We utilize VMware vCenter for monitoring hosts, migrating virtual machines, and monitoring server performance.
IT Manager at a non-profit with 51-200 employees
Ensures comprehensive management capabilities with good scalability and high stability for efficiently overseeing virtualized environments
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable aspect for us is the ability to monitor all servers simultaneously and effortlessly move them between hosts."
- "Consolidating these plugins into a unified environment with customizable options to enable or disable features would be highly beneficial."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Our infrastructure management has been greatly enhanced, particularly with features like vMotion being crucial for our operations.
The management and monitoring capabilities have significantly influenced our operational efficiency, proving to be highly beneficial for our needs.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect for us is the ability to monitor all servers simultaneously and effortlessly move them between hosts. Additionally, adjusting server specifications such as CPU, memory, or storage capacity, whether increasing or decreasing, is incredibly convenient and beneficial for our operations.
The scalability features provided by VMware vCenter supported the growth of our organization.
What needs improvement?
There are numerous scattered versions of plugins compatible with VMware, which can be challenging to manage. Consolidating these plugins into a unified environment with customizable options to enable or disable features would be highly beneficial. Additionally, the ability to work with hardware beyond the compatibility list would add further value to the platform.
Buyer's Guide
VMware vCenter
January 2025
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Learn what your peers think about VMware vCenter. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with it for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is exceptionally high, providing a seamless experience. I would rate it a perfect ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable given that I have sufficient hardware resources. If I decide to add more hardware, I can do so easily, but it's essential to select the appropriate hardware services before making any purchases. We have more than one hundred and fifty users. I would rate it seven out of ten. It is continuously in use, running throughout the entire day.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we utilized hardware, primarily within a Microsoft environment. However, we transitioned to VMware due to its capability to move servers without downtime. This flexibility makes it incredibly user-friendly and adaptable.
What about the implementation team?
Our deployment was done by a third-party system integrator. The process was completed within a few hours.
What was our ROI?
In terms of return on investment, VMware proves to be cost-effective, especially when considering the long-term perspective. Evaluating its cost-effectiveness requires a considerable duration due to its long-term impact.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is significantly high. I would rate it ten out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend it to others considering implementation, particularly if they have a sufficient budget. However, for those with budget constraints, there are alternative solutions, including open-source options, albeit not as comprehensive as VMware. Overall, I would rate it 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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Head of IT department at Monetars
User-friendly interface with an ability to manage virtual infrastructure
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to create and manage virtual infrastructure."
- "They could provide flexibility and cost-effectiveness for product licensing."
How has it helped my organization?
The implementation of vCenter has significantly impacted our IT team's productivity positively. It provides a centralized and efficient tool for managing our virtualized environment.
What is most valuable?
The platform has a user-friendly interface. It is easy to create and manage virtual infrastructure.
What needs improvement?
They could provide flexibility and cost-effectiveness for product licensing. Currently, the licensing model allows for the coverage of two virtual machines with a single license when running Windows Server. However, for smaller environments with fewer servers, it might not provide significant benefits.
For efficient reliability and scalability, they could provide additional functionalities supporting multi-location setups and dedicated role-based services. The ability to seamlessly manage and switch between different locations needs improvement. Additionally, there could be more features for dashboard automation.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The platform is stable. The users can connect to the servers and work on the shared files.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable. We can purchase one license for VMware’s essential kit for deploying around three servers in one environment.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup required considerable effort and careful planning to ensure it aligned precisely with the direction of the infrastructure to make configurations as flexible as possible for future requirements. While this approach was time-consuming, it proved crucial to avoid potential mistakes or limitations in decisions made during the setup. It helps with adapting to future changes, implementing upgrades, and integrating new solutions seamlessly into the virtualized environment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We utilize the basic licenses of the product. However, they offer much better licensing plans for larger companies.
What other advice do I have?
The platform helps us create a full backup of the virtual machine for disaster recovery. We have setups in two locations, it ensures availability through a dedicated connection for information exchange.
I recommend it to others for its ease, security, reliability, and stability. It offers various types of licenses. Additionally, the simplicity of administration efficiently manages both large and small environments.
I advise others to learn and understand the configuration and maintenance process. It is suitable for organizations considering the deployment of virtual infrastructure on-premise, especially in the context of private cloud setups.
I rate it a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
VMware vCenter
January 2025
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Learn what your peers think about VMware vCenter. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior System Engineer at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
Efficient migration and centralized management with a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the ease of migrating services from one host to another during maintenance."
- "There needs to be improvement in the pricing model, as the host license is already very high, and customers should have more open options for creating automation scenarios out of the box."
What is our primary use case?
vCenter is primarily used to manage hosts centrally. It handles multiple scenarios, such as creating a distribution switch instead of an individual standard switch. Centralized management of policies and applying user-based restrictions are some of the potential use cases.
