Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Reviews

We're using it for various purposes, such as DB servers, web servers, application servers, file servers, print servers, etc.

We can use the OpenManage console for managing multiple rack servers. We can manage all of them in a single console. The firmware can be pushed on multiple servers via the OpenManage console. It's very user-friendly, and it makes it easy to download and update the firmware. There are multiple options. If I have 15 servers of the same model, to update the firmware, I don't need to download the firmware on each server. With the OpenManage console, we can download it just once and then push it to multiple servers.

The OpenManage console has affected our IT staff’s productivity. Upgrading firmware on each server generally takes two hours. So, upgrading firmware on multiple servers would take a lot of time. For example, for 15 servers, it would take at least 30 hours, whereas, with the OpenManage console, we can update all the servers within two hours.

The OpenManage console also decreases the time it takes to deploy new data centers. It would take more time to deploy the individual servers.

We can use Dell Lifecycle Controller for remote server management. If something happens, I use the iDRAC console to check the impact. It's easy to identify the issue from the iDRAC console. If there is a blue screen or purple screen, it's a hardware-related or software-related issue. I am based in India, but I can easily support US operations. iDRAC allows me to work remotely to troubleshoot. So, troubleshooting, as well as firmware downloads and updates, are very easy. All the firmware and drivers are available on a single page. I can download or update the firmware if there is a purple screen or a driver is missing. In the OpenManage console, everything is visible. We can see the installed version and the available version in a single console. It shows anything that is non-compliant in your list. If my environment has 1,000 servers, it will show whether all 1,000 servers are up to date or not. I can then identify and plan for the firmware updates. After updating the firmware, the hardware runs smoothly.

It supports multiple operating systems. I have experience installing Windows servers, ESXi, and Linux. It's not only for Windows. We use the VMware ESXi operating system. On ESXi, we run around 6,000 virtual servers. We have app servers, DB servers, and file servers. There are also manufacturing applications, where they are running robotic machines. So, there are different applications running.

You can use Dell PowerEdge hardware for anything. It supports everything such as file servers, web servers, and DB servers. It can support all critical servers and applications. There are bank applications running on PowerEdge servers.

PowerEdge rack servers are good in terms of energy consumption.

Dell hardware is not as stable as HP. I have not seen any issues with HP in five years, but with Dell, I am getting multiple issues. It's not stable. They need to verify why it has multiple issues and why Dell hardware is not as stable as HP hardware.

I have 15 years of experience in the IT industry. I have worked in multiple companies, and I have more than 10 years of experience with Dell hardware. I have worked with Dell PowerEdge R720, R730, R740, R830, R840, and R940, and I have also worked with Dell PowerEdge VRTX Chassis M630 and M640.

Dell hardware is not as stable as HP hardware.

Their support is number one worldwide. I never got that much support with other hardware. I would rate them a 10 out of 10.

Positive

I have also worked with HP hardware in one of the companies. In five years, I generally did not see any issues with HP hardware, but in case I had any problem with hardware, they took more than 10 days to replace the hardware or troubleshoot the problem. I don't like that. Whereas Dell provides support within four hours for hardware replacement. They provide better support. Within four hours, they arrange for a replacement. Their support is number one. I would recommend Dell because their support is very good.

Dell's hardware is not as stable as HP's. We see multiple issues, such as hard disk failures. We need to apply updates or patches. Dell is user-friendly. So, it's very easy to apply and download, but the hardware is not stable. This is the only part that needs to be developed from Dell's side.

HP is more expensive than Dell. Dell provides better quotes. They give multiple options to buy the hardware.

Its deployment is very easy. Anybody can deploy it. They provide everything. Its deployment is easy and user-friendly.

For deployment, we have customized ISO for our environment. We use that. For ESXi, we are using the Dell custom image that they provide on their website. We can download that directly from there, and that's it.

One of the clients has been offered a price of $18,000 instead of the regular price of around $25,000.

It supports everything. You can install anything you want. If you want DB, you can do that. If you need high-performance workloads, you need to increase storage capacity. It depends on the configuration, but it will support that. The PowerEdge server has 16 slots. You just need to buy maximum capacity during the purchase.

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a 10 out of 10.

We do web hosting. Our web hosting servers, database servers, corporate cluster, and backup cluster are on Dell servers.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are pretty good in terms of energy consumption. Ours are pretty power-hungry, but we load them up with hard drives and CPUs, and they drink power. It is not Dell's fault. The power efficiency or the power supply is excellent. They are on par or better than the rest we used.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are excellent for handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads. We have put in platinums and many CPUs in it, and being able to get those in one form or two form factors is incredibly useful. It allows us to deliver as much power as we want without having to get the massive four and six RUs.

Having four-hour support is very handy. Having someone out there within four hours if something dies has been very handy.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have affected the overall flexibility of our operations or business because we run very similar servers throughout our entire config so that we can be flexible. We do not have to go buy specific hardware. We can use one hardware to do all the jobs.

Consistency and reliability are valuable. They provide good support for part replacement, and when they cannot because the part is unavailable, they are pretty good at informing us and letting us know, but generally, these servers just sit in the data center and have been working 24/7 for years without any problems.

