Dell PowerStore Reviews

We have a large Citrix environment and a large VMware environment, virtualized server infrastructure, and we use Dell PowerStore for our medical organization, so our imaging for x-rays and all those are stored on there, along with some backups. 

We're just exploring AI use cases for Dell PowerStore currently, as we're in the early stages of it. We definitely can see the potential of helping our medical staff come to conclusions quicker, also our financial team, which can get very complex with insurance and billing, and we're looking for opportunities there. We're also looking at opportunities in my field in IT to support staff more quickly, so there's a lot of potential across the board with supply chain issues and all that kind of infrastructure.

I don't have many features to highlight for Dell PowerStore. I do appreciate the warranty support side of it. When we've had issues, it's been easy to get them rectified. 

I have realized nothing exemplary from using Dell PowerStore, except hat the user interface is clunky, and we've had issues with that. 

The interface of Dell PowerStore reminds me of the Cisco mentality where it's just boxes moving around as you're clicking; it's not easy to understand what you're trying to do, and you have to have solid documentation to navigate the system and make changes to ensure you're not jeopardizing your system as you present and remove storage and expand LUNs. 

Some other vendors in that space are innovating in that area, making lives easier for engineers, however, it seems the Dell PowerStore solution doesn't cater to that need, and I'm seeing more and more that my colleagues in other organizations are experiencing the same problem and turning to other more user-friendly solutions.

The organization has been using Dell PowerStore for 15-plus years, maybe longer.

They're very stable; our infrastructure stays up, and we very rarely have any outage, occurring approximately once every three years.

Dell PowerStore grows with our needs and scales effectively. In the past, we've expanded our usage of Dell PowerStore substantially; in healthcare, we have to keep our data indefinitely, so we're always increasing our storage.

The support for Dell PowerStore is exceptional; I would rate it at probably an eight or nine out of ten.

Positive

Dell PowerStore is slightly more expensive than some other competitors when it comes to pricing, setup costs, and licensing.

In some cases, we haven't decided to purchase Dell PowerStore; we've been going with other competitors as in some cases it's easier and slightly cheaper. 

I'm not aware of other competitors at this level, so when asked about other competitors and their AI use cases, it's early in this world for many organizations, but Dell is leading it currently. If they're going to be using AI, this changes everything regarding Dell PowerStore. If it has built-in AI at the storage layer, at least the compute for it, that's only going to enhance that situation, and if your data's on-premises, that's a game changer.

We covered the cons of Dell PowerStore; as for the pros, we have a strong relationship with Dell and that partnership, and some of the innovations we're talking about today sound interesting to me. There's a good reputation there, and we've had great success with support.

I would rate Dell PowerStore as a solution overall at a seven out of ten.

I'm currently working with a Dell partner in Saudi Arabia and collaborating on EMC solutions. I'm working with Dell PowerStore, PowerScale, and Unity, especially the SAN storage and NAS storage. Dell PowerStore is used for their server environment, for ESXi, environment, for VMware environment, for database, Oracle database. 

We have Dell PowerStore 3000T; we are currently using Dell PowerStore 3000T. For some customers, they have clustering of multiple Dell PowerStore appliances. I utilize the built-in integrations for VMware and Oracle ecosystems, but I found that most of the customers are not using them, even though they know that it works, especially with VMware vCenter. They prefer individual administration, meaning they go directly to Dell PowerStore rather than using vCenter to manage Dell PowerStore.

The best features in Dell PowerStore are that it's easy to manage. For the customer user interface, customers can start learning and provision everything, and manage the system easily. From the operational efficiency perspective, Dell PowerStore has helped improve operational efficiency for most customers here, as they will arrange their EMC residency to manage their product on-site. It's easy to expand Dell PowerStore in terms of scaling up.

There are things I would like to see improved or enhanced in Dell PowerStore, such as they should invest in technology using NVMe. I know that they have the TLC NVMe, so they should use a different type of NVMe, which is much faster, similar to pure storage.

Also, they don't have replication capability; we have to use another appliance to do the replication. I think they should implement replication capability on Dell PowerStore.

