VMware ESXi Reviews

I have a whole lab setup to train for VMware for virtualization to fellow students. As a reseller, I work for Dell, so I position my servers and storage portfolio. We position VMware ESXi along with the server when we require virtualization.

Earlier, the perpetual license was really helpful. The solution was straightforward and very stable at that time.

Licensing now needs improvement. VMware has gone to the core-based licensing, which is not well received by most people. The pricing and licensing model has changed the dynamics of the virtualization market.

The stability of the solution has decreased over time. It used to be a six or a seven. Now it is around a four out of ten.

Scalability is fine. That said, with scalability, you will need to have more licenses. Customers have faced challenges with the licensing model.

The initial setup is not complex at all. It is actually very good and straightforward.

The pricing right now is one. It is not good at all.

VMware users are getting more options in RHL, Red Hat, OpenShift, and Nutanix after the Broadcom acquisition of VMware.

I'd rate the solution five out of ten.

In our data center operations, we use the product for high availability, snapshots, cloning, and various features integral to our operations.

ESXi is a more mature product than other industry virtualization solutions. It is more user-friendly and mature, even compared with Nutanix.

It allows us to reduce costs while improving performance, especially using VMware Ops Manager.

The solution's cost is a concern. Due to management's focus on costs, we have had to consider moving to a cheaper, more competitive product like Nutanix.

We have been using ESXi since VMware version 4.1.

We did encounter a performance issue with IBM DB2, but the solution has been working stable since a recent patch.

The platform has good scalability. 

The setup was relatively easy for me.

We configure new servers as needed, setting IPs, passwords, and internal details according to requirements. The process is straightforward since we've done it many times.

Maintenance can be challenging when updating firmware, which sometimes requires downtime due to server load.

We are satisfied with the platform's security features. 

We use its AI features to monitor performance and improve system efficiency.

VMware is the industry leader, and I recommend it if the company is prepared for a virtual environment. Overall, I rate it a ten out of ten. 

From a technical perspective, VMware ESXi's best advantages are its reliability and high availability features. It's a very mature and good environment.

The main disadvantage is that the tool requires a significant, expensive initial investment. VMware ESXi requires a large upfront investment that depreciates over three to four years compared to cloud solutions with pay-as-you-go models. You should only choose it if you plan to use it for at least three years. Its deployment process is complex and requires an experienced team. 

I have been using the product for 20 years. 

I rate the tool's stability a ten out of ten. 

VMware ESXi is very capable regarding scalability. You can easily add more servers to double or triple the environment's capacity, so scaling the solution is not a problem.

The installation requires a skilled team with at least five to ten years of experience. It's complex to set up initially, but it's not too complicated once it's running. One person can install it, but having a couple of professionals is better, especially if managing installations across multiple countries.

I rate the solution's pricing a five out of ten. 

I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten. 

I have used the solution at home and in my company's departments.

When my company decided to go virtual, we chose VMware for the main reason, which was to comply with the other tools on our campus, like ZenSource and Citrix. My department was the lone runner of ZenSource and Citrix, so it was not the right thing to continue with them. The technology was great, but we didn't want to be the only department using such solutions, and so we moved to VMware. VMware and Nutanix have complex setup phases, especially in the beginning.

VMware ESXi has a complex setup phase, making it an area where improvements are required.

I have been using VMware ESXi for ten years.

It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

My company had worked with the limited capabilities of the tool's scalability features. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

A few hundred people use the tool in my department, but around 5,000 people use it throughout the organization.

The tool is used regularly as part of our virtual infrastructure.

I have had no issues with the technical support for the solution. I rate the technical support an eight out of ten.

Positive

I have used ZenSource and Citrix.

VMware ESXi has a complex setup phase.

The installation of VMware and Nutanix was done together, and it took a couple of days. After the setup phase, you can fine-tune it, and it takes time for everything to run as you expected or as you want it, but it took a few days to get it up and running and back in production.

My company did not set up the tool by ourselves. After the initial setup, we ran it and managed it, but the initial setup was done by the company that we bought it from. It was a sort of a two-key solution until we got everything running. A third party was involved in the setup phase.

I am not sure about cost savings, but efficiency-wise, it has improved our company.

If one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price as an eight.

I have not faced any challenges while integrating VMware ESXi with existing infrastructure.

My company doesn't handle any AI-driven projects with the tool.

I rate the tool an eight out of ten.

I have done multiple projects with ESXi. These include projects for organizations like Bank Islami, UPL Funds, AGP, Aligore and Co, IGI Insurance, IJLife, TPL Tracker, TPL Properties, TPL Insurance, and Edith University. My customers primarily operate in the insurance, medical, and banking sectors.

ESXi is a virtualization platform that allows multiple applications to run on the same physical hardware, reducing costs significantly by transforming physical servers into virtual environments. It is known for its stability and reliability, allowing seamless task execution by running directly on the hardware processor. 

Additionally, ESXi's integration with VMware vCenter offers centralized management. Features like high availability ensure VM migration to another host in case of host failure.

The cost of VMware ESXi is very high, especially after the acquisition by Broadcom, which led to price increases. Improving the cost structure would be beneficial.

I have worked with VMware for five to six years.

