We primarily use the solution for virtualization.
VMware Software Engineer at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Reliable with good performance and helpful technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The pricing of the product is reasonable."
- "The latest version of the solution has a few bugs."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution offers a very stable performance.
It's a scalable product.
The solution is extremely reliable. It's an excellent product.
The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
Technical support has always been great.
The pricing of the product is reasonable.
What needs improvement?
The latest version of the solution has a few bugs. This may be due to the fact that they moved to web-based management. There are some problems in that web-based management, however, it's a minimal issue.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for seven or eight years at this point. I've used it for a while.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable and very reliable. The performance has been great. In the version we are using, there are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.
I'm not sure of the exact number of users, however, we do have the solution installed on 4,000 machines.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support has been excellent. They are helpful and responsive. We have no complaints. Their level of service is always good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward and not overly complex. Although it took us a couple of weeks before we installed it, the deployment only took about one day or one and a half days.
We had three engineers that handled the deployment.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the initial setup ourselves. We did not need the assistance of an integrator or consultant.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There's a yearly licensing fee, however, it isn't overly expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Up until now, we use the product on-premises, however, currently, we are developing a hybrid cloud. We are moving to the cloud solution and the base, the transition system is, VMware vSphere.
While we use the solution's 6.7 version, the latest version is version 7.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. I've been very happy with the capabilities of the product.
I would recommend the solution to other users and organizations.
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.
Lead QA Analyst at Loomis Express
Reasonable cost, scalable, and useful for creating ThinApps
Pros and Cons
- "Overall, it is a pretty good solution. We do not have to worry about upgrading the versions that people use for our in-house software. We just create ThinApps, and as soon as they log in, they always get the upgraded version. This part really works well for us."
- "We've been using vSphere on Windows 7, and it had less fluff associated with ThinApp. Currently, with Windows 10 version that we have, it adds a lot of bulk to ThinApp. We have offices spanning across Canada from the east coast to the west coast. A ThinApp that is roughly around 400 MB in size would take minutes to open up. With Windows 7, the same ThinApp used to be close to 75 to 80 MB in size. So, I'm really not happy with the extra fluff that is bundled in Windows 10. It really messes things up for us at times."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to create ThinApps.
How has it helped my organization?
We do not need to deploy the software to each and every client machine. They just can access ThinApp, and they are good to go.
What is most valuable?
Overall, it is a pretty good solution. We do not have to worry about upgrading the versions that people use for our in-house software. We just create ThinApps, and as soon as they log in, they always get the upgraded version. This part really works well for us.
What needs improvement?
We've been using vSphere on Windows 7, and it had less fluff associated with ThinApp. Currently, with Windows 10 version that we have, it adds a lot of bulk to ThinApp. We have offices spanning across Canada from the east coast to the west coast. A ThinApp that is roughly around 400 MB in size would take minutes to open up. With Windows 7, the same ThinApp used to be close to 75 to 80 MB in size. So, I'm really not happy with the extra fluff that is bundled in Windows 10. It really messes things up for us at times.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It includes a lot of fluff from Windows 10, which is not at all needed. That's the worst part of it. Otherwise, it works fine.
We have to create an image before and after we deploy the software, and that part takes a while.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is simple in terms of scalability. There are no issues.
The whole team uses vSphere to create ThinApps that are used by all of our employees. We have close to 5,000 users. So, we are using it quite extensively.
How are customer service and technical support?
I haven't used their tech support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we were deploying all of the in-house software to client machines, but we didn't find it practical enough. Considering that we have offices all across Canada, we needed a solution that allowed us to create a new version of the in-house software and then deploy it remotely. That's where vSphere came in. We do not need to deploy to individual clients. It is just a link that is shared on their desktop, and they can access it straight away.
How was the initial setup?
It is very simple. You just need one person. It takes seconds.
It doesn't require maintenance. Every time we need to upgrade the software or we have a different or higher version, we just create a ThinApp. It takes seconds for the users to get it. It is a very simple process. They just need to close the existing software and reopen it, and they get the updated version.
