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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    HPE Nimble Storage

    Score8.6 out of 10
    N/ANimble Storage was acquired by HPE in 2017. The enterprise flash array product line now goes by the name HPE Nimble Storage.N/A

    XenServer

    Score8.1 out of 10
    N/AXenServer (formerly Citrix Hypervisor) is a virtualization management platform optimized for application, desktop and server virtualization infrastructures.N/A
    Pricing
    HPE Nimble StorageXenServer
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    HPE Nimble StorageXenServer
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    HPE Nimble StorageXenServer
    Considered Both Products
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answer on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    11 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    11 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    91%
    Happy with the feature set
    10 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    11 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    11 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    HPE Nimble StorageXenServer
    Enterprise Flash Array Storage
    Comparison of Enterprise Flash Array Storage features of HPE Nimble Storage and XenServer
    Feature
    HPE Nimble Storage
    8.7
    12 Ratings
    2% below category average
    XenServer
    -
    Ratings
    Flash Array Performance8.011 Ratings00 Ratings
    Flash Array Integration10.010 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data Compression10.011 Ratings00 Ratings
    Non-Intrusive Upgrades10.012 Ratings00 Ratings
    Simplicity9.012 Ratings00 Ratings
    Power Savings5.011 Ratings00 Ratings
    Server Virtualization
    Comparison of Server Virtualization features of HPE Nimble Storage and XenServer
    Feature
    HPE Nimble Storage
    -
    Ratings
    XenServer
    7.6
    12 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Virtual machine automated provisioning00 Ratings7.011 Ratings
    Management console00 Ratings7.012 Ratings
    Live virtual machine backup00 Ratings8.010 Ratings
    Live virtual machine migration00 Ratings8.012 Ratings
    Hypervisor-level security00 Ratings8.011 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    HPE Nimble StorageXenServer
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    Proxmox VE
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Dell Compellent (discontinued)
    Score8 out of 10
    VMware vSOM (discontinued)
    Score10 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Everpure FlashArray
    Score8.2 out of 10
    IBM PowerVM
    Score9.6 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    HPE Nimble StorageXenServer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (28 ratings)
    7.0
    (12 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    Usability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.0
    (3 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.1
    (5 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    2.7
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    HPE Nimble StorageXenServer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    HPE Nimble Hybrid storage is very cost effective that can provide the same Latency, I/O and Bandwidth compared with any other All FLASH storage which is 3 times expensive than this. From a feature comparison standpoint of view, there isn't much difference between Hybrid Vs ALL Flash. HPE Nimble Storage uses ALL Flash disk at the front end to process the data thus by reducing the cost by using a regular SAS disk at the back end. Its the software and the algorithm that HPE Nimble StorageE uses to achieve this. having said that, the overall data reduction, de-duplication and compression is above the mark as what the sales team promised initially. Overall, the storage is performing well without any challenges.
    Incentivized
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    Cloud Software Group
    It can be really helpful & useful if we are using Citrix Hypervisor with other provisioning tools. Here are some specific scenarios where Citrix Hypervisor (formerly Citrix XenServer) is well-suited: Server Consolidation, Virtual Desktops, Disaster Recovery, Development & Testing Environments. On the other hand, there are some scenarios where Citrix Hypervisor may be less appropriate: Small-scale Deployments, Highly Heterogeneous Environments, and Limited Virtualization Requirements.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    • HP Nimble is basically an all in one SAN with SSD cache or in some cases fully SSD based however the thing it does the best is its front end GUI and user management capability making it easy for anyone to ramp up on managing it quickly.
    • The Nimble SAN is also very easily managed when it comes to hardware management. Outside of some major internal parts such as the mainboard, almost everything in the system is duplicated so single failures never bring the system down. Power supplies and drives are easily swapped out.
    • Nimble has incredibly capable and easily accessible support that is available 24/7.
    • The price point on Nimble, though higher than piecing together a home made SAN out of spare Windows Servers, is perfect even for some SMB's.
    Incentivized
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    Cloud Software Group
    • Citrix hypervisor does price very well for small organizations. It is free.
    • Since this product is open source it does not have any type of vendor lockdown issues.
    • Allows live migration of VM's so you can keep systems up and running when changes are needed to the hardware in the background.
    • The GUI management tools are quite easy to learn.
    • Has Snapshot capability which is a great way to protect against malware as well as do risk-free upgrades.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    • I'd like the GUI to include more information for some of the features such as replication data totals each night. You have to go to the command line for this.
    • It would be nice to have a feature built into the GUI that would show you the command line equivalent to get the same results you are seeing in the GUI.
    • Although the intial setup was easy, they could always improve on that portion. During my setup, I did have to do a lot of back and forth with research on their site as to what each setting was that I was setting up. They could have provided some sort of description for each field within the setup that would have made it easier to know what they were having us set up.
    Incentivized
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    Cloud Software Group
    • Adding or presenting additional storage to the host can often be a task that is far more involved than competitive products.
    • The product can require reboots more frequently than competitors due to the DOM kernel getting "hung up".