How has it helped my organization?
With vCenter, it becomes easier to manage a hundred hosts manually and to create scenarios such as authentication. It makes the process quite cost-effective.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the ease of migrating services from one host to another during maintenance. Adding network paths is also simple, and it has a direct integration with Active Directory for role-based access.
What needs improvement?
There needs to be improvement in the pricing model, as the host license is already very high, and customers should have more open options for creating automation scenarios out of the box.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using vCenter since 2014, which indicates a duration of nine years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable and doesn't have many issues from the beginning. However, it is stable to an extent of eighty percent because it may encounter blue screen errors and other common issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The normal environment is sufficient to handle multiple hosts, so it doesn't require frequent scaling.
How are customer service and support?
vCenter is under support, and it doesn't have many issues, which makes it easy to maintain.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of vCenter is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
One technician is usually enough for the setup.
What was our ROI?
vCenter helps save time and costs by making it easier to manage multiple hosts and scenarios, thus being cost-effective.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The setup cost is high as the host license is expensive, and there is a concern about charging too much for a management tool.
What other advice do I have?
My advice is not to use any recent products but to opt for open-source solutions.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Oct 15, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSenior Cloud Engineer at PT. Sigma Cipta Caraka (Telkomsigma)
Provides valuable monitoring features, but its browser-based management capabilities need improvement
Pros and Cons
- "It has significantly impacted our organization by facilitating troubleshooting and monitoring processes."
- "Enhancing the product's capabilities on the backend could be beneficial."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case for this solution is for infrastructure services, specifically SFTP.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of vCenter are its monitoring capabilities and operational tools for managing virtual machines. These tools help us efficiently monitor performance, manage networking, and handle provisioning tasks.
What needs improvement?
Enhancing the product's capabilities on the backend could be beneficial. We worry about potential changes in licensing costs and structures. They could work on the pricing models.
In the platform's next release, they could improve browser-based management capabilities, allowing full functionality without requiring a client agent. It would enable users to perform all management tasks using popular browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Safari.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using VMware vCenter in our environment since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product's stability is generally satisfactory. However, ensuring compatibility with other components, such as the text server, is crucial to maintaining stability.
I rate the product stability as seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 200 VMware vCenter users in our organization. It is highly scalable. However, automation is needed to enhance scalability further. While we can manage scalability manually, automated capabilities would be more efficient.
I rate the scalability a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
We contact VMware for support whenever we require assistance, and they promptly address our queries. The response time varies depending on the issue's complexity, but we typically receive a response within an hour.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before choosing VMware vCenter, we considered that if the licensing model was unsuitable, we might switch to alternatives like OpenStack or other virtualization solutions. However, ultimately, vCenter was the primary option we chose.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup can be straightforward, particularly with simplified configuration options. However, integration with other systems and services may require additional effort to ensure seamless operation. Depending on the complexity of the infrastructure, setup time can vary from a day to potentially more than a week, especially when extensive configuration and preparation are needed.
I rate the process a seven out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation typically involves coordination between networking teams, support teams, and potential vendors. Depending on the scale and complexity of the deployment, expertise from multiple domains may be required. For larger deployments with complex networking, storage, and VMware configurations, the involvement of experienced vendor teams or in-house experts is essential. It ensures efficient deployment and ongoing maintenance.
What was our ROI?
The ROI depends on deployment size, whether on-premises or in the public cloud. Moving to the cloud can save costs by reducing hardware investment, administrative overhead, and electricity expenses, particularly for larger deployments.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have purchased monthly licenses for the platform. There are additional costs involved. We pay per user, but we are still determining if the new licensing model will be more expensive or cheaper.
I rate the pricing a five out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
VMware vCenter has notably enhanced our virtual environment management by improving operational efficiency and troubleshooting various platform issues.
It has significantly impacted our organization by facilitating troubleshooting and monitoring processes. However, we seek a more equitable licensing model based on resource usage to better align with our needs. It would ensure fair pricing and optimize resource allocation, enhancing operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Before installing VMware vCenter, users should consider the potential challenges of integrating new services and weigh the cost-effectiveness of on-premises versus cloud solutions. Evaluating pricing and scalability is crucial, as opting for public cloud alternatives may incur higher expenses. Therefore, assessing the overall price-performance ratio and scalability options is essential for making an informed decision about installing vCenter.
I rate the product a seven 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.
Last updated: May 26, 2024
Flag as inappropriateInformation Technology Operations Lead at TT Systems LLC
Provides good virtualization and ease of backing up the virtual and on-premises servers
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of the solution are virtualization and ease of backing up the virtual and on-premises servers."
