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‎VP Product Management at Telkomtelstra
User
The cost of Azure Stack is much cheaper than VCE
Pros and Cons
    • "Azure Stack is relatively new and lacks the features compared to public Azure."
    • "It should provide more core on the VM and support multi-scale units."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are a managed cloud service provider and provide Azure hybrid cloud services. We operate Azure Stack on our data center and resell Azure publicly.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Beside providing to our customers, we use Azure Stack for internal use as well. We are gradually migrating our internal application from VCE to Azure Stack because the cost of Azure Stack is much cheaper than VCE.

    What is most valuable?

    • The PaaS that we use as our web service.
    • IaaS (VMs)
    • SQL service
    • Development
    • Media service
    • Firewall

      What needs improvement?

      Azure Stack is relatively new and lacks the features compared to public Azure. Hopefully, it will provide more core on the VM and support multi-scale units.

      Buyer's Guide
      Azure Stack
      November 2024
      Learn what your peers think about Azure Stack. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
      814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      Less than one year.
      Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: We are a cloud service provider and provide Azure hybrid cloud services on our data center.
      PeerSpot user
      Systems Engineer at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
      Real User
      Easy to deploy services and has good online support
      Pros and Cons
      • "The most valuable feature is the ease of deployment for services such as SSH, creating a web site, and Azure billing services to measure the consumption of resources."
      • "I would like to see better support for containers."

      What is our primary use case?

      We are using the Microsoft Azure Stack Development Kit (ASDK) in an evaluation environment issued by Microsoft, and not in a production environment. It is deployed within a VM on top of the Azure public cloud.

      The goal of our evaluation is to see if it is sufficient to support becoming a cloud provider for companies in our local market.

      What is most valuable?

      The most valuable feature is the ease of deployment for services such as SSH, creating a web site, and Azure billing services to measure the consumption of resources.

      What needs improvement?

      I would like to see better support for containers.

      Containers and the IoT hub that exists in Azure Stack should be usable on-premises.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I am currently evaluating Azure Stack and have been testing it for one week.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      I cannot really tell what the stability is like because I am only using the Azure Stack in an evaluation environment. I have just now put it under a heavy workload to test whether it is stable enough for our production environment.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      I am the only person who is using this solution in my company, as I test the features that I think we will need.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      I have not used technical support for this solution. However, I have found with other Microsoft products, their support is very helpful and was able to solve my problems.

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

      Azure Stack is the first solution of this type that I am testing.

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup started in a straightforward manner, but I faced some issues during the deployment. I was able to solve these problems with the information that I found on the Microsoft website when I searched for the errors using Google. Once I followed the steps the solution seems to be fine.

      What about the implementation team?

      I deployed this solution on my own, using the Microsft website as a reference.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      I plan to test VMware vRealize, but I have not done it yet.

      What other advice do I have?

      I think that this is a good tool for cloud operating systems.

      I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      Public Cloud

      If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

      Microsoft Azure
      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
      Buyer's Guide
      Azure Stack
      November 2024
      Learn what your peers think about Azure Stack. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
      814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
      it_user883662 - PeerSpot reviewer
      Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
      Real User
      It is stable and effective and large companies will definitely benefit from it
      Pros and Cons
      • "The initial setup is very, very simple."
      • "I think the monitoring tools needs some improvement."

      What is our primary use case?

      Our primary use case of Azure Stack is for a customer that's an ISP. They supply services to their clients where they offer the Azure Stack capability.

      What is most valuable?

      The most valuable thing of Azure Stack is the means of giving my customers or my clients the capability of using Microsoft products on a public or a private cloud, but not in the Microsoft public cloud. So it is an on-premise private cloud, but it's like being on the public cloud.

      I like the ease of making use of Microsoft products, and instead of being directly connected to Microsoft using My Clients, keeping them the same kinds of values.

      What needs improvement?

      Pricing is always a hot topic, so the pricing can always improve. And I'm not too sure if the Microsoft technical capabilities are very good because I don't make use of it. So, for me personally, pricing would probably be the only factor that needs to improve.

