. An HCI environment, it's more cost-effective than utilizing a traditional SAN. With storage and computing altogether, you don't necessarily have to involve the networking team as much. I don't necessarily need somebody that understands Brocade's or Cisco Fiber Channel Switches, because I have it all right there.
What other advice do I have?
One of the most important aspects of implementing VxRail is the capacity planning and understanding of what kind of expansion is going to be needed over a period of 12, 24, and 36 months. No matter what the solution is, you'll start off with a minimum of three nodes, and growing from there, it's very difficult to go back and get more capital.
Make sure that you understand using an RV tools exporter or something similar to understand when you are designing the solution. This will help make sure that I've allowed for 20, 30, or 40 percent growth over a period of 12 months, or 24 months, depending on the use case.
It is important to manage budgets, such as OpEx and CapEx. You will always have a certain amount of money that you can spend and not need to go back and attempt to gather more capital, capacity planning is critical.
All right. Overall for the VxRail, how would you scale it from one to ten? If ten was the best and one was the worst.
I rate VxRail an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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