it_user321576 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Engineer at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
DRS helps us to balance data storage and the workload of our datacenters. However, if we lose a host, it doesn't report which VMs were affected

What is most valuable?

  • HA - for restarting failed VMs on good hosts
  • vMotion - ability to migrate between different hosts
  • DRS balances data storage and workload of datacenters

What needs improvement?

Reporting. If I lose a host, I have to report what was on that host, what was affected, and for how long. We create our own power state report providing info on hosts, and I would like reporting for what VMs were affected and what was the fault, what hosts were affected and restarted by HA. You can get third-party reporting, but it would be great to have it built-in.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Extremely stable, only issue is the type of hardware that we run it on. When we get a vendor image (HP, Dell, Cisco), they inject their own drivers into hypervisors, and it is only time we see issues. It’s so resilient, that these problems aren’t even evident and they can go unnoticted.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Very, very good scalability. Four years ago, we had 300 VMs across 32 hosts, now we have 2000 VMs across 132 hosts.

Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about VMware vSphere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

How are customer service and support?

From time to time, we have relied on them, mostly for troublshooeting specific VMs when a vendor wants to blame resources. Whenever we have bad memories or drivers injected by vendors, they’ve helped us remediate those issues.

How was the initial setup?

I was involved in a redesign, which was very straightforward and easy. We just changed the hardware from rack style to blade, expanding all hosts and underlying virtualization layers. It was seemless and customers didn’t notice anything different.

What other advice do I have?

Even with no reporting, it's near perfect, because reporting would just make things easier, and not having it doesn’t impede performance.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
System Engineer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
By centralizing the customization process while removing common hardware problems, it makes the provisioning and deployment of virtual servers and clients quick and predictable.

What is most valuable?

  • High Availability
  • Distributed resource scheduling & vMotion
  • Robust management toolset for automating routine tasks

How has it helped my organization?

vSphere provides the infrastructure framework to manage server and client systems in a multitude of user environments, from dedicated virtual workstations to short-term use systems. vSphere makes the provisioning and deployment of virtual servers and clients quick and predictable, centralizing the customization process while removing common hardware problems.

What needs improvement?

Fault Tolerance, which was introduced in version 5.5 and improved in 6.0, is a promising feature that has potential to ensure highly critical system availability in the enterprise environment. It presently has vCPU limitations which makes its deployment scenarios limited, but VMware has made great strides between the two versions, indicating that its usefulness will continue to improve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used it for four years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

ESXi has some specific hardware requirements that administrators should make sure they are able to meet before deploying. While the platform can run on a considerable range of hardware, various features make use of specialized virtualization instruction sets in the hardware CPU that make the hypervisor suited to only a fraction of the common server hardware on the market. This is not a bad thing, as the benefits from these advanced features are well worth the cost of more advanced hardware. This is the only circumstance in which I have encountered obstacles to deployment.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No. The vSphere hypervisor is exceptionally stable, and the higher-level vSphere environment is quite adaptable to a fluctuating datacenter environment.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No. The ability to expand the capacity of the vSphere environment is one of the core capabilities of the product.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Efficient and knowledgeable.

Technical Support:

Good value, particularly considering a support contract is required with the purchase of vSphere licenses.

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

No previous solution was used.

How was the initial setup?

It's straightforward, as vSphere is a mature product with well-rounded documentation, and an easy-to-understand interface.

What about the implementation team?

Our system was installed by a vendor team, but was configured in-house. Our vendor team provided a solid architecture solution, but it was insufficient for our requirements.

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

Licensing is not a major obstacle to adopting this product in an enterprise environment. VMware does offer some specialized vSphere editions for small business environments in which cost may be a considerable factor. There is a wide range of options provided by VMware with suitable price points for each license.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other options.

What other advice do I have?

Have a plan for system virtualization before pursuing vSphere. Often, the actual needs of an organization, particularly small and medium sized, are overestimated which leads to spending more for a product or product license than is necessary.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user280818 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user280818Systems Engineer at a engineering company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User

vSphere Fault Tolerance was introduced from vSphere 4.x. And in vSphere 6.0, it is still called vSphere FT but in abbreviation for vSphere Symmetric Multiprocessor Fault Tolerance.