      I also think the monitoring tools needs some improvement.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      The program is very stable.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      I think the scalability is pretty good because from an IP point of view we can scale this solution to become very massive. You can start with the full node and go to 60 or 80 nodes very easily. So the scalability is very good.

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup is very, very simple because it comes fully integrated from HP with Microsoft integration. That makes the setup very straightforward.

      What other advice do I have?

      I will definitely recommended this solution to others, especially for large companies, because I think it's a wonderful solution. It will also work great for people that has multiple companies inside the group. One should use Azure Stack as an on-premise private cloud solution because it is a very effective solution.

      On a scale of one to ten, this solution earns a good eight. In the next version I would like to see an improvement in the monitoring tools.

      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
      Lead solution architect at a recreational facilities/services company with 10,001+ employees
      Real User
      User friendly, not code intensive, and secure
      Pros and Cons
      • "The solution is easy to use, especially for individuals who are not familiar with coding and has security built-in."
      • "The user interface could be more user friendly."

      What is our primary use case?

      Last year I used the solution to develop phone applications. We did some work with AAD which is the Azure Active Directory. We used the solution to its full potential.

      What is most valuable?

      The solution is easy to use, especially for individuals who are not familiar with coding and has security built-in.

      What needs improvement?

      The user interface could be more user friendly.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using the solution for more than six years.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      We have a team of five that use the solution in our organization and they do all the development for us.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      The support for the solution is very helpful. They are responsive and return with resolutions quickly.

      How was the initial setup?

      The installation is easy, there are only a few clicks.

      What about the implementation team?

      I did the installation myself.

      What other advice do I have?

      I would recommend the solution to others.

      I rate Azure Stack a nine out of ten.

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      Public Cloud
      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
      Cloud Architect at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
      Real User
      Straightforward to set up and integrates well with other products, but it is not production-ready without a lot of work
      Pros and Cons
      • "The most valuable features are the control and flexibility that we have, where we can build our own solutions from scratch."
      • "It does not give you a complete, production-ready setup."

      What is our primary use case?

      We are a solution provider and Azure Stack is one of the products that we implement for our clients. One of our clients is using it as an IaaS, where they have control over the infrastructure.

      As we learn more about this product, security-wise, and about the tools that are available, we can apply this to what our customers are looking for.

      What is most valuable?

      The most valuable features are the control and flexibility that we have, where we can build our own solutions from scratch.

      Azure Stack integrates well with other tools.

      There are documentation and tools available for use, and they are good.

      What needs improvement?

      One of the problems is that systems still have to be developed and as things move forward, we have to build a lot of our Azure Stack solutions from scratch. It does not give you a complete, production-ready setup.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      We are still exploring Azure Stack and are in the requirement gathering phase.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      I have not been in contact with technical support.

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup is not complex.

      What about the implementation team?

      We have an in-house team for deployment. We have different internal teams and generally do not rely on third-party vendors.

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

      We are satisfied with the pricing.

      What other advice do I have?

      My advice for anybody who is implementing this solution is to first look at the people within the community. They have provided details about their experience and it's a good place to start understanding and analyzing, before beginning the implementation. It will give you an idea as to costs, as well as how to integrate with your environment.

      I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      Public Cloud

      If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

      Microsoft Azure
      Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
      PeerSpot user
      it_user1255440 - PeerSpot reviewer
      Pre-Sales Engineering Manager - Cloud Computing at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
      Real User
      Cost-effective solution that can be deployed on-prem or on the cloud
      Pros and Cons
      • "It's a good and cost effective solution for any organization. We can deploy the tech solution on premises and also in the cloud."
      • "Customers need to consider the Disaster Recovery. Microsoft tech is only providing support to Azure."

      What is our primary use case?

      It's a good and cost-effective solution for any organization. We can deploy the tech solution on-premises and also in the cloud.

      What needs improvement?

      The reporting for the interim monitoring purpose could be improved. Right now Windows Admin Center is on the level with Victor Server 2019. But we need to work on the same tool, so we provide them some code features on the same tool. It's very useful for any organization and an administrator.

