Our software is working on it, so it's very useful for our company. I'm not using it myself, but we are responsible for selling it together with our software.
Software Operations Engineer at Agfa Healthcare
Stable and runs our software
Pros and Cons
- "We'd like to see better processors, better Intel processors. That's the most important for us at this moment."
- "It's scalable but we are switching to workstation for some software because the CPU speed isn't fast enough anymore."
What is our primary use case?
What needs improvement?
We'd like to see better processors, better Intel processors. That's the most important for us at this moment.
Also, the disappearance of the ML150 can be a problem. So we probably have to switch to the ML110, we don't know yet. Wa are also using the DL160, so it can be a problem. And that's why we may have to switch some of our products to a workstation.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's stable. We sometimes have problems, but globally it's working fine.
Buyer's Guide
HPE ProLiant DL Servers
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about HPE ProLiant DL Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable but we are switching to workstation for some software because the CPU speed isn't fast enough anymore. For some products we were already using workstations, but for some others we now need workstations for the clock speeds.
How are customer service and support?
We are OEM clients, so the support is very good. We have direct contact so support is good. We used to have 13 x 5, but now it's next business day.
What other advice do I have?
When we look to work with a vendor, we look for stability. That's the most important. What is very important is that the systems are delivered on time. At this moment, that's a big problem, because of the hurricane in Houston, probably.
Also the team we're working with, because we have different countries that are ordering. It's on us to follow up on the deliveries.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Senior Team Lead at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The hardware is very toolless to work with, so when you have to do a part replacement it's very hands-on friendly.
What is most valuable?
We value the ease of management in terms of the firmware. The hardware is very toolless to work with, so when you have to do a part replacement it's very hands-on friendly. You don't have to grab any quick tools nearby to swap out modules and such.
How has it helped my organization?
The layout is quite nice as, for the most part, you don't have to tear the machine half apart to get to a piece. So, sometimes when they have on-site technicians to replace a part, we don't have to send a senior technician out there to do it. They can pretty much easily find it and get the parts swapped.
Parts fail, that's part of the IT business, but the ability to be able to get in there quickly and get parts swapped is a very big benefit.
What needs improvement?
I've already seen quite a bit here at the conference that looks good. Well, one of the areas that I really am excited about is the iLo 5 (integrated lights out technology) on the HP blade technology where they're allowing a lot of the firmware flashing to take place through the iLo, which means I don't have to go through the OS, so that beats a lot of our servers.
Run Unix in a form that we can't reboot them more than twice or maybe less in a 30-minute maintenance window. The fact that I can flash a lot of the hardware from the iLo and not have to go through the OS means a far reduced outage time maintenance window, so that really helps take the pressure off us.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have machines that go back quite a long time in terms of almost back to the mid-nineties on some of the servers. So stability-wise, yes we've had some pretty good results even in the old, old hardware from HP specifically. So yes, we've been happy with them so far.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability has been pretty good. We just buy more. We just buy a lot of everything. So scalability hasn't really been an issue for us because we have pretty sizable data centers, but yes, certainly it has been a good product overall.
How is customer service and technical support?
I have used technical support quite a few times. It has been quite useful.
HP has been very helpful in terms of getting a technician on-site, and parts available if we need them. They have always offered us a technician to actually do the repair, so that takes a lot of the workload off us.
Sometimes on some of the higher-end systems where there is a lot more money involved in the hardware, it just helps to take the pressure off to where we don't have to really put our hands on that equipment, especially when you're talking about a server that costs over $20,000. I'd rather have the HP guy work with it just for liability reasons.
How was the initial setup?
We have a different team that does all the initial setup.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
So the two biggest competitors are primarily, obviously Dell and HP. If I had to compare the two - I was at the Dell conference not too long ago just for investigation purposes - I would say that HP, in the long run, from my experience as I've worked with companies that have both, HP is just more stable, in the long term.
Like I said before, you want to avoid hardware fails, right? That's just a part of IT, but how the customer is being handled is important in terms of if we have a bad blade or we have a bad motherboard, because every now and then we get a blade that's just bad out of the box, right? The fact that the customer or the vendor, whoever that is, if they come out and do the right thing, just swap the part out with very little hassle, that's all right.
I don't have to go through a purchasing program where I have to do a repurchase or return process, and that's really helpful in terms of just doing the right thing, getting the parts swapped out, reducing our downtime, and that's our biggest paying point with the customer. Because we have customers too that scream when our stuff goes down, right?
What other advice do I have?