I have been working with Dell PowerStore since they started selling it. I worked for EMC from 2000 until 2022.

Clustering Dell PowerStore appliances is easy. You manage from one graphical user interface.

My experience with the technical support and customer support for Dell PowerStore is good. However, when it was during EMC, it was much better. Now, during Dell's time, it's not as good as it used to be. They're getting worse. I don't know whether Dell is really invested in customer support. 

Depending on the product, for Dell PowerScale or for Dell PowerStore, I would rate it eight. It depends on which support center you are engaged with, because I have experience with some support centers where their support made a wrong decision.

Positive

In terms of deployment and initial setup, the question is unfair because I've worked with a SAN environment for more than 22 years. It's easy for me to set up.

The benefits that Dell PowerStore brings to customers include trust in EMC storage, which is why they keep buying. It's easy for migration and future migration.

I can share advice and recommendations with users who are looking into implementing Dell PowerStore for their companies or organizations from an implementation perspective. I would assess Dell PowerStore's data resiliency and cybersecurity features as good because Dell is continuously updating about any issues with any loopholes in their products. They keep giving the advice, so we just follow, do upgrades on the firmware. Dell PowerStore's cybersecurity and resiliency features meet customers' needs in this aspect because so far they haven't complained about anything.

I utilize the add capacity abilities of Dell PowerStore, which is good because, compared to the previous Unity and the storage pool where you had to buy multiple drives to add, with Dell PowerStore, you can buy one drive and plug it in to increase capacity. I know about the compression and the deduplication technologies in Dell PowerStore. It's important. I believe other vendors also do deduplication, compression, and if they don't do it, then they might be left out by other competitors.

I find Dell PowerStore stable. Regarding the workload performance of Dell PowerStore, I don't do performance testing, but Dell PowerStore is good, so customers do not complain about any performance issues. They just do the clustering based on the application. Overall, I rate Dell PowerStore an 8 out of 10.

Dell PowerStore is sold in government and education, oil and gas, and manufacturing, making this product a versatile technology that applies across all industries.

In government, I sold one Dell PowerStore with 300 TB effective capacity in one appliance, and since Ecuador is a small territory, this technology is substantial for this region.

For the government use case, they are using an on-premises only deployment model.

The best features of Dell PowerStore include the effective capacity, which I believe is its strongest feature, and the dynamic RAID of disks.

The benefits of Dell PowerStore are that its effective capacity is the best benefit, providing six nines of availability, and it offers unified storage, which has the best features for client technologies.

Clients are able to consolidate data using Dell PowerStore for some virtual machines and databases, although unstructured data is not a good fit for PowerStore.

Compression and deduplication technologies are important for my specific clients, as the effective data technology in Dell PowerStore is a strong proposal for them.

I would rate Dell's customer service as good; however, the call centers and escalation teams are problematic and slow, with the process being very bureaucratic, which frustrates clients. Despite these problems, the technology is solid and balances these issues.

I have worked with Dell products for approximately 10 years and have previously worked at Ingram Micro.

Dell PowerStore is stable, and I have approximately 10 clients with Dell PowerStore, so we do not experience problems with technology performance.

Dell PowerStore expands and scales up easily.

I would rate Dell's customer service as good; however, the call centers and escalation teams are problematic and slow, with the process being very bureaucratic, which frustrates clients.

Neutral

When comparing Dell PowerStore to other data warehouses I use for different clients, the best technology advantage is that unified storage is a significant benefit over IBM, which does not have unified storage, while IBM offers the best cost per TB. I would rate this review 9 out of 10.

Dell PowerStore is used for backing up some of the infrastructure. It is not used entirely across the whole infrastructure, only for some parts. One isolated system uses Dell PowerStore for backing it up.

The number of users utilizing Dell PowerStore is small because it is used mainly for systems, not users. If considering how many systems have access to it, the estimate is a maximum of twenty.

Dell PowerStore's capabilities with compression or deduplication technologies have not been explored for the business. Since it is not being used as primary storage, only for on-site backups, this focus has not been prioritized.

Built-in integrations with VMware, Kubernetes, or containers in Dell PowerStore have not been utilized.