See all 2 comments
Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about VMware vSphere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Infrastructure Engineer at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Makes my environment very reliable, and it is easy to manage and implement
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a very dependable solution. Its performance is very good, and it is also easy to manage and implement."
  • "They can lower the price of its license."

What is our primary use case?

I use it for my infrastructure, and we can also use it for our simulation environment and training. We can use VMware in a simulation environment to test the environment we need.

How has it helped my organization?

It makes my environment very reliable.

What is most valuable?

It is a very dependable solution. Its performance is very good, and it is also easy to manage and implement.

What needs improvement?

They can lower the price of its license.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this solution for more than six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. In my organization, we have about 2,000 users. Its usage is very extensive. We use it daily.

How are customer service and support?

Their technical support has been very good.

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

I have used Microsoft Hyper-V.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to implement. It is a very good solution.

What about the implementation team?

I can implement it myself. On one server, it takes a maximum of one hour. We have a technical team of three people for deployment and maintenance. We have one manager and two engineers.

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

Its price could be lower. There is the cost of one license, and then there is the subscription cost for support.

What other advice do I have?

It is a very fine and reliable solution. I would rate it a nine 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
Founder & Technology Advisor at EUC Solutions
Real User
Easy to set up and maintain, feature-rich, professional support
Pros and Cons
  • "It is the number one virtualization-layer platform available, and a lot of people trust it."
  • "To manage it properly, you have to know this product really well."

What is our primary use case?

The primary reason our customers use vSphere is to consolidate their workloads and realize the other benefits that virtualization provides. For example, they create HA or VM-level HA to facilitate DR.

Essentially, our clients use vSphere for all of the reasons that people use a virtualization layer.

I am a virtualization technician, doing software technology consulting for virtualization and VDI. 

How has it helped my organization?

This is a solution that is normally very straightforward. It doesn't give you many surprises. It's very stable. However, one should have good knowledge when it comes to it because sometimes, you have to use the command line for troubleshooting. For unseen problems, you sometimes need to dig deep to troubleshoot.

What is most valuable?

vSphere is a robust and feature-rich virtualization platform. It is the number one virtualization-layer platform available, and a lot of people trust it.

Many other platforms now provide similar features but VMware was the first to provide enhanced recorders, DRS, fault tolerance, vMotion, and others. They pioneered these features and they are very stable.

VMware also provides software-defined storage, vSAN, which is built into the kernel. This is a plus point.

Other good features include DRS, HA, fault tolerance, vSAN, and vCenter is a very good management interface.

This platform is easy to maintain. 

What needs improvement?

To manage it properly, you have to know this product really well. For the most part, it is very easy to use.

For how long have I used the solution?

I began working with VMware vSphere in 2007 or 2008 when it was version 3.x. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is the most stable virtualization platform available.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In the three years that I have been running my consultancy, I've found that VMware is always part of a large project. Most of the time, I have had a good experience with it.

We have done multiple enterprise services projects using this solution. For example, we were working on a Horizon View PoC for a client.

vSphere is scalable; you just have to add to your cluster and it will increase. You can scale up or scale-out, like any other software. Basically, you can add to it as much as you want to.

I trust VMware products and I definitely want our installed base to increase. I want to enhance my own knowledge and skillset, as well. As we move forward and expand, I am equipping myself with more cloud knowledge and focusing on new technologies. One new product that I am looking at is Carbon Black. Throughout this, I will continue to promote VMware because they are a vendor that I trust.

How are customer service and support?

The VMware support is very professional. Most of the time we've used them, they were very good.

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

As a technology consultant working for customers with varying requirements, I work with other virtualization platforms. Two of these are Microsoft Hyper-V and Citrix XenServer.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very easy and there is nothing difficult about it. Initially, some people get stuck when they are setting up the supporting services, like DNS, but other than that, the setup is plain and simple.

The length of time required for deployment depends on whether your disk is an SSD. If so, then the copying will be fast. Also, if you have more memory then it will install quicker. 

Regardless of how it is set up, you have to build the basic infrastructure to put in most of your workloads. Sometimes, you manage an existing one but most of the time, we have to deploy a VMware infrastructure.

