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Brian Moreno - PeerSpot reviewer
Computer Services Manager at Child Parent Centers
Real User
Reliable with great support and good analytics
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable aspects include hot swapping and the elasticity as far as being able to scale."
  • "It's more from the pandemic, however, the logistics part of it could be better."

What is our primary use case?

The setup is hybrid right now. It was formerly strictly on-premise and we used it for our file storage and for our virtual machines.

Originally, it was purchased for strict file storage and access on-prem. However, when COVID hit, we ended up purchasing laptops for every single employee that we had. Having to use our new file storage device, which is no longer on-premises as they're now at home, was easy. That's why we went with a hybrid environment. We put a lot of the data into the cloud and backed it up in the on-premises file storage.

How has it helped my organization?

It allowed us to move some file storage that we had around. It allowed us to really look into what we had and what we were using. Looking at Apex, it is setting us up for when it will need a refresh or when it is at its end of life.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable aspects include hot swapping and the elasticity as far as being able to scale. We had a bunch of stuff on an old, existing EMC. The company was unaware that they had to keep the files that they had for so long. We realized that once we were meeting the seven-year mark and we could start purging some of those files, we had to scale down a little bit.

The initial purchase that we had was a little big, however, as we started adding more users that were working from home and had their own drive, OneDrive, we had to expand it a little bit. Dell was able to ship me bigger hard drives.

When it comes to running the latest high-demand applications, PowerEdge is good. The VMware that we had was almost end-of-life, so we had to upgrade it and Dell helped out with that quite a bit, putting it on our PowerEdge and assisting us with a lot of stuff that VMware didn’t. VMware just said, "Here. Here's your product. Good luck.” Dell was a lot more helpful. They had a lot of engineers that knew about that service that we were trying to tap into a little better.

The BIOS recovery was something we used because we had a huge power outage and a power strike when one of our air conditioners had a bad power surge run through it at our facility. Dell helped us rebuild our actual BIOS system in it, as one of the mirror arrays that we were using just wasn't being seen. We were afraid it was a hardware issue, however, it was really a BIOS issue that we couldn't see right off the jump. We’re glad Dell was there to help.

The solution's analytics helped to decrease production downtime by at least 30%. I'm in Arizona and down in Tucson we don't get that much downtime. We have a lot of battery backups, we have a generator system, and more. However, when it does happen, the analytics of it, as far as the trends on what months the monsoon season hits, it kept all in the logs.

The system management capabilities of PowerEdge helped increase stack productivity. We've had a little bit of turnover in our system admin department, however, having the ability to go back and look through the logs and see how users ended up using their home drive, their shared files, and their encrypted files really helped out my new guys coming on board.

The solution's accelerated GPUs help support demanding workloads in our organization. We had a couple of changing workloads due to the fact that when people shifted from home, they were hitting the server from a different angle. They were coming in off a virtual private network instead of being on-premises and the system didn't blink.

I’m not sure if PowerEdge helped to reduce data processing time in our organization as we don't crunch a lot. We do have a lot of videos coming in and a lot of video editing going on, so in that way, it does help.

The PowerEdge system management frameworks enable us to progress towards full automation. We knew what we were looking for when we refreshed this last model and we purchased a new server just from the analytics we got off the first one.

It helps me forecast better. We don't grow exponentially. Teachers are hard to come by, however, some will leave and some will stay. The business models are the same, yet they expect more. Now they want to do a video. They want to capture and record the videos and the Zoom meetings that they're doing, therefore, it's a little different.

What needs improvement?

It's more from the pandemic, however, the logistics part of it could be better. Getting an actual bare-bones server was a little difficult when we ordered it in beginning. I'm still waiting on the printers that I ordered last year as well. That's the only thing I would really say and I'm sure it has to do with the pandemic.

The latency of it is what we're running into, as our teachers do a lot of video captures, video teaching, Zoom, and Teams video conferencing, and their latency is getting worse with the public domain.

Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
April 2025
Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
849,190 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution since I've been with the company, probably for the last three years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is very good. There were different options that we could have gone to. We could either have gotten smaller hard drives and/or downsized if we needed to. They knew our business model was going to change when the pandemic hit.

We have about 650 end users on this particular solution and 80% of them are teachers. The rest are administrative professionals.

Currently, we are planning to put a new server that we have in the mix online and up and running with the PowerEdge server that we have. Now, with Apex and more coming out, we're looking to possibly pivot.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is very good. We had to call Dell technical support when our BIOS got corrupted and they were on the spot. They escalated us to tier two within 20 minutes. It was really quick.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We did previously use a different solution, however, I cannot remember what our large area network's device was.

Dell came in with a very competitive offer with the first model of storage that we got, so that's what my predecessor went to, and we kept it around.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very straightforward. We knew exactly where we wanted to put it in our array and how we wanted to set it up, what the power requirements would be, where it would fit on my battery backup system, and the plan for system recovery in case it had to be gracefully shut down. It was super easy.

When deploying PowerEdge, we didn't get a chance to use the automated server and OS deployment features.

The deployment was scheduled for six hours and it took three. 

We actually had to migrate users off of an older version that we had onto the new box that we had. The implementation strategy was all about really getting our users off the box and making sure nobody was trying to access it. After that, it was just migrating users over, setting up the new box, putting it online, and running tests.

For maintenance, normally we use a server admin, myself, and maybe one other developer that helps us with the syslogs on it. There are probably three of us altogether.

What about the implementation team?

We used an integrated reseller for the deployment. They were amazing.