What was our ROI?
We have definitely seen a return on investment. Previously, if a plant's PC goes down 4,000 kilometers away, we had to ship that machine to our head office to repair it and then send it back. We don't have to do that now because we are using vSphere. We just can upgrade all of our software with ThinApps.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Considering the number of users, it is pretty reasonable. I am not aware of any costs in addition to the licensing fees.
What other advice do I have?
I do not prefer the newest version because of the bulk that it adds to ThinApp, especially with Windows 10 operating system. If they can find a way around that, it would be really good.
Considering the returns and the number of users for the ThinApps that we create using vSphere, I would rate VMware vSphere a nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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VMware vSphere
October 2024
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IT Administrator at a healthcare company with 201-500 employees
User-friendly, easy to manage, and straightforward installation
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is user-friendly. It is easy to convert, create, and manage systems."
- "On the older version of VMware vSphere, possibly version four, we had a feature that allowed us to backup Ziploc machines. It has not been available in the newer version such as six or seven. I have been looking for another solution to accomplish the backups but they should bring back this plugin-type tool to allow older backup capabilities."
What is our primary use case?
We have implemented VMware vSphere a lot which is used for Server Virtualization. It has reduced the number of equipment that we need to use in the data centers servers, such as HP, IBM, Dell, and many others. We can use this solution for many use cases, even storage.
How has it helped my organization?
We have been able to reduce the amount of time between implementations and the number of systems needed which has allowed us to focus that time somewhere in our organization.
What is most valuable?
The solution is user-friendly. It is easy to convert, create, and manage systems.
What needs improvement?
On the older version of VMware vSphere, possibly version four, we had a feature that allowed us to backup Ziploc machines. It has not been available in the newer version such as six or seven. I have been looking for another solution to accomplish the backups but they should bring back this plugin-type tool to allow older backup capabilities.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately eight 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 easy to scale.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We use Microsoft Hyper-V.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward.
I have recently implemented version seven and I am monitoring the differences from five to seven.
What about the implementation team?
We have found sometimes when we have some instability it is difficult to get support for the specific issue.
What was our ROI?
We have saved money from reducing the number of systems needed, the time it takes for someone to do implementations, and the electricity used for the systems.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to those wanting to implement the solution is to make sure they read and know exactly what the solution does, and if there were updates from the previous version they have used, understand the changes before implementing.
I rate VMware vSphere a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Flexible, feature rich, and improves business operations
Pros and Cons
- "I have found the solution to be flexible, and the vCenter and vMotion useful."
- "There was a time we lost the password for the ESXi and we had to do a hardware reset. At this point, we had to fill up the ESXi from the bottom up. I am not sure if there was another solution to this problem but it took a long time."
What is our primary use case?
We are using this solution to build the AD database for the server.
How has it helped my organization?
This solution has been very helpful to our organization. For example, if we need to run 10 servers there is a high cost attached if we buy the physical server, but if we use this solution we can buy a very large server then control everything. The most valuable feature has been the ability to utilize the vMotion when we have a problem. It has been invaluable for us when we had a problem with a broken host that we were able to redirect our traffic to a different host to keep the business operational.
What is most valuable?
I have found the solution to be flexible, and the vCenter and vMotion useful. When we have a server that is down we can use the vMotion to use another host. Additionally, the backup feature and graphics are very good. The documentations are clear and easy to understand.
What needs improvement?
There was a time we lost the password for the ESXi and we had to do a hardware reset. At this point, we had to fill up the ESXi from the bottom up. I am not sure if there was another solution to this problem but it took a long time. We were told it would only be a few hours to resolve but in fact, it took one day. Having to explain this downtime to management was not the best experience.
In an upcoming release, there could be a better ability to manage and control the synchronization of the power in the vSphere.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution 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?
The scalability is good for everything we have been using the solution for. We have three IT users using this solution, if we upgrade our hardware we might increase usage.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support agents are not clear about the issues that are being discussed. They cannot address the problem or estimate the time correctly. In one particular issue, we needed to raise our ticket to the management level because they told us it would take two hours to be operational but the downtime was one day and one night. They should have first checked the vSphere technical aspects.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is very easy. It was not complicated at all.
