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Infrastructure Engineer at a hospitality company with 51-200 employees
Real User
The security features and implementation are very easy
Pros and Cons
  • "VMware vSphere allows you to run multiple virtual machines."
  • "The most valuable feature of VMware vSphere is the ability to work in a big system infrastructure."
  • "I recommend that VMware vSphere continue to release more features."

What is our primary use case?

VMware vSphere allows you to run multiple virtual machines. For example, I can run up to 10 computers, virtual servers on one physical server. 

We have at least 10 people using this solution in our organization.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of VMware vSphere is the ability to work in big system infrastructure. For example, you can move one bridge, one machine to another, or one virtual machine from one server to another. This is beneficial when you want to put a server under maintenance.

Also, the security features and implementation are very easy.

What needs improvement?

There is nothing from my perspective that the product needs to improve. It works for all my needs.

I recommend that VMware vSphere continue to release more features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware vSphere for 7 years.

Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about VMware vSphere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

VMware vSphere is scalable.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, I had used Hyper-v. VMware is a much better solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of the solution is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We use third party support for this product.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate VMware vSphere a 10 out of 10.

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.
PeerSpot user
IT Support Officer at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Secure and stable platform for managing virtual environments; has a support team that provides diligent assistance
Pros and Cons
  • "Stable and secure management console for virtual environments, with a diligent technical support team."
  • "The VMware vSphere app is faster, compared to its web-based client. The web-based client is very slow, freezes, and is challenging to use."

What is our primary use case?

We are using VMware vSphere to manage the virtual environment. We use it for visibility and for managing the host.

What is most valuable?

What I want to see, I can get easily from VMware vSphere, because I know how to navigate it, as I've been using it for years. I also don't have issues with its operation, stability, and security. I also find the VMware support team diligent when they assisted me with the issues I raised.

What needs improvement?

Before the latest versions of this software, we used to work with versions 5.5 and below. We used VMware vSphere as a client, as an application, e.g. it was not web-based. Now that has changed, because they've moved it from the application to the web-based version. It's the only change I've seen which I found very difficult because it was challenging to connect to the web, particularly because it can be very slow. It freezes, unlike the app version which was absolutely perfect.

The performance was better with VMware vSphere as an app, but not with the web-based client. The web-based client could be improved, in terms of its speed. It could be faster, but I also just learned that since everything is moving to cloud, there's a reason why there's a web-based client now.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware vSphere for almost 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I don't have any problems with the stability and security of VMware vSphere.

How are customer service and support?

I had to engage with the VMware technical support team once or twice last year because we had a disaster, and they were able to assist me diligently.

How was the initial setup?

The installation for VMware vSphere was a one-time installation. You do it once,  and that's it.

What about the implementation team?

I had a consultant do the VMware vSphere installation for me.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We pay for the license of VMware vSphere yearly.

What other advice do I have?

We are using VMware solutions. We are running the VMware standard edition. We also have VMware vSphere and VMware ESXi.

We are running the latest version of VMware vSphere: 7.0. We started with version four of this software.

I wouldn't say that there are features that I like the most about VMware vSphere, because it's just a normal management console. It's a default client management software for the virtual environment. It's just a console that we use.

We have been using the software since we enrolled into the virtual CRR, so we are used to it. I can't say whether it's easy to use or not, because I've been using it forever. I can't do any comparison. To say it's easy to use or it's not easy to use would not suffice, because I've been using it for years, so I know how to navigate the platform. What I want to see, I can get easily from VMware vSphere.

I don't recall the last time we installed the software, and even if it was a difficult process, I wouldn't know, because that would best be answered by the technical team, who keeps installing it for different lines. For me it was something that was done once.

We only have one engineer who takes care of the deployment and maintenance of VMware vSphere. The software is only used by fewer than five people, e.g. just the administrators. We're not increasing the number of users, because there are only just a few people needed to man the environment.

I would recommend VMware vSphere to others, particularly because when I contacted them about some issues, they assisted me diligently.

From one to ten, I'm rating VMware vSphere an eight.