We had an issue with a brownout or a power strike and our BIOS got a bit corrupted, however, it was nothing that couldn't be recovered on the fly.

What was our ROI?

We've seen an ROI. I don't have any details offhand. I know when we first purchased it, we got a pretty good deal on it and we didn't know if it would actually meet end-of-life due to the usage that we had on it. However, it outperformed our metrics.

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

I'd advise others to use the pro services that come along with it, that are available for purchase with it. It helped us immensely. If you were to extend the service contract and get the pro level, it costs a bit more.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did evaluate other options. When it's over a certain dollar amount, we have to go out and get at least four bids.

What other advice do I have?

I can't remember the exact version we have. We just purchased a new Dell SAN.

We do not use PowerEdge for artificial intelligence applications yet. We're looking into it. Right now, a lot of the video data capture that we do is with children, school-aged children, and children in a preschool environment. We were thinking the AI might be able to help us where the teacher might not be looking. If they had a camera in the room to capture the relevant stuff that was going on as far as what the lesson plan was about that day, it might be helpful.

I have not had a chance to use the solution's iDRAC telemetry for monitoring PowerEdge system data and providing analytics, however, we're really looking into that right now. We got the new SAN going in and we'd like to monitor a little better.

We do not use the solution's CloudIQ for predictive analytic capabilities yet.

It is a very stable product. It's something that we use reliably for backups. It's something we use reliably for our main server for a long time and we'd definitely buy another.

My biggest takeaway is it's not as easy going straight to the cloud when you were an on-premises provider. If you are an on-premises provider and you have all your services on-premises, going to the cloud takes a couple of steps. It's not just one big jump.

I'd rate the product nine out of ten. If I could get the same amount of storage that I got three years ago now, I'd rate it ten out of ten. I'd order it as quickly as I did when we ordered it the first time.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2380770 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT-Systems Administrator at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Reliable servers with easy management and good service
Pros and Cons
  • "Reliability is important for us. They are reliable, and the service is very good."
  • "The server itself is good, but sometimes, the salesperson forgets to sell us the right controller. It is related to sales. It is not related to the technical part."

What is our primary use case?

We have virtualization running on Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. We have VMware. We have some physical workloads. We also have Oracle databases.

How has it helped my organization?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are reliable and do not require a lot of maintenance. We put them in the rack and forget them. 

In terms of the overall flexibility of our operations, we have a lot of servers, and because of virtualization, it is very flexible, but it has nothing to do with the hardware.

What is most valuable?

Reliability is important for us. They are reliable, and the service is very good. iDRAC is a good feature that we use very often. We are rarely in the data center.

What needs improvement?

The server itself is good, but sometimes, the salesperson forgets to sell us the right controller. It is related to sales. It is not related to the technical part. There is nothing that can be improved in these servers technically.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working in this organization for nine years, and they were already using Dell servers when I joined. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

These servers are very stable.

How are customer service and support?

Most times, we take care of things on our own. Usually, when there is something that needs to be fixed or replaced, we take Dell's help. I would rate their support an eight out of ten. It is very good, but it can always be better.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We only use Dell servers.

How was the initial setup?

They are easy to deploy. There are no problems with that.

What was our ROI?

We have seen an ROI. We rarely have any problems with these servers. Overall, it is a good deal.

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

We have not compared them with others. The price is okay, but they can always be a little bit cheaper.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
April 2025
Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
849,190 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Team leader operations connectivity at a tech consulting company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
A high-quality product that helps improve organizational infrastructure and is highly reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "I've been consistently impressed by the exceptional build quality of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers."
  • "Dell can optimize the size of its rack servers, offering a minimized physical footprint without compromising performance or security."

What is our primary use case?

Our Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers cater to a multitude of purposes. They host a sprawling network of virtual machines, serving as the bedrock for our vibrant development department. These virtual machines, provisioned through Hewlett Packard Build Power, have proven to be dependable companions on the development journey. We prioritize reliability by meticulously maintaining updates, scheduling machine restarts, and thoughtfully automating numerous key processes in-house. This approach has yielded highly satisfactory results, fostering a robust and reliable development environment.

To gain complete autonomy and internal control over our IT infrastructure, we opted for the deployment of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. This strategic decision empowers us to manage our entire computing ecosystem effectively, minimizing reliance on external service providers.

How has it helped my organization?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have improved our organizational infrastructure, fostering a paradigm shift towards centralized operation. This strategic decision has yielded a multitude of benefits, primarily the consolidation of hardware and the seamless integration of diverse applications and solutions onto a unified platform. Furthermore, the inherent security enhancements provided by these servers have demonstrably bolstered our digital defenses, while their exceptional reliability empowers us to dynamically scale resources and seamlessly navigate peak loads, a critical advantage in today's dynamic business landscape.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have truly played a pivotal role in propelling our organization's sustainability initiatives forward. Before their implementation, our IT infrastructure resembled a sprawling archipelago of individual machines, each dedicated to a specific application silo. In my previous stints at other companies, I've witnessed firsthand the unwieldy sprawl of server landscapes, sometimes ballooning to a staggering 80 machines! Thankfully, the PowerEdge series was meticulously crafted with server consolidation in mind, enabling us to streamline our entire IT ecosystem into a sleek and efficient operation.