- "The solution’s pricing could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for backup.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of the solution are virtualization and ease of backing up the virtual and on-premises servers.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s pricing could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware vCenter for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution’s stability an eight to nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution an eight or nine out of ten for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support is very good compared to other virtualization tools. We used to get a response within ten days. We should have premium licensing to get support. I feel that the cost of the support is higher.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
On a scale from one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy, I rate the solution's initial setup an eight out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
The solution's deployment process is very straightforward. For a small environment, the solution can be deployed within a day. The solution's deployment time depends upon the environment. For a smaller environment, the deployment and configuration can be completed within one or two days.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
The user administration is straightforward, and the restore is quick and easy. All software has bugs. VMware vCenter is one of the standards of virtualization in the market for on-premises. I would recommend the solution to other users. After its merger with Broadcom, the solution's license price has become costlier, and the previously available customizations are no longer available.
Overall, I rate the solution an 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.
IT infrastructure lead at 0
Stable platform with efficient performance monitoring features
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of VMware vCenter for our organization include its centralized management capabilities and the ability to handle virtual machines across multiple ESXi hosts efficiently."
- "VMware vCenter is an expensive product. Its price needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We use the platform to administer virtual machines deployed on several servers.
How has it helped my organization?
Implementing VMware vCenter has significantly improved our organization's IT infrastructure management. It has added to our knowledge base as well. Before deploying vCenter, our teams faced challenges in manually managing desktops.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of VMware vCenter for our organization include its centralized management capabilities and the ability to handle virtual machines across multiple ESXi hosts efficiently. We log into the center that acts as a single pane of glass, helping us oversee all physical hosts and dependent components, combining all the resources.
What needs improvement?
VMware vCenter is an expensive product. Its price needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using VMware vCenter for a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable platform.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of VMware vCenter was a complex process for our organization. The deployment process involves installing the vCenter Server software on a Windows-based machine.
What about the implementation team?
As an end user, we engaged with a distributor or partner to facilitate the implementation. They conducted knowledge-sharing sessions and administered the platform for our team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product's three-year license package is inexpensive.
What other advice do I have?
VMware vCenter helps us optimize infrastructure by resource provision, performance monitoring, and managing user access from a single console. Its performance management plays an instrumental role in day-to-day center operations.
In case of any system downtime from users' back-end or availability issues, it reallocates to another host. It is a good solution that was internally built and developed over time. I advise others to use it if cost is not an issue.
I rate it a nine 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.
Director - IT Strategy Lead at Globe Mobile
User-friendly platform with robust disaster recovery features
Pros and Cons
- "The user-friendliness and stability are the product’s most valuable features."
- "The scalability could be enhanced."
What is our primary use case?
In my previous company, we used the product primarily for virtualizing our compute resources, including active directories and databases, to support our contact center business. In my current role, we use it similarly for virtualizing DNS servers and compute requirements for our environment.
What is most valuable?
The user-friendliness and stability are the product’s most valuable features. Over the past five years, we've experienced minimal issues, even during upgrades and migrations.
What needs improvement?
We've been exploring a hybrid cloud setup but found the solution complex and expensive. Additionally, scalability could be enhanced to accommodate our requirements better during increased demand.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using vCenter for approximately ten years now.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
Due to the complexity of hybrid cloud solutions, we consulted VMware experts. We also considered proposals from public cloud providers, which proved more cost-effective.
What other advice do I have?
I emphasize its robust disaster recovery capabilities. In our experience, we encountered minimal impact when one node went down due to hardware issues. Once the hardware was fixed, the recovery process was seamless. Overall, vCenter has proven to be a solid product that has served us well.
I rate it a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Jun 4, 2024
Flag as inappropriateManager of Computing and Storage at CBO
Easy-to-deploy platform with valuable monitoring features
Pros and Cons
- "The platform is very effective for managing virtual infrastructure. It has improved our virtual infrastructure and virtual machine deployment in several ways."
- "The product's technical support services could be better."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to manage different hosts.
What needs improvement?
The product's technical support services could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using VMware vCenter for three years. At present, we are using the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the platform's stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We can add many hosts to the vCenter, and it performs well. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support team needs improvement.
How was the initial setup?
For the deployment, we utilize the vSphere hypervisor system. It takes an hour to complete.
I rate the process a ten out of ten.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The platform has reasonable pricing.
What other advice do I have?
The platform is very effective for managing virtual infrastructure. It has improved our virtual infrastructure and virtual machine deployment in several ways. It provides a centralized platform for managing hosts and enables seamless VM migrations using vMotion.
The monitoring feature is the most valuable part of our daily operations. We have also seen improvements in troubleshooting and performance monitoring, especially when hosts encounter issues. Overall, it's beneficial for maintaining optimality.
It has enhanced our virtual environment management. Specifically, it has improved our ability to create and manage virtual machines efficiently.
The product is good, stable, and easy to deploy. I rate it an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Updated: January 2025
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