When you talk about performance improvement of VMware vSphere, you have to look at other factors. You look at the whole infrastructure. You can't look at the software alone, because when it comes to performance, you also have to look at your hardware. You have to look at your storage. It isn't just the software, e.g. VMware vSphere, that you are using. For example, the last time we had an issue, it wasn't only because of the VMware side. It was also because of our storage, e.g. Our storage capacity was full, so we had to engage VMware. To improve performance, the VMware infrastructure as a whole should be improved, which means changing the storage, storage accessories, etc. VMware vSphere is only connected, and it's only a software that is running on the hardware, so to improve performance, we also need to talk about and look into the hardware aspects of the solution.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about VMware vSphere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1173861 - PeerSpot reviewer
Global IT Infrastructure Architect at a wholesaler/distributor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Provides infrastructure resiliency, good documentation, and easily grows with our requirements
Pros and Cons
  • "The fact that we have the ability to easily scale out, and the ability to do maintenance on the underlying hardware without impacting our business applications, are important aspects."
  • "The challenge that we have is keeping the system up to date, as well as having the internal resources to maintain that platform. We're not an IT company, so it's challenging for us to keep the IT resources in-house."

What is our primary use case?

We use vSphere to host all of our business applications, as well as our in-house developed applications. We also use it for the software components that support our IT team.

What is most valuable?

The core components are the most valuable aspect of this solution. The fact that we have the ability to easily scale out, and the ability to do maintenance on the underlying hardware without impacting our business applications, are important aspects. In general, we have better control over what kind of systems are impacted when we make changes.

What needs improvement?

The challenge that we have is keeping the system up to date, as well as having the internal resources to maintain that platform. We're not an IT company, so it's challenging for us to keep the IT resources in-house. It is for this reason that we are now investigating public cloud offerings.

We would like to see VMware move in the direction of having a working model on the application level. The next level of virtualization, most likely container solutions, is what we're interested in. That would avoid us having to support the operating system and tooling. Overall, it would make it easier for us from a customer perspective to use it.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a fairly stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Absolutely, vSphere is scalable. We have approximately 4,500 users connecting to this system and we increase our usage by approximately 10% per year.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is a combination of VMware and our integrator.

If we have major issues or we are making major changes, we typically go through the integrator. They have a partnership with VMware.

We typically deal with the less severe or impacting changes and issues. In general, that goes pretty well. The software is pretty well documented, so usually, we have a quick fix if we run into problems.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not work with another similar solution prior to this one.

How was the initial setup?

Our deployment was a project that took a couple of weeks. It was not major. The last upgrade went smoothly, as well. In general, the time that it took to put things in place was acceptable.

Our only complaint about the implementation is about having the resources with the requisite knowledge. That's our biggest challenge.

What about the implementation team?

We use an integrator to do the initial implementation. In case we have major changes to make, we will again hire the integrator to do that work.

What was our ROI?

With respect to our return on investment, this product is definitely worth it. It is not cheap and there is a cost associated with additional licenses, but there are not very many options.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost of the licenses is acceptable and we haven't seen any major increases from the vendor in the time we've been using it. This is not a cheap product but it's an investment.

There is a cost associated whenever we need to add licenses.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We reviewed a couple of options and at that point in time, VMware was one of the strongest players. This was especially true because they had a lot of partners and integrators in the region, which quickly led us to choose them. Selecting another solution would be more challenging for us, especially in getting the required support.

I don't think that we're going to expand further or improve upon our current solution. We are now investigating to what extent the public cloud offerings are a better match or solution for our use cases.

What other advice do I have?

In summary, this is a very stable solution and it has been that way for years. So far, it's been a very good fit. The only question is today, is it still worthwhile investing in on-premise solutions, or are cloud solutions at a level where we can move production nodes to it? That's basically our question and I'm guessing a question that a lot of other companies are asking themselves.

I would rate this 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.
PeerSpot user
Technical Account Manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Simple to manage, user-friendly, and good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is user-friendly and easy to manage."
  • "The installation can take a long time, they need to improve on the simplicity and length of the installation."

What is our primary use case?

This solution is used as a virtual and a clustered environment. We provide a minimum of two central storage server clusters and the maximum we have is for approximately four server clusters. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is user-friendly and easy to manage.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by providing better information on what other products it is compatible with. For example, we have customers that do not like AMD Chipsets used with VMware but it is not a technical issue, they need to bring more awareness. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware vSphere for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found the stability to be good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

we have approximately 50 customers using the solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

The customer service is good.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward because it comes with the appliance, you only have to deploy the appliance. The installation can take a long time, they need to improve on the simplicity and length of the installation.

All the customers who have the VMware have the vSphere because there is no single installation.

What about the implementation team?

We have five technicians for the installation and maintenance of the solutuion.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a perpetual license for this solution and the support is a yearly subscription.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. If you use VMware, then you need to use vSphere to manage the clusters.

