Inexpensive Storage
October 29, 2018
Inexpensive Storage
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Exablox
We are using Exablox in two ways. First, as a SMB file share for departments in the college, and second as a datastore for our VMware ESXi environment.
- Exablox is simple to setup and relatively easy to use.
- Exablox is priced very competitively and is a good value for the cost.
- Exablox has good customer service.
- Exablox is still in its infancy as a company and in some respects the product feels like a version 1.0.
- Integration with VMware ESXi has some bugs that need to be figured out.
- We purchased Exablox specifically for our ESXi environment, so we are hoping to get the wrinkles worked out to see a greater return on our investment.
Exablox was much less expensive than other storage arrays and I think there are a lot of reasons to purchase them. I believe that as the product matures, it will be a great option for storage.
Using Exablox
50 - IT, Faculty, Staff, and Students
3 - Basic networking knowledge, SMB file sharing, ESXi configuration, and NFS datastore familiarity.
- Esxi datastore for running College websites, databases, DevOps, and internal IT tools.
- SMB file share for department files and faculty data.
- Not really anything innovative, Exablox was purpose built for certain things, and that is how we use it.
- We have been experimenting with product called OneXafe from StorageCraft that uses Exablox as a primary target for backups, which includes dedup and replication. Exablox makes a perfect platform for those backups and for replication of those backups to their cloud.
Evaluating Exablox and Competitors
Yes - We replaced a NetApp FAS SAN. The NetApp was due for replacement due to age. It was running standard spinning disk that was relatively slow. The Exablox gave us a SSD solution at a great price.
- Price
- Product Features
- Existing Relationship with the Vendor
We did not have a single most important factor in our decision, it was performance (all-flash) at a great price. So really it was Product Features at great Price.
I think we would have made the same decision. Exablox was the perfect fit for us.
Exablox Implementation
- Implemented in-house
Change management was minimal - Adding Exablox to our environment had little impact on our management processes. For change management, the typical adding of a device to the server room (power and network) and the change to add a datastore in VMware were all that were necessary.
- We did not have any issues during implementation.
Exablox Training
- Self-taught
Exablox was very easy to learn. I would definitely recommend others to train themselves. No need to pay for training.
Configuring Exablox
Spend some time getting familiar with the configuration pages in the browser to see where things are. Once you know where to go to configure the storage it is very simple.
No - we have not done any customization to the interface
No - we have not done any custom code
We did not do any customization.
Exablox Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response | None |
Yes - As part of the purchase, we included 3 years of premium support. Because of the way the University handles budgets, we are rarely able to get additional funding after the initial purchase. Therefore, by policy, we always purchase 3 to 5 years support as part of the initial purchase.
Yes - The issue we have been seeing with our Exablox is