ESXi is a very stable product. I have not faced significant stability issues with VMware ESXi.

ESXi is very scalable. My customers are highly satisfied with its scalability, and I would rate it nine out of ten in this regard.

Customer service and support are good; they are reachable, and at times remote support suffices. However, sometimes I need to visit on-premises sites for complex issues.

Positive

The initial setup of VMware ESXi is very easy, and I would rate it nine out of ten. Deployment can be completed within minutes.

VMware ESXi operates on a subscription model with core-based licensing; the pricing can change frequently. The product is very cost-effective, though not fixed, as pricing tends to fluctuate over time.

I have used Nutanix and SimpliVity as alternatives, however, VMware is more powerful, secure, and authentic.

For enterprises seeking scalable and robust solutions, VMware ESXi is highly recommended. Although its price is high, it is a stable product with significant benefits. 

I rate VMware ESXi ten out of ten.

We are a partner and reseller of Hitachi and VMware. We offer support to existing customers who have already deployed VMware solutions. Our primary focus includes data center virtualization.

ESXi stands out for its simplicity in setup, management, and monitoring. Its deployment is straightforward, and no other solutions compare to VMware hypervisor in terms of these features. 

As a level one or bare metal hypervisor, its unmatched scalability depends on underlying hardware, capable of managing large numbers of physical servers with one management platform.

The licensing model currently presents challenges. It's not cost-effective for small users and creates a gap for alternatives, while favoring larger clients. 

Discontinuing previous products has also impacted mid-range organizations, and I suggest maintaining products that cater to mid-range organizations.

Scalability is unmatched and depends on underlying hardware. vCenter Server can manage up to 1,000 ESXi servers within a single UI interface, allowing extensive deployment and management capabilities.

Patching and upgrading are simple, easy, and can often be done live, requiring no downtime unless dealing with an older version.

There are challenges due to a confusing and uncertain licensing model. Previously, there were different licensing models, however, changes have made it cost-prohibitive for smaller users.

The gap in the current VMware licensing model creates opportunities for other principals offering virtualization solutions, especially for small users.

For customers without current hypervisors, starting with a trial ESXi license is recommended. Existing VMware customers need to adapt to licensing changes. 

Currently, I'd advise potential new customers to wait until pricing becomes stable.

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

I recommend VMware ESXi to mid-level and mid-enterprise customers. I also recommend it to those who are looking for more Windows and Linux workloads.

VMware ESXi's most proven and beneficial area for our virtualization needs revolves around clustering.

I don't see any technical weaknesses in the product, especially after VMware's acquisition by Broadcom. There have been issues with the tool's technical support and pricing of licenses, making them areas where improvements are required.

I have fifteen years of experience with VMware ESXi.

For most of the customers, the SLAs have been down lately, and it may be because of the transition from VMware to Broadcom. I rate the technical support a six out of ten.

Neutral

I use VMware ESXi and VMware vSphere Foundation.

I have used IBM PowerVM. I rate the technical support for IBM as nine out of ten.

I have worked with Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization and Nutanix for HCI. In terms of cost, Nutanix will be advantageous. In terms of use cases, one of the direct alternatives to VMware will be a Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization.

My company has operated as a partner and reseller for Nutanix and Redshift for a bit less than ten years.

The tool has become expensive.

Over VMware ESXi, I can recommend Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization and Nutanix for HCI to my customers.

Considering how VMware ESXi has affected our customers' overall IT cost, most are now looking to move out of VMware.

There are no issues with the product's performance.

Right now, Broadcom's acquisition of VMware has impacted the cost plus support. Maybe the recommendation will be for a different virtualization technology, such as Nutanix and Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization.

I rate the tool a five to six out of ten.

I work with a company that distributes software from GE HealthCare, and we need the virtualization platform in our deployment.

The software from GE Healthcare only needs the basic virtualization functions, such as creating VMs, adjusting the resources allocated to the VMs, making backups, restoring, etc.

The solution’s licensing model could be improved.

I have been using VMware ESXi for three years.

Around 50 people are using the solution in our organization. We plan to refresh the hardware of the product we're selling on top of the virtualization platform every three to five years. After that, we will return to the customer and offer them bigger hardware. We're assuming that their requirement will already have increased by that time.

When we needed technical support, it was bundled with Dell servers. The distributors of Dell provided technical support for us. The support was good and responsive. We got our problems solved within a few days.

We are considering hyper-converged solutions like Sangfor and Proxmox for primarily high availability as an alternative to VMware ESXi.

Our team had years of experience in other virtualization platforms, such as Proxmox, Virtuozzo, and OpenVZ. I've got a lot of experience with those products. The initial setup was very straightforward since the concepts of VMware ESXi are the same as those products.

The software we're distributing on top of VMware ESXi is a bit complex. It's for a healthcare institution, and it takes around one month to install, configure, test, and work with the end users.

Since Broadcom's acquisition, the solution's price has been adjusted, and perpetual licenses are no longer offered.

We only have a few administrators in our company. We usually train the customer's administrators in our deployment. So far, we usually get support from our reseller or distributor whenever we need patches. I would recommend the solution to other users if their requirements match the features offered by the tool and if their budget allows it.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.