I rate VMware vSphere 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
PeerSpot user
Enterprise Architect at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Good integration and virtualization but a bit expensive
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution allows for very good virtualization."
  • "There are certain tools the can't run in parallel and occasionally, in those instances, we have trouble migrating customers from one source to our data center."

What is our primary use case?

We have a variety of customers with different use cases. Many can't go to a public cloud, and so we give the option of a private cloud. If they can go to a public cloud, may use a hyperscaler such as AWS or Azure on their applications. 

How has it helped my organization?

vSphere is easy to integrate with multiple third-party tools. We're using Carbonite, for example, for migration. We are also using vSphere and vCenter for integrating with a CA product. 

What is most valuable?

The solution allows for very good virtualization.

It makes migration processes easy.

The product offers a lot of functionality. It helps use manage everything for the client.

The solution can be integrated with multiple other technologies. If you have Cisco CSA solution, for example, it integrates well. 

If you want to use third-party tools, you are able to do so. 

With respect to the Windows environment, it's very, very easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Commercially, you see other products, like Nutanix, which offers a free hypervisor. It would be ideal if this solution was the same in that regard.

There are certain tools the can't run in parallel and occasionally, in those instances, we have trouble migrating customers from one source to our data center.

If I'm replicating workload from the data center and, I have to migrate some of the workload to my location, I have to stop that application. Only then I can run vSphere. That is the biggest challenge. If both the tools cannot run in parallel, it becomes a problem. There should be some sort of way to run these two products in parallel.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for a number of years. It may be about eight at this point.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability has been very good. We haven't had any issues thus far with bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is quite good. You can scale it horizontally and vertically if you need to. It's quite flexible in that sense. A company that needs to expand it shouldn't run into any issues.

The solution can have ten to 15 nodes. 

Currently, we use the solution quite extensively in our organization. We do plan to continue to increase the usage of the product in the future.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is okay. We're pretty satisfied with the level of service we are provided. They seem to be pretty knowledgeable and responsive. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We also use Nutanix, however, we don't use that solution quite as extensively.

VMware has much better functionalities. They have integrated IDs and some functionalities. as well as load-balancing which Nutanix doesn't have right now. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not complex. It's rather straightforward.

We can deploy the solution in three to four days, typically. We deploy multiple clusters and we take three to four days in terms of grid installing. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

In terms of pricing, a little bit of improvement is required. There is a lot of competition in the market. If you talk about Nutanix, Nutanix is much cheaper than this product. Very recently, we lost out on a contract due to the pricing.

What other advice do I have?

We're a partner with VMware.

We are a data center service provider. We sell these services to customers. We are not using it for ourselves only. We are also selling the solution to our customers. In that sense, there's always a plan to increase vSphere.

Overall, we're pretty satisfied with the solution. I'd rate it a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1447761 - PeerSpot reviewer
Assitant Director - IT at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Makes it easy to create virtual machines and very stable but could be more user-friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "It's not a particular feature, really, however, I can say that the solution is just easy to maintain, and makes it easy to backup all those VMs. We can easily save our data and we can deploy VM machines very fast and create the delivery of the server in a pretty simple, dynamic way."
  • "The solution could be a bit more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

I'm always sort of working with the servers, therefore, whenever there is a requirement for a different kind of server, I deal with it. For example, one of my departments asked me to provide one server where they can store some files. Instead of getting a full physical server, we created some virtual machines on vSphere and gave it to the department so they could store their data there. That is one where we are using the server. Sometimes we buy software from outside, and there are specific requirements on hardware - for example, X amount much of RAM is required, Y amount of CPU is required, etc., so we try to use the vSphere to create the virtual machines for that.

What is most valuable?

It's not a particular feature, really, however, I can say that the solution is just easy to maintain, and makes it easy to backup all those VMs. We can easily save our data and we can deploy VM machines very fast and create the delivery of the server in a pretty simple, dynamic way.

Our company has very limited requirements. We just create VMs and deploy VMs on the machine and give the users access. It's solving our problems perfectly. I'm not using any advanced features right now, however, it is sufficient. 

It's very simple and I really like it overall. 

What needs improvement?

I can't think of any features that are missing. I'm not really using any advanced options and don't have complex requirements.

The solution could be a bit more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for eight years now. It's been quite a while.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. We've never had any issues. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale. If a company needs to expand it out, they can do so with relative ease.

There are four or five users that work directly with the solution, however, we have it deployed to many departments, so it's used quite a bit in the company. We have about 10-20 servers that are running on the machines.

