2019-05-08T23:27:00Z

What advice do you have for others considering Dell EMC PowerMax NVMe?

Julia Miller - PeerSpot reviewer
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PeerSpot user
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53 Answers

KM
Real User
Top 20
2024-02-14T22:25:53Z
Feb 14, 2024

considering it's an enterprise storage solution, I would rate it a nine out of ten.

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Sven Rudolph - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant
Top 10
2023-12-04T13:54:00Z
Dec 4, 2023

We sell the solution, implement it, and support our customers. I recommend the solution to others. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

Hassan_Zaki - PeerSpot reviewer
Reseller
Top 10Leaderboard
2023-10-25T16:22:37Z
Oct 25, 2023

I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.

Branko Cirovic - PeerSpot reviewer
Reseller
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-10-02T07:56:33Z
Oct 2, 2023

I rate the product a nine out of ten.

PS
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-08-23T08:13:59Z
Aug 23, 2023

I rate the product an eight out of ten.

VS
Real User
Top 5
2023-07-19T14:17:28Z
Jul 19, 2023

You need proper technical knowledge to use Dell PowerMax NVMe. A classroom session will help users acquire more technical knowledge to explore and use the array. So it's not easy to dive deep in without technical knowledge. An instructor-led session would be helpful for users before using the array for the first time. Overall, I rate Dell PowerMax NVMe a nine out of ten.

Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerMax NVMe. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
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Rajesh Sudini - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-06-15T03:16:00Z
Jun 15, 2023

I would rate the solution a seven out of ten after considering factors like cost, stability and performance.

GehadSaid - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 10
2023-05-22T07:09:00Z
May 22, 2023

I would recommend using the solution. We have implemented it in a price-sensitive environment, especially for small businesses. I recommend this product for its specific use case, which is related to our SQL data, and banking accounting. This product handles this case well. Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.

RR
MSP
Top 10
2023-04-21T09:00:00Z
Apr 21, 2023

I would rate the product an eight out of ten. If you are looking to use the product, go for it. It will be beneficial for you in terms of daily operations and pricing.

Adam Nawrot - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 10
2023-04-04T08:44:50Z
Apr 4, 2023

People should test it before buying. I tested this solution and found it suitable for us. However, the solution depends on the specific application and configuration. So, testing before buying is essential. Overall, I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Sayed Zuber - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-02-14T08:48:00Z
Feb 14, 2023

I rate Dell PowerMax NVMe nine out of 10. If you have large applications with a high volume of transactions, Dell PowerMax is the number one solution.

MA
Real User
Top 20
2023-01-27T11:20:24Z
Jan 27, 2023

It's important to think about your workloads and define them. All right. I'd also recommend comparing prices, both within and outside Dell. Feature-wise the solution is perfect but because of the price, I rate this solution seven out of 10.

MH
Real User
2022-10-11T12:29:55Z
Oct 11, 2022

I rate this solution a nine out of ten. When we bought it, we accepted the high price, but five years later, we need to reevaluate before we buy the next generation.

HA
Real User
Top 20
2022-05-05T01:33:25Z
May 5, 2022

I would advise others to do their homework and assess their environment to understand their workloads. It's important to do testing and model your workloads against your expectations to push the boundaries. I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

NM
Real User
2021-12-28T15:10:00Z
Dec 28, 2021

The NVMe has great speed with an Oracle Database, but that is not that important for us. I often use the mobile CloudIQ client, which I find very useful. I would rate the solution as 10 out of 10. It works perfectly apart from the support costs.

HS
Real User
Top 10
2021-12-15T15:33:00Z
Dec 15, 2021

The solution is very stable and performs well. If you are doing research, look at the architecture of all the available vendors. Evaluate every storage solution with respect to architecture, the NVMe version they are using, and the hardware which they are using. Out of 10, I would give PowerMax a nine. It has worked very well for us.

VV
Real User
2021-12-08T01:52:00Z
Dec 8, 2021

I'd give PowerMax seven out of 10. There are also a few things PowerMax does that nobody else offers. For example, some of our other vendors don't have its replication or mainframe connectivity features. If you need that, you have to have a PowerMax or some kind of Dell solution. If you're planning on implementing it, you definitely need someone who knows PowerMax or a VMAX to take care of it for you. You can't just buy one and think that you're going to give it to someone who's never done it before. You need somebody with some experience on staff.

