Nutanix AHV is one control plane for the entire infrastructure we operate.
Lead Engineer at IBS Platformix
Convenient, excellent support, feature-rich and is free
Pros and Cons
- "You don't need any other instruments for control, AHV. You only need to look at the prism to control all infrastructure."
- "I would like to see more automation of Day One operations, such as DRS, and HA."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
It is very convenient.
Our customers like that it is license-free.
You don't need any other instruments for control, AHV. You only need to look at the prism to control all infrastructure.
AHV is a very powerful solution that is on par with VMware.
Nutanix has all of the features that customers require.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see more automation of Day One operations, such as DRS, and HA.
AHV has managing controls but could be better.
The disadvantage is that you must be familiar with Linux in order to delve deep into this solution if necessary.
I am aware of one disadvantage for AHV at this time, which is that Nutanix does not yet have a disaster recovery solution for AHV. We use another solution. Nutanix has metro clusters for VMware but no production solution for AHV. It would be an advantage if Nutanix would include this option.
For how long have I used the solution?
I am an integrator. We resell and implement solutions.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I don't recall any major issues with AHV. Customers who are unfamiliar with Linux and KVM may encounter difficulties. It can be a problem. And I believe that the number of Linux specialists is significantly lower than the number of VMware specialists. It could be a problem. There is a steep learning curve.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It scales in the same way other solutions do. Scalability is good.
You only need to add nodes to the cluster, and it will automatically expand.
How are customer service and support?
Their support is very good, and they can assist you with AHV issues. You don't need to understand this solution thoroughly, Nutanix can help you.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We work mostly with Nutanix, VxRail, and vSAN.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not difficult for me. I'm very familiar with the solutions, and it's always the same for me when I implement them; I don't notice any significant differences.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Nutanix AHV is free.
In general, the most significant issue for our customers is that Nutanix is the most expensive solution, and not all can afford the solution.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I am a partner and a hyper-converged system implementer. I sell for customers, and I need to understand the differences between various systems in order to explain and answer customer questions about what's best for their environment.
What other advice do I have?
The customer should learn Linux, but is not necessary, because we are the main stack of operations is done with prism. Its GUI is ideal for user experience, and they don't need to go to CLI to do anything.
I would rate Nutanix AHV a nine out of ten. Because every vendor is required to rate it a 10, but I believe that AHV has areas in which they can improve.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior IT Consultant
Open-source virtualization that works with Linux and the installation is easy
Pros and Cons
- "It has a vs switch for the people who know Linux, in case it's easier for them to use AHV than it is to use VMware."
- "There is no web interface with AHV."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case is for virtualization.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is that it is open-source. Also, the customization for Linux VMs is good.
It has a vs switch for the people who know Linux, in case it's easier for them to use AHV than it is to use VMware.
What needs improvement?
VMware has a vSphere client GUI and currently, AHV is command line only.
AHV is easy for people who are administrators of Linux and Unix, but it's not easy for a normal user who connects using a web interface.
There is no web interface with AHV. It would be great if they could provide a web interface.
There is no dashboard, it works only with Nutanix Prism.
I come from the world of Unix and the only thing that customer is asking for is the web interface.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Nutanix AHV since 2015.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Nutanix is very scalable, you can go to unlimited nodes.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy and straightforward. You click and you install.
With one click it installs all, including AHV and all of the Nutanix software.
There is an Excel spreadsheet where you put the IP addresses, then you go to the Nutanix installer GUI, click, wait an hour and everything is up.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
AHV is free, it's an open-source solution.
What other advice do I have?
We use many solutions with Nutanix. We use Nutanix AHV, Nutanix CVM, Nutanix Calm, and more.
For normal users, they need a web interface, but for users who are more experienced this solution is the best.
I would rate this solution 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
Buyer's Guide
Nutanix AHV Virtualization
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Nutanix AHV Virtualization. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior IT Consultant
Can go to unlimited nodes, is customizable, and open-source
Pros and Cons
- "Nutanix AHV is very scalable. It can go to unlimited nodes."
- "There is no web interface for AHV."
What is most valuable?
The features that I've found most valuable are that it is customized like Linux KVM and it is open-source for people who know Linux. It's easier for them to use AHV than MWeb. Plus, AHV is free. For Linux people it's easy and also it's free.
What needs improvement?
As for any improvements, the only thing the customer has been asking for is that it should be like VMware where they have the Vsphere Client, whereas in AHV there is only Command-line. It's like AHV Client Web. AHV is easy for people who are administrators of Linux Unix but it's not easy for normal users who like to connect using a web interface because there is no web interface for AHV. It would be great if they could provide an actual web interface. The dashboard works only in Prism.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Nutanix AHV since 2015.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Nutanix AHV is very scalable. It can go to unlimited nodes.
How was the initial setup?