In the bygone era of IT, each application resided in solitary confinement, tethered to its own dedicated machine. This antiquated approach not only squandered space but also devoured energy like a famished dragon. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, however, have ushered in a paradigm shift, centralizing the once-sprawling landscape of applications onto a single, unified hardware platform. This agile infrastructure transcends the limitations of its predecessors, allowing virtual machines to migrate seamlessly between servers in response to fluctuating workloads. This results in unparalleled flexibility, liberated from the constraints of the past.

What is most valuable?

I've been consistently impressed by the exceptional build quality of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Having tried solutions from HP and other manufacturers, Dell's service stands out as demonstrably superior. Both internally and with external clients, it consistently exceeds expectations and optimizes our operations. This unwavering reliability is the cornerstone of our continued partnership with Dell. Moreover, the exceptional craftsmanship extends beyond service. These servers have proven to be remarkably dependable, experiencing minimal malfunctions. While routine hard drive replacements are to be expected based on internal components, the overall hardware integrity has been truly outstanding.

What needs improvement?

Dell can optimize the size of its rack servers, offering a minimized physical footprint without compromising performance or security. This focus on space-efficient design will enable us to achieve greater efficiency and agility in our IT infrastructure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for over five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?


Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are renowned for their unwavering stability and steadfast reliability. Their robust construction and cutting-edge technology ensure exceptional uptime and unwavering performance, even under demanding workloads. These servers stand as an unyielding foundation for your critical applications, delivering peace of mind and unwavering confidence in our IT infrastructure.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

When it comes to scalability, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers leave no room for doubt. Their ability to seamlessly accommodate expanding workloads and data demands is truly unparalleled. I wouldn't hesitate to rate them a perfect ten out of ten in this crucial aspect.

How are customer service and support?

My experience with PowerEdge technical support has been nothing short of exceptional. I'm thoroughly impressed by the level of service they provide. The rapidity of response is remarkable, with knowledgeable technicians readily available to assist depending on our specific service agreement. The expertise they possess is unparalleled, consistently exceeding my expectations. I am extremely satisfied with their service.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

While I'm fresh to this organization, Dell seems like a well-established partner here. In my previous role, my company utilized HP for years, but unfortunately, issues with quality and service ultimately necessitated a shift. HP's support infrastructure simply didn't measure up to our exacting needs, prompting the transition to Dell, which played a significant role in the decision.

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

It's abundantly clear that the specific licensing requirements will be dictated by the intricacies of the machinery we deploy. It's an integral component of the operational process, and while I'm unable to delve into the intricacies of pricing due to my unfamiliarity with the specific costs, I can confidently assert that from a corporate vantage point, the paramount concern is to secure the most cost-effective solution, especially when managing a sprawling infrastructure.

What other advice do I have?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have consistently earned my highest praise, achieving a perfect ten out of ten in my book. Across all the companies I've had the pleasure of working for, where Dell was the hardware of choice, my experience has been one of unwavering satisfaction. This positive track record is precisely why the strategic decision was made to migrate away from other manufacturers and establish Dell as our trusted partner. While I may not hold the reins of decision-making, if the choice were mine, I would wholeheartedly advocate for maintaining our commitment to the physical realm. From my perspective, there's something inherently reassuring about having the equipment physically present, allowing me to take direct ownership of its care and maintenance, and experience the tangible presence of our technological backbone. Even in the face of the allure of the cloud, Dell would remain my unwavering choice.

The general direction seems to be towards increased machine efficiency. To remain competitive, Dell likely has followed suit and implemented resource-saving measures. This is a significant influence, and likely a driving force behind many companies migrating away from traditional servers, or in the case of PowerEdge, embracing the Azure Cloud platform. Ultimately, energy conservation appears to be a key motivator in this shift.

Foreign Language:(German)

Hochwertiges Produkt, das die Infrastruktur von Unternehmen verbessert und besonders zuverlässig ist

Was ist unser Hauptanwendungsfall?

Unsere Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern sind für verschiedene Zwecke geeignet. Sie hosten ein ausgedehntes Netzwerk virtueller Maschinen, das als Grundlage für unsere dynamische Entwicklungsabteilung dient. Diese virtuellen Maschinen, die über Hewlett Packard Build Power bereitgestellt werden, haben sich als verlässliche Begleiter auf dem Weg der Entwicklung erwiesen. Wir legen großen Wert auf Zuverlässigkeit, indem wir Updates sorgfältig pflegen, Neustarts der Maschinen planen und zahlreiche wichtige Prozesse intern automatisieren. Dieser Ansatz hat zu äußerst zufriedenstellenden Ergebnissen geführt und eine stabile und zuverlässige Entwicklungsumgebung geschaffen.

Um vollständige Autonomie und interne Kontrolle über unsere IT-Infrastruktur zu erlangen, haben wir uns für den Einsatz von Dell PowerEdge Rack-Servern entschieden. Diese strategische Entscheidung ermöglicht es uns, unser gesamtes Computing-Ökosystem effektiv zu verwalten und die Abhängigkeit von externen Dienstleistern zu minimieren.

Wie hat es meiner Organisation geholfen?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern haben unsere organisatorische Infrastruktur verbessert und einen Paradigmenwechsel hin zu einem zentralisierten Betrieb gefördert. Diese strategische Entscheidung hat eine Vielzahl von Vorteilen mit sich gebracht, vor allem die Konsolidierung der Hardware und die nahtlose Integration verschiedener Anwendungen und Lösungen auf einer einheitlichen Plattform. Darüber hinaus haben die inhärenten Sicherheitsverbesserungen dieser Server unsere digitale Verteidigung nachweislich gestärkt, während ihre außergewöhnliche Zuverlässigkeit uns in die Lage versetzt, Ressourcen dynamisch zu skalieren und Lastspitzen nahtlos zu bewältigen - ein entscheidender Vorteil in der dynamischen Unternehmenslandschaft von heute.