OO
Real User
2021-11-03T19:31:00Z
Nov 3, 2021

I would advise others to go for it. It is highly recommended for storage for enterprise-level and mission-critical IT workloads. It has fully met the expectations based on what is available in the market and from its competitors. They can do better with the price point to allow us to scale even more, but in general, the solution meets our expectations because one of our goals was to achieve a fine balance between the performance and the cost, and it seems we've been able to get that with PowerMax. It has not enabled us to consolidate open systems, mainframe, IBM i, block and file, or virtualized data with cloud-connected storage because we've not had use cases for these. Our use case has mainly been traditional in terms of: * Having data or raw disk groups allocated to all core databases. * Using the disk for virtualizing VMs for creating virtual machines. We are allocating storage to a physical host that we virtualize with VMware to be able to create a virtual context. In terms of the built-in QoS capabilities for providing workload congestion protection, I would give it a 4.5 out of a five. The 0.5 point is because sometimes we see, even from the dashboard, that the defined SLAs are violated. It is only for brief moments, and it could be because of any reason, but for the most part, the QoS service works. We have not used its CloudIQ features. That was one of the things that actually attracted us to it, but we didn't get to deploy it. If we review the notes again and find that we aren't exhausting what's at our disposal, we'll take it up again. Because of remote work and the sheer fact that the platform has been pretty stable without any issues, the administrators are comfortable with what they can get periodically, so they're not really bothered with checking on the mobile or checking the storage so often. We deployed SRDF but didn't utilize it fully. We use it for some of the use cases that have better tolerance for any latency issues. We also did the setup for MetroDR but didn't utilize it fully. It is because there is a bit of doubt around the infrastructure that we have in our country. So, MetroDR has not affected our storage and network bandwidth requirements because it has not been aggressively used. I would rate Dell EMC PowerMax NVMe a nine out of 10.

MG
Real User
2021-10-28T03:20:00Z
Oct 28, 2021

We use the PowerMax SRDF/Metro Smart DR, and the bandwidth is excellent but the equipment is in the same location. Overall, I don't see much that they need to do to improve the product. It's very good.

PN
Real User
2021-10-25T16:18:00Z
Oct 25, 2021

PowerMax is a good storage solution for the banking sector. Choose it for your core banking system, because of the dedupe and compression, the I/O, and the high availability for your data.

SP
Real User
2021-10-25T13:31:00Z
Oct 25, 2021

It is a good enterprise-scale storage. I would rate it nine out of 10. Generally, storage doesn't expose your data unless you have certain protocols. With PowerMax, it is too early to remark on data security because we just deployed it and migrated the data. We have not even done a proper drill or failover for data availability and data security. It is also too early to remark on workload congestion. Though, since we have been migrating the data, which is live data, I have seen the utilization and that is performing relatively better than our previous Dell EMC platform. From a technical perspective, you should have some technical training associated with the deployment. That is the one aspect that is complicated. Apart from that, everything is simple.

PC
Real User
2021-05-24T17:09:00Z
May 24, 2021

The solution keeps getting better. When you go with trusted vendors and time tested technology, things are going to go well for you. I would rate this solution as 10 out of 10.

JD
Real User
2021-05-19T14:12:00Z
May 19, 2021

PowerMax NVMe is very energy intensive, in terms of electricity. You need to spec that out properly. Just because it can fit in the rack doesn't mean it will work by sitting in the rack. You will probably need additional power, specifically just for PowerMax NVMe. It isn't important at this very specific moment that the solution provides NVMe scale out capabilities. However, it will be once we decide to add more drives into this and expand our storage. I would rate this solution as a nine (out of 10). There are definitely areas of improvement, but everything comes down to time and cost.

CM
Real User
2021-04-27T00:29:00Z
Apr 27, 2021

The biggest lesson I've learned using PowerMax is to trust it. For example, with the QoS, don't try and overthink this. It's engineered to take on diverse and disparate workloads. Put it in, watch it for a little bit, and if you don't absolutely need to turn on all the QoS, don't. Let it do its thing. Don't be shocked by the price per GB. Look at your cost of transactions or IOPS. The days of looking at storage as so much per GB are over. It's how much workload you can pass through that storage device. Overall, PowerMax is ideal for storage for enterprise-level, mission-critical IT workloads. That is really its strength, as is its ability to handle disparate workloads. I wouldn't use anything else for these high-end, critical workloads.