    • Sometimes when a virtual machine is deleted it still leaves behind orphaned vdisks.
    • Recovering from the loss of a host can sometimes cause virtual machines to require lengthy command prompt scripting to fix so they can be powered back on from another host.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    Nimble is doing its job well and any issues that do come up cause the Nimble support team to alert us before we would potentially see an impact to our production environment. I do wish we could expand into the unused space in the CS210 shelf which is limited by what I assume is a marketing/sales strategy, but we will likely add shelves moving forward.
    Incentivized
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    Cloud Software Group
    With the knowledge and usage of solutions from VMware and Microsoft offering more compelling cloud integrated options it makes it more compelling in many environments which I consult. XenServer is a good product and fits the bill in many smaller environments but as clients look to the cloud or a hybrid cloud it can in some cases make it a bit more difficult.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    Almost perfect, some hoops to jump through after major upgrade, but overall simple and effective. Our storage administrator really likes the integration with vmware as it makes his life easier. Also it was no trouble integrating it with our active directory credentials. The only issue we had was getting the plugin in VMWare going initially.
    Incentivized
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    Cloud Software Group
    XenServer is a good product in its use and probably free if you have the right Citrix licenses already. However, it does require specific knowledge to manage, which makes it harder to manage if you don't have that knowledge in house.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    It's been a little problematic in the past at larger VDI deployments requiring a bit more care and feeding than other vendors. But the latest releases (6.5.x) have brought about huge improvements in the stability and availability.
    Incentivized
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    Performance
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    When running like a top XenServer is a fantastic hypervisor. There is relatively low overhead on the Dom0 so workloads get the most of the resources.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    Any time I have had to contact support, they have always been quick to respond, and very efficient in resolving any issues. When an action has been required on our side for a fix, they have been very helpful in explaining step by step what was required, and when replacement parts have been needed, we've had them within 24 hours.
    Incentivized
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    Cloud Software Group
    The staff I've worked with are very knowledgeable or able to get a very well articulated and capable support team member on the phone or helping them if necessary and they always want to ensure the best experience possible for you on the platform. The ability for the support team to reach out to hardware vendors for assistance is a nice plus too.
    Incentivized
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    In-Person Training
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    Part of a training for certification to become a trainer for Citrix included an in-person training with a Master CCI. The XenServer training at this time was pretty simplified due to the product primarily being installed however you did have to work with it and mildly configure the system.
    Incentivized
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    Online Training
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    Haven't given it a real go with any online training however there are some options out there. I have taught a course following Citrix material for XenDesktop which leverages XenServer and it is pre-built so not the best for XenServer specifically for installation but configuration is mildly touched on
    Incentivized
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    Implementation Rating
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    Ensure you review the HCL (hardware compatibility list) and reach out to the hardware vendors to ensure they support the platform and in case they have documentation that can be followed for the implementation. Also ensure the prerequisites are completed prior to implementation so that as few unexpected delays occur as you can control.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    We used a Dell EqualLogic PS Series storage array for many years and it worked well. A big issue was that upgrading firmware required system downtime and during one upgrade I was unable to bring the systems back up afterwards. I spent several days on the phone over a holiday weekend with Dell and VMware support in order to get my systems back up and running. It made me very nervous about doing firmware upgrades after that.
    Incentivized
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    Cloud Software Group
    Feature for feature they are neck and neck. I have used Hyper-V 2012 and 2016, VMware ESXi and XenServer evenly. XenServer is a fast install, good documentation, with enterprise features out the box that compare or exceed what VMWare offered with a higher cost of entry.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    The servers latest versions have made massive improvements to scalability. But from past experience there have been issues when running workloads for extended periods of time without reboot on the hosts. I would need to run similar workloads on the 6.5 release which has changed much of the bottlenecks or issues so I'd imagine its far more capable now, Perhaps able to stand near the best in the market.
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    • 100% uptime 4 years and counting in a 24/7 environment.
    • Long hardware support lifecycle, with extremely affordable maintenance renewal plans that provide real value.
    • Nimble has been the most cost-effective SAN solution I have ever deployed.
    • The inital costs, ongoing maintenance, and administration requirements were all 50% less than EMC and NetApp.
    Incentivized
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    Cloud Software Group
    • Xenserver is easy to learn. We paid for support only for installation and deployment in the first three years, and now our team has the knowledge to solve most problems.
    • Low CAPEX if you have a team that uses open source software day by day.
    • But paid support is necessary to solve critical problems. The open source community is not enough. Actually, we have difficulty solving some bugs without paying for support.
    • Medium OPEX if you have a team that uses open source software day by day.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots