In assessing the impact of data center modernization efforts with Azure Stack HCI, Microsoft may currently focus on their cloud, and once they have their cloud in Saudi Arabia, this will be a significant change. Azure Stack HCI was viewed as a temporary solution for a private cloud with good features, though not comparable to what is available in Azure cloud. Work is still ongoing on the benefits of hybrid cloud with Azure. Azure Stack HCI has been rated a seven out of ten. License and cost are main reasons for this rating, as the issues faced in the beginning of implementation were significant hurdles for the operation team. The implementation was very difficult for the operation team at that time, as the necessary skills to implement and integrate this product were not available. One of the major issues was the support for the hardware after five years, including Cisco and HP, which created significant challenges for the operation team.
IT Solution Architect at a educational organization with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 5
Jul 3, 2025
I cannot assess Azure Stack HCI's capacity to support advanced container services like Kubernetes, as we have not used it for that purpose yet. We are using Windows servers for most of our infrastructure, where about 60% of our 130 servers are Windows-based. On a scale of one to ten, I rate Azure Stack HCI a seven overall.
I haven't used it for AI. It's not built for that. It's a good solution. It doesn't fit everyone, however, I'd probably rate it about a seven out of ten.
Engineering Technologist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Aug 21, 2024
Speaking about how Azure Stack HCI's scaling capabilities impacted our IT infrastructure management, I would say that the tool's scalability part is not that good because you, on paper, you can scale up to sixteen node clusters, but the optimal size of the cluster is somewhere between five to eight nodes or even five, six nodes at times. If you have four nodes with five million apps, then it won't mean that you can have eight nodes with eight million apps. You will have four nodes with five million apps and eight nodes with six million or seven million apps. The scaling-up process is not linear, and it is not the end of the challenge. I have never seen a customer doing many scaling-ups with the tool. It is quite a robust solution, but nowadays, we are not talking about the scalability features with the customers, as we are currently talking about the benefit of having a hybrid solution because it is connected to Azure, which can then allow you to consume some of Azure's services. It may not allow a user to consume everything under Azure's services, but a few of them can be used. Speaking about the integration with Azure services enhancing Azure Stack HCI's usage, I would say it is like a promise. When you keep asking what is available from Microsoft Azure Portal, you will find out that it is just the virtual machine deployment, and then you'll find out that the resource bridge can't support the virtual machines. It was more of a promise of what could be done in the future if Microsoft implemented it correctly. Everyone is eagerly waiting for 2024 Microsoft's release, which will most likely be in October. Azure Stack HCI support for initiatives in AI and machine learning is not something that Microsoft is discussing clearly. You can obviously use the GPUs that you can pass through into the containers, but there are no SKUs in Microsoft Azure Portal that can use the GPUs right away, so you have to attach them, making it kind of complicated, and there isn't a native AI available right now. It is a little challenging because Microsoft has to come up with something, but it hasn't come up with anything yet. I won't be able to recommend any other product in place of Azure Stack HCI. I recommend the tool to others. If you are into open-source tools, you would probably go with KVM, and if you know nothing about Microsoft, then Azure Stack HCI would not be the right solution for you. For most companies or corporations, Azure Stack HCI is suitable for them. It offers nice performance and specifications and is relatively cheaper than other tools. I used to work at Microsoft three years ago as a PFE. I used to write for workshops on how to use or what technology is used in Azure Stack HCI. I used to run the workshops. I trained internal people on the tool. I know a lot of big brands because I worked with the product managers at Microsoft, and we used to shape the products together. Even now, I still work closely with them, so I know a lot about the tool. I rate the tool an eight out of ten.
I will recommend the solution to others. The users must wait at least a year for the product to mature. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten because even if it is complex, it is a well-dealt product. Anyone considering Azure Stack HCI should first understand their environment and requirements. If it aligns well with a private cloud environment where they want to keep all their data on-premises but still have Azure integration, then I can definitely suggest a strategy for sure. There's also another product coming from Microsoft called Azure Edge Zone, but it's not yet publicly available in most regions. It's only in private preview in one or two regions in the US, not anywhere else. So, I wouldn't recommend that to customers. Right now, Azure Stack HCI is the best possible hybrid solution I can suggest.
