Private Cloud with Microsoft System Center
December 16, 2016

Private Cloud with Microsoft System Center

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Microsoft System Center

We used Microsoft System Center and Windows Azure Pack to build our Private Cloud. On the backend we are using VMware. We built self service portal with WAP, approval process with System Center Service Manager (through WAP portal or email), automated deployment of the requested vms with Orchestrator and VMM. Everything is monitored with Operations Manager. Right now we are using it only for our DEV environment but next step is to do for our production environment. Developers can request vm (windows, red hat, Linux) in different regions and get the vm in less then 1 hour comparing to days through traditional way.

Our Desktop Support team is managing images and software with Configuration Manager.

  • System Center Orchestrator - best tool for automation I have ever used.
  • System Center Virtual Machine Manager - nice way to manage your hyper v and VMware infrastructure.
  • VMM - currently you can't build vm from Linux template and customize the vm if you are running VMware on backend.
  • Service Manager - email notification could be better, for a lot of notifications we need to use Orchestrator.
  • Standardization and Support - because everything is standarized and manage from one console, your IT team can concentrate on other things.
  • Time - from user perspective, saves time to request and get vm. From engineer perspective, they don't need to waste time on building and customizing vms.
  • Saving time saves a lot of $$$ for the company.
  • Easy software deployment to the desktops and inventory.
We built our POC of the private cloud with vRealize Suite and Microsoft System Center. We are VMware shop so we thought the vrealize will be solution for us but we found pretty fast the vRealize Suite is very limited and very expensive compare to Microsoft. With System Center you have just one license which includes everything. With vRealize Suite you can automate only building vms or applications. With Microsoft Orchestrator you can automate any IT task you want (for example new hire onboarding).

If you are thinking to build Private Cloud, I think it is a great product. I have experience with few VMware vrealize and I think Microsoft product is much more flexible and it has many more features.

If you are not thinking to build Private Cloud but you are Hyper V shop, the product is a must.