Dell EMC Unity XT reviews

We use this solution for block storage delivery to the cloud.

This solution provided us with the capability to manage expiring equipment that we didn't have before.

This is a tier-three solution and it gives us what we need for archiving and backups.

We have used this solution for less than one year so I don't have any improvement suggestions yet.

I have used this solution for less than one year. 

The technical support for this solution is good. I would rate it an eight out of ten. 

Positive

I have previously used HPE 3PAR 7400. We switched over to Dell Unity because 7400 was being retired and did not offer two-factor authentication. The biggest difference between the two solutions is security and Dell is offered at a lower price point. 

The initial setup was straightforward. Deployment took less than two days. However, to get all the paperwork through the government officials took about six weeks.

We evaluated HPE Nimble.

Generally, one person is required to do the maintenance. There are eight of us that can do the maintenance in our company. Overall this solution provides exactly what we needed, which is fiber channel block storage in the cloud.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten. 

This solution is used for primary storage. We have a single installment with many units throughout our on-premises environment. We only have one XT unit and it is used for one of our core environments. It provides critical services such as DHCP and DNS.

This solution helped us reduce our physical footprint and power consumption. 

The inline deduplication and data reduction capabilities have been the most valuable.

I have been using this solution for five years. 

This is a stable solution.

Scalability of this solution could be improved. 

I would rate support for this solution a six out of ten. A few years ago, I would have rated it an eight or nine out of ten. The biggest challenge is responsiveness and getting to speak to someone who really understands our challenges. 

Neutral

We previously used VNX. We switched solutions to have an updated platform and integrated NAS services.

The initial setup was very straightforward. It is a plug-and-play deployment. It took half an hour to deploy and required two people. It requires routine updates for maintenance. 

We have experienced a return on investment using this solution. 

This solution offers great pricing. 

We evaluated NetApp before choosing Dell. We are more familiar with Dell's products which is why we decided to use this solution. 

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten. 

I work with Dell Unity XT to configure and set up projects based on customer requirements. We use it mainly for storage solutions, integrating and setting them up according to needs.

Currently, the product is still in a unique environment and hasn't been fully utilized in active projects, so I cannot comment on the impact it has had on our organization as of now.

Dell Unity XT offers data integration features. It helps with data cost management and is seen as a mid-range product with good performance. It's also considered easy to use.

The pricing is a bit higher than expected, and this is an area where I see room for improvement.

We all use Dell Unity XT. It's part of the project requirements in our company.

We haven't faced many issues with the product, indicating a level of stability in its performance.

We have not experienced many issues requiring support, so I am not familiar with the customer service quality.

Neutral

The setup is straightforward and involves configuring and connecting with service and servers.

We are a systems integrator and partner with most of the vendors, including Dell.

Dell Unity XT is a mid-range product. It is priced at around or under $50,000. This could be a concern for some customers.

If Dell Unity XT doesn't fit the budget, we might recommend an MSE product like HP.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

Unity XT is a flash-based solution that provides extreme performance due to SSD or flash drives. It includes features like data compression and was used in customer environments. The simplicity in terms of configuration and data replication, especially in conjunction with RPA RecoverPoint, are key features.

Managing Unity XT is very easy, and being from Dell EMC, it adds value. The product meets many customer requirements.

The simplicity of configuration, data replication in conjunction with RPA RecoverPoint, and better compression ratios are the most valuable features. Performance is a top feature.

Data replication needs improvement as the future roadmap for RecoverPoint appliance is not there.

I have used the solution for about four years.

It is a high stability solution, and I would rate it ten out of ten.

I would rate the scalability around nine out of ten.

After EMC merged with Dell, the quality of support has dropped, and the time duration for resolving issues is long. However, support is still good.

The initial setup was very smooth.

My clients have seen ROI from the solution.

Pricing is a bit on the higher side and lacks transparency.

Dell Unity XT is a good product and solution. It meets a lot of customer requirements, so I would recommend it.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

It's used for general storage or backup storage throughout the environment.

Inline data reduction is pretty impressive.

The user interface could be improved. The Dell Compellent user interface is fantastic, but the Unity user interface is, in comparison, pretty lousy. It's functional, and I can do what I need, but the Dell Compellent user interface is so much more intuitive and user-friendly.

I wish that the product had some more flexibility. It seems it's purposely designed to not have a lot of flexibility, and as a customer, I don't appreciate it.

I have been using this solution for three years or so.

I've had some unexpected quirkiness, but for the most part, it's pretty good. Its stability is an eight out of ten.

As long as you're buying the right product, it's probably an eight out of ten in terms of scalability. What you don't want to do is get locked into something you don't want. If you want a hybrid, such as a spinning disk in a solid state, you have to know that upfront. That's because some of the models restrict to only SSD. Later on or down the road, if you want the spinning disk for cold storage, it doesn't happen. You can't convert it. You have to get a different array or something else.

Their technical support can be very good. It depends on who you get, but that's how it's with any support organization. The individual makes a difference, but generally, their support has been pretty good. The only thing that I don't like is that you sometimes have to wait to get to a support engineer, but they've gotten better at that.

I would rate it a seven out of ten in terms of the ease of the setup.

Overall, I would rate it a seven out of ten. 

We currently provide data solutions to both HP and a banking client. The banking client utilizes our DNS solution. I have introduced our kit for selling the smart technology integrated into our offerings.

Scheduled components are sourced from Korea based on their quality selection, with the actual purchase taking place in Vietnam.  