If they're not using HP today, I would highly suggest them to take a deep look at it, in the long run, even just as a starter. I'm not saying that Dell or others are bad, it's just, in the long run, I like the hardware layouts better in HP.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
HPE ProLiant DL Servers
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about HPE ProLiant DL Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Security Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
It is consistent and stable. I would like to load the system without having to make an external connection.
What is most valuable?
The fact that they are consistent. I don't have to relearn for the 80 sites I support.
How has it helped my organization?
Stability and reliability. It's rare that it fails and, when it does, we have HPE support, with a four hour turnaround. It gets fixed.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the simplicity of having the option of loading with something like SmartStart instead of having to make the external connection. There are issues with the startup that make it a little cumbersome. It takes us more time. Even though hardware and support might be rated higher, considering how much time we spend setting things up, that impacts us a lot. That's where the points get taken off my rating.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is about the number of drives and the number slots for memory and storage. We put in what we want. If it's not right, we put in more.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have used technical support, and it can always be better. But everyone can. Sometimes I feel like I'm dealing with someone who is reading from a script, rather than with someone who understands the technology.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We knew we needed to invest in a new solution, because of lack of driver support. In the new Windows version, some drivers don't work with old MSAs and you have to get new ones. We used a previous generation of HPE servers before this.
When choosing a vendor, we look for support, reliability, durability, and not something that is end-of-life in a year.
How was the initial setup?
I was involved in the installation. We ran it from the SmartStart CD to the online connection. (I don't know what they call it now.) It came with a supply kit and we could install it without an external connection. That's where we support it. In gaming, there is no connection to the outside world.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend HPE, but you have to be careful. Check if everything is compatible with what you currently have. You might upgrade part of a server, but not all of it. There can simply be incompatibility issues.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Datacenter Specialist at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
Good for applications that you use really heavy disk IO. I'm not a fan of their rails.
Valuable Features:
I like their scalability. The fact that where I have 24 drives in one of my servers, I can basically turn it into its own little storage tray if I want to, and then attach a server to it. It's really good for applications that you use really heavy disk IO.
Improvements to My Organization:
For us, we use the DLs more on a piece by piece basis, so when our clients come to us with a very specific demand that really doesn't fit well with our blades, which is our preference, then we go to the DLs, and then we scale it out for whatever they need.
Room for Improvement:
I'm not a fan of their rails. I hate how those things rack, as they're just not nice.
Initial Setup:
The server itself is quite good, easy to use. Configuration of it is a little bit tedious, you've got to be willing to spend a couple of hours just to get it set up before you can even start using it, because the reboots are ten - fifteen minutes long, and that'll kill you.
Cost and Licensing Advice:
The cost per compute. I pay as much for a ProLiant DL as I do for a Blade. It requires more power, more cooling, more space for essentially the same function, if I wanted to, with the exception of additional storage. So for me it really does come down to cost.
Other Solutions Considered:
We haven't looked at competitors in a very long time for those. We basically have stuck with HPE. It's a known name, so I don't want to give my customers something that might work, I want something that will work.
Other Advice:
Get on it with OneView, because it's that single pane of glass, you can manage your blades, your DLs, and your 3PAR, all using that one tool.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Director of Technology at Resorts World Las Vegas
It's dependable, and they keep maturing the product.
What is most valuable?
I've been a ProLiant customer for years, since the late '90s. The ProLiant series has been very innovative over the years, compared to some of the competition that are not so innovative. It's very dependable, and they keep maturing the product more and more. Especially now, I'm looking at the Hyper Converged 380, so they're re-inventing new ways to use that technology. That's a great thing right there, with the Hyper Converged space as well. The management of them is valuable. I specifically don't use them on a daily basis, I have my engineers that do since they can easily manage the servers.
How has it helped my organization?
It's more of a rack server, it's more of a commodity kind of device. I know what I'm buying when I buy from HPE. I get that reliable server, good service, good support, and it works.
What needs improvement?
This server is separate from the next one and I'd like it to be integrated so it becomes all-in-one.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's very stable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Over the years that I've been involved with a lot of different server manufacturers as far as rack managed servers, Cisco C-Series, IBM X-Series, and a lot of HPE. They're comparable in many ways but we choose a lot of HPE because we know we're getting a good, reliable product and at a good price point.
How was the initial setup?
It was very easy.
What about the implementation team?
I had HPE do it.
What other advice do I have?
Look at the Hyper Converged as everything's going to virtual, so look at the ProLiant in a Hyper Converged space.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Manager IT Technical Services at a engineering company with 10,001+ employees
The iLO feature is essential because it provides us with server management capabilities and we have a distributed-base installation.