In terms of initial setup, Nutanix is a one-click install and it installs all AHV and all Nutanix software, everything. There is an Excel sheet where you put the IP addresses, then you go to the GUI of the Nutanix installer, it's one click and everything is up.
What other advice do I have?
We have many customers using AHV.
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate it a nine because it needs a web interface.
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
Sr. Customer Support Engineer at Magnamious Systems Pvt. Ltd.
Multiple management options, priced well, but installation is complex
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Nutanix AHV is that it can be managed through Hyper-V, which is Microsoft's hypervisor, VMware, and Citrix XenServer."
- "The initial installation is complex. It took approximately four days."
What is our primary use case?
Nutanix AHV is a hypervisor and we are using it to manage multiple nodes. We are using Prism in Nutanix AHV.
Nutanix can be helpful if you save files in a file server where the data is identical and spread across multiple server numbers. We can recommend AHV.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Nutanix AHV is that it can be managed through Hyper-V, which is Microsoft's hypervisor, VMware, and Citrix XenServer.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Nutanix AHV for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Nutanix AHV is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have one client using Nutanix AHV.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Nutanix AHV could be better. However, the response is okay.
How was the initial setup?
The initial installation is complex. It took approximately four days.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
One of the largest advantages of the Nutanix AHV is their license includes the de-duplication and the compression. This is the only hypervisor where there is no need to buy additional licenses, all the de-duplication and hypervisor for compression are available. If you chose vSAN, de-duplication is not possible without flash. You should have all-flash. Additionally, if you need de-duplication you need to buy additional licenses. That is not the case with Nutanix AHV.
The licensing overall from Nutanix AHV is very good compared to other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Nutanix AHV a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Solutions Architect at Newera Informatique pvt.ltd
Good support, easy to manage, and it scales with just one click
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is manageability."
- "My storage use is doubled; if I am creating a one TB virtual machine then my storage policy will take two TB from my cluster."
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is manageability. From one control, I can manage and monitor my entire cluster.
Also, I like the Prism console of Nutanix.
There are two features, one is data protection that is in-built with Nutanix, and the other is that I can schedule my VM backups. I don't need to buy any third-party software for that. If I have the ESXi to Hyper-V, I need to have third-party software. But in Nutanix, I don't have to buy any third-party software, because I have the data protection feature.
The third and most important feature is LCM, Life Cycle Management. With one click, I can upgrade my firmware as well as my software version, and there will be no downtime required for that. It is seamless.
What needs improvement?
It's difficult to find something that needs improvement, for me, it's a perfect solution. I have not had any issues in the three years that I have been using it.
I was faced with one small problem, but I had the resolution immediately.
I don't see any issues with Hypervisor AHV.
No one is the best in the industry, and there is something in which they are neutral.
Currently, they have storage that is RS2 by default, and when I create one VM with the RA2 environment it will automatically create a second copy. My storage use is doubled; if I am creating a one TB virtual machine then my storage policy will take two TB from my cluster.
I need a second policy for that. For Dev and for Testing.
I don't need the backups. I am only doing R&D.
I need one feature, in that I can create one storage policy without any redundancy factor where when I create my 100 GB virtual machine or 100 GB workload, that only uses storage of 100 GB. I would prefer this because unnecessarily, my space is being utilized for creating a backup copy.
This feature I've got in ESXi, where I can define different policies for my storage and containers, is useful, but in Nutanix, there are only two policies, RS2 and RS3.
Last month, I completed a session with the Nutanix UI team where I provided feedback for the UI upgrades. This would be useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Nutanix AHV for more than three years.
I am upgrading the AHV version with LTS.
I have downloaded the two versions, one is LTS and the other is STS.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. In the three years that have been using it, I have not had any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable solution.
You can upgrade it with one click because I have upgraded my cluster from a four-node cluster to a six node cluster. You can upgrade with one-click, and you don't need to provision a lot of things or plan a lot of things. You just need to identify it. You need the IP address and Nutanix Prism will do it automatically.
How are customer service and technical support?
The Nutanix support team is very good.
If you Google the net promoter score, it is over 90. With VMware and Microsoft, the Net Promotor Score is 50, but their support is also good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy.
If you know basic English, and if you have an IT background, then you don't need to have any training for the implementation.
You just go through the portal, at nutanix.com. There is one EXE available, and you just need to download it on your laptop and just run. It will automatically discover your nodes and then you need only align the IP and your cluster is ready in about two to three hours.
What other advice do I have?
I will recommend it because it is easy to manage, and you don't need to be skilled for that. You don't need any training at all. If you spend one or two days dedicated to Prism, you will get to know everything. This includes how to create VMs, how to manage storage, how to manage the client-server, how to monitor the entire cluster, and there are lots of algorithms available. this means that you don't need to configure things like a Hyper-V or ESXi.