FA
Real User
2021-03-31T13:04:00Z
Mar 31, 2021

We are customers of Dell EMC. We are using the PowerMax 2000. My advice to other organizations considering the solution is to fully understand your use case, and test it. Make sure your functional and non-functional requirements are complete, understood, and documented with input and agreement from your internal stakeholders Definitely support your teams with education and training, even internal workshops. This will help make any transitioning smooth - a great tech solution can evaporate very quickly if your teams are not onboard and up to speed on day one. You need to have a good people strategy and processes before you start running away with the technology! Overall, I would rate the solution as an eight out of 10.

AW
Real User
2021-03-15T08:00:31Z
Mar 15, 2021

We're resellers. We actually use the PowerStore 3000 and 1000 products. I would definitely recommend this solution to other organizations. We've been very happy with it. I would advise people to make sure that you introduce the features and benefits of NVMe and the power and speed and articulate that well to management or the customer. I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. It's not perfect. It's evolving. However, it's almost perfect.

JD
Real User
2019-05-09T00:25:00Z
May 9, 2019

From what I've heard people seem to think that the cost of the array is prohibitive. And I would tell them to look at the ROI and do their cost analysis on it because from what I've found, cost per gigabyte is much lower than what it was for previous arrays as well as the overall cost of ownership in the reduction of the footprint in the data center is enormous. On a scale from one to ten, one being the worst and ten being the best, I would rate the product an eight or nine. So far it's been great.

JH
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

Our SLAs are extremely tight, and we've had zero issues. I would highly advise going with the PowerMax.

TP
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

Ensure whomever you work with knows the solution and you get feedback from other customers. It has good performance and speed, but it is still lacking in training and knowledge. We are only using Unisphere of the performance management and monitoring tools, as we are not that familiar with the other ones available.

DS
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

It's effective at doing what you need it to do. It's fairly high-powered, but the management interface has a long way to go to be made simple and easy to use. If you have mainframe, you have few choices, and this is a good choice. If you don't have mainframe, there are a lot of products on the market which are much easier to use. It depends on your requirements. SRDF/A is quite good, but even other cheaper arrays have synchronous and asynchronous replication. I don't know that I would look at a product line for this unless your needs are either enormous that you need a box this big or mainframe centric. The Unisphere has gotten a lot better. It is fairly easy to dig into and find things. It has been a long time coming, but it's there.

JC
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

My advice is to buy this array. We use CloudIQ and we use Unisphere, but for day-to-day management, we prefer to automate all tasks with REST API. For now, I would rate this product at nine out of ten. We have tested it and it seems to be resilient and as fast as we need. But we have to do more tests, such as on the replication. That's important for us.

SL
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

We do a lot of managed services. Where we get a lot of use from the data is we gather a ton of statistical data about our customers: How they're growing and using their own data. Therefore, we have a lot of metadata about our own customers that we have to sort through. From a consolidation standpoint, it's nice to have all of that in one place. It comes back to performance. We have to be able to pull from a lot of different customers, and do it simultaneously. I find that PowerMax is improving performance for workloads, like VMware, SAP, Oracle, and SQL Databases.

PC
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

Look at Dell EMC storage solutions. They have been around for a long time and are time-tested. The R&D department is constantly improving its offerings with better features, better performance, great return on investment for your purchases, and amazing support. Dell EMC bends over backwards to help its partners and customers get what they need out of this stuff. It's time-tested and trusted. PowerMax gives our storage engineers everything they need to do their jobs successfully.

SG
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

This should be on your shortlist. You should really take look at PowerMax. They're reliable. They do everything you could possibly want and much more. They have a lot of features that other arrays just don't. We'd rate it as a ten. It has done everything that we've asked it to do and much more.

TD
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

The new version of the Unisphere Solution Enabler is really good. It is a very straightforward workhorse of our block storage portfolio. It is one of the best block storage arrays out there. It is a very solid machine that has been around.

RL
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

PowerMax has been great for us. We are doing SRDF/A.