Die Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern haben wirklich eine entscheidende Rolle dabei gespielt, die Nachhaltigkeitsinitiativen unseres Unternehmens voranzutreiben. Vor ihrer Implementierung bestand unsere IT-Infrastruktur aus einem weitläufigen Archipel von Einzelmaschinen, die jeweils einem bestimmten Anwendungsbereich zugeordnet waren. Bei meinen früheren Tätigkeiten in anderen Unternehmen habe ich aus erster Hand erfahren, wie unübersichtlich Serverlandschaften sind, die manchmal auf bis zu 80 Maschinen anwachsen! Glücklicherweise wurde die PowerEdge-Serie mit Blick auf die Serverkonsolidierung entwickelt, so dass wir unser gesamtes IT-Ökosystem in einen schlanken und effizienten Betrieb umwandeln konnten.

In der vergangenen IT-Ära befand sich jede Anwendung in Einzelhaft und war an eine eigene Maschine gebunden. Dieser antiquierte Ansatz verschwendete nicht nur Platz, sondern verschlang auch Energie wie ein ausgehungerter Drache. Die Dell PowerEdge-Rackservern haben jedoch einen Paradigmenwechsel eingeleitet, indem sie die einst weit verzweigte Anwendungslandschaft auf einer einzigen, einheitlichen Hardwareplattform zentralisieren. Diese agile Infrastruktur überwindet die Einschränkungen ihrer Vorgänger und ermöglicht die nahtlose Migration virtueller Maschinen zwischen Servern als Reaktion auf schwankende Arbeitslasten. Das Ergebnis ist eine beispiellose Flexibilität, die sich von den Beschränkungen der Vergangenheit befreit.

Was ist am wertvollsten?

Die außergewöhnliche Verarbeitungsqualität der Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern hat mich immer wieder beeindruckt. Nachdem ich Lösungen von HP und anderen Herstellern ausprobiert habe, sticht der Service von Dell als nachweislich überlegen hervor. Sowohl intern als auch bei externen Kunden übertrifft er stets die Erwartungen und optimiert unsere Abläufe. Diese unerschütterliche Zuverlässigkeit ist der Grundstein für unsere weitere Partnerschaft mit Dell. Außerdem geht die außergewöhnliche Handwerkskunst über den Service hinaus. Diese Server haben sich als bemerkenswert zuverlässig erwiesen und weisen nur minimale Fehlfunktionen auf. Während der routinemäßige Austausch von Festplatten aufgrund der internen Komponenten zu erwarten ist, ist die Gesamtintegrität der Hardware wirklich hervorragend.

Was muss verbessert werden?

Dell ist in der Lage, die Größe seiner Rack-Server zu optimieren und den physischen Platzbedarf zu minimieren, ohne die Leistung oder Sicherheit zu beeinträchtigen. Dieser Fokus auf platzsparendes Design ermöglicht uns eine größere Effizienz und Flexibilität in unserer IT-Infrastruktur.

Wie lange nutze ich die Lösung schon?

Seit über fünf Jahren arbeite ich mit Dell PowerEdge Rack-Servern.

Was halte ich von der Stabilität der Lösung?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Server sind für ihre Stabilität und unerschütterliche Zuverlässigkeit bekannt. Ihre robuste Konstruktion und modernste Technologie sorgen für eine außergewöhnliche Betriebszeit und gleichbleibende Leistung, selbst bei anspruchsvollen Arbeitslasten. Diese Server bilden eine unnachgiebige Grundlage für Ihre kritischen Anwendungen und sorgen für ein beruhigendes Gefühl und unerschütterliches Vertrauen in unsere IT-Infrastruktur.

Was denke ich über die Skalierbarkeit der Lösung?

Wenn es um Skalierbarkeit geht, lassen Dell PowerEdge Rack Server keinen Raum für Zweifel. Ihre Fähigkeit, sich nahtlos an wachsende Arbeitslasten und Datenanforderungen anzupassen, ist wirklich unvergleichlich. Ich würde nicht zögern, sie in diesem entscheidenden Punkt mit einer perfekten Zehn von Zehn zu bewerten.

Wie sind Kundenservice und Support?

Meine Erfahrungen mit dem technischen Support von PowerEdge waren außergewöhnlich gut. Ich bin sehr beeindruckt von dem Niveau des Service, den sie bieten. Die Schnelligkeit der Reaktion ist bemerkenswert, und je nach unserer spezifischen Servicevereinbarung stehen kompetente Techniker bereit, um zu helfen. Das Fachwissen, das sie besitzen, ist beispiellos und übertrifft ständig meine Erwartungen. Ich bin mit ihrem Service sehr zufrieden.

Wie bewerten Sie den Kundenservice und -support?

Positiv

Welche Lösung habe ich vorher verwendet und warum habe ich gewechselt?

Ich bin zwar neu in dieser Organisation, aber Dell scheint hier ein gut etablierter Partner zu sein. In meiner vorherigen Position nutzte mein Unternehmen jahrelang HP, aber leider machten Probleme mit der Qualität und dem Service letztendlich einen Wechsel erforderlich. Die Support-Infrastruktur von HP entsprach einfach nicht unseren hohen Ansprüchen, so dass wir zu Dell wechselten, was eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entscheidung spielte.

