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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Scale Computing Platform

    Score9.2 out of 10
    Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
    Scale Computing offers edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions for customers around the globe. Scale Computing HyperCore software promises to eliminate traditional virtualization software, disaster recovery software, servers, and shared storage, replacing these with a fully integrated, highly available system for running applications. The vendor says that, using patented HyperCore™ technology, the SC//HyperCore self-healing platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and…

    $249

    per year per core

    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
    Scale Computing PlatformXenServer
    Editions & Modules
    Standard
    $249
    per year per core
    Professional
    $312
    per year per core
    Professional Essentials
    $5,600
    one-time fee
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Scale Computing PlatformXenServer
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsPricing shown in U.S. Dollar. Pricing for other regions available on request.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Scale Computing PlatformXenServer
    Considered Both Products
    Scale Computing
    Chose Scale Computing Platform
    As mentioned previously, not having to worry about the compatibility between your hardware, hypervisor, and VM OS is a great help. On the downside, there is less ability to get deep in the weeds with your own system. Much of the Scale HyperCore OS is locked down intentionally, …
    Incentivized
    Chose Scale Computing Platform
    Easier to use, better performance.
    Incentivized
    Chose Scale Computing Platform
    HC3 blows XenServer out of the water. The backup process is so much easier, the interface is much easier to follow, and Scale has a built-in portal in the background to remote in and help with issues.
    Incentivized
    Chose Scale Computing Platform
    We have built out several test environments and have demoed all of these products and we were not able to build out or purchase an environment that performed as well or had the features as Scale HC3 for the same investment.
    Incentivized
    Chose Scale Computing Platform
    Citrix was our oldest virtual environment and it was tired when we retired it fully. But when testing newer systems it would have taken more time and was not as easily adaptable to grow our system. Hyper-V may be the basic MS virtual environment but the configuration of LUNs …
    Incentivized
    Chose Scale Computing Platform
    We previously used XenServer and had constant issues with reliability and management of the VMs. It was a pain dealing with three different entities when an issue came up. We had the server vendor, Citrix, and the NAS vendor. When there was an incompatibility issue or an issue …
    Incentivized
    Chose Scale Computing Platform
    We've used VMWare and Citrix in the past. We recently attended a GMIS conference in South Carolina and enjoyed the overall simplicity of the product. Performance is up by about 30% over Citrix Xen-Server and the cost of the products is significantly less. We had purchased 5 …
    Incentivized
    Chose Scale Computing Platform
    For us, the ease of use, affordability and support from Scale are the main reasons we chose to go with them.
    Incentivized
    Chose Scale Computing Platform
    I have experience with VMware and XenServer. These products were overkill and quite a bit pricey for the very basic functionality we needed.
    Incentivized
    Cloud Software Group
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    75 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    74 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    75 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    99%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    73 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    69 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Scale Computing PlatformXenServer
    Server Virtualization
    Comparison of Server Virtualization features of Scale Computing Platform and XenServer
    Feature
    Scale Computing Platform
    -
    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
    Scale Computing PlatformXenServer
    Small Businesses
    StarWind HCA
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Proxmox VE
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    StarWind HCA
    Score8.6 out of 10
    VMware vSOM (discontinued)
    Score10 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure
    Score9 out of 10
    IBM PowerVM
    Score9.6 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Scale Computing PlatformXenServer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.8
    (245 ratings)
    7.0
    (12 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.4
    (22 ratings)
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    Usability
    7.5
    (40 ratings)
    7.0
    (3 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.1
    (245 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    2.7
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Scale Computing PlatformXenServer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Scale Computing
    Scale is best suited to environments that do not have excessive external or proprietary peripherals. Integrating with tape drive backups or robot tape libraries can be problematic. The most effective use of Scale systems is for companies running multiple instances of the same operating system. The hypervisor's code/file-sharing nature does an excellent job managing new instances while keeping the increase in storage to a minimum.
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Pros
    Scale Computing
    • Simplicity - I do not have to create storage buckets or micromanage anything.
    • Efficiency - Lower power use since moving to a hyperconverged environment.
    • Scalability - Adding additional hardware is easy, and increasing things like the amount of RAM or number of cores is easy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Cons
    Scale Computing
    • Dedicated Lights-Out Solution for low-end systems
    • Ability to replace smaller storage drives with larger ones, rather than requiring the addition of an entire node for storage increases
    • Different UI views for VMs: ability to minimize certain groups and have that persist through log-ins
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Scale Computing
    Since I have had no issues with downtime; easier management of my cluster and the ability to lower the number of devices in my Infrastructure, I will gladly renew my support contract with Scale Computing HC3 and upgrade my equipment with them when it comes time for it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Usability
    Scale Computing
    Everything you need to do is point-and-click easy. If you are the kind of admin who wants to edit every config file and endlessly customize your environment, then Scale may not be for you. On the other hand, if you just want it to work really well, and do what they told you it will do, then Scale is the ideal system.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Scale Computing
    Never had an outage or an error. Once a hard drive failed, but Scale kept on working flawlessly without interruption.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Performance
    Scale Computing
    Performance has been just as outstanding as reliability. I have never experienced delays in any aspect of usage.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Scale Computing
    They are very knowledgeable about their own products and hardware addressing my concerns or issues very quickly and on the first contact. Calls concerning VMware migrations and Acronis backup took a little more time for more complicated issues, but the Scale Computing Platform techs were diligent to stay on top of issues until they were resolved. Most of my issues have been with the initial setup/migration.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Scale Computing
    I did not do in-person training.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Scale Computing
    Because Scale is so simple, the training is just as quick and easy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Scale Computing
    The implementation was very easy. We had Scale support on standby and they were ready and eager to help if needed. The process went so fast the employees in the organization did not even know it was done.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Scale Computing
    We previously used Microsoft Hyper V and VMWare and, before that, a room for single-purpose servers. My satisfaction with Scale is because it is a more straightforward product to install and use; it has incredible speed and reliability. In the past, getting support from Microsoft was labor intensive, and with VMWare, there was a language accent barrier.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Scale Computing
    HC3 is one of the best products I have purchased for our district. It is unbelievably reliable to the point that they shoot themselves in the foot on support contracts.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Scale Computing
    • With the high cost of the leading competitor the savings starts day one and saves every year after.
    • Scale can be administered by a tier one technician so cost of labor is reduced.
    • If there is a problem like a cyber attack, the savings kick in with the least amount of downtime.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Scale Computing Platform Screenshots

    Screenshot of Scale Computing Fleet Management Dashboard - 
At-a-glance summary of the health of the fleet upon login.Screenshot of Cluster Details -
Details of a particular cluster, including health, fleet manager connectivity, nodes, and VMsScreenshot of Scale Computing Fleet Manager -
Manages an organization’s fleet of Clusters.Screenshot of Hypercore UI -
Simple Web Interface for Local Management of the Cluster and its Workloads