JK
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

Talk to other people who have the people. It has been a great experience for most of my customers. It's pretty much where it needs to be. For the most part, it is solid.

DT
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

There is nothing that is not there.

AT
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

It is a really good product. We never max out on the performance.

JB
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

Study the integration very carefully, as far as how you're going to integrate it into your environment, such as how you're going to use ESRS and the other solutions which Dell EMC offers. As far as provisioning, storage, and use of the array, it's been very simple to use. For the PowerMax 8000, a million IOs is our minimum requirement. We have yet to be able to test that, but that is our minimum base requirement for a PowerMax 8000.

DS
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

It's a very strong platform for compression, deduplication, and performance, which makes it tough to compete with. We use PowerMax as a dedicated Tier 0 for our product.

PA
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

Use PowerMax.

LW
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

I would recommend this product to other customers. It is a very good solution for a remote office, a test environment, and maybe, production. It is not that big. We have a lot of other Dell EMC solutions: Unity, Isilon, and VxRail.

JK
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

I would definitely give it a shot. It is so easy. Dell EMC has been so good with us in terms of evaluating the product and seeing it run side-by-side against other products and vendors. So, it has been great. We were pretty satisfied with what we got.

RR
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

It is a product that people take for granted.

MT
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

We are happy with what we have.

MV
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

The product is good. Test it yourself. Assess it against other solutions, and you'll be impressed. Data plays a role in digital transformation, automation, and database decision-making. I am looking into CloudIQ. We're not at the NVMe architecture mode yet.

SA
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

We have already recommended this product to two institutions who called. Our view of the product is positive. Our experience has been positive. As head of IT, my worry was about the migration. We believe in the technology, but how could we achieve a smooth migration? What I have seen was amazing beyond expectation. Things have been so positive, overall. The migration process from older VMAX arrays to PowerMax is very good. The data dependency is tremendous and the results we got from the migration were amazing. They were beyond our anticipation. Things went smoothly, mostly, with the SRDF technology, and the critical systems were not taken down, so we had 24-hour continuous operation. We have attended a couple of technical sessions which talked about how to do some analysis on the box, from the box, using the Dell EMC tools. We are exploring those tools to see how we can take advantage of them and improve productivity. We have faith in the solution and would rate it an eight out of ten. The rating will depend on fixing the issues we are facing.

SW
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

We did not go with this solution for the consolidation because in the banking environment we have to isolate the various applications. It's a requirement of the business. I would rate PowerMax at nine out of ten. I have used many different storage systems, all the major VM technologies, but I find that with Dell EMC there are no issues.

PV
Reseller
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

Engage a reseller to analyze the workloads and do the data-driven architecture behind it. Use the data to drive the solution and make sure it meets your requirements. There is so much innovation in it. They have been very relevant in terms of the Tier 0 workforce. It really differentiates itself in the market. It meets the needs of what we're trying to do from a file level perspective for performance and capacity. If you live and breathe by your data, there are a lot of features in PowerMax which allow you to protect yourself from ransomware and other types of relevant threats today. It is not just about a platform for running mission-critical apps. It's also protecting mission-critical apps through features that prevent ransomware infection. If you get infected, it allows for recovery of that data without having to pay the ransom fee or other alternatives.

JL
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

I would give PowerMax a nine out of ten, only because we had that single issue with the compression module failing. Otherwise, it did exactly what we wanted it to. It wasn't as fast as the XtremIO, but we didn't think it was going to be as fast as that in the first place. The XtremIO was somewhat oversized. So from a performance standpoint, we were very happy with it.

AJ
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

I would recommend this product. For us, this is the best product.

TT
Real User
2019-05-08T23:27:00Z
May 8, 2019

Look at it. Don't be afraid of its complexity. It has great performance. Data is core to our business. Have an array with our data on it is very important to the business.

Dell EMC PowerMax is the world’s fastest storage array. With end-to-end non-volatile memory express (NVMe), real-time machine learning, seamless cloud mobility, and up to 350GB per second bandwidth, PowerMax features high-speed smarts to power your most critical workloads. PowerMax is true modern scale-up and scale-out storageת designed for mission-critical applications of today and tomorrow – including databases and transaction processing applications as well as real-time analytics...
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