What was our ROI?
This solution has kept our business operating and has saved us money.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is an annual cost for the use of this solution.
The price is a little high in developing countries. If they were able to reduce the price they would receive more customers now and even more in the future.
What other advice do I have?
I rate VMware vSphere 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.
Manager at SSMS
Easy to use and straightforward to implement with a nice dashboard
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is very straightforward to implement."
- "Technical support could be faster in terms of response times."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is primarily used for management. It offers easier control at multiple branches.
What is most valuable?
The product is stable.
The flexibility of the solution is very good.
The product is very easy to use.
The product offers a very nice single dashboard for complete management.
The solution is very straightforward to implement.
We found the scalability to be very good.
What needs improvement?
The solution doesn't seem to be missing any features currently.
It would be ideal if the integration capabilities were a bit more robust.
Technical support could be faster in terms of response times.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about five or six years. It's been a while at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable in terms of performance.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is very good. We haven't seen any issues with expanding it if we need to.
There are about 15 to 20 users on the solution at this time.
While we don't have current plans to increase usage, if the business grows, we likely will.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is quite good. They are helpful and knowledgeable. That said, their response times need to be better. We would like them to respond faster to queries.
Other than that, we are satisfied with their level of service.
How was the initial setup?
The product is not overly complex to set up. It's very simple and straightforward. A company shouldn't have any issues with the implementation.
We have an admin team that can handle any maintenance required.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are looking for opportunities with Nutanix. We are looking at it now.
That said, we did not evaluate any other products before choosing this solution. However, many years back, we did look into Citrix.
What other advice do I have?
We are using the latest version of the solution at this point. I cannot speak to the exact version number off-hand.
We are not integrating the solution at this time.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. I would recommend the solution to other companies.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Head Of Infrastructure & Cloud ops at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Helps with large scale deployments and maintenance
Pros and Cons
- "Also, the automated builds are being done through it, and we don't have to manually do it anymore. All of my AIS platforms are completely automated now with the VM suite."
- "It could be more composable. At present, a fluid pool is not available to us. It would be great to have the flexibility."
What is most valuable?
VMware vSphere gives us a complete landscape to manage the infrastructure in one view. With the REDOPS automation in place, it is easy for us to manage our VMs on top of it.
Also, the automated builds are being done through it, and we don't have to manually do it anymore. All of my AIS platforms are completely automated now with the VM suite.
What needs improvement?
It could be more composable. At present, a fluid pool is not available to us, and it would be great to have the flexibility.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with VMware vSphere for more than eight years.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support has been good. On a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, I would rate technical support at 4.5.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
VMware vSphere helps with large scale deployments and maintenance. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate it at nine.
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.
Solutions Architect at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Feature-rich, easy to implement, and easy to scale
Pros and Cons
- "I don't see any challenges in using this product."
What is our primary use case?
We are using vSphere as a multi-tenant platform. We are hosting VMs for a few of our customers.
What is most valuable?
We are utilizing all of the features and they are good.
I don't see any challenges in using this product.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using VMware vSphere for between three and four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable product and I haven't heard any negative feedback from my implementation team about it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We implement this product for medium and large-sized companies. It is easy to scale.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not personally been in touch with VMware support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have not used another similar solution.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation is an easy process for us, which is why we're using VMware cloud as a product. The length of time required for deployment depends on the customer. We need to know their requirements, and then we proposed timelines and inform them accordingly. It is defined by the number of nodes and the number of workloads.
What about the implementation team?
We deploy vSphere for our customers. We also offer maintenance and support as part of a managed service.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is quite an expensive product, although everything is included in the standard licensing fee.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, for me, everything with this product looks good and I can recommend it.