Dell PowerStore is used on both Linux and Windows. There are no complaints about having to work with both Linux and Windows when using Dell PowerStore.

The structuring of the feature and the management console of Dell PowerStore are particularly valued. This management console is very easy to navigate through, and there have been no problems accessing it in any of the common browsers used, including Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. The interface and management console are a bit easier to navigate through. Being the foundation of where work is actually done and configurations are put in makes other features and factors a bit easier to deal with because everything is visible in plain sight through a graphical interface.

The management capabilities of Dell PowerStore have been improved with the introduction of the new GUI, which is easy to use. Across all Dell products, including PowerVault, improvements with management are appreciated, especially regarding the elimination of older LAN technologies, which simplifies the configuration and setup of alerts.

Return on investment with Dell PowerStore has not been quantified yet. Previously, an external drive was used for backups, but now Dell PowerStore is relied upon to ensure automated processes are working properly. The health of what has been captured can be confirmed. Previously, the process was manual, and errors were common, but now visibility and automation are available, which have significantly improved the processes, even if the improvements have not been quantified in percentages.

The areas for improvement in Dell PowerStore would be to provide trainings and seminars. The philosophy here is to teach how to fish rather than giving a man a fish. Trainings and seminars are of most interest because after trainings, people here would improve their skills. If webinars or trainings are offered in the future, participation would be valued, or if training opportunities are recommended, attendance would be considered. Understanding some technologies better would make it easier to suggest areas of improvement. Currently, information available online from forums is being used, which is straightforward.

Dell PowerStore has not experienced downtime, bugs, or glitches. Although some systems depend on Dell PowerStore and some challenges are faced there, these issues are not due to Dell PowerStore itself. It can be given a rating of more than eight, somewhere around eight, nine, or even ten.

Dell PowerStore fits the requirements regarding scalability. Based on theory, hot swapping can be done and it is easy to change disks. Disks can be merged and data can be migrated across the disks, so it is considered scalable.

The technical support of Dell PowerStore would be rated somewhere from eight and going up, although support has not been used that much on Dell PowerStore itself.

Positive

Dell PowerStore is being explored to understand its full capabilities. Currently, it is only being used for backing up some of the systems, whereas there is a sort of production storage that is used. Testing has been done, and from the tests that have been run, it is doing quite well. A situation where data would have to be restored from Dell PowerStore after a disaster has not been encountered, but it gives hope that in case of a disaster, data can somehow be recovered.

The deployment of Dell PowerStore would not be described as easy, and it would not be described as challenging. More features are still being explored since the infrastructure is relatively new. It would be described as easy, but there is more to come, and some challenges might be found as the infrastructure grows. So far, it is easy to deal with.

Dell PowerStore was purchased through suppliers that are resellers, not directly through the vendor.

Return on investment with Dell PowerStore has not been quantified yet. Previously, an external drive was used for backups, but Dell PowerStore is now relied upon to ensure automated processes are working properly. The health of what has been captured can be confirmed. Previously, the process was manual, and errors were common, but now visibility and automation are available, which have significantly improved the processes, even if the improvements have not been quantified in percentages.

The pricing of Dell PowerStore is considered fair. It was cheaper, and the features that came with the solution were quite justifiable. It would not be described as cheap, but rather the price and the features matched well.

Comparing Dell PowerStore with other vendors or products is difficult. However, based on the ones that have been used, it is quite positive. Many features come positively with the solution. Two similar solutions are being run, but Dell PowerStore would not be preferred over the other. They are just on the same level, as there are features in Dell PowerStore that would not be found in the other solution being used.

Consolidation with Dell PowerStore was not needed because all that was needed was a central place to store the data. What was managed to be achieved was one point where the data being sent through to Dell PowerStore can actually be managed. It was not about consolidating it, but rather having a centralized point to manage the infrastructure regarding data.

Dell PowerStore's APEX AI Ops or CloudIQ have not been explored that far.

There is no knowledge about enrollment in the lifecycle extension for Dell PowerStore. It is doubted that enrollment for that has occurred.