I would rate this solution 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..
PaaS Engineer at JSE Limited
Performance is good, management of the systems is pretty easy, and upgrading is seamless
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable aspect of this solution is that you don't need to pay for it, it's free, as opposed to paying for a VMware license."
- "They need to work on the deployment of virtual machines. They need to streamline the process of templates and deploying virtual machines."
What is our primary use case?
We use the on-prem deployment model and our primary use case for this solution is for virtualization. We also use it for Calm & Karbon.
How has it helped my organization?
Save on VMware Licencing costs.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect of this solution is that you don't need to pay for it. It's free, as opposed to paying for a VMware license.
What needs improvement?
They need to work on the deployment of virtual machines. They need to streamline the process of templates and deploying virtual machines.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Nutanix AHV for over a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very easy to scale. In terms of our users, we are running active directory on there, we spool due to migrating our exchange servers onto that platform as well. At the moment it's just active directory and a couple of other systems. There are around 500 users on the active directory.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is outstanding. They are unbelievable, the best support I've received from any IT company, ever.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are a VMware shop but always keen on looking at new solutions which work well and save us money. AHV is great but we cant deploy it throughout as we rely heavily on VMware SRM for Disaster Recovery and BCP.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very straightforward. We have partners that when we buy the kits, they come and do the installation for us. Our partners assist us with the installation.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
No, there is no other solution besides AHV that we would look at.
What other advice do I have?
It's a great product. It's relatively easy to use and it works well. Everyone that's moved their machines onto that platform says they are amazed by the performance. It works very well. Performance is good, management of the systems is pretty easy, upgrading and all that stuff is seamless. It's a great platform and I would recommend it to anyone.
I would rate it a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Tech Head at Micropoint Computers Pvt Ltd
User-friendly, useful virtual machine backups, and simple install process
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is user-friendly and provides good virtual machine backups. The user interface gets updated when there is a new release."
- "The solution could improve the call logging system to HPE, it is a bit tedious."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Nutanix AHV for creating various production virtual machines and providing access to our customers.
What is most valuable?
The solution is user-friendly and provides good virtual machine backups. The user interface gets updated when there is a new release.
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve the call logging system to HPE, it is a bit tedious.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution is excellent.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If I want to add one or two new nodes in the next three years, it is done very easily by installing the latest available hypervisor. Alternatively, I can upgrade the existing hypervisor.
How are customer service and technical support?
We use paid support for the solution.
How was the initial setup?
The installation process is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution is fair and if you want support there are additional fees.
One of the main benefits of HPE products is when they are providing you a warranty or guarantee of, for example, three years or five years, the product will work for seven to eight years. This is the most beautiful advantage for HPE products.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Nutanix AHV a ten out of ten.
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: Partner
Data Center Manager at MTDS
Beneficial hyper-converged infrastructure, scalable, and responsive technical support
Pros and Cons
- "For our markets here in Morocco, we are mainly working with server virtualization, and the most valuable feature is the software-defined storage and hyper-converged infrastructure."
- "The management console needs to improve to make it easier for administrators. For example, to be able to reorganize our VMs, folders, and subfolders, similarly as it is provided in VMware. We can sort, manage, and organize VMs, folders, or subfolders in VMware."
What is our primary use case?
We are a hosting provider that uses Nutanix AHV for our own needs. We have our platform that is using Nutanix and we use it for the needs of our customers in their companies.
How has it helped my organization?
Nutanix has allowed us to offer our customers a solid, scalable, and efficient solution for their infrastructures in order to support them in their digital transformation projects.
What is most valuable?
For our markets here in Morocco, we are mainly working with server virtualization, and the most valuable feature is the software-defined storage and hyper-converged infrastructure.
What needs improvement?
The management console needs to improve to make it easier for administrators. For example, to be able to reorganize our VMs, folders, and subfolders, similarly as it is provided in VMware. We can sort, manage, and organize VMs, folders, or subfolders in VMware.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Nutanix AHV for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Nutanix AHV is scalable.
We have approximately 6 people using the solution in my organization.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is very good and the time that it takes for them to respond is fast, we are very satisfied.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy, it takes approximately one hour to complete.
What about the implementation team?
In-house team
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution can always be lower. However, the price of the solution is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I encourage people to use this solution because we are a partner with them for about four to five years, and we are happy with them.
I rate Nutanix AHV a seven 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:
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Sorry, but AHV is just a free hypervisor choice with Nutanix. Otherwise show me how you would install AHV apart from AOS (AOS is the OS of the Controller VM Nutanix uses)!
I bet you meant one can omit ESXi licensing which is true.
But to be open source the source code would have to be published, which it is not. See https://www.nutanix.com/opensource/disclosure. You can clearly see that AHV uses open source components but itself it is not open source.