Azure Stack HCI Reviews

Name: Azure Stack HCI
Brand: Microsoft
Rating: 4.0 (5 reviews)

4.0 out of 5

5 reviews
100% willing to recommend

What is Azure Stack HCI?

Azure Stack HCI is used by government organizations to maintain local data center operations while accessing cloud services, offering efficient management of VMs through a single console.

Get the Azure Stack HCI Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Azure Stack HCI, VMware vSAN, VxRail and more!

Azure Stack HCI is the #13 ranked solution in HCI Software. PeerSpot users give Azure Stack HCI an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. Azure Stack HCI is most commonly compared to VMware vSAN: Azure Stack HCI vs VMware vSAN. Azure Stack HCI is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 65% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 12% of all views.

Helped 832,138 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

Sushil MIshra

AG at SIS.

We were looking for a solution with high computing features and IOPS. We also have high network requirements. We have a production environment that runs on Kubernetes The solution has the latest processor. It provides the new SSD and a 25 GB network. The Kubernetes environment is better than that…

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Nicholas Diesel

Solution Architect DC at Natilik

Azure Site Recovery is brilliant. The integration with Azure using Azure Arc is excellent. Additionally, Azure storage for local usage is very efficient for an HCI product. There has been some return on investment in terms of time usability and reduction of footprint, and obviously, HCI two emissions and other factors.

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Vineeth Marar

Cloud solution architect at 0

This solution was important for integration, on-premises and cloud environments. When you run these services on-premises, everything stays on-premises, and the customer has complete visibility into those services. This is because everything runs in VMs within a Hyper-V cluster registered with Azure using Azure Arc. That's what we call Azure Stack HCI in a nutshell. Now, the integration part allows us to leverage many Azure filters and manage services. For example, if we enable monitoring with the Azure monitoring agent, Log Analytics agent, etc., we can send all the data to Azure and use Azure Defender or Sentinel to analyze the data and get threat intelligence. This intelligence can be used to provide security measures through the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) center. It allows for instant creation, auto-response, and other functionalities. That's one area of integration. Another way is through managed services. Imagine your applications running in the Stack HCI cluster and the database running in Azure, perhaps as a managed service like Cosmos DB or even a simple SQL database in an Azure VM. This is another way to achieve integration. So, monitoring and security are some of the best use cases for integration. We can have multi-layered applications that include both Azure services and on-premises resources like the Hyper-V cluster.

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PeerAnalyst reports

Type	Title	Date
Category	HCI	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	Azure Stack HCI vs VxRail	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	Azure Stack HCI vs VMware vSAN	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	Azure Stack HCI vs Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)	Feb 1, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
VMware vSAN	4.2	16.2%	87%	230 interviews Add to research
VxRail	4.3	19.7%	93%	130 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Azure Stack HCI's valuable features include software-defined networking similar to Azure with easy configuration, the capability to run Azure Kubernetes Service for containerized microservices, efficient VM management reducing server count, enhanced performance with NVMe technology, and integration with Azure Arc. It offers an advanced Kubernetes environment, upgraded processors, SSDs, and a 25 GB network. Azure Site Recovery and local Azure storage enhance usability and footprint reduction. Users experience significant time savings and efficiency.

"The scalability is extremely good."
"The integration with Azure using Azure Arc is excellent."
"The features of Azure Stack HCI that have proven to be the most beneficial for optimizing our company's data center operations revolve around its performance."

Room for Improvement

Azure Stack HCI requires enhancements in software-defined networking and integration with Microsoft Azure Portal. The deployment process is lengthy and PowerShell-dependent, making it complex for users. Stability issues and the need for frequent version updates are noted. Improved multi-cluster management and better storage architecture are desired. Increased familiarity among users and better support are necessary to assist customers effectively in various time zones. Hyper-V also requires advancements compared to alternatives like VMware.

"Hyper V seems to lag behind compared to VMware."
"A little bit of the storage architecture could be improved."
"The biggest challenge with the tool is not being able to manage everything from Microsoft Azure Portal."