Welche Erfahrungen habe ich mit den Preisen, den Einrichtungskosten und der Lizenzierung gemacht?

Es ist völlig klar, dass die spezifischen Lizenzierungsanforderungen von den Feinheiten der von uns eingesetzten Maschinen diktiert werden. Es handelt sich um einen integralen Bestandteil des Betriebsprozesses, und obwohl ich nicht in der Lage bin, auf die Feinheiten der Preisgestaltung einzugehen, da ich mit den spezifischen Kosten nicht vertraut bin, kann ich mit Zuversicht behaupten, dass es vom Standpunkt eines Unternehmens aus gesehen das vorrangige Anliegen ist, die kosteneffizienteste Lösung zu finden, insbesondere bei der Verwaltung einer weitläufigen Infrastruktur.

Welche anderen Ratschläge kann ich geben?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Server haben durchweg mein höchstes Vertrauen verdient und erhalten von mir eine perfekte Bewertung von zehn Punkten. In allen Unternehmen, in denen ich das Vergnügen hatte, zu arbeiten und in denen Dell die Hardware der Wahl war, war meine Erfahrung durchweg zufriedenstellend. Diese positive Erfolgsgeschichte ist genau der Grund, warum die strategische Entscheidung getroffen wurde, von anderen Herstellern wegzugehen und Dell als unseren zuverlässigen Partner zu etablieren. Auch wenn ich nicht die Entscheidungsgewalt innehabe, würde ich, wenn ich die Wahl hätte, von ganzem Herzen für die Beibehaltung unseres Engagements im physischen Bereich kämpfen. Aus meiner Sicht hat es etwas Beruhigendes, wenn die Geräte physisch vorhanden sind, so dass ich mich direkt um ihre Pflege und Wartung kümmern kann und die greifbare Präsenz unseres technologischen Rückgrats erlebe. Selbst angesichts der Verlockungen der Cloud würde ich mich immer wieder für Dell entscheiden.

Die allgemeine Tendenz scheint in Richtung einer höheren Maschineneffizienz zu gehen. Um wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben, hat Dell wahrscheinlich nachgezogen und ressourcenschonende Maßnahmen eingeführt. Dies ist ein bedeutender Einfluss und wahrscheinlich eine treibende Kraft hinter der Abkehr vieler Unternehmen von herkömmlichen Servern oder - im Fall des PowerEdge - der Umstellung auf die Azure Cloud-Plattform. Letztendlich scheint die Energieeinsparung ein wichtiger Faktor bei dieser Umwandlung zu sein.

Welches Modell nutzen Sie für die Entwicklung dieser Lösung?

Im Hause.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2339154 - PeerSpot reviewer
Responsable de sistemas at a transportation company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Highly reliable, good support, and significant reduction in downtime
Pros and Cons
  • "The reliability of its hardware and the support they provide are valuable."
  • "We have a cloud-first strategy, and hardware is starting to become more and more secondary, so we are not betting on it."

What is our primary use case?

We mainly use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for virtualization and for Windows-based file servers and domain controllers.

By implementing Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, we mainly wanted to achieve good support from the manufacturer.

How has it helped my organization?

The department that maintains the data center has considerably fewer worries than before.

I cannot assess Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in terms of energy consumption because we have them hosted in a data center, and the consumption does not depend on us. Similarly, I cannot assess Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads because we do not have high-performance environments. Our environment is pretty basic.

In terms of the impact of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers on our organization’s sustainability goals, I am not aware of the company's sustainability goals, but I believe that Dell has a sustainable development policy. At a booth at this convention, they show how they handle the entire issue of recycled packaging and equipment.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have clearly reduced unplanned production downtime, but I cannot exactly say how much.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have not affected the overall flexibility of our operations or business but virtualization did.

What is most valuable?

The reliability of its hardware and the support they provide are valuable.

What needs improvement?

At the moment, I do not have an area for improvement. We have a cloud-first strategy, and hardware is starting to become more and more secondary, so we are not betting on it.

My expectations for it are that it will work while we migrate to the cloud, and it will remain as reliable as it is now so that in the future, we continue using it for the uploads that we need to have locally.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for more than ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is extraordinary.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It depends on what you buy, but in principle, if you work with rack servers, the scaling is horizontal, so you just have to keep adding to it.

We do not have any difficulty in scaling. In the end, virtualization systems allow you to scale very easily. Above all, the software is the one that provides scalability here.

How are customer service and support?

Their support is very good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We have used HPE ProLiant and Cisco UCS. We do not only work with Dell. We also work with other manufacturers. The main difference between the server solutions would be the price.

How was the initial setup?

I am a part of the decision-making core team and the approval core team, so I am ultimately the one who opts for one technology or another, one manufacturer or another, as long as the purchasing department finds the price fair.

The installation was very simple in the end. The strategy was to virtualize. Once you are already involved in virtualization, things are very easy.

We have a hybrid cloud. We work mainly with ANALEC, but the entire management part of the cloud migration is carried out from the headquarters in Mexico. We only participate. We do not make any decisions for the cloud strategy. We, of course, need to have visibility over the strategy from Mexico, and we use that when making decisions about the software solutions that run on top of the hardware. In this case, we will bet on VMware instead of IPV.

These servers are located in our main data center. We have some PowerEdge servers left. We opted for FX chassis a few years ago too, and we have some PowerEdge servers left.

What about the implementation team?

In this case, we counted on ANALEC TECHNOLOGY for help, who also has a booth here at the convention.