Right now, we're happy with it, however, we may move to a different product that is even more scalable in the future, That's yet to be decided.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've dealt with technical support in the past. Whenever we've logged a ticket, it's resolved very well. Everyone is quite knowledgeable, and whenever there is a requirement to follow a query, their tech team resolves those queries very efficiently and our problems were always resolved. We're pretty satisfied with their level of service.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We didn't previously use a different product.

We're considering moving to a different product in the future that could potentially scale even better than this. The reason we haven't moved yet is the fact that it's not easy for us to deploy and migrate all the machines from VMware to any other product.

How was the initial setup?

We didn't actually handle the installation, and therefore I can't really talk about the process, as I wasn't involved directly.

The company that we bought had installed the vSphere for us and that server is still running from last year. We haven't touched it.

What about the implementation team?

The solution was actually installed by the company that we ended up buying, and therefore we didn't directly handle any aspect of the implementation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We have the licensing for the solution and the perpetual license which we have allows us to choose whether we want a support license separate or not. It's not an overly expensive solution. The pricing is average.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We're currently in the process of evaluating other options on the market to see if there are open-source options that could work for us or products that scale even better than vSphere.

What other advice do I have?

We're just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with vSphere.

We aren't using the latest version of the solution. The near version is sufficient for us and it's solving our requirements.

Overall, I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

While I would recommend it due to the fact that it's solving my problems, I am evaluating other products that may be better. There may be an open-source option that could also work for us.  That said, this product is great in that we are using it hassle-free.

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.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Manager IT at a healthcare company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 20
Very beneficial with low space and easy manageability
Pros and Cons
  • "Its DR facility is good. Within a moment, data can be retrieve from another physical location over the Internet. The speed to recover data is good."
  • "OS templates should be readily available, so there is no need to get an OS separately. Only the activation part should be different, which is not presently available due to the need to get the OS from a different location, then create VMs."

What is our primary use case?

  • Implemented private cloud.
  • Created different OS VMs
  • Implemented backup policies.  
  • Implemented network solutions.

Due to clustering, if any VM or server goes down, then within a moment it can be back. Even if a node goes down, then automatically all the VMs shift to another node. That is thr beauty of the product. It supports different platforms: Windows, Linux, Unix, Ubuntu, and many more. 

How has it helped my organization?

It is very beneficial with low space and easy manageability. Due to this product, we have saved space, energy, and durability. We have a lot of VLANs for different floors and services. This requires different VMs all implemented in one place. 

Users get tremendous speed. As an admin, I found it's usable to manage all services from a single location or point. We have already implemented private cloud, so in an emergency users can work from home. It's suitable for all users. 

What is most valuable?

SimpliVity backup and restoration is more suitable and its best feature. If any file or folder is missing and needs to be restored, then within a moment you can recover it. Simplivity has its own backup system, so there is no need to purchase separate backup software. 

All data has security. 

Multiple OSs can be created on a single platform. 

Its DR facility is good. Within a moment, data can be retrieve from another physical location over the Internet. The speed to recover data is good.

HPE uses flash drive, so its working speed is also better. Its node has 2U rack space, so it saves space.

What needs improvement?

OS templates should be readily available, so there is no need to get an OS separately. Only the activation part should be different, which is not presently available due to the need to get the OS from a different location, then create VMs. If it connect with Internet, it should ask this during VM creation with the help of selection. It should auto download the OS so it will be beneficial only at time of activation by entering a valid key. If a key is not valid, then it should start with a trial version. 

For how long have I used the solution?

More than three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It requires proper maintenance and attention to work smoothly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product is expandable, as per requirements.

How are customer service and technical support?

My experience is really good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

No, we only selected this solution at the start.

How was the initial setup?

The concept is new. We found it a little complex at the start but the operational part was normal.

What about the implementation team?

Our vendor supported the implementation. After that, we did it in-house.

What was our ROI?

As per our requirements and usability, the product is good.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

After getting a headache, you will find the cost is reasonably cheaper.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We compared with Nutanix, IBM, and HPE. We got all the technical details, benefits, and functionality.   

What other advice do I have?

Before selection of any product, first determine your own requirements, study them, and then present solutions.

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.
PeerSpot user
Internship Student at NA
Real User
Distributed vSwitch and vSphere are the two most valuable features

What is our primary use case?

Server virtualization.

How has it helped my organization?

Consolidation and normalization.

What is most valuable?

Distributed vSwitch, and vSphere.

What needs improvement?

Improvement in price.

For how long have I used the solution?

Three to five years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware vSphere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: November 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware vSphere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.