Dell PowerStore would be recommended because of how easy it is to navigate the management interface, which is crucial for utilizing the resources and functionality of the solution. It has simplified the processes, making them more robust and helping to meet business needs. The overall review rating given to Dell PowerStore is seven.

My overall use case for Dell PowerStore is amazing, and the most valuable feature is yet to be determined.

Having one go-to array is helpful. Management likes simplicity. Management likes knowing that we made a good valuable decision long term that we can grow with. For the accounting team or the purchasing team's perspective, seeing the exact same array name helps them. Knowing that through our providers, our e-resellers, we're using the same platform helps to expedite our process.

Dell PowerStore is amazing. That said, the most valuable feature is yet to be determined. 

Dell PowerStore has benefited my organization overall, and I would assess the timeframes to deploy it as efficient.

If I could improve the product in any way, I would add features that make it look nicer compared to the DisplayPort.

I have been using Dell PowerStore for an amazing amount of time.

I haven't experienced any downtime, crashes, or performance issues, which is amazing.

I find the solution to be scalable. It gives the impression that it can grow with my company. 

Working with Customer Success, or technical support, has been a positive experience for me, and I would evaluate them overall as amazing. On a scale of one to ten, with one being worst and ten being best, I would rate this support as a ten.

Positive

I have evaluated other solutions both inside the Dell portfolio and outside.

The deployment is expedient. The time frame to deploy maybe takes weeks. 

In terms of AI, I have done some AI initiatives that I find amazing. My organization is large, and we have a significant number of employees. My impression of the stability and reliability has been positive. 

Overall, I rate Dell PowerStore a ten out of ten.

Our primary use case for Dell PowerStore is in a production facility as we are a beef manufacturer, predominantly beef, and we also have lamb facilities in Ireland and affiliates in Poland. Essentially, it's for storage and factory systems, so we're storing and collecting data points, along with office functions like file and print. We have on-prem systems on site, including SCADA-like systems for collecting data points throughout the manufacturing facilities. Our core Dell PowerStore and PowerEdge use case includes a data center footprint for central managed services, finance, and our ERP system, collecting data from our factory sites and storing it centrally so that we can pull it back for reporting. Additionally, our Dell PowerStore and PowerEdge serve our disaster recovery needs, allowing us to run a site remotely from our data center.

The features of Dell PowerStore that I appreciate the most include how very easy it is to expand. In terms of scale, I also appreciate the reaction and support; if a hard drive fails, we're informed that there's a hard drive or part failing, and we get alerts on it. There's a part shipped out and a replacement part shipped out to replace it, which gives me a sense of reassurance.

Since using Dell PowerStore, I think what we realized was that at the beginning, we sat down with Dell and explained our use case, and we got the build of Dell PowerStore that we required for our business, allowing us to grow as needed. It is fit for purpose, which is a major improvement; what we had before wasn't fit for purpose and was more about money. The previous setup got us into a lot of holes, whereas the Dell solution has been absolutely fantastic for us regarding support and expansion.

We use Dell PowerProtect solutions with our Dell PowerStore, specifically the Avamar backup solution, which is a Dell product. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Dell support as a ten, focusing on that aspect alone, because it's what allows me to sleep at night. I don't have to worry about the servers or storage going offline since I know it's being monitored, and we get replacement parts if needed, which is not that common, but it allows me to relax more.

Positive

I used a different vendor which was a mix of two vendors but the storage side wasn't up to scratch, probably because we went in low-end. It's an issue that I inherited in my current role, and we had to address it.

My experience with deploying Dell PowerStore is relatively straightforward, and we have had Dell's support whenever we've rolled out a new upgrade.

We've worked with Dell each time we do a refresh; we discuss the current state and our future goals, and they've delivered a model that fits, ensuring we don't overscale while getting the right fit, which has been really positive.

I have seen a return on investment in Dell PowerStore, particularly regarding the throughput improvements.

Before selecting Dell PowerStore, I primarily considered pricing around different vendors in the market.

What stood out to me in the evaluation process, both positively and negatively, was the long-standing relationship I've had with Dell over the past 20 years. The personal relationship has been massive, backed by positive customer care stories from other customers in the food manufacturing sector recommending this choice as the right thing to do.