      Additionally, customers need to consider Disaster Recovery. Microsoft tech is only providing support to Azure. We would like to see it available for other services and solutions on the cloud, too, as well as a solution for Oracle backup.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using Azure Stack for three years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      There is one bug we are facing now. In one of the organizations in which we have deployed Azure, when we are moving the VM from node A to node B, sometimes it gets stuck. We already raised the case with Microsoft. They are working on it with us. We involved the hardware and software teams from Microsoft. They gave us a solution and now the issue is under observation.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      In terms of scalability, there is a calculator available and we can convert the scalability with it.

      Because a chain solution was introduced by Nutanix to a Moscow based organization, Microsoft wants to introduce the same solution, but with better features including Microsoft 2019. So 110%, because some are using the Microsoft Azure tech right now in India.

      There are about 10 - 15,000 users. They are providing the data production manager, data backup and are showing the customer that we can do a backup on GP back in 60 seconds. In Microsoft Azure, the only option is a little data backup which we need to buy through some third party tool to take a backup of our VM. Otherwise, we need to take a subscription on our Azure to make a side recovery for the VR purpose or the higher rating purpose. A good figure is also real time monitoring. But with Microsoft Azure Suite, the monitoring tool is a little bit weak.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      I am satisfied with Microsoft customer service, they provided us with a good solution.

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup was really simple. We did not face any difficulty when we deployed the SAP solution with the Microsoft SA.

      What about the implementation team?

      My team and I did the deployment.

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

      If we are trying to deploy the Microsoft suite, first of all, we need to buy the data center licenses. Datacenter licenses are only used for verification solutions. Using that as a solution, we can declare an unlimited number of four VMs on the hardware. I spent a contribution to the hardware, the code, and the processes, and that all depends on the hardware architecture.

      What other advice do I have?

      On a scale of 1 - 10, I can give Microsoft Azure Stack a 9.

      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
      PeerSpot user
      Technical Architect at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
      Real User
      Stable and feature-rich, straightforward to set up, and the technical support is good
      Pros and Cons
      • "It has every feature that we need and overall, it's pretty good."
      • "Having more options and customization would be an improvement."

      What is our primary use case?

      We use Azure Stack for our of our customer applications.

      How has it helped my organization?

      We used to maintain our infrastructure and everything was on-premises. Azure Stack has helped us with moving to the cloud.

      What is most valuable?

      This is one of the top cloud providers and we pretty much use all of the features.

      The integration seems to be good.

      What needs improvement?

      Having more options and customization would be an improvement.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      We have been using Azure Stack for the past couple of years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      We have not really had any problems with bugs or glitches.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      The scalability is good.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      We have been in contact with technical support and the support they provide is pretty good. I would rate them a ten out of ten.

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

      Prior to using this cloud platform, everything we had was on-premises.

      How was the initial setup?

      I think that the initial setup is okay.

      What other advice do I have?

      This is definitely a product that I recommend. It has every feature that we need and overall, it's pretty good.

      I would rate this solution a nine 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?

      Microsoft Azure
      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
      PeerSpot user
      Transformation advisor at System technique
      Real User
      Provides the flexibility for configuration for bigger teams
      Pros and Cons
      • "In general, it provides the flexibility for configuration for bigger teams."
      • "They can provide more integration with other services, such as components, open source, because I use these services."

      What is most valuable?

      In general, it provides the flexibility for configuration for bigger teams. 

      What needs improvement?

      They can provide more integration with other services, such as
      components, open source, because I use these services.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using Azure Stack for five years. I use it on a daily basis.

      Around 10 architects, engineers, and developers in my company use this solution.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      It is a stable solution.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      It is easy to scale.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      Everything is okay in terms of technical support. We have support from our side. For some minor stuff, we need to get back to the vendor. 

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup was simple. It took a few hours.

      What about the implementation team?

      It was done by my company. 

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

      It is in the medium range cost-wise. For each component, I sort of buy licensing. Each component has its licensing fee by the number of users or by size.

      What other advice do I have?

      I would recommend this solution. I would rate Azure Stack an eight out of ten. 

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      Private Cloud
      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 Azure Stack Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
      Updated: November 2024
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Azure Stack Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.