They are less temperamental with temperature. We have had some other providers whose servers would overheat even though they are in the same data center with the same specs as Dell, which did not overheat.

My biggest grievance is related to getting a caddy. We have decommissioned our old servers that we used for development or testing. You cannot buy hard drives for old servers from Dell. It is very annoying.

We tried the OpenManage console. We ran it up on a server with about 50 tracks going to it, and it kept crashing.

Another room for improvement is better OpenBMC implementation. I know Dell is getting into it now, but we do run multiple vendors for various reasons. Being able to have everyone in one would be great. Dell was the one who was missing from the party, and I do believe they have signed to implement it now. 

We have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for ten years.

They are very stable.

They are not scalable, but they are not meant to be. They are perfect for their role. If you want scalability, you should be using blade servers.

We are mostly using Dell R730, R740, and R750 because we have some old ones.

I would rate them a seven out of ten. I find that when I put in a ticket, they come back and ask me questions that I have already answered, or because I am dealing with level 1, they make suggestions that are absolutely irrelevant, and they waste my time dealing with it. 

I understand that they do have people who have no idea what they are doing call up, and they need to test these basic things, but it is very frustrating. There is no way to prove I am competent to skip level 1. 

Neutral

We are using HPE. We had Supermicro, but we were having issues, so we got rid of those. We looked at Gigabyte and SUSE, but they were a lot more expensive than Dell. We did not feel there was a lot of benefit. So, most of our fleet is HPE and Dell.

Dell servers are much better at temperature management than HPE. I do not have any problems with Dell servers, but the experience that I have been getting with sales at the moment has been very lackluster with Dell.

In terms of the physical hardware, both Dell and HPE are excellent. We run the same drives, CPUs, and memory. They both perform excellently. Dell servers are a bit more reliable and much more resilient to temperature.

The rails are difficult. The way they clip in seems good on paper, but when you are doing it yourself at a data center with a 30, 40, or 50 KG server, it is very difficult to try and line them up, whereas, with some of the competitors, you just kind of push in. They are much easier to put in.

We have absolutely seen an ROI. These servers are absolutely worth the money. We have no regrets. We still would not be using them otherwise. 

They cost a lot of money, but they are worth every cent of it because they just work. You just put them in. We run our data center in Sydney, Australia, but my office is based in Melbourne. If anything breaks in the data center, we have to fly to Sydney to fix it. We do not take many flights because we use enterprise hardware.

Dell is pretty good. good. I had a conversation with Dell a while ago due to a vendor. We got much better pricing from a competitor. When I looked at another company, Dell called me and asked why am I looking at someone else when they have a distributor. I told them that their pricing was not good, so Dell went back to the distributor, and we got much better pricing. It is displeasing that I had to do that, but at the same time, I understand that the company is trying to make as much money as they can. I do not mean that in a bad way. That is the way all companies are. They were just trying to get what they could. Other than that, it has been pretty good.

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten only because there is always room for improvement, but I would not put anyone above them. I cannot think of a vendor that is on par. After ten years, I am still buying them.

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for application servers, database servers, and virtualization. We also use them for hyperconvergence.

By implementing Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, we wanted to reduce the footprint in the data center and the costs. We also wanted to have better performance and, above all, durability because we keep them for a minimum of seven years.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are well placed in comparison to their competitors in terms of energy consumption. They are even better now with the AMD processors.

At the moment, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers perfectly meet our needs. We have never reached the limit, or there has always been a solution offered by Dell to manage the evolving needs of the high-performance workloads. It is always evolving, and there are no issues.

With regards to the durability of the servers, the advantage is that we keep the servers for seven years before changing them. That is important for us. It allows us to avoid using them for nothing. The support is also there afterward. There is performance too because we are putting fewer of them.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have helped to reduce unplanned production downtime. We have very rare breakdowns with it. That is why we keep them for seven years.

Using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers has affected the overall flexibility of our operations or business. It has had an impact on the growth because we can deliver fast. We can grow very quickly because we have a growth of 40% per year, and we have a supplier who can react and install very quickly, which allows us to grow.

The speed of delivery is something super valuable. Reliability and performance are also valuable.

Their support can be better. The speed of their support is not always great because the access to the data centers is sometimes complicated, so there is back and forth. This is where there is room for improvement.

We have a lot of issues with OpenManage. We are currently in talks with Dell to be able to roll it out within the company, but we are struggling because we are a bank, and there are many things that are out of bounds. It seems that the people working on it are not familiar with this type of business, and it is struggling to function properly. We would definitely like to have something better integrated. There is definitely some improvement needed in this software.

One area for improvement could be the capacity to evaluate all of our servers with one console. They might already have it, and I might not be aware of it, but it would be great to have one console that could tell us what, for example, the overall consumption from our servers is. I should be able to know about every rack too. That would help me with my choice related to the new generation and the model I should go for. Because of the rack configuration, I must be careful with each rack’s consumption. I must be careful that it is not too stretched. 

Currently, I use one of their suppliers for PCs to get this kind of information. If I could obtain the information directly from the server itself, it would be more interesting.

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

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are stable. I would rate them a ten out of ten in terms of stability because I have no problem.

The scalability is very good. I would rate them a ten out of ten in terms of scalability because I do not reach the limit as far as my needs are concerned.