ROI

Users experienced significant learning in customer perspectives and business aspects. Azure Stack HCI demonstrated financial benefits by reducing reliance on technical support, offering good ROI through cost savings, and improved performance. Many customers, already having Microsoft Software Assurance, found cost savings on licensing. Azure Arc is free for Azure Stack HCI, presenting further cost advantages. Time usability improvements and reduced footprints contributed positively, enhancing efficiency and increasing investment returns.

Pricing

"The pricing is high compared to other tools."
"The main licenses are the OS licenses, the OEM licenses, and so on. They are very much aligned with the cost of expectations. We never had any challenges with the licensing at all."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations utilize Azure Stack HCI primarily for maintaining services within their data centers while accessing cloud services. It supports VM creation, monitoring, and integration with local and cloud services. Users appreciate its high computing features and IOPS, meeting demanding network requirements in environments like Kubernetes. Azure Stack HCI aids in simplifying cloud transitions and provides accurate resource insights, appealing to those involved in managing KPIs and recommending its use to other clients.

Service and Support

Azure Stack HCI customer service and support are rated highly by users, often receiving a ten out of ten for technical support. Some users have not utilized the support but have heard positive feedback about it. The service is affordable, with easy access to support via Microsoft Azure Portal, and stability issues are resolved efficiently. Customer service typically receives a rating of seven or eight out of ten, while technical expertise is improving with ongoing training.

Deployment

The initial setup of Azure Stack HCI is generally described as complex, with some variability depending on preparation. Certain users find the orchestration straightforward due to Azure Arc, while others note significant complexity introduced by implementation engineers. Following prerequisites like IP addresses and network cables is crucial for smoother installation, which can take around ten days. Users suggest that while maintaining Azure Stack HCI presents minimal difficulties, bugs can cause occasional issues.

Scalability

Azure Stack HCI is noted for its scalability, supporting up to 16 nodes and accommodating 1000 VMs on a single node. Both vertical and horizontal scaling capabilities are highlighted, enabling seamless automation and high availability even if several nodes fail. Multiple users appreciate its cloud integration and versatile scaling, with many organizations successfully supporting numerous users and applications without facing scalability challenges. The scalability is often rated highly by users.

Stability

Azure Stack HCI is considered stable by many, leveraging the long-standing reliability of Hyper-V. Users note its robust architecture, capable of supporting up to 16 nodes, offering redundancy and scalability. While it is stable, some mention it isn't fully mature, rating stability around seven out of ten.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Azure Stack HCI Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

University

Energy/Utilities Company

Healthcare Company

Retailer

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Educational Organization

Real Estate/Law Firm

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Consumer Goods Company

Logistics Company

Insurance Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Legal Firm

Media Company

Non Profit

Hospitality Company

Recruiting/Hr Firm

Non Tech Company

Outsourcing Company

Transportation Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

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Learn more about Azure Stack HCI

Azure Stack HCI effectively supports environments with high computing and network demands, such as Kubernetes. IT professionals advocate its use for managing functional areas and KPIs. Key features include software-defined networking and integration with Azure Kubernetes Service, enabling efficient microservices deployment. Organizations benefit from enhanced performance with the latest processors, SSDs, and robust network capabilities. Challenges include simplifying its deployment process and improving stability, especially in multi-cluster management.

What are the important features of Azure Stack HCI?

Software-defined networking: Efficient management with a drag-and-drop interface.
Azure Kubernetes Service integration: Seamless deployment of microservices.
Virtual machine management: Robust management of numerous VMs under one host.
Enhanced hardware support: Utilization of latest processors and high-speed SSDs.

What benefits should be considered in reviews?

Single console management: Ease in monitoring and managing VMs.
High performance: Supports up to five million applications.
Resource optimization: Efficient use of computing and networking resources.

Azure Stack HCI is implemented in industries with heavy data processing needs, such as government entities requiring local control of data centers while integrating cloud capabilities. It offers specialized support for demanding environments like Kubernetes, significantly benefiting IT operations.