Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers and HPE ProLiant DL Servers based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Rack Servers solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. HPE ProLiant DL Servers Report (Updated: March 2024).
772,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Q&A Highlights
Question: Are there any comparisons of HPE & Cisco servers using Benchmarks?
Answer: Have never used Cisco servers. HP is my server preference since they bought out Compaq so long ago. If you have ever called tech support for either company, you would definitely choose HP over Cisco.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The most valuable features of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are agileness, ease of operation, and manageability.""The product doesn't take up too much space on the rack and I like that.""The server can be configured easily.""The solution is easily scalable.""We have many people in my organization using Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in the administration.""The hardware customization capabilities are great.""It has centralized our server management and allows us to treat servers like a pool of resources instead of discrete devices.""Cisco rack servers are very easy to integrate with other products from different vendors."

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"The most valuable feature is stability.""The initial setup was easy.""The product is scalable and stable.""HPE ProLiant DL Servers are a great product. We don't have many complaints.""HPE's iLO server management software is a handy tool to install and deploy.""The setup was easy and not complicated.""The solution is stable and reliable.""The initial setup for HPE ProLiant DL Servers is easy."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers Pros →

Cons
"The product's stability and delivery time could be better.""Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers can improve by providing customization features to allow us to deploy them on the cloud. For example, we need VMware to allow us to accomplish a cloud deployment.""Definitely the support area needs improving. Especially the time response in case of hardware failure.""In the version we need to use, the manager is still reliant on a full Java install on a Windows OS. This is inconvenient and problematic if you have multiple management tools on different versions of Java or if you move to a machine without the appropriate Java environment.""I think the pricing is high. Cisco has to look for bundling this solutions with other applications.""Its accessibility and manageability can be improved. Currently, we have to visit the office to manage it. It should be manageable outside our network. I would like it to be on the cloud.""The scalability of the product is an area of concern where Cisco needs to focus on making some improvements.""The solution needs more capacity and more scalability."

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"In the HPE ProLiant DL Servers generation nine, there was a problem when the expansion cards were installed on the server. There was only a small amount of room for the top expansion cards that hand could insert or remove the cables inside.""The cost of the solution is high and has room for improvement.""The solution could improve by providing more best practices from an architectural point of view. What are some recommended configurations for use, such as in a VM environment? HP provides some best practices but they are based on VMware, not on Red Hat. It would benefit for others to see the different use cases. How the HPE ProLiant DL Servers were used in the context of Red hat virtualization, and some configurations as an example to allow us to identify some points that we can improve in our platform. We could make our system more reliable and scalable.""In Qatar, HPE doesn't have as much support as Dell. I would recommend Dell if given the option because it has a solid local presence.""The technical support is pretty good, however, they could be a bit faster and more responsive.""The initial configuration process could be simpler.""The licensing fees are expensive and have room for improvement.""The solution is a little bit expensive."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "If they plan to expand their infrastructure in periods, then simply Cisco is not a good choice."
  • "​Best to buy all the blades configured for the same purposes of load balancing and failover or load shifting.​"
  • "Cisco is expensive, but we didn't look at the cost of the product. We were looking at reliability and support."
  • "This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."
  • "This product is quite expensive and it would be better if it were cheaper."
  • "This solution is a little expensive."
  • "The solution could be more cost-effective."
  • "Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis, which is only $2,000 or $3,000."
  • More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "​An investment in DL380 is worth it."
  • "​If you have to include the warranty, enhance the warranty support.​"
  • "This is an expensive product and there is licensing required for iLO, which is the HPE monitoring system."
  • "We have ILO licenses. We use this feature."
  • "It is just too expensive."
  • "This product is within our budget."
  • "The price is a little too high; it could be reduced."
  • "The price of the product is a little high."
  • More HPE ProLiant DL Servers Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Answers from the Community
    Anonymous User
    it_user685269 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user685269 (Principal Solutions Architect with 51-200 employees)
    User

    Another good question to consider is, how deeply are security and anti-tampering features built in? With the advent of Gen 10 servers HPE is implementing this right down in silicon whereas the rest of the marketplace is still using firmware features to try to accomplish this. This is arguably too late in the process to be able to guarantee what BIOS code you are actually running, what back doors have been slotted in or what spyware ‘features’ have been embedded!