A single person can basically manage it, although this depends upon the deployment size. If it's a huge deployment, then it requires a good design and it requires proper planning. You need to know your capacity requirements, for example.

If you understand the environment and the design then maybe you can segregate the work into two or three people. Sometimes if it's a small project, a single person can do it. It all depends on the files and complexity of the solution you are providing to the customer.

What about the implementation team?

We deploy this product ourselves.

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

The licensing model is not complex.

It is a perpetual licensing but there is also an annual maintenance cost. The price of the solution depends on the features that you want. You can have a very basic setup or you can choose a more advanced set of features. The more features that you want and the more extensive your requirement is, the more you have to pay.

What other advice do I have?

In Pakistan, for the most part, organizations are still catching up in terms of the cloud. There are no large data centers because cloud providers do not exist locally. Neither AWS nor Azure has a presence.

The closest data centers to us are Singapore and Dubai. As such, the cloud is not very popular yet and most of our customers have on-premises deployments. We do expect this to change.

My advice for anybody who is implementing this product, or any piece of software, is to have a reasonable level of knowledge in advance of the deployment. That is key in IT.

If you are a consultant, as opposed to an end-user, then you need to have a deep knowledge of the product because there are circumstances where you have to go beyond the normal configuration. Sometimes you have issues that can only be resolved if you are well-equipped with the knowledge.

I also recommend that people plan their deployment. VMware is a wonderful product and it will definitely provide you with the functionality to meet your technical requirements. You will be a very satisfied customer while using it, but the key is to know the product and plan things properly.

Overall, this is a good product and I do not feel that there is much missing. It is the best virtualization platform available.

I would rate this solution a ten 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
IT Operations Support at a energy/utilities company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Stable, simple to scale, simple to operate, and has helpful support
Pros and Cons
  • "The virtualization this solution offer is very complete for the infrastructure."
  • "The support for the latest version could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use VMware vSphere on our main computer systems and we are using the Center Configuration Manager from VMware for the solution as well as vCenter for replication.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the tech manager from the utilization.

The virtualization this solution offers is very complete for the infrastructure. It meets our requirements and our needs.

It is very easy to operate.

What needs improvement?

The support for the latest version could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with VMware vSphere for ten years.

We began with version 4.0 and are now working with the most recent version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

VMware vSphere is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

VMware vSphere is a scalable product.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support from VMware is very comprehensive and helpful.

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

We use several solutions such as Microsoft Azure, Oracle, and we use VMware for our infrastructure.

We also have another solution for disaster recovery.

We used Microsoft Azure for testing with the model phone credit. It was for testing only.

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

In my opinion, the price is not cheap, nor it is expensive. It's average.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Currently, we are starting on study for implementing the software design network, and I am evaluating options because I want to know the latest information about the products.

We are also evaluating NSX to implement it in the future.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate VMware vSphere a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
IT Administrator at a healthcare company with 201-500 employees
Real User
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.
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
PeerSpot user
Senior System Engineer at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees
Real User
Feature-rich, easy to install, stable, with good support
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to use."
  • "They have multiple components required for the setup. It would be better to integrate it into one solution, especially for small business companies."

What is our primary use case?

We are resellers of VMware products. We sell both VMware vSphere and VMware vSAN.

This solution is used for infrastructure virtualization. It is deployed to get the most benefits of our hardware or for the user's hardware.

What is most valuable?

It is easy to use.

The features are very rich.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see it more open to working with other platforms.

They could improve the pricing. The license could be cheaper.

They have multiple components required for the setup. It would be better to integrate it into one solution, especially for small business companies.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been acquainted with vSphere for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a scalable solution. We have between 10 and 20 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is fine.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

Depending on the environment, it can take a couple of days to complete the installation and configuration.

We have a team of two engineers to complete the entire setup.

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

It's a perpetual license paid on a yearly basis.

A customer can buy a license and support on a yearly basis.

The pricing should be more flexible and more affordable for the customer.

What other advice do I have?

I can recommend vSphere to other users who are looking into implementing it.

I would rate VMware vSphere an eight 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: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware vSphere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware vSphere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.