VMware NSX is used for server virtual machines.
Executive Engineer at ONGC
User-friendly, free version available, and highly scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of VMware NSX is the ease of use and its user friendly. For example, it is simple to change the subnet masks."
- "The solution could improve by having a more streamlined setup."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of VMware NSX is the ease of use and its user friendly. For example, it is simple to change the subnet masks.
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve by having a more streamlined setup.
For how long have I used the solution?
I rate VMware NSX for approximately one year.
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VMware NSX
December 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is highly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately 2,000 users using this solution.
VMware NSX scales well.
How are customer service and support?
I have rarely used the support of the solution.
I rate the support from VMware NSX an eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not used a similar solution to VMware NSX.
How was the initial setup?
The installation process for VMware NSX can be intricate. We obtained the executable file for the specific server we intended to install VMware NSX and then proceeded to configure it. This involved ensuring that the IP and ID matched the installation, as well as completing other necessary details such as setting up the gateways.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are using the free version of the solution.
What other advice do I have?
We have 10 analysts and administrators that do the maintenance of the solution.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate VMware NSX a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Solution Architect at BARQ Systems
I like the micro-segmentation features
Pros and Cons
- "NSX has excellent security features like virtual firewalls. I also like the micro-segmentation features, which are useful for the virtual machines inside the servers."
What is our primary use case?
Our clients are moving from traditional to virtual infrastructure, so we sold them vSphere, vSAM, and NSX to manage all the workloads inside VMware. All the VMs work just like traditional infrastructure inside an appliance.
What is most valuable?
NSX has excellent security features like virtual firewalls. I also like the micro-segmentation features, which are useful for the virtual machines inside the servers.
For how long have I used the solution?
I started working with Nutanix NSX last year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate NSX eight out of 10 for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
NSX is easy to scale.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We sell Nutanix, Dell EMC, HPE, and IBM. Right now, I'm working with IBM Storage and Power Servers. We have Pure Systems, too, but I'm still new. It's my first week at the company, so I'm still studying other vendors that I'm unfamiliar with.
How was the initial setup?
I'm not implementing. I am selling the solution. You can use it on-prem or in the cloud. If you are using SRM, including NSX in your workloads makes things easier. You can easily move everything, including the network security and several layers inside the appliance, to the cloud or any other site.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
VMware has a subscription and perpetual license. In the New Year, they're changing many things about the licensing model. Previously, NSX was licensed according to the number of sockets inside the appliance, so we bought VMware licenses based on that. However, that may have changed this year. We are still contacting the vendors to understand the new licensing strategy.
What other advice do I have?
I rate VMware NSX nine out of 10. I recommend it.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Buyer's Guide
VMware NSX
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about VMware NSX. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Consultant at Pi DATACENTERS
Great micro-segmentation, distributed IPS, and IDS functionality
Pros and Cons
- "This solution comes with an API that can easily integrate with other solutions."
- "Nowadays, NSX supports the KVM and ESXi hypervisors only. It should also support Hyper-V and Citrix hypervisors."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the product as network virtualization software.
VMware NSX is a great product for network virtualization. No other vendor can offer this kind of solution up until now, and it's great for enhancing security at the virtual machine level. There is micro-segmentation, and a distributed firewall, and all network and network security components can be virtualized with the help of this NSX-T stack. It is a pioneer software solution for network security in a virtualized environment.
How has it helped my organization?
This solution comes with an API that can easily integrate with other solutions.
What is most valuable?
NSX features include micro-segmentation, distributed IPS, IDS functionality, URL analysis, gateway firewall, logical routing, and all the staple networking solutions like DNS, DSCP, and routing. All these features are very interesting.
The solution is stable.
We can scale it if we need to.
What needs improvement?
It should support Hyper-V also. Nowadays, NSX supports the KVM and ESXi hypervisors only. It should also support Hyper-V and Citrix hypervisors.
There have already been lots of improvements. For example, they edited the intelligent plans and added an advanced load balancer. The latest version, 4.0, really has all the features you need.
It's a bit complex to set up the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have a total of around three years of experience using the NSX-T solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good architecture-wise. We haven't had any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale well.
It is not a user-based solution. We deploy it to about 20 servers.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not previously use a different solution before this product.
How was the initial setup?
It is a little bit complex to set up. It depends upon deployment. Either it is greenfield or brownfield deployment. If it is greenfield, it is very easy. If it is a brownfield deployment, so you need to take care of multiple scenarios of your network, and you need to understand the network architecture, then the deployment of services.
While deployment requires a complete team, maintenance only requires on VMware administrator.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the initial setup with the help of a third-party SI team.