What is most valuable?
For us, the iLO feature is essential because it provides us with server management capabilities and we have a distributed-base installation.
How has it helped my organization?
We're able to provide greater support services outside of normal business hours, as well as at sites where we don't have service groups.
What needs improvement?
The big challenge for us is our deliveries for certain countries, such as Australia and some areas of Asia.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
We've deployed these servers without any issues.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't noticed any increase or decrease in the performance and stability of the servers. I'd say it's very stable and we don't generally have any problems.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The range of available services from these servers is quite varies, so it's easy to find the right machine for the job. Whenever we've needed to scale, we're able to find the right model for us.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is very good, especially for onsite support for hardware problems. They're always reliable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Dell, but we switched because of pricing and availability.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was pretty straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We don't have an offsite team that helps, so we managed implementation internally with our own in-house team.
What other advice do I have?
I'd recommend them, but make sure you've planned the right management options, power supplies, and other technical specifications. Make sure, also, that you get the extended warranty.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
System Architect at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
We have used these servers for several years throughout our data centers and they've proven to be very reliable.
What is most valuable?
Reliability is a valuable feature for us. We use the DL380s throughout our data centers and they've proven to be very reliable.
How has it helped my organization?
We've been using them for several years, and because we've been using them throughout our data centers, they've been uniform. All of our techs are familiar with them, and I think it's just familiarity with the servers which has benefited us a lot.
What needs improvement?
We're going to the hyper converged area. I've seen OneView. I'm very pleased with how that interface looks. We saw SimplyView in a demonstration and Synergy. So until I get my hands on it, I don't know that I can say I'm looking for more improvements.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using them for several years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We are very impressed with the stability. The only time they've really failed on us is when the cooling in the area failed one time. Literally, the temperatures got so hot that they physically melted. That's probably the only time they failed.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Right now, we're looking into some of the newer hybrid architectures, hyper converged. So we're looking at keeping our older servers but trying to scale them out. So that's what we're looking at now.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support has been very valuable. We had a storage array go bad, and they worked with us to get that storage array up and running again. So, yes, very valuable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to what we were using, I think we were just using all of the firmware-based solutions for setting up our arrays.
If you use a different supplier or a different company for your firmware or your hardware, then it has a different interface. It was just complicated. If you're using HPE for everything, it just made it so much simpler.
How was the initial setup?
I was not involved in the initial setup, although my predecessor was. I've stood up servers and storage arrays from scratch, and I think it's not that complex. I think the user interface that HPE provides is straightforward. It takes away the complexity. That's my feeling, anyway.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We've looked at moving away from HPE in the past, and we were lured away. But HPE, for the requirements of our customers, for our own requirements, especially security, was key.
I think security is one of the first things we look at, and HPE has that covered.
We evaluated Dell. We chose to stay with HPE but we almost switched to Dell.
What other advice do I have?
I mean, look at what other solutions are out there, and look up what your requirements are. For us, it's met all of our requirements. I don't think that the others could do that.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Manager at MA Automotive Tool & Die (South Africa)
Implementation and setup is all wizard-driven.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are reliability, the ease of implementation and setup. It's all wizard-driven. Also, maintenance on the devices, spare parts availability, and, as I’ve mentioned, reliability.
How has it helped my organization?
We've reduced the number of physical servers, currently. So, we've brought it down from 38 servers down to about 15. Seeing that we are standardizing, it's easier to support the devices, as we don't have that many different devices on-site that need to be supported.
What needs improvement?
I looked at the technologies offered at a recent HPE conference. There are a lot of technologies that are only offered on the high-end servers. As an example, the SSD module that's embedded on the memory; that's only available on the HP DL380. We've invested quite heavily in the HP DL360 G9s, which means that I won't have access to that technology. I would like it if there's a possibility, even if you have to pay an additional license, to enable that technology on the DL360s.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There's never a problem with it. It's always running. The reliability factor's quite high.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It has definitely been stable.
On the 3PAR, you just add devices as needed.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
My previous employer, we were an HP house. Then when I started at the new company, I’ve noticed that they’ve got a mixed breed of technologies. It's not all industry or first-year suppliers or brands. I started the standardization strategy and obviously, HPE was the first choice.
The most important criteria when selecting HP were performance and reliability. I've got an existing relationship with a current supplier and, like I've mentioned before, I'm familiar with the brand and the technologies.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup was straightforward.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Before choosing this product, I also evaluated Dell and IBM rack servers.
What other advice do I have?
Absolutely HPE. Absolutely happy with it.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Updated: October 2024
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