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Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Huawei OceanStor 9000 comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 7, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Ranking in NAS
1st
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
54
Ranking in other categories
File and Object Storage (3rd)
Huawei OceanStor 9000
Ranking in NAS
12th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the NAS category, the mindshare of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is 24.1%, up from 22.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei OceanStor 9000 is 2.6%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
NAS
 

Featured Reviews

Eric Burgueño - PeerSpot reviewer
Simplified data management, tremendously reducing our users’ cognitive overhead
The only thing that I think PowerScale could do better is improving the HTTP data access protocol. At the present, you cannot protect access to data via HTTP or HTTPS the same way that you can secure data access through other protocols like NFS or SMB. You can either access a file because it can be access by anyone in the organization, or you cannot at all. There is no in-between. HTTP is not considered a first-class data access protocol, so the Unified Permission Model that would allow a user to authenticate before being able to access a private file, does not apply. However, with the recent introduction of S3 starting from OneFS 9, I believe the necessary plumbing is already there for HTTPS to also be elevated to a first-class protocol in the future because both protocols sit behind a web server under the hood. It does not sound like it would be too complicated to implement, but it would be a valuable feature and it is currently missing.
ChukwuemekaOnyemelukwe - PeerSpot reviewer
An entry-level, flash-based storage system designed for enterprise-class applications
It took significantly longer to set up the solution with Huawei compared to other options. But when creating servers for VMware virtualization in one data center, it was a relatively quick process. The Huawei's solution, even with the assistance of an engineer, took more than one month, possibly extending to two months. Chinese engineers were involved in the process, which contributed to the delays.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It is stable and very user-friendly."
"We use the solution internally to support our own managed servers and run our own support center."
"The most valuable feature we started using, beyond the initial scope for the solution, is the multi-protocol system that allows you to access the same set of files using different network protocols like NFS or SMB. PowerScale’s Unified Permission Model ensures that data security and access permissions are honoured regardless of whether the client is a Windows desktop or a Linux server"
"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerScale is its scalability."
"It has allowed us to have more consistent quality controls. It has also allowed us to expand the number of servers in clients processing and accessing data, allowing us to get a lot bigger projects out the door."
"The most valuable features of the solution are flexibility and ease of implementation."
"The single pane of glass for both IT and for the end-user is a valuable feature. On the IT side, I can actually control where things are stored, whether something is stored on solid-state drives or spinning drives... The single pane of glass makes it very easy to use and very easy to understand. We started at 100 terabytes and we moved to 250 and it still feels like the exact same system and we're able to move data as needed."
"Dell has the AI to protect the EMA."
"The storage capacity is really one of the most valuable features. Also, the GUI is very friendly and the switches gives high performance. The technology used in storage is RAID which as helped us a lot to expand and store various items ."
"It has many options for scalability, and it is stable."
 

Cons

"The solution can be a bit complex for those not well versed in the technology."
"I would like to see increased reporting and statistics functionalities."
"Because of the magic that it does 'under the hood,' it is very difficult to find out within the system where all your storage is going. That's a little bit of a ding that we have on it. It does so much magic in order to protect itself from drive failures or multiple drive failures, that it automatically handles the provisioning and storage of your data. But by doing that, finding out why a file of a certain size, or a directory of a certain size, is using more storage than is being reported in InsightIQ, is very difficult to discern."
"Improvements could be made to reduce the costs and the high level of knowledge needed to maintain and use them."
"There are some missing features in the product, especially when our company needs to do some tape backup, and we see that the tool doesn't have integration capabilities."
"Dell PowerScale's deployment is not easy."
"The UID mapping and how to configure mapping-related things is a struggle."
"Always, there is room for improvement in terms of cybersecurity, as new challenges are continually emerging in the market."
"The handling of data deletion and bulk servers setup could have been more straightforward and easier when dealing with data removal or setting up servers. I believe Huawei could enhance their solutions, especially managing storage, to provide a better experience for customers."
"The call charges and the management cost should be more friendly. They can also include monitoring and management."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is an expensive solution."
"It is an expensive product with a high storage capacity suitable for large data requirements."
"It is an expensive solution."
"It is a really expensive solution."
"Price was also a significant factor in our decision to go with PowerScale. The team at EMC, now Dell EMC, came through with a highly competitive offer that tipped the scales towards their solution. There was only one other solution around the same price point, but it could not match PowerScale on features. That other solution is no longer on the market."
"The price of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is reasonable."
"Dealing with the product costs and licensing areas is getting easier since Dell is simplifying the licensing process and licensing packages offered to users."
"Dell PowerScale is expensive on the start-up side but we can recoup those costs quickly by not having to reapply the savings to other equipment."
"The installation is expensive as they often come as a comprehensive package. The design is more integrated, and everything is bundled together as part of the solution. This is what contributes to the higher cost of their solutions because when you purchase one element, it often comes with additional features and components, and you end up paying for the entire package."
"It is cheaper than other solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
25%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
17%
Educational Organization
13%
Financial Services Firm
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?
The solution provides massive performance, scalability, efficiency, and ease of management.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?
Every time we purchase a PowerScale solution, we buy four nodes for one data center and four for another, with five years of maintenance covered by Dell. It's a high-cost offering amounting to thre...
What needs improvement with Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?
Improvements could be made to reduce the costs and the high level of knowledge needed to maintain and use them. We had old hard drives with moving parts in Dell PowerScale, and due to this, we must...
What do you like most about Huawei OceanStor 9000?
The storage capacity is really one of the most valuable features. Also, the GUI is very friendly and the switches gives high performance. The technology used in storage is RAID which as helped us ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei OceanStor 9000?
The installation is expensive as they often come as a comprehensive package. The design is more integrated, and everything is bundled together as part of the solution. This is what contributes to t...
What needs improvement with Huawei OceanStor 9000?
The handling of data deletion and bulk servers setup could have been more straightforward and easier when dealing with data removal or setting up servers. I believe Huawei could enhance their solut...
 

Also Known As

PowerScale, Dell EMC Isilon
OceanStor 9000 Scale-out NAS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

OMRF, University of Utah, Translational Genetics Research Institute, Arcis, Geofizyka Torumn, Cyprus E&P Corporation, Colburn School, Columbia Sportswear, Harvard Medical School, University of Michigan, National Library of France,
Piraeus, Clinique Univeritaires Saint-Luc, Absolut Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs. Huawei OceanStor 9000 and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,369 professionals have used our research since 2012.