We use Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series for video surveillance. The DE, particularly, is for archiving targets, backing up targets, and, to a degree, virtualization.
It consultant at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Stable, entry-level product by design, nonetheless, could use more functionality
Pros and Cons
- "Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is quite an elementary box, no frills. It does not have all the functionality of the DM but it is acceptable, it does its task. It integrates pretty well."
- "In the next release, I would like to see more functionality. But, again, it is an entry-level product."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is quite an elementary box, no frills. It does not have all the functionality of the DM but it is acceptable, it does its task. It integrates pretty well.
What needs improvement?
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is not a mainstream product for us. It is a product that Lenovo obtained through NetApp. NetApp owns Engenio, the whole LSI company. We have been dealing with them for many years. It's a nice product, nothing strange, nothing wow.
The DE is a very elementary array, just an entry-level product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series since Lenovo has had their relationship with NetApp - so for a couple of years.
We sell it. We are a distributor for them.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
All the storage arrays are stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable.
We have about 20 clients that are using the Lenovo ThinkSystem solution.
How are customer service and support?
Their support is fine. It's good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. It is fine.
It takes about an hour or hour and a half for a DE.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is fine. It is all included. Most of these arrays are all-inclusive nowadays.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Lenovo DE Series to other users who want to start using it in the right space.
On a scale of one to ten, I would say Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is around a seven. It is really entry-level.
In the next release, I would like to see more functionality. But, again, it is an entry-level product, that's why it's a seven, because it is a really elementary, entry-level product. It's not a mid-range array, it's very elementary. It's meant to be. That's the design.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Senior IT Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Simple to manage, easy to install with excellent technical support and cost-effective
Pros and Cons
- "Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is simple to use"
- "It would be useful to have structured solutions replicated to other sites."
What is our primary use case?
We use Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series for small businesses, primarily for VM workloads, as well as for block storage.
What is most valuable?
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is simple to use. It is also simple to manage.
What needs improvement?
While it is a reliable product, it could be improved.
It would be useful to have structured solutions replicated to other sites.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable in our targets, but scalability is not important with these types of solutions.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm familiar with HPE 3PAR and HPE Nimble Storage. I used to work with both of them in my previous company approximately six years ago.
We are now Dell and Lenovo partners, and I have switched to their technology.
We work with Dell Unity and Unity HC for PowerStore. We also work with the new series of Lenovo, DE, and DM.
How was the initial setup?
It is simple to install.
It took approximately half a day to deploy.
What about the implementation team?
We completed the implementation ourselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is cost-effective.
There is no license. All of the features are bundled together, and you can renew the bundle with all of the features included.
What other advice do I have?
We are consultants, and this is a solution that we would recommend to others.
I would rate Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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Excellent price and great ease of configuration and management
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is very easy to set up."
- "Improvements can be made to the product's performance."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution primarily for VMware, where we have three servers and storage of the VMs. The solution is deployed on-premises.
What is most valuable?
The best thing about this solution is its price, which reduces our costs. Additionally, this solution's ease of configuration and management are valuable features.
What needs improvement?
Improvements can be made to the product's performance.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for approximately two years. Currently, we use DE 2000H, specifically series J3026371.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. Approximately 300 people are using it in our organization.
How are customer service and support?
We have had a very good experience with customer service and support. They answer questions very fast and resolve our issues.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is very easy to set up.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution license costs us a one-time payment of 10,000.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution an eight out of ten. The solution is good, but it could be improved by including features like snapshots to make it more efficient.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Company Owner at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
The price per gigabyte is good, especially on SSD solutions
Pros and Cons
- "ThinkSystem's storage performs well, and the price per gigabyte is good, especially on SSD solutions. It's also easy to use."
- "ThinkSystem could be better integrated with backup software like Commvault, Veritas, or Symantec."
What is our primary use case?
ThinkSystem is mostly for application systems and database systems like Oracle SQL Server. We also sometimes use it for SAP environments.
What is most valuable?
ThinkSystem's storage performs well, and the price per gigabyte is good, especially on SSD solutions. It's also easy to use.
What needs improvement?
ThinkSystem could be better integrated with backup software like Commvault, Veritas, or Symantec.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been partnered with Lenovo for eight or nine years. We started selling the DE Series when Lenovo released it, so it's been about three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
ThinkSystem is highly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
ThinkSystem has considerable scalability.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is responsive. IBM provides support for Lenovo storage in Poland, and it's very good.
How was the initial setup?
Deploying ThinkSystem is simple. Our engineers take care of it. Deployment can take five to 10 days and requires three engineers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost of the license is per terabyte.
What other advice do I have?
I rate ThinkSystem DE Series nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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