My role in using and managing Dell PowerStore involves approving purchases in ABP, so for any refreshes or site refreshes we do for our production sites or data center, I will approve the purchase.

Dell PowerStore may play a role in our company's AI initiatives as we are on a journey to analyze all the data we're pulling back from our factory systems. We're working on getting that data into one place, and now we're looking at doing something meaningful with that data to make better-informed decisions. I'm currently having conversations with Dell to explore potential use cases for this.

The performance metrics I use to measure success with Dell PowerStore include the ease of getting through data, the storage capabilities, the processing of storage, response time, and the speed of our backups restore. Restoring a VM from Dell PowerStore is relatively quick when compared to what we've had in the past.

Dell PowerStore makes a noticeable improvement on a site level within our production facilities; for example, we collect data through a simple process of weighing and labeling products across a network. We weigh a box or a tray of meat and send a file to a server that prints a label. The difference between what we had previously and what we have now is a matter of milliseconds. The improvement is massive; even a couple of milliseconds makes a significant difference to our production throughput. It is a huge benefit for us, even if it may seem insignificant. Reducing that time is crucial because the impact means getting our throughput quicker, allowing products to leave the door more efficiently, which also cuts back on overtime and ensures we can complete our daily tasks in the required hours. Quicker throughput also enables us to implement online retail labeling, printing labels every half second, which requires quick networking, storage, and CPU capabilities.

I use it in the financial sector for banking, specifically for core banking applications, to serve our applications. We served different types of customers, ranging from oil and gas to the financial sector, education, and healthcare. We deployed Dell PowerStore in different industry segments, such as manufacturing and retail, for example.

The most impactful benefit is the data reduction and the deduplication.

Replication is easy to implement, and you don't need higher bandwidth to do replication across sites. It's quite useful.

The most impactful feature is the data reduction. Data reduction significantly saves costs. If I purchase, for example, twenty terabytes of storage, the effective capacity gives me somewhere around eighty terabytes. I pay for ten terabytes but gain eighty terabytes or fifty terabytes, for example. It depends on the type of data I am storing on Dell PowerStore, but usually, the reduction ratio is very good. It's a fantastic feature.

I have read about the new ability to cluster multiple PowerStore appliances and it sounds like a very good feature.

Its management capabilities are very strong. It is easy to implement and very easy to manage. The interface is very user-friendly.

Dell AIOPS is quite useful. It sends helpful notifications. It tells you what bottleneck is in your storage environment. It gives you detailed orientation of why you are getting a bottleneck and where the problem is. 

We have been able to consolidate data using PowerStore.

PowerStore's compression and duplication technologies are very important and useful. It's a good feature.

The data resiliency and cybersecurity are good. It covers all the aspects that modern storage should have. 

The PowerStore cybersecurity and resiliency features meet our organizational needs.

PowerStore's built-in integrations for VMware are beneficial. It has all the features that need to be integrated into the environment. It's well aligned and tightly integrated.

One challenge in clustering is that when I create a cluster, the overall pool doesn't increase. Separate pools must be created for each controller node in the cluster. For instance, if I am creating a four-node or four-controller node cluster, I will have four different pools. If I want to enhance a pool beyond the maximum capacity of one controller node, I cannot increase it and must create a separate pool. This is a drawback in Dell PowerStore clustering. 

Synchronous replication covers the entire replication process, but there are scenarios where implementing synchronous replication is necessary, and that feature is missing. Pricing must also be considered, as Dell PowerStore is quite expensive compared to competitors in the market like HPE Alletra, Huawei Dorado, or Hitachi storage, for example. It is quite expensive price-wise.

Feature-set wise, PowerStore is very rich. I think all of the necessary features are there. Price-wise, PowerStore is quite expensive compared to the competition in the market like HP Alletra, Huawei, or Hitachi storage. Dell is more expensive. 

Competitors come in with better pricing and a similar feature set. Customers who already have PowerStore are very satisfied but when it comes to new storage requirements or a tech refresh, customers consider other options as well because of the price.

I have used the solution for roughly five to seven years.

It's very stable.