    Also, look where HPE are going with Synergy. They have taken a huge architectural leap forwards and the roadmap is hugely impressive.

    it_user538686 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user538686 (Director Corporate Systems Division at a tech services company with 51-200 employees)
    Consultant

    I don´t know in deep Cisco servers, but if you compares a HP and a CISCO with identical hardware (same chipset, processor, amount of RAM,..), the benchmark are very similar.
    In my humble opinión, it is very important ask for the warranty and tech support. And most important: if you need someday add more hardware to your server, you must know before if you don´t buy it to the server manufacture, you loose the warranty.
    It is very tipical some server manufacturer sell very cheap their machines but when you need to add more memory and/or hard drives, it is obligatory buy them to the server manufacturer... an very expensive.

    it_user685269 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user685269 (Principal Solutions Architect with 51-200 employees)
    User

    I would suggest visiting spec.org as there is a wealth of information available there. The benchmarks are run by the vendors but within guideline and industry verified. There are many different benchmarks available through this site depending on what you are really interested in.

    Hope this helps

    it_user564180 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user564180 (Solution Architect Manager (Solution Engagement, IEWA) at a tech company with 10,001+ employees)
    Real User

    Depending on what kind of workload you are looking for, you can find some info. / results from www.spec.org. Since Cisco UCS and Proliant DL are commonly used servers in enterprise, there should be test results of various benchmark on these server models.

    it_user204816 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user204816 (Senior Cloud Consultant in CSIRO at a tech services company with 51-200 employees)
    Consultant

    As per my experience, CISCO UCS C-series is having scalability issue but for HPE ProLiant DL RACk server is good in terms of scalability. HPE tech support is much better than CISCO UCS.

    Bob Whitcombe - PeerSpot reviewerBob Whitcombe
    Real User

    I suggest checking the key benchmark sites directly – TPC-C, SAP etc. Each benchmark is designed to test a specific system capability.

    www.tpc.org

    global.sap.com

    I have attached the URL’s. The SAP testing is most revealing for overall systems performance and scalability. The most recent certifications show Cisco UCS servers eclipsing their HPE counterparts by notable margins. Standard Proliant systems are lower in total lines processed than Cisco units, and you have to move up to the HPE Synergy line to beat lower end Cisco C240 servers. However, the higher end 4-way Cisco C480 handily beats Synergy.

    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers offer flexibility and efficiency in order to meet mission-critical demands. I like that Lenovo blends outstanding performance, reliability, and manageability. The… more »
    Top Answer:The most valuable feature of the solution is HPE Integrated Lights-Out (iLO)...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
    Top Answer:The product is expensive. I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price. On the needs of the customers, the product offers a lot of support… more »
    Ranking
    5th
    out of 22 in Rack Servers
    Views
    5,091
    Comparisons
    2,794
    Reviews
    13
    Average Words per Review
    332
    Rating
    8.4
    2nd
    out of 22 in Rack Servers
    Views
    14,568
    Comparisons
    12,140
    Reviews
    24
    Average Words per Review
    402
    Rating
    8.7
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
    HP ProLiant DL series, HP ProLiant DL
    Learn More
    Overview

    UCS C-Series Rack Servers deliver unified computing in an industry-standard form factor to reduce TCO and increase agility. Each server addresses varying workload challenges through a balance of processing, memory, I/O, and internal storage resources.

    ProLiant Servers provide a complete infrastructure that support both your business objectives and your business growth.
    Sample Customers
    Advanced Medical Transport, Aegean Motorway, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Artoni Transporti, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, City of Mississauga, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Kind en Gezin, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Nationwide, Quest, Talbots, University of St. Gallen
    AmeriPride Services, iSource, Bolagsverket, BlueShore Financial, British Columbia Assessment Authority, National Stock Exchange, Cardlytics
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm19%
    Comms Service Provider19%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Engineering Company6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company25%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    University6%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm15%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Energy/Utilities Company10%
    Comms Service Provider8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Government9%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business36%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise43%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business25%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise60%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business31%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise54%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business31%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise52%
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. HPE ProLiant DL Servers
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. HPE ProLiant DL Servers and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    772,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is ranked 5th in Rack Servers with 29 reviews while HPE ProLiant DL Servers is ranked 2nd in Rack Servers with 156 reviews. Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is rated 8.4, while HPE ProLiant DL Servers is rated 8.6. The top reviewer of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers writes "The VIC card is the most important feature". On the other hand, the top reviewer of HPE ProLiant DL Servers writes "Good availability and management console with good reliability". Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is most compared with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers, Dell XR2 Rugged Server, HPE Synergy and IBM Power Systems, whereas HPE ProLiant DL Servers is most compared with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers, HPE Apollo, IBM Power Systems and HPE Synergy. See our Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. HPE ProLiant DL Servers report.

    See our list of best Rack Servers vendors.

    We monitor all Rack Servers reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.