The primary use case is virtual machines.
Pure Storage FlashArray Review
Data deduplication features make it easier to manage storage and forecast growth
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
We can now quickly roll out multiple instances of virtual machines or FlashArray storage, more than we could before.
What is most valuable?
Speed: Things function pretty quickly for our SAN management team. We have seen a good reduction in the amount of total storage space that we're using because of the deduplication.
It runs fast and is easy to use, and our SAN manager likes it.
What needs improvement?
The way Pure Storage does the controller storage warranty or replacement has been an issue for some people who just replace the controllers every couple of years, and that's where some of the confusion with pricing and support has come in. They should be clear on the way the controller replacements happen, as it is important to know whether or not you can get a good return on them, because it can be a little confusing.
I rated the solution as a nine out of ten because I knew about a disk failure. Other than that, it would probably be a ten. Disk failures are out of anybody's control.
For how long have I used the solution?
Less than one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It seems highly scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
From what I have heard, the technical support has been good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We went with Dell EMC first. When we had a ton of trouble with it, we dumped it for Pure Storage.
What was our ROI?
We are fairly new to using it, so we'll have to wait to see what our data usage is over the next year or so.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost was initially high, but once more people were using it, the costs came down. This was because the University was reselling it to other departments.
What other advice do I have?
It simplifies storage. Data deduplication features make it easier to manage storage and forecast growth.
Disclosure: IT Central Station contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Dec 31 2018
Author
RobertJones
Associate Director of Computing Services at Carnegie Mellon University
Real User
Highlights
Pros
Data deduplication features make it easier to manage storage and forecast growth.
It simplifies storage.
Cons
The way Pure Storage does the controller storage warranty or replacement has been an issue for some people who just replace the controllers every couple of years, and that's where some of the confusion with pricing and support has come in. They should be clear on the way the controller replacements happen, as it is important to know whether or not you can get a good return on them, because it can be a little confusing.
Pricing Advice
The cost was initially high, but once more people were using it, the costs came down. This was because the University was reselling it to other departments.