Scaling up is quite easy, whereas scaling out my storage requires deployment in a clustered manner from day one. If it's not deployed in a clustered manner and I want to scale out, I cannot do so. Careful planning is required at the start of implementation to determine if scaling out will be needed in the future. If this is not addressed in time, I will have to start from scratch, which is a daunting task. There are challenges with scaling out if the environment is not prepared at the initial deployment. Otherwise, it is straightforward. It is very useful, as I can add drive storage incrementally instead of a large batch of disks each time. It is both very useful and cost-effective.

Dell technical support is very good. They reach out to me promptly, deliver replacement parts quickly, and have local depots in three different cities across the country. Overall support is good.

Positive

There are two major aspects when it comes to the setup. One is the migration from existing storage, and the other is how fast I can complete the initial setup of Dell PowerStore. From a migration perspective, Dell PowerStore has the capability to migrate data from existing storage, even from other brands. The second phase is the initial setup, which is very straightforward. In a few steps, I am ready to set it up. Then, in the third phase, configuring replication, it is very straightforward and can be done in a few clicks. In all three phases—from migration to initial setup and to replication of the DR side, or the secondary side, or a third site—Dell PowerStore is easy to install and implement.

When I plan a tech refresh, other competitors offer better pricing with similar feature sets. This is a challenge for customers who are already satisfied with Dell PowerStore. However, when it comes to new storage requirements or a tech refresh, I consider other options as well.

Normally, Dell PowerStore is an NVMe storage, but it does not offer all NVMe protocol support like NVMe over RoCE, NVMe over fiber channel, and NVMe over TCP while other competitors do offer various connectivity options that Dell PowerStore lacks. For example, it lacks F5 and NVMe over RoCE and NVMe over fiber channel. Although it's NVMe-ready storage, it is not end-to-end NVMe ready from a technical angle.

My advice to anybody considering PowerStore is that if you need a scale-out feature in the future, you should consider it from day one. If Dell PowerStore is set up as a single appliance, scaling out will not be possible. This is the main point that needs consideration. 

Overall, I would rate the solution eight out of ten.

My main use cases for Dell PowerStore on a day-to-day basis are mainly for a compute-heavy, high-performance, converged platform. Dell PowerStore does play a role in my company's AI initiatives, as we are looking at a couple of partnerships with Dell, along with Discover, to explore the AI aspects of it.

I see it in the future as contributing to data efficiency and the quality of the data, which is important when working together with AI.

The features of Dell PowerStore I like the most include the simplicity, unified storage, and high availability.

The high availability feature of Dell PowerStore is the key aspect of a storage need because I want to make sure data is available and I don't want any glitch in it, so HA is our key.

Dell PowerStore has features that specifically cater to the needs of companies such as mine.

The features I am mainly looking at are the performance benefits because of the NVMe disks.

Dell PowerStore is pretty good and can still be improved.

Speed is something I would like to maximize in its features, as there is a need for speed.

I have been using Dell PowerStore since this year.

I have not experienced any downtime or crashes, so the solution is stable and reliable.

Dell PowerStore scales well with the growing needs of my company, as those were pretty quick. It scales up and scales out both ways, and as our data keeps growing, it is very easy to just keep attaching and keep growing. It just fits into the model.

The customer service I experience is excellent.

Positive

I was not using another solution prior to Dell PowerStore to address my needs; we were on Dell EMC.

I would describe my experience with deploying Dell PowerStore as very smooth and flawless, and I have not seen any challenges, as right out of the box, you power on and you're good to go.

The biggest return on investment when using Dell PowerStore is that we are getting more value out of it in a longer span, just the way we do it for the server side, so that is very good.

The pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Dell PowerStore are pretty good; it is very good actually from the price point of view.

I considered switching to other solutions, and we are looking at other pure block-level storage, as there is always room for growth to understand what the technology is.

My role in using or managing Dell PowerStore is that we use it for storage needs. I specifically use it as just the user.

The big selling point for choosing Dell PowerStore is the relationship and partnership with Dell and the type of support they provide.

I would rate Dell PowerStore a 10 out of 10.

My advice to other companies considering it is to go Dell all the way.