I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Solution Architect at KIAN company
A stable and scalable solution that is easy to install and has many features
Pros and Cons
- "Valuable features really depend on different projects. We are using the traditional infrastructure based on VMware vSphere. We are also using the high availability (HA) and Distributed Switch features to extend our network and switch between different hosts. The VMotion and SVMotion features are very essential for us to relocate the storage of virtual machines to different storage or vSANs. We are using VMotion and SVMotion features several times of the day. We are also using another VMware product to replicate a lot of solutions to a second replication site."
- "The biggest problem in this solution is the incompatibility of some of the features with some of the drivers installed on servers. For example, if I want to install vSphere on an HPE server, the driver is really different from a Dell server or a Fujitsu server. I need to download different drivers and install them manually, which can be improved by VMware. They can offer a special image to match different servers. We face different problems when we install vSphere on an ESXi server and have different drivers on the storage. ESXi cannot detect different kinds of storage, and they should improve this. We updated our existing version to vSphere 7 in a private environment, but it seems that this version is not very stable. We are facing issues with restarting the host. In earlier versions, such as vSphere 6 or 6.5, we didn't have any such problems. It would be good if VMware can offer specific applications for mobiles to enable us to control the management of all servers by mobile. They should also improve the vCenter GUI because it is currently not compatible, and there are a lot of problems. Some of the options do not appear well in the browser. VMware should spend more time resolving the problems in the GUI."
What is our primary use case?
We are using VMware vSphere and virtualization infrastructure for IT functions in my company. It is also used in other companies or industries, such as automobile factories, energy and gas factories, and State Universities.
What is most valuable?
Valuable features really depend on different projects. We are using the traditional infrastructure based on VMware vSphere. We are also using the high availability (HA) and Distributed Switch features to extend our network and switch between different hosts.
The VMotion and SVMotion features are very essential for us to relocate the storage of virtual machines to different storage or vSANs. We are using VMotion and SVMotion features several times of the day. We are also using another VMware product to replicate a lot of solutions to a second replication site.
What needs improvement?
The biggest problem in this solution is the incompatibility of some of the features with some of the drivers installed on servers. For example, if I want to install vSphere on an HPE server, the driver is really different from a Dell server or a Fujitsu server. I need to download different drivers and install them manually, which can be improved by VMware. They can offer a special image to match different servers. We face different problems when we install vSphere on an ESXi server and have different drivers on the storage. ESXi cannot detect different kinds of storage, and they should improve this.
We updated our existing version to vSphere 7 in a private environment, but it seems that this version is not very stable. We are facing issues with restarting the host. In earlier versions, such as vSphere 6 or 6.5, we didn't have any such problems.
It would be good if VMware can offer specific applications for mobiles to enable us to control the management of all servers by mobile. They should also improve the vCenter GUI because it is currently not compatible, and there are a lot of problems. Some of the options do not appear well in the browser. VMware should spend more time resolving the problems in the GUI.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable. However, we are facing some issues in a private environment after upgrading to vSphere 7. We are facing issues with restarting the host. In earlier versions, such as vSphere 6 or 6.5, we didn't have any such problems, and it has been very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. In my company, we have a lot of end-users, but around 16 users are involved with VMware products. We have different projects, and each project has around 10 users.
Our teams have a specific structure. We have an operational manager. After that, we have different technical teams. I am a Senior Infrastructure Architect, and in my team, there are around eight engineers. Out of these, five engineers are involved with VMware products, and two or three engineers are involved with the network and storage concepts.
How are customer service and technical support?
In my country, we cannot use direct support, although the direct support and technical support from VMware is very essential and influential to help and solve many problems.
How was the initial setup?
Its installation was very simple. Because we need to install vSphere on different servers, we do customized installations by using a script. It doesn't take more than 13 minutes to install each server and configure different settings.
What about the implementation team?
I did it myself. I have worked as a VMware consultant with different companies, and I am certified in VMware. We cannot use direct support and specific consultants in our country.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend this solution to most of my customers because it is very stable, and it has a lot of good features. In comparison to other solutions, I prefer to use VMware. I also recommend Hyper-V, but VMware vSphere is my first choice.
I would rate VMware vSphere 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.
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