What was our ROI?

The return on investment is mainly in terms of availability. Downtime has significantly reduced, which often is a hidden cost or not taken into account. That is a great ROI.

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

The pricing policies of the manufacturers vary based on the company, but generally, they are quite correct. What happens is that the purchasing departments of companies like ours do a lot for the price, and sometimes, you find yourself forced to work with another manufacturer. We have two main vendors that we work with to have aligned prices, and Dell is one of them.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten.

Foreign Language:(Spanish)

Altamente confiable, buen soporte y reducción significativa del tiempo de inactividad

¿Durante cuánto tiempo utiliza los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge?

He estado usando servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge durante más de diez años.

¿Cuál es su principal caso de uso de esta solución? (Incluya detalles sobre su entorno).

Utilizamos principalmente servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge para virtualización y para servidores de archivos y controladores de dominio basados en Windows.

Al implementar los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge, principalmente queríamos lograr un buen soporte por parte del fabricante.

Comparta cómo los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge han mejorado su infraestructura de TI? Si no fue así, explique por qué.

El departamento que mantiene el centro de datos tiene muchas menos preocupaciones que antes.

No puedo valorar los Servidores Dell PowerEdge Rack en términos de consumo energético porque los tenemos alojados en un centro de datos y el consumo no depende de nosotros. De manera similar, no puedo evaluar los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge para manejar las necesidades cambiantes de las cargas de trabajo de alto rendimiento porque no tenemos entornos de alto rendimiento. Nuestro entorno es bastante básico.

En términos del impacto de los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge en los objetivos de sostenibilidad de nuestra organización, no conozco los objetivos de sostenibilidad de la empresa, pero creo que Dell tiene una política de desarrollo sostenible. En un stand de esta convención muestran cómo manejan todo el tema de los embalajes y equipos reciclados.

Los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge han reducido claramente el tiempo de inactividad de producción no planificado, pero no puedo decir exactamente cuánto.

Los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge no han afectado la flexibilidad general de nuestras operaciones o negocios, pero la virtualización sí.

¿Qué características le han parecido más valiosas y por qué?

La confiabilidad de su hardware y el soporte que brindan son valiosos.

¿En qué áreas se podrían mejorar los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge?

Por el momento no tenemos ningún área de mejora. Tenemos una estrategia que da prioridad a la nube y el hardware empieza a ser cada vez más secundario, por lo que no apostamos por ello.

Mis expectativas son que funcione mientras migramos a la nube y que siga siendo tan confiable como lo es ahora para que en el futuro sigamos usándolo para las cargas que necesitamos tener localmente.

¿Utilizó anteriormente una solución diferente? De ser así, ¿por qué la cambió?

Hemos utilizado HPE ProLiant y Cisco UCS. No solo trabajamos con Dell. También trabajamos con otros fabricantes. La principal diferencia entre las soluciones de servidor sería el precio.

Antes de elegir, ¿evaluaste otras opciones? ¿De ser asi, cuales?

No evaluamos otras soluciones.

¿Qué aconseja a otros sobre el costo de instalación, el precio y/o la licencia?

Las políticas de precios de los fabricantes varían según la empresa, pero en general son bastante correctas. Lo que pasa es que los departamentos de compras de empresas como la nuestra hacen mucho por el precio y en ocasiones, te ves obligado a trabajar con otro fabricante. Tenemos dos proveedores principales con los que trabajamos para tener precios alineados, y Dell es uno de ellos.

¿Cuáles son sus impresiones sobre la escalabilidad de esta solución?

Depende de lo que compres, pero en principio, si trabajas con servidores en rack, el escalado es horizontal, por lo que sólo tienes que seguir añadiendo.

No tenemos ninguna dificultad para escalar. Al final, los sistemas de virtualización te permiten escalar muy fácilmente. Sobre todo, el software es el que proporciona escalabilidad aquí.

¿Cuáles son sus impresiones sobre la estabilidad de esta solución?

La estabilidad de los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge es extraordinaria.

¿Has visto el ROI (Retorno de la Inversión)? En caso afirmativo, ¿de qué manera (es decir, métricas/puntos de datos)?

El retorno de la inversión se produce principalmente en términos de disponibilidad. El tiempo de inactividad se ha reducido significativamente, lo que a menudo supone un coste oculto o que no se tiene en cuenta. Ese es un gran retorno de la inversión.

¿La configuración inicial fue sencilla o compleja y de qué manera?

Formo parte del equipo central de toma de decisiones y del equipo central de aprobación, por lo que en última instancia soy yo quien decide el uso de una tecnología u otra, un fabricante u otro, claro, siempre teniendo en mente que el departamento de compras encuentre justo el precio.

La instalación al final fue muy sencilla. La estrategia fue virtualizar. Una vez que ya estás involucrado en la virtualización, las cosas son muy fáciles.

Tenemos una nube híbrida. Trabajamos principalmente con ANALEC, pero toda la parte de gestión de la migración a la nube se realiza desde la oficina principal en México. Sólo participamos. No tomamos ninguna decisión para la estrategia en la nube. Claro que necesitamos tener visibilidad sobre la estrategia de México y la usamos al tomar decisiones sobre las soluciones de software que se ejecutan sobre el hardware. En este caso optamos por VMware en lugar de IPV.

Estos servidores están ubicados en nuestro centro de datos principal. Nos quedan algunos servidores PowerEdge. También optamos por el chasis FX hace unos años.