The storage dynamics are managed uniformly on a global scale, whether it is a simple or wide-ranging configuration.

They place a strong emphasis on service, occasionally requiring approvals. However, with full installations, they have achieved almost uniformity. Their storage approach differs from a consolidated business-based model; instead, it is application-centric. Their investment in solutions is geared towards specific needs, such as the banking or information system, acquiring smaller storage units individually.

I have been using this solution for 15 years. 

The discussion revolves around the Ports program, which has been implemented and operates as a single system based on my direction. Additionally, adherence to government requirements is necessary.

The preference for Unity arises from its investor-driven segmentation, specifically tailored for application data systems, eschewing any consolidation. Despite possessing numerous units, there is doubt whether it is feasible to invest exclusive authority for each application separately, eliminating the need for consolidation.

The consideration of scalability introduces the ability to simply add on hardware, particularly with SaaS and HTTP. However, certain aspects, such as metadata or previous HTTP pages, present challenges that necessitate careful attention.

The initial support for the second job from PA in Vietnam is highly commendable and competes well. Moreover, my NDA has proven to be exceptionally effective.

Positive

We are currently undergoing a conversion involving the installation of hardware and configuration. Initially, the focus was on infrastructure areas, specifically addressing endpoint agents. Subsequently, the emphasis shifted towards application-centric operations. I oversee the configuration and setup, encompassing both hardware and software aspects. 

The hardware setup is primarily based on production, involving tasks such as TCDR for the production environment. They initially acquired storage from Zero Ten, utilizing EMC. Over time, they transitioned to HTTP storage, and presently, they are considering a comprehensive replacement of their storage solution. The ongoing shift is towards a more advanced data system, albeit not classified as high-end.

It is an average priced solution.

I would rate it 8 out of 10. 

We are a hospital with many business applications running in-house, as well as File Server Business Apps, which is why we need a three-tier architecture for NAS and storage.

The most valuable aspect of this solution is that it's a single block, a complete block that includes both NAS and SAN. This was our ultimate requirement because we do a lot of file sharing.

When compared to other solutions, particularly HP, they lack the complete block.

The complete block and file sharing are the most usable features.

The features we need are already included.

They can certainly improve in terms of monitoring. The monitoring could be improved, and more features could be added.

We have 600 to 800 users.

This solution is extensively used; it's a hospital, and we use it 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I would rate technical support a four out of five. Technical support is good.

Positive

We have already found a solution. We have already purchased the solution from Dell EMC. Not the usual traditional HCI, we used the standard traditional one instead of HCI because our environment is more compatible with the previous set.

I've previously used the VNX, this one is superior to the VNX. And, in particular, the NAS file sharing feature. It's easier than before when compared to the other one.

The HP does not have the complete block. They have their own SAN, which is not in a single block. We cannot configure everything from a single, interface.

Multiple blocks are required in the HP one to control and monitor everything.

Because we previously used Dell EMC VNX 5600, the initial setup is very simple.

It is easier for us to move ahead with the same company.

I maintain this solution, it only requires one person.

The initial setup was handled by an integrator, and the rest of the migration was completed by myself.

It's extremely competitive. We checked both HP and Dell and we determined that Dell EMC was a better option.

Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis.

I don't recall the amount because that part, the financial part, is handled by the finance team. We are not aware of this, we are technical evaluators.

Definitely. This is something I would recommend to others who are interested in using this solution. Many people are unaware that HP does not have the entire block, despite the fact that HP's technical team claims to have it. Specifically, companies looking for NAS and SAN both together should consider Dell EMC over HP, because HP has a separate nest server as a separate server that they are providing you. However, they mention that the NAS is also available there, but it is on a separate server.

I would rate Dell EMC Unity XT an eight out of ten.

I work as an integrator and this is one of the products that I have implemented in different locations. Most customers choose this product because they want to have faster storage. The XT series is all-flash, so it's fast.

I recommend it for ERP systems and for people running Oracle Database. I have implemented both of these. Most applications these days are implemented in a VM environment with a Hypervisor, and this product is well suited for virtualization.

The setup and installation procedures are easy.

The management is done using a single console, which is good. You don't have to use a separate VM to manage the storage.

The most valuable feature of Dell storage systems is the tiering. However, with an all-flash system, there is no tiering.

The monitoring capabilities should be improved.

The reporting should be better. In other systems, you can create many different kinds of reports but this is not the case with Dell.

Dell Unity is going out of support soon, which is bad. They should continue to support it, rather than have it end after five years.

I have been working with the Dell EMC Unity XT series for three years.

Unity had a lot of trouble with stability in the beginning, but it is stable now.

This is a scalable product. I have set up the device in a lot of different locations.

The Unity technical support is very good.

I have also implemented Dell EMC PowerStore and Unity is better. The PowerStore had a lot of issues when I deployed it.

I also work with HPE 3PAR and I find that it has better monitoring capabilities, a better GUI, and better reporting. Reports with different views can be exported. In Dell products, the reporting is not as good

With 3PAR, there is another appliance required to operate the storage but with Dell, it's good because you can manage it from the same console. You don't need another VM to manage the storage.

The initial setup is very easy to do and there are no prerequisites.

Installing the license is easy. You just have to download it from the portal.

Upgrading the product is also easy to do.

This is a great storage solution and a product that I recommend. That said, it's not perfect. More can be done from Dell to improve the Unity series.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.