Azure Stack HCI efficiently integrates software-defined networking and Azure Kubernetes Service, offering a streamlined hybrid setup for VM management while maintaining top performance.Azure Stack HCI enhances data center operations with high-end processors and storage, optimal Kubernetes support, and integration with Azure Arc and Azure Site Recovery. High application density in four-node configurations improves both time and infrastructure efficiency. Despite its strengths, the platform can...
In assessing the impact of data center modernization efforts with Azure Stack HCI, Microsoft may currently focus on their cloud, and once they have their cloud in Saudi Arabia, this will be a significant change. Azure Stack HCI was viewed as a temporary solution for a private cloud with good features, though not comparable to what is available in Azure cloud. Work is still ongoing on the benefits of hybrid cloud with Azure. Azure Stack HCI has been rated a seven out of ten. License and cost are main reasons for this rating, as the issues faced in the beginning of implementation were significant hurdles for the operation team. The implementation was very difficult for the operation team at that time, as the necessary skills to implement and integrate this product were not available. One of the major issues was the support for the hardware after five years, including Cisco and HP, which created significant challenges for the operation team.
I cannot assess Azure Stack HCI's capacity to support advanced container services like Kubernetes, as we have not used it for that purpose yet. We are using Windows servers for most of our infrastructure, where about 60% of our 130 servers are Windows-based. On a scale of one to ten, I rate Azure Stack HCI a seven overall.
I haven't used it for AI. It's not built for that. It's a good solution. It doesn't fit everyone, however, I'd probably rate it about a seven out of ten.
Speaking about how Azure Stack HCI's scaling capabilities impacted our IT infrastructure management, I would say that the tool's scalability part is not that good because you, on paper, you can scale up to sixteen node clusters, but the optimal size of the cluster is somewhere between five to eight nodes or even five, six nodes at times. If you have four nodes with five million apps, then it won't mean that you can have eight nodes with eight million apps. You will have four nodes with five million apps and eight nodes with six million or seven million apps. The scaling-up process is not linear, and it is not the end of the challenge. I have never seen a customer doing many scaling-ups with the tool. It is quite a robust solution, but nowadays, we are not talking about the scalability features with the customers, as we are currently talking about the benefit of having a hybrid solution because it is connected to Azure, which can then allow you to consume some of Azure's services. It may not allow a user to consume everything under Azure's services, but a few of them can be used. Speaking about the integration with Azure services enhancing Azure Stack HCI's usage, I would say it is like a promise. When you keep asking what is available from Microsoft Azure Portal, you will find out that it is just the virtual machine deployment, and then you'll find out that the resource bridge can't support the virtual machines. It was more of a promise of what could be done in the future if Microsoft implemented it correctly. Everyone is eagerly waiting for 2024 Microsoft's release, which will most likely be in October. Azure Stack HCI support for initiatives in AI and machine learning is not something that Microsoft is discussing clearly. You can obviously use the GPUs that you can pass through into the containers, but there are no SKUs in Microsoft Azure Portal that can use the GPUs right away, so you have to attach them, making it kind of complicated, and there isn't a native AI available right now. It is a little challenging because Microsoft has to come up with something, but it hasn't come up with anything yet. I won't be able to recommend any other product in place of Azure Stack HCI. I recommend the tool to others. If you are into open-source tools, you would probably go with KVM, and if you know nothing about Microsoft, then Azure Stack HCI would not be the right solution for you. For most companies or corporations, Azure Stack HCI is suitable for them. It offers nice performance and specifications and is relatively cheaper than other tools. I used to work at Microsoft three years ago as a PFE. I used to write for workshops on how to use or what technology is used in Azure Stack HCI. I used to run the workshops. I trained internal people on the tool. I know a lot of big brands because I worked with the product managers at Microsoft, and we used to shape the products together. Even now, I still work closely with them, so I know a lot about the tool. I rate the tool an eight out of ten.
I will recommend the solution to others. The users must wait at least a year for the product to mature. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten because even if it is complex, it is a well-dealt product. Anyone considering Azure Stack HCI should first understand their environment and requirements. If it aligns well with a private cloud environment where they want to keep all their data on-premises but still have Azure integration, then I can definitely suggest a strategy for sure. There's also another product coming from Microsoft called Azure Edge Zone, but it's not yet publicly available in most regions. It's only in private preview in one or two regions in the US, not anywhere else. So, I wouldn't recommend that to customers. Right now, Azure Stack HCI is the best possible hybrid solution I can suggest.