¿Lo implementó a través de un equipo de proveedores o uno interno? Si se trata de un equipo de proveedores, ¿cómo calificaría su nivel de experiencia?

En este caso contamos con la ayuda de ANALEC TECHNOLOGY, quien también tiene un stand aquí en la convención.

Cuéntanos tu experiencia con el servicio y soporte al cliente.

Su soporte es muy bueno.

¿Cómo calificaría esta solución en una escala del 1 al 10 en cuanto a servicio y soporte?

9

En una escala del 1 al 10 (1=peor, 10=mejor), ¿cómo calificaría los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge? Por favor explique por qué.

Calificaría los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge con un nueve de diez.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2318313 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineering Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
The lifecycle management with iDRAC works really well and helps with maintenance and keeping track of what we have in our company
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution's lifecycle management with iDRAC works really well, and it is a valuable feature because it helps with maintenance and keeping track of what we have in our company."
  • "We wanted to have two storage cards during the onboarding process of the solution, which were available only on the more expensive version of the boxes that we usually use for work in our company."

What is our primary use case?

I use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in my company, mostly for virtualization and also for some applications running directly on physical machines.

What is most valuable?

The solution's lifecycle management with iDRAC works really well, and it is a valuable feature because it helps with maintenance and keeping track of what we have in our company.

The product offers a bit of a larger landscape to manage the entire environment. There is a feature that allows you to see the power distribution the rack servers in your environment use. 

The product has some other features that were really beneficial for my company and made it easier for us to work with the systems, as it became easier to expand and fix them online.

What needs improvement?

We wanted to have two storage cards during the onboarding process of the solution, which were available only on the more expensive version of the boxes that we usually use for work in our company. It would have been easier for my company to deal with the product if the two storage cards provided during the solution's onboarding process of the expensive versions of the solution were available for the slightly simpler versions of the tool.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In our company, we have had some really good results with the product's hardware, but we also had a couple of sets of hardware be bought that had a lot of memory errors, so we needed to have a lot of DIMM hardware replaced. In my company, we had really stable sets of hardware and not-so-stable ones as well.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The range of systems under Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is large enough to have both small enough systems and large enough systems, so the product's scalability is fine.

How are customer service and support?

It is not me but mostly my colleagues who have contacted the solution's technical support. From what I know, I can say that the solution's technical support works really well, so it's okay. In our company, we can schedule a replacement part very quickly with the help of the solution's technical support. 

I rate the technical support a nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

In my company, we had experienced too many hardware failures with our previous solution supplier, HPE.

How was the initial setup?

My company's tools for deployment had to be modified to take care of the product's deployment phase. The product's deployment phase was not super complicated, but it did take my company a couple of weeks to build it up and to make it work, which was not too bad. The aforementioned process would have been the same for every other company as well, so it was okay, in my opinion, since it was not worse than the processes of some other tools.

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

I don't know about the product's licensing part. Price-wise, it is an okay product. I believe that the cheaper the better, but I think that the product's price is okay.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

As a part of my company's evaluation process, we considered Supermicro against Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Compared to Supermicro, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are a bit cheaper, but the product's con stems from the fact that we had to do too many things in our company to make it work. The amount of effort to maintain all of it and to build or maintain it all was too much. Though the product was a little bit more expensive than Supermicro, its management features were way more extensive, which made a difference for us in our company.

What other advice do I have?

In my company, we were trying to resolve some particular issues through the implementation of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, as we had experienced too many hardware failures with our previous solution supplier, HPE.

PowerEdge Cyber Resilient Architecture's approach to security, including the silicon-based root of trust, signed firmware updates, and user access security, works well, but my company doesn't have many sales-related areas to report.

The assessment of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for energy consumption in my company is not much of a big deal for us. In our company, we saw that the energy consumption of the product depends on which role of the machines it is concerned with, especially when it came to the more mission-critical servers which we used to use in high-performance mode, causing them to use more power because it helped make our company quicker which in turn helped with the generation of higher revenue for us. Power consumption was not much of an issue like a couple of years ago, meaning it has changed a bit. Our company has B Corp certification, causing us to look towards areas like the product's energy consumption since it is much more important now than it used to be in the past.

In terms of the concept of power or energy consumption of the product, I can say that it fits and helps meet my company's requirements because of the different power profiles we can deploy.

In my company, we don't use OpenManage Enterprise.

The overall flexibility of our organization's operations with the use of PowerEdge Rack Servers has been okay, as we usually use virtualization software on top of the product, giving us big-sized machines.

There are a lot of options that one can opt for when using the solution. I like how my company talks with people inside Dell to help us with what we need or figure out how to do something. If you look at the product from a broader perspective, it works really well as a large package.

I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ronald Stoffels - PeerSpot reviewer
System Engineer at Parkstad IT
Real User
Top 10
Can be used for SQL servers, domain controllers, virtual center servers, and backup environments
Pros and Cons
  • "Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are easy to manage and install, and it gives us a lot of time to do other things."
  • "Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers could improve the bezels in front of it."

What is our primary use case?

We are local governments, and we use the solution for computing power and view. We use the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for our ESX cluster, SQL servers, domain controllers, virtual center servers, and backup environment.

What is most valuable?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are easy to manage and install, and it gives us a lot of time to do other things. We hang it in a rack, install software on it, and it is automatically deployed for the environment.

What needs improvement?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers could improve the bezels in front of it. Because they always change the bezels, it's strange when you come with the customer into your cell room and see ten different bezels hanging.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for 25 to 30 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is a pretty stable solution. When there's something wrong with the hardware or hard drives, it can be changed in a running system.

How are customer service and support?

The solution's technical support is good. I call the technical support team when I have a question or problem, and it's always fixed within 30 to 60 minutes. The technical support team resolves our issues on the phone, or the next day, an engineer would come with spare parts to fix the issue.

I rate the solution’s technical support eight and a half 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 HPE Compaq Server.

After surveying what was better for us, we came to Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers and stayed with it because it was good. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers' price is better than HPE Compaq Server, and it's easy to rack mount. You don't need equipment to hang it on a rack. With other equipment, you need a screwdriver and a bolt. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are easy to hang and get out of the systems.

How was the initial setup?

The solution's initial setup is a bit complex because we have a fiber environment and a network environment, which we always have to configure. The fiber environment takes a lot of time. The network environment takes some time, wherein you install the OS and deploy your configuration file on it. The implementation is pretty fast and takes five to ten minutes. Then, you do all the configuring around it because you want to connect it to your power store.

What about the implementation team?

In our environment, it takes between 30 and 60 minutes to get the solution out of the box into a running system.

What other advice do I have?

The solution's power consumption has improved a lot. We always have two power supplies on it. When there's a power outage, and one doesn't work, we have the other spare one. The power consumption is always balanced over two. So, power consumption has gone from high to medium and is even lower now. We are not using the spinning disk anymore.

The solution's ability to handle the evolving needs of high-performance workloads is good. We have a couple of power racks exclusively used for SQL storage. Since the SQL databases are running on them, they need performance, and they perform perfectly.

The solution has helped reduce our unplanned production downtime, but that is because we are also using VMware. So, you can do downtime during the daytime and plan it. Our hardware doesn't power off once a year.

We check every month for OpenManage updates. We check the OpenManage appliance, get a catalog, look at it to see if there is new hardware or firmware, and always deploy them every month. So we are always on top of the new updates.

Overall, I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2586810 - PeerSpot reviewer
Integration architect at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
The biggest ROI comes from transitioning to commodity hardware and removing legacy hardware
Pros and Cons
  • "The hardware itself is pleasant to work with. The management ability, particularly the out-of-band management, seems quite nice. The ecosystem tooling is also pleasant to work with. Additionally, Dell offers good support, and the servers are reliable."
  • "Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are competitive, but there is room for energy efficiency improvement considering the thermal design and power consumption."

What is our primary use case?

I run network function workloads on Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

How has it helped my organization?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers has some power-saving options and employs various green IT concepts. PowerEdge servers consume a normal amount of energy. Like any system, it requires significant energy, but the thermal design limits power consumption. Depending on the type of CPU or hardware you add, it will draw the necessary amount of energy. 

They have implemented small measures to reduce planned downtime. You can schedule upgrades and do other things to limit the total downtime, but it isn't significant compared to other solutions. 

What is most valuable?

The hardware itself is pleasant to work with. The management ability, particularly the out-of-band management, seems quite nice. The ecosystem tooling is also pleasant to work with. 

Additionally, Dell offers good support, and the servers are reliable.

What needs improvement?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are competitive, but there is room for energy efficiency improvement considering the thermal design and power consumption. The OpenManage Console offers smart features, but its impact is not significantly better than competitors.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for approximately two and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I haven't experienced any failures with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, so I find the stability to be good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is good as well.

How are customer service and support?

I rate Dell support 10 out of 10. Dell support is excellent. They are proactive and maintain regular contact to ensure successful deployments.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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


How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was conducted in-house and was smooth. The deployment and ongoing management of the servers are satisfactory.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was done internally, without external help.

What was our ROI?

The biggest ROI comes from transitioning to commodity hardware and removing legacy hardware. This includes adopting generic x86 hardware offered by different vendors.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before using Dell, we evaluated multiple vendors. Dell was selected because they fulfilled all the requirements during an RFP process.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers 10 out of 10. The system doesn't perform better or worse than competitors, but it performs exactly as expected. I'm getting what I purchased.

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

Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PeerSpot user
Infrastructure Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Automated management boosts IT efficiency despite CPU limitations

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case involves running virtualization workloads mostly. Additionally, we have high-performance workloads and have built a dedicated solution for them using PowerEdge Servers.

How has it helped my organization?

The PowerEdge Servers have helped reduce unplanned production downtime by approximately ten percent. The use of the app OpenManage Console has made tasks easier, allowing IT staff to focus on other responsibilities, thus positively impacting overall flexibility and business operations.

What is most valuable?

The ease of management and automation possibilities are the most valuable features offered by Dell PowerEdge Servers.

What needs improvement?

One issue is the limited CPU options on the servers compared to the vendor, Intel. Dell offers fewer CPU options than available, which is a bit limiting and could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell rack servers for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Overall, the servers are reliable, although we have experienced some issues. However, they have been mostly reliable, and we have not considered switching.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It was quite easy to scale our Dell infrastructure as our needs grew, improving our operations positively.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't had much contact with Dell customer support, but I would rate their professional support probably an eight.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

Previously, we evaluated HP servers. We chose Dell PowerEdge Servers due to their ease of management.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very good. We have automated almost everything, right from installation to management.

What about the implementation team?

We did not use Dell Deployment Services for deployment and did it in-house.

What was our ROI?

The biggest return on investment comes from the ease of management and automation possibilities.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing Dell PowerEdge Servers, we evaluated HP servers.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.