What was our ROI?
This product provides end-to-end visibility and security to your virtual environment. So it's a very huge return on investment in terms of security enhancement and maintaining cybersecurity posture.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost of the solution is moderate. I'd rate it three out of five in terms of affordability.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There is no other option available for this kind of product.
What other advice do I have?
The product should be implemented in any IT infrastructure virtual environment. It is a must-have.
I'd rate it a ten out of ten.
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.
Chief Executive Officer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Enables us to identify problems before they manifest, but they should develop more advanced features
Pros and Cons
- "The stability is great. That's one of the things that we can quantify and leverage through NSX, because it's less complex. We have the availability to manage multiple things at the same time. You can identify problems before they manifest."
- "The engineering team has room for improvement. They should have have more of a Knowledge Base about different case studies and should develop more advanced features. These kinds of improvements will change the way things get done."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is the integration with the platform, so we can use it to orchestrate everything from a single console. That's the magic of having everything in one single dashboard.
How has it helped my organization?
Our customers can see how much easier having multiple integrations on a single dashboard can be for them. The speed and agility of the implementations is another way it has helped improve our clients' organizations. It's easy to monitor exactly what is missing and the speed of implementation.
We can manage and interact with different network devices, not just the local environment but also in the remote environments. It's very effective in how easy it is to manage and orchestrate all the different devices with the different types of requirements we have. NSX is a great platform to have everything in one single pane of glass.
What is most valuable?
The easy integration and management are the two most valuable features.
In regards to Layer 4 and 7 load balancing with a solution, for us, it's about the continuity. We look for different ways to create something similar while making improvements. We like to include different services and make sure that we have high availability, not just in our closer environment but also around multiple environments.
Microsegmentation is important. We cap it depending on the compliance and regulations that are in the systems for every single company's requirements. It depends on the size of the customer, but I don't see a reason not to use it. We cap it based on industry, size of a company, and the compliance regulations that the company requires. Also, we consider the nature of the industry, although the reality is that security applies to everybody. Some industries take it more seriously than others because of their policies, rules, and regulations that they have to comply with. Ultimately, security is an issue that affects everybody and is important for all to have.
What needs improvement?
The engineering team has room for improvement. They should have more of a Knowledge Base about different case studies and should develop more advanced features. These kinds of improvements will change the way things get done.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is great. That's one of the things that we can quantify and leverage through NSX, because it's less complex. We have the availability to manage multiple things at the same time. We can identify problems before they manifest.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is great but I believe that it also has to do with the relationship that we've built with the technical support staff. We're not afraid to have conversations. Most people try to figure things out by themselves but we don't hesitate to reach out to technical support. They have an intelligent team.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We based our decision to switch solutions on an analysis we did. We based this analysis on what we are missing and what the impact is of not having it.
How was the initial setup?
In the beginning, implementation was quite challenging. Once you know your way around it, it becomes a lot easier to navigate. Every master was once a disaster. The beginning stages are the most challenging but as you pass through the initial starting point, you begin to realize how easily it can be integrated with multiple devices.
I have been in technology for 23 years and I see the constant evolution of not just the portable technology but also the management. I believe that adapting to the multiple levels of security inside of the business management is a challenge for different vendors.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We look at different vendors for our customers. It depends on the compliance and regulations that are in the systems for every single company's requirements. Every company will have specific needs for certain features that other options do or don't have.
What other advice do I have?
This solution has helped our clients save CapEx. The agility and speed of the implementation offer CapEx savings.
It does and doesn't prolong software refresh. It does because there is better integration with the product. It doesn't because there are new features developing and people like to replace their hardware. They will have better chances of getting more value out of their software solutions because now they can reach more control of multiple functionalities. I would approximate that it saves the hardware for around two to three years.
I have rated this product a seven because this product still needs to evolve. It's a good product but it's not great.
If you are considering NSX or a similar solution I would advise that you have to adapt or die. Technology is emerging with different features. It is important to be in that conversation. You've got to move into the new trends. There are multiple solutions, and there will be different brands with different features but ultimately you have to find a solution that will meet your exact needs.
To those who say NSX is complex, I would say that every master was once a disaster. In the beginning, it's going to be challenging. When you start something new, it very might well be a disaster and you will probably find it hard to navigate. Once you overcome the complexity issue, it's just a matter of perception. It's not really complex, despite what you may think. The solution is evolving, getting better. This is a smarter way to do things. This solution is at another level.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
Executive Officer 1B at Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC
Good firewall integration, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the integration with the firewall."
- "The cost of the solution has room for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for our DMC firewall to micro-segment the networks for the CRUD matrix.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the integration with the firewall.
What needs improvement?
The cost of the solution has room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for three years.
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.
We have around 4,000 people using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is sometimes delayed but they always resolve our issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was completed by a vendor.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost of the solution is a bit high.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution an eight out of ten.
The maintenance is done by our vendor.
The solution is great and I recommend it.
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.
Network SME at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Provides a single pane of glass, but should have more firewall features
Pros and Cons
- "It provides a single pane of glass. You can do the switching, routing, load balancing, IPS, IDS, etc. Everything is under one umbrella. So, there is no vendor dependency over there."
- "They have some limitations in the firewall features as compared to the on-prem or dedicated hardware appliance. They can add more features, such as IPS and IDS, to the cloud firewall."
What is our primary use case?
It is for internal networking. Basically, we will be migrating the workloads to the cloud vCenter, and to manage those workloads, networking is required, which is called NSX in the VMware environment.
What is most valuable?
It provides a single pane of glass. You can do the switching, routing, load balancing, IPS, IDS, etc. Everything is under one umbrella. So, there is no vendor dependency over there.
What needs improvement?
They have some limitations in the firewall features as compared to the on-prem or dedicated hardware appliance. They can add more features, such as IPS and IDS, to the cloud firewall.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for the last seven to eight months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
As per my last seven to eight months of experience, it is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It can be scaled.
How are customer service and support?
I'm not technically involved with technical support. I'm not from the operational part where the day-to-day activities are performed. I'm from the project team, and my job is to deploy something on the product. Untill now, I haven't used VMware support for any issues. So, I'm not aware of the quality of their support.
How was the initial setup?
It was easy to set up. It hardly took a week.
What other advice do I have?
It provides all the networking features under a single umbrella. So, you can go with it. It is cost-effective because you don't have to spend money on different vendors.
I would rate it a seven out of ten because some of the features are missing.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Head of SDN at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Good stability and easy-to-use solution
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's customer service is good."
- "Its licensing model could be VM based."
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable feature is ease of use. Its filtering features work best for our business requirements.
What needs improvement?
It could be helpful if the solution's licensing model is based on the number of VMs rather than hypervisors.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. I rate its stability as an eight.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution's scalability depends on the licensing model.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's customer service is good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is reasonable at the local level. But it is expensive to deploy it globally.
What other advice do I have?
I advise others to understand their business requirements. They should know if they want the solution to block some protocols or to make accurate filtering. I rate the solution as an eight.
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.
Solution Architect Cybersecurity at Microland Limited
Reliable and mature with multi-cloud networking
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is straightforward."
- "It might be nice to have more AI in the future."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is used for network virtualization. Normally, in my cases, I was billing it for the government clouds, for NIC, the National Informatics Computer of India. For them, I was making a cloud where a different government, a smaller government entity, wanted to buy a cloud from the government clouds.
What is most valuable?
Apart from the normal functionality, a few things are quite useful, including multi-cloud networking. They have container networking and load balancing. Those are quite useful in terms of when we are designing a solution.
It's a pretty mature platform right now.
The initial setup is straightforward.
We found the solution to be stable.
It's scalable.
What needs improvement?
I haven't found any shortcomings.
It might be nice to have more AI in the future. It would help keep us from redesigning every time.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've worked with the solution for four years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and perfectly fine. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale well.
We had a user base of around 1200 people.
How are customer service and support?
I dealt with tech support during pre-deployment, and they were fine. They were helpful when we were dealing with staging cases. I wasn't an active part of the actual deployment and can't speak of how helpful they were in that part of the process.
How was the initial setup?
I was the previous architect for the NSX, not the implementer.
My understanding is the setup process is quite straightforward.
Our deployment was quite big. Including the staging and all the stuff, we were able to deploy in a four-month timeframe. That is not only NSX, that is the complete deployment of the cloud. We had a few issues here and there, however, overall, it was fine.
It's easy to maintain for the most part. The orchestration layer for it was a bit hectic work for us. That needed a dedicated VMware team. Apart from that, everything was quite smooth for NSX or vSphere, et cetera, and it is quite simple to manage it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The finance team handles the licensing agreements. I can't speak to the exact cost.
What other advice do I have?
When going for multiple OEM solutions, like Juniper, Cisco, HPE, et cetera, NSX will be quite useful. Don't go for the ACSIs and all Juniper proprietary options since future upgrades will be a bit tough if something needs to be added. Therefore, if it is a multiple OEM architecture, go for NSX, it'll be more helpful.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
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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Updated: December 2024
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