Their support needs improvement. Delivery times are quite substantial, and customer service is very important to us.

I would rate their support a seven out of ten. They can improve the response time because it is always the same system. Bearing in mind that our teams are already pretty highly skilled, their support does not need to ask the same questions, such as:

• Have you updated it?

• Have you done the tests?

Generally, when we identify a problem, it ends up being that one, but we lose quite a bit of time doing the tests because we have to follow a certain procedure. They do not want to change the part until that procedure has been followed and completed. That is how we end up losing time with the support.

Neutral

We have had some from HPE and other brands. I switched because I have been working with Dell for several years now, and above all, because of the server’s modality and direct delivery. The delivery is very fast which is not the case with the others.

The calculation for any return on investments is always a complicated matter. It is always complicated, but as far as durability is concerned, we always see some because we can absorb the costs over a longer period of time. So, that lowers our investment’s cost. In comparison to the competitors, they are in a fairly good position, and it is still the case today, but the ROI is difficult to calculate as we are still growing.

We do not know why they have increased the price by 25%. This is a very steep increase. In my opinion, it is not justified, but it is the same case with everyone. Margins should certainly not be increased.

With regards to the licenses, I do not use any licenses from Dell.

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten because there are a few areas for improvement. Overall, it is a good product.

Foreign Language:(French)

livraison rapide, fiable et utile pour réduire l’empreinte de centres de données

Depuis combien de temps utilisez-vous les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack?

J’utilise des serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack depuis plus de dix ans.

Quel est votre cas principal d’utilisation pour cette solution? (Décrivez votre environnement).

On utilise les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack comme serveurs applicatifs, serveurs de bases de données et de virtualisation. On s’en sert aussi pour de l'hyper convergence.

Veuillez décrire comment les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack ont amélioré votre organisation. Si ce ne fut pas le cas, veuillez expliquer pourquoi.

En implémentant les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack, on voulait réduire l’empreinte en data center pour réduire les coûts. On recherchait aussi une meilleure performance et surtout, de la durabilité parce qu’on les garde minimum sept ans.

Les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack sont plutôt bien placés par rapport à la concurrence en termes de consommation d'énergie. Ils sont encore meilleurs maintenant avec leurs processeurs AMD.

Pour l’instant, les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack répondent parfaitement à nos besoins. On n’a jamais atteint la limite, on a toujours eu une solution proposée par Dell pour gérer les besoins évolutifs de nos charges de travail à haute performance. C’est toujours évolutif et il n’y a aucun souci.

En ce qui concerne la durabilité des serveurs, l’avantage c’est qu’on garde les serveurs sept ans avant de les changer. Ça, c’est important pour nous. Ça nous évite de consommer pour rien. Il y a également le support derrière. Il y a la performance aussi, comme ça on en met moins.

Les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack ont aidé à réduire les temps d'arrêt de production imprévus. On a très peu de pannes dessus. C’est pour cela qu’on les garde sept ans.

L’utilisation des serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack a affecté la flexibilité globale de nos opérations et de notre entreprise. Elle a eu un impact sur la croissance parce qu’on livre vite. Nous pouvons croître très vite car nous avons une croissance de 40% par an et j’ai un fournisseur qui est capable de réagir et d’installer très vite, ce qui nous permet de croître.

Quelles fonctionnalités avez-vous trouvé les plus utiles et pourquoi?

La rapidité de livraison est quelque chose de super important. La fiabilité et la performance sont également importantes.

Dans quels domaines les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack pourraient-ils être améliorés?

Leur support pourrait être meilleur. La rapidité de leur support n’est pas toujours bonne parce que l'accès aux data centers est parfois compliqué, il y a des allers-retours. C’est là qu'il y a un point d'amélioration.

On a beaucoup de difficultés avec OpenManage. En ce moment, on discute avec Dell pour pouvoir la déployer dans notre société mais on a du mal parce qu’on est une banque et il y a beaucoup de choses qui sont fermées. Il semble que les personnes qui travaillent dessus n’ont pas l’habitude de ce type de secteur et cela a du mal à fonctionner correctement. On aimerait vraiment avoir quelque chose de mieux intégré. Il y a clairement un effort à faire sur ce logiciel.

Pour ce qui est d’un point d'amélioration, ce serait bien d'avoir la capacité d'évaluer tous nos serveurs avec une seule console. Ils l’ont peut-être déjà mais moi, je n’en ai pas conscience mais ce serait utile d’avoir une seule console qui pourrait nous dire quelle est la consommation globale de nos serveurs, par exemple. Je serai capable de le savoir par rack aussi. Cela m’aiderait dans mon choix vers une nouvelle génération et le modèle sur lequel je devrais me diriger. Puisqu’on est sur une configuration de racks, je dois faire attention à la consommation par rack. Je dois faire attention à ce que ça ne tire pas trop. En ce moment, je passe par un de vos fournisseurs de PCs pour avoir ce genre d'informations. Si je pouvais passer directement par le serveur lui-même pour obtenir ces informations, ce serait plus intéressant.

Avez-vous utilisé différentes solutions auparavant et si c'est le cas, pourquoi avez-vous changé?

On a eu des serveurs HPE et d’autres marques. J’ai changé parce que je travaille avec Dell depuis plusieurs années et surtout pour la modalité du serveur et la livraison en direct. La livraison est très rapide, ce qui n’est pas le cas avec les autres.

Que conseillez-vous à d'autres sur les coûts d’installation, les tarifs et/ou les licences?

On ne sait pas pourquoi ils ont augmenté les prix de 25%. C’est clairement une forte augmentation. Pour moi, elle n’est pas justifiée mais c’est la même chose pour tout le monde. Il ne faudrait surtout pas augmenter les marges.

Sur la partie licence, je n’utilise pas les licences Dell.

Quelles sont vos impressions sur la scalabilité de cette solution?

La scalabilité est très bien. Je leur donne un dix sur dix en ce qui concerne la scalabilité parce que je n’arrive pas à la limite, par rapport à nos besoins, en tout cas.

Quelles sont vos impressions sur la stabilité de cette solution?

Les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack sont stables. Je leur donne une note de dix sur dix pour la stabilité parce que je n’ai pas de problème.

Avez-vous constaté un RSI (Retour Sur Investissement)? Si oui, de quelle manière (p.ex. métriques/points de données)?

Le calcul sur le retour sur investissements est toujours compliqué. C’est toujours compliqué mais on en a par rapport à la durabilité de toujours puisqu’on amortit sur plus longtemps. Donc, cela fait baisser nos coûts d'investissement. Par rapport à la concurrence, ils sont plutôt bien placés et c’est encore le cas aujourd’hui mais le RSI est difficile à calculer car nous sommes en pleine croissance.

Décrivez-nous votre expérience avec le service client et le support.

Leur support a besoin d'être amélioré. Les temps de livraison sont assez longs et le service client est très important pour nous.

Je mettrai sept sur dix pour leur support. Ils peuvent améliorer leur temps de réponse parce que c’est toujours le même système. Sachant que nos équipes sont déjà bien pointues, leur support n’a pas besoin de demander systématiquement les mêmes questions, telles que:

• Est-ce que vous avez fait les mises à jour?

• Est-ce que vous avez fait les tests?

En général, on cible un problème et ça finit par être celui-là mais on perd pas mal de temps pour faire des tests parce qu’il faut dérouler une procédure. Ils ne veulent pas changer la pièce tant que cette procédure n’a pas été déroulée jusqu'à la fin. C’est de cette manière que nous finissons par perdre du temps avec le support.

Comment évalueriez-vous cette solution sur une échelle de 1 à 10 pour le service et le support?

7

Sur une échelle de 1 à 10 (1=le pire, 10=le meilleur), comment évalueriez-vous les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack? Veuillez expliquer pourquoi.

Je donne aux serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack un neuf sur dix parce qu’il y a quelques points d'amélioration. Dans l’ensemble, c’est un bon produit.

As part of my role at BSG, I deploy or sell Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers to customers who need anything from just a single server to hundreds of servers. Our customers run all kinds of workloads such as virtual SQL, AI, and more on these servers. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers support a wide range of solutions, helping to ensure flexibility to cater to various customer needs.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are valuable because many users utilize iDRAC for management, and appreciate the consistency offered by Dell's server line. They offer a variety of features such as the availability of AMD and Intel options, and Dell is starting to get into direct and indirect water-cooled servers for larger customers. This suits those who need specific power consumption capabilities for their GPUs, CPUs, and RAM. Dell servers are supported by many partners when it comes to different software packages and solutions like OpenShift. Additionally, they offer a range of models to fit different customer needs.

The price of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is competitive. There's always room for support improvements, and the AI features could continue to be enhanced as the relationship with Nvidia grows.

Most of the time, deploying Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is straightforward. It’s crucial to have everything organized upfront, such as defining workloads and management responsibilities. Once these aspects are clear, the solution can be priced and installed efficiently, sometimes with Dell or Connection handling the installation.

Customers looking for higher densities are starting to lean towards AMD to achieve more cores, higher density, lower wattage, and ultimately a smaller footprint with fewer servers. The flexibility provided by Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in terms of model variations supports scalability.

While I do not work directly with Dell for support, customer feedback suggests Dell’s technical support is rated between eight and nine. It is decent, though there is always room for improvement.

Positive

Clients may switch to Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for several reasons, such as better support, new IT leadership preferences, cost considerations, or successful engagement by sales and engineering teams.

The initial setup of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers requires having all the necessary information organized beforehand. Factors to consider include workload management, customer responsibilities, and pricing details. Smooth installation is achievable when these considerations are adequately addressed.

Deployment might require different resources depending on the solution. For example, VDI, virtualization, and SQL databases would need different expertise. Additionally, tasks such as rack and stack, power management, and water cooling could require specialized personnel, sometimes involving up to seven or eight people on deployment calls.

Customers are exploring models like Apex, similar to GreenLake, for consumption-based models that feel like cloud services but keep hardware on-premises, making them feel safer and potentially reducing costs. Some customers find familiarity with Dell servers aids in the process.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are often compared against other solutions like UCS, Lenovo, and Cisco. Customers may switch to Dell for its solid R&D, broad support, and solution flexibility though performance between similar CPUs across different brands tends to be consistent.

PowerEdge is a solid product, continuing to evolve with Intel and AMD changes and partnerships like Nvidia for AI. Overall, I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers nine to ten as the product has maintained a strong reputation over time.

On-premises

We are an MSP and we use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for our customers.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers work with other products, such as different kinds of storage. We use the racks and the servers more in the server room, so we have to apply servers, other types of storage, and different types of firewalls, and it all works together smoothly.

It helps reduce our footprint by 20 to 30 percent.

Regarding reliability, we feel it's a one-time installation. We don't have problems operating it. If we have to shut down, we have to restart and it all goes right back. Our customers are satisfied with the system, so we don't hear any specific problems and it is quiet. That's the most important thing because if we're providing services to our clients, it's important for us that they work fluently and then the client doesn't complain. 

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers reduce downtime. They go right back up, reducing downtime by 20 to 30 percent compared to HP Servers.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers do a good job of reducing our energy consumption.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are good at handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads. They are comfortable to use and provide good results for our needs. I have not encountered any installation or maintenance issues.

The overall flexibility is good. As long as we plan and know what is needed, it is easy. There are a lot of specialists and Dell Professional Services that can help.

The most valuable features are resiliency, reliability, easy installation, maintenance, and compatibility with other systems or servers.

The price distance increases with the higher-end, more complex servers, and there is room for improvement.

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

The scalability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is good. They are able to meet all of our needs. We have not seen any limitations.

The deployment is straightforward.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers provide a return on investment through the time saved for our technicians during complex projects, installation, mounting, and onboarding.

The more complex the server requirements, the more expensive it gets.

We evaluated HP Servers but found them to have more downtime.

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers eight out of ten. The price and response time from the test specialists keep it from being a ten out of ten.

We used Dell Professional Services to plan, implement, and adopt our solution a long time ago. The service was great. I would rate Dell Professional Services eight out of ten. If they responded quicker to our emails, they would be ten out of ten.

Currently, it's mostly used for VMware-based virtual machines. That's the main use case. 90% of this product is used for VMware. 

The servers just work. They don't let us down. We like the reliability combined with management. The price is good too.

If you have to replace parts, Dell was one of the first companies to make a system where you could click out one thing and just plug in another one. HP and IBM did not allow for that. You always needed to use a screwdriver. And I wasn't allowed to have one. With Dell, on the servers, you always had the option to swap out boards very easily, and that was great. Now, other companies do that, too. However, Dell was one of the first to offer that option. 

In terms of energy consumption, it depends. If there are a lot of calculations, then you use a lot of power. If you need less, then you use less power. When we deliver it to customers, the power used is based on their power consumption. I'm not selecting servers based on power consumption. I base the choice on procedures and quality. 

It's able to handle the evolving needs of high-performance workloads. We don't have any issues with it. If you make a good design and select the right sizing, you don't have any issues. 

You select the server based on the product. It could be an option to remove discs and just have a virtual option. If you remove the room you need for discs, you could make it smaller. It would take up less room that way.

I've been using the solution since 1999. It's been about 24 years. 

Dell's support is very good. They are changing some things within the organization. I have my doubts that where they are going is the way to go. However, the Dell Server side in terms of customer support, is still very good. 

Positive

We only use Dell PowerEdge. We've seen some HP servers in the field. However, we have only used Dell for 20 years. It's always working, and it's always good service. The price is good too. 

The deployment is easy. A basic installation might take 15 to 20 minutes. 

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

The ones we just bought are going to be hypervisor servers, and we have an on-premises Exchange that is running on a PowerEdge server.

The hands-off demand of the servers and the fact that they're not constantly a thorn in my side has been a big factor. They're running, and I don't have to worry about them. That is the most valuable part about it.

There is no downtime with these servers, and the system management capabilities of PowerEdge have helped increase staff productivity.

PowerEdge has, without a doubt, helped to reduce data processing time in our company. Every time we get a new PowerEdge server, we definitely notice an impact on the SQL databases that are part of our ERP. I do have users come and tell me that they've noticed that things have sped up and that even simple file searches are faster.

Dell PowerEdge servers are powerful. They don't break, and I love that. In my career of over 30 years now, all the Dell servers we've ever used out of the box have never broken.

On top of that, when we had an air conditioning failure and I came in after a weekend, the temperature in the server room was 110 degrees. Inside the cases themselves, it was over 220 degrees. The only thing we lost was a backplane on one of the servers. This alone speaks for the durability of the Dell servers, and we've never gone away from Dell servers ever.

They are fantastic in terms of performance as well.

As for PowerEdge's approach to security, I would rate it very high. The tools provided by Dell update the BIOS and everything else, and the software is running on the server at all times. It is proactive and alerts me. It's taken a load off of my shoulders compared to how it was 20 years ago. I would have to go to their site and find out what was new. Now, I can just go to the computer or the server, and right there, it will tell me what needs to be done.

The security is pretty strong. When we use ethical hackers to hack us, the Dell servers are never the issue.

In terms of power consumption, I have no complaints at all about PowerEdge Rack Servers. My server room's APC, which is a battery backup system, is a full-mounted rack. It handles all the power coming from all our PowerEdge servers. We have never once had to scale it up at all in the almost 20 years that I've been working with them. It's moving technology in and out nonstop, and it shows you that these servers are fantastic. They don't really shift that much in power needs.

Dell needs to focus more on SMBs, helping us get the most out of our products. For example, at events, there should be very specific SMB sessions where there are Dell technicians, engineers, and Dell executives meeting with us and finding out what we need. Dell is big on promoting the fact that they're part of our team and that they want to be our partners, and I would like to see them actually partner with us. Do it less with the big Fortune 500 companies and do a little bit more with us SMBs.

I've been working this solution for the last 17 years.

For stability, there's really no other product that I would trust.

Dell's support, throughout the years that we've used it, is typically fantastic, but, again, because the PowerEdge servers are so durable and good, I haven't used them as much. When I've had to contact them for other issues, they've resolved the issues within a week, if not a day or two.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. It's out-of-the-box, and I've never found a snag or anything like that in the process.

We deploy everything by hand; everything is manual.

It doesn't take that long, and we can even do it with our laptops and desktops. We do not do any ghosting or imaging, and a server usually takes me a day at the most, while I really take my time with it and get all the updates in.

We do it ourselves, or we have one consultant that we use if it's something that is out of our wheelhouse.

Every time I don't have to work on something and my servers are just running without an issue, that is a return on investment for me. The fact that my coworkers and owners are never complaining to me about things being down all the time is the biggest ROI there is.

I have no issues with the pricing and licensing costs. They are fine.

I looked at HP, and in a previous job, I've actually worked on HPs. I didn't love the HP servers. Even more so than the hardware, I couldn't stand HP's service and support. They're really bad.

When it comes to servers, Dell would be my first choice, and IBM would be my second choice.

We have one other server that is an IBM i-series server. (It used to be called AS/400.) If I were to compare it to the PowerEdge servers, there really is no comparison. It's a monster of a machine, and we have a lot more problems with that than we do with any of our Dell servers. Plus, it's finicky. The performance on it is questionable. You have to really baby it a lot more than the Dell servers, whereas the Dell servers are those that are the set-it-and-forget-it type. I work far more on issues with my applications that are running on the Dell servers than I ever do with the actual Dell servers themselves.

I would consider Dell and HP in the same area, whereas I look at IBM as being more specific. My only experience with IBM servers has to do with the AS/400 i-series Power9 line. Those are built specifically to house an ERP, whereas the Dell and HP servers are built to handle everything you need.

When it comes to the servers, I trust Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. They're who I'm going to stick with. I don't consider HP to be a realistic competitor.

If you are comparing Dell against anyone else, just get Dell PowerEdge. It's not even a question. The servers don't break, and they don't give you issues. Your applications are going to cause enough problems for you as it is, and you don't want the hardware they're sitting upon to also be another issue. After all, the servers were 220 degrees during an air conditioning outage and still churning and not causing problems!

If I were to rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers on a scale from one to ten, I would give them a nine.

On-premises

We build cloud stacks on our Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

In order to achieve a greater degree of autonomy and self-sufficiency in our IT infrastructure, we opted to embark on the implementation of private cloud solutions. This strategic decision led us to adopt Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers as the foundation of our private cloud environment, thereby mitigating our previous over-reliance on publicly accessible cloud services.

Our procurement of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers was conducted through Dell itself, acting in its capacity as a service provider. This decision was influenced, to a certain extent, by the inherent proclivity towards recommending Dell products within the Dell ecosystem. Ultimately, the design we adopted adhered to the standardized guidelines established by Dell, ensuring seamless integration and compatibility within our existing infrastructure.

Given our tendency towards aggregated configurations, we are fortunate to be largely immune to periods of inactivity. However, it's important to note that this high uptime is not solely attributable to the physical infrastructure. From a hardware perspective, I can confidently report an absence of recurring malfunctions across all functional domains. This testifies to the remarkable stability exhibited by the PowerEdge Rack Servers.

The OpenManage console is an inescapably necessary tool for large-scale environments. It provides all the capabilities it's intended to, like seamlessly applying firmware updates through OME and handling other tasks with ease. It consistently functions exceptionally well, and I sincerely hope it continues to do so in the future. Frankly, the thought of meandering through the data center and manually adjusting everything is enough to make anyone shudder. Thankfully, OpenManage has been a true game-changer in that regard. It's quantifiably increased the productivity of our IT staff by eliminating the need for tedious manual processes.

The core strength of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers lies in their expansive connectivity and seamless integration with other offerings within the Dell product ecosystem. This synergistic relationship is exemplified by the successful interoperability between PowerEdge servers and backup solutions like Data Domain or PowerScale, further enhanced by the native integration of S3 functionality within the German market. This well-orchestrated interplay of components fosters an exceptionally efficient and cohesive IT environment.

I would advocate for Dell to incorporate by default a greater number of network interface cards that boast enhanced network connectivity within their PowerEdge Rack Servers. In older models, for instance, Melanox adapters remain a necessity, and they have sporadically caused complications. It would be fantastic if Dell could incorporate them by default, precluding the requirement for supplementary adapters.

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

I have no complaints about the stability of our Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. They perform well, are powerful, and experience few failures.

Dell PowerEdge rack servers offer easy scalability, as evidenced by our continued expansion.

I've been consistently struck by the profound depth of knowledge exhibited by both the general representatives and the specialized cohorts within Dell's technical support team. Their remarkable facility for resolving any issue I presented with impressive celerity truly showcased their exceptional level of operational effectiveness.

Of course, unforeseen predicaments occasionally arise, but the team always responds with remarkable adaptability and graciousness. While some processes may necessitate a protracted timeframe for completion, I believe this stems more from the underlying organizational structure than any individual shortcomings. The on-site personnel were consistently exceedingly capable and demonstrably swift in their actions.

Positive

In a previous engagement, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a client whose IT infrastructure was predominantly comprised of Fujitsu servers. However, our current clients have already established a longstanding partnership with Dell for their hardware requirements.

We meticulously constructed the comprehensive foundation for a cloud service, laying each digital brick-and-mortar. Although the initial deployment presented a labyrinthine challenge, we were able to navigate its intricacies with measured steps. As anyone who has embarked on such an endeavor knows, erecting a full-fledged infrastructure, be it geographically dispersed for enhanced resilience or traditionally redundant for local fault tolerance, is no simple feat. It demands constant vigilance and adept stewardship to ensure its smooth operation.

We constructed the comprehensive network infrastructure, weaving the intricate cabling throughout the designated pathways. With resolute focus, we configured and installed the potent server hardware, ensuring its seamless integration. And most notably, we adeptly orchestrated the deployment of the robust cloud stack, paving the way for unparalleled scalability and agility. 

The cost structure associated with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers aligns closely with the prevailing norms established within the information technology hardware sector. In other words, the prices for these servers are neither exceptionally expensive nor significantly cheaper than comparable offerings from other major manufacturers.

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

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers demonstrably excel in fulfilling their designated function, even when configured in various arrangements. While it is certainly prudent to maintain vigilance regarding forthcoming advancements in the technological landscape, it is undeniable that these servers are already eminently well-matched to their intended applications.

The flexibility that customers experience comes primarily from the cloud stack we deploy on the servers.

Foreign Language:(German)

Bietet gute Leistung, umfassende Konnektivität und nahtlose Integration

Was ist unser Hauptanwendungsfall?

Um ein höheres Maß an Autonomie und Unabhängigkeit in unserer IT-Infrastruktur zu erreichen, haben wir uns für die Implementierung von Private-Cloud-Lösungen entschieden. Diese strategische Entscheidung führte dazu, dass wir Dell PowerEdge Rack Server als Grundlage unserer privaten Cloud-Umgebung einsetzten und damit unsere frühere übermäßige Abhängigkeit von öffentlich zugänglichen Cloud-Diensten reduzierten.

Wie hat es meiner Organisation geholfen?

Wir haben Dell PowerEdge Rack Server über Dell selbst in seiner Eigenschaft als Dienstleistungsanbieter bezogen. Diese Entscheidung wurde bis zu einem gewissen Punkt durch die inhärente Neigung zur Empfehlung von Dell-Produkten innerhalb des Dell-Ökosystems beeinflusst. Letztendlich haben wir uns für ein Design entschieden, das den standardisierten Richtlinien von Dell entspricht und eine nahtlose Integration und Kompatibilität mit unserer bestehenden Infrastruktur gewährleistet.

Dank unserer Tendenz zu aggregierten Konfigurationen sind wir glücklicherweise weitgehend gegen Phasen der Inaktivität geschützt. Es ist jedoch wichtig zu erwähnen, dass diese hohe Betriebszeit nicht nur auf die physische Infrastruktur zurückzuführen ist. Aus der Sicht der Hardware kann ich mit Gewissheit sagen, dass es in allen Funktionsbereichen keine wiederkehrenden Ausfälle gibt. Dies zeugt von der bemerkenswerten Stabilität der PowerEdge Rack Server.

Die OpenManage-Konsole ist ein unverzichtbares Tool für groß angelegte Umgebungen. Sie bietet alle Funktionen, für die sie gedacht ist, wie z. B. die nahtlose Anwendung von Firmware-Updates über OME und die einfache Durchführung anderer Aufgaben. Es funktioniert durchweg außergewöhnlich gut, und ich hoffe wirklich, dass dies auch in Zukunft der Fall sein wird. Ehrlich gesagt, der Gedanke, sich durch das Rechenzentrum zu schlängeln und alles manuell einzustellen, lässt jeden erschaudern. Zum Glück ist OpenManage in dieser Hinsicht ein echter Fortschritt. Es hat die Produktivität unserer IT-Mitarbeiter quantitativ erhöht, indem es mühsame manuelle Prozesse überflüssig gemacht hat.

Was ist am wertvollsten?

Die Hauptstärke der Dell PowerEdge Rack Server liegt in ihrer umfassenden Anschlussfähigkeit und nahtlosen Integration mit anderen Angeboten innerhalb des Dell Produkt-Ökosystems. Ein Beispiel für diese synergetische Beziehung ist die erfolgreiche Interoperabilität zwischen PowerEdge-Servern und Backup-Lösungen wie Data Domain oder PowerScale, die durch die native Integration der S3-Funktionalität auf dem deutschen Markt noch verstärkt wird. Dieses gut koordinierte Zusammenspiel der Komponenten fördert eine außergewöhnlich effiziente und kohärente IT-Umgebung.

Was muss verbessert werden?

Ich möchte mich dafür einsetzen, dass Dell in seine PowerEdge-Rack-Server standardmäßig eine größere Anzahl von Netzwerkschnittstellenkarten mit verbesserter Netzwerkkonnektivität einbaut. Bei älteren Modellen beispielsweise sind Melanox-Adapter nach wie vor erforderlich, und sie haben gelegentlich zu Komplikationen geführt. Es wäre fantastisch, wenn Dell diese standardmäßig einbauen könnte, so dass keine zusätzlichen Adapter mehr erforderlich wären.

Wie lange nutze ich die Lösung schon?

Ich arbeite seit fünf Jahren mit Dell PowerEdge Rack-Servern.

Was halte ich von der Stabilität der Lösung?

Ich habe keine Beschwerden über die Stabilität unserer Dell PowerEdge Rack Server. Sie sind leistungsstark und haben nur wenige Ausfälle.

Was denke ich über die Skalierbarkeit der Lösung?

Dell PowerEdge-Rackserver bieten eine einfache Skalierbarkeit, was unsere kontinuierliche Weiterentwicklung beweist.

Wie sind Kundenservice und Support?

Ich war immer wieder beeindruckt von den umfangreichen Kenntnissen, die sowohl die allgemeinen Vertreter als auch die spezialisierten Mitarbeiter des technischen Support-Teams von Dell an den Tag legten. Ihre bemerkenswerte Fähigkeit, jedes von mir vorgetragene Problem mit beeindruckender Schnelligkeit zu lösen, zeigt wirklich ihr außergewöhnliches Niveau an operativer Effizienz.

Natürlich kommt es gelegentlich zu unvorhergesehenen Schwierigkeiten, aber das Team reagiert stets mit bemerkenswerter Anpassungsfähigkeit und Freundlichkeit. Auch wenn einige Prozesse einen längeren Zeitrahmen für die Fertigstellung erfordern, glaube ich, dass dies eher auf die zugrundeliegende Organisationsstruktur als auf individuelle Unzulänglichkeiten zurückzuführen ist. Die Mitarbeiter vor Ort waren durchweg äußerst kompetent und handelten nachweislich schnell.

Wie bewerten Sie den Kundenservice und -support?

Positiv

Welche anderen Lösungen habe ich bewertet?

Bei einem früheren Auftrag hatte ich die Gelegenheit, mit einem Kunden zusammenzuarbeiten, dessen IT-Infrastruktur überwiegend aus Fujitsu-Servern bestand. Unsere derzeitigen Kunden haben jedoch bereits eine langjährige Partnerschaft mit Dell für ihre Hardwareanforderungen aufgebaut.

Wie war die Ersteinrichtung?

Wir haben das umfassende Fundament für einen Cloud-Service sorgfältig aufgebaut und dabei jeden digitalen Baustein gesetzt. Obwohl die anfängliche Einrichtung eine komplexe Herausforderung darstellte, konnten wir die Schwierigkeiten mit angemessenen Schritten bewältigen. Jeder, der schon einmal ein solches Projekt in Angriff genommen hat, weiß, dass der Aufbau einer vollwertigen Infrastruktur, sei sie nun geografisch verteilt, um die Ausfallsicherheit zu erhöhen, oder traditionell mehrfach vorhanden, um lokale Fehlertoleranz zu gewährleisten, keine einfache Aufgabe ist. Sie erfordert ständige Aufmerksamkeit und eine sorgfältige Verwaltung, um ihren reibungslosen Betrieb zu gewährleisten.

Wir bauten die umfassende Netzwerkinfrastruktur auf und verlegten die komplizierte Verkabelung in den vorgesehenen Pfaden. Wir konfigurierten und installierten die leistungsstarke Server-Hardware und sorgten für ihre nahtlose Integration. Und vor allem haben wir die Bereitstellung des robusten Cloud-Stacks erfolgreich koordiniert und so den Weg für eine beispiellose Skalierbarkeit und Agilität eröffnet.

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

Die Preisstruktur von Dell PowerEdge Rack Servern entspricht weitgehend den in der IT-Hardwarebranche vorherrschenden Normen. Mit anderen Worten: Die Preise für diese Server sind weder außergewöhnlich teuer noch wesentlich günstiger als vergleichbare Angebote anderer großer Hersteller.

Welche anderen Ratschläge kann ich geben?

Ich würde die Dell PowerEdge Rack Server mit neun von zehn Punkten bewerten.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Server erfüllen nachweislich die ihnen zugedachte Funktion, auch wenn sie in verschiedenen Kombinationen konfiguriert werden. Auch wenn es sicherlich ratsam ist, künftige Fortschritte in der technologischen Landschaft im Auge zu behalten, ist es unbestreitbar, dass diese Server bereits hervorragend auf die vorgesehenen Anwendungen abgestimmt sind.

Die Flexibilität, die die Kunden erfahren, ergibt sich in erster Linie aus dem Cloud-Stack, den wir auf den Servern einsetzen.

Welches Modell nutzen Sie für die Entwicklung dieser Lösung?

Im Hause.

On-premises