The Cisco UCS Series is a modular, high-density, high-availability, dual-node storage- optimized server suited for service providers, enterprises, and industry-specific environments. It provides dense, cost-effective storage to address your ever-growing data needs. Designed for a new class of data-intensive workloads, it is simple to deploy and excellent for applications for big data, data protection, software-defined storage environments, scale-out unstructured data repositories, media…
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HPE Integrity NonStop
Score 9.0 out of 10
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HPE Integrity NonStop is a line of blade servers, from Hewlett-Packard Enteprise.
You could use it in a small office scenario, remote office, small office. I've implemented that. Or you could use it in a big data center type footprint. So I wouldn't say that's any scenario where it's not usable, it's not suitable. It all depends on how you designed it and what bits you choose or you build it. So it's modular like Lego blocks essentially. If you need a small house, small Lego blocks, if you need a big house, it's like a block.
-It is highly advisable for the organization that is planning to deploy on Unix/Linux-based platforms and also windows. -We have faced issues while deploying it on windows but the support provided by HPE Integrity is excellent and quick. -HPE Integrity NonStop highly provides security for the data, it is possible to track where there the sensitive data got exposed if any. -Also, we can restrict the users who can use the data, so it is highly flexible, secured and for the audit perspective it is more effective.
Continue on development of platform management. Cisco has been notorious for terrible web applications but the functionality of this product is getting to where it is expected to be.
Recognition of this being a product in a competitive market. When I think of servers I do not think of Cisco. Cisco = Networking Dell,HP=Servers
3rd party interoperability. I love Cisco but being tied to proprietary hardware/software is not a functionality that the end user or customer benefits from.
Cisco UCS has been a highly reliable compute platform for our workloads, handling MSSQL, SSIS, virtualization (VMware vSphere), and analytics workloads with low latency and high efficiency. UCS Service Profiles and centralized management (UCS Manager, Intersight) make it easy to provision, scale, and manage compute resources efficiently across production and non-production environments. Our UCS setup integrates well with Pure Storage and Nimble HF40, delivering high IOPS, low latency, and fast throughput for data-intensive workloads. Cisco UCS hardware and licensing can be expensive compared to some alternative compute platforms, especially when considering cloud-based or hyperconverged options. While UCS can work in a hybrid cloud setup, it doesn’t natively integrate as seamlessly with public cloud providers like Azure or AWS compared to some newer solutions. We may need to evaluate Azure Stack HCI or AWS Outposts for future flexibility.
While Cisco's hardware is solid and long running, their software is usually the weak point. I will say that they are getting better with each release but if I had to find a problem with usability that would be it. Overall usability is good when you can work around software issues.
While the system generally provides high availability, we did experience a few hardware-related issues with the B200 M6 blades, especially compared to the older B420 M3 blades. These issues, while not frequent, did require attention and some downtime for troubleshooting and replacements. However, the overall uptime of the UCS platform has been solid, and the availability during most periods has been reliable. The hardware-related issues were isolated and manageable, but they impacted the overall availability score slightly.
The system performs exceptionally well in terms of speed and efficiency, with pages loading quickly, and reports completing in a reasonable time frame, even with complex configurations. The integration of UCS with other systems, such as VMware vSphere and storage solutions, has generally not caused noticeable performance degradation. The scalability of UCS allows it to handle growing workloads without significant slowdowns. However, the performance could be slightly impacted during hardware or firmware upgrades, but these instances have been rare and well-managed. Overall, the performance has met our expectations and continues to provide reliable results.
Cisco TAC is simply unbeatable and that goes for Cisco UCS server support just as well as it does for Cisco CUCM software. TAC has a well-deserved, excellent reputation and I do not hesitate to call them or open a ticket online, because I always know that I will get the help that I need and get it quickly
The training materials provided were generally informative and covered the essential aspects of the UCS platform, such as UCS Manager, Service Profiles, and integration with other systems. However, some of the training modules could benefit from being more hands-on and interactive. Additionally, certain advanced topics, like complex network configurations or troubleshooting hardware issues, were not covered in as much depth. Overall, while the training was useful, there’s room for improvement in terms of depth and practical application for more advanced users.
While there were some challenges, particularly with driver compatibility, network configuration, and hardware integration, the overall process was well-managed. The implementation team worked effectively to resolve issues, and we received great support from Cisco throughout the process. The training and knowledge gaps were addressed, and once the system was up and running, the UCS Series has significantly improved our infrastructure. The experience was generally positive, and any difficulties encountered were ultimately overcome with careful planning and support.
The scalability with the use of adding more server chassis and profiling them to be quickly deployable and manageable on one website. The communication that are linked to each servers and with the Cisco UCS Series. In chassis particularly, it's more convenient because we have less wires and less port to connect. So it's ease of use. Again, the Cisco UCS Series service profile and the chassis profile. That's awesome to use for scalability and to deploy new servers.
The system is highly scalable, allowing us to easily expand resources as needed, whether by adding compute blades, storage, or networking components. The centralized management provided by UCS Manager and Intersight makes scaling seamless, enabling us to manage growing workloads across multiple sites and departments without significant overhead. The cloud integration capabilities also help in extending UCS resources into hybrid environments, offering even more flexibility. However, scaling in very large environments might require careful planning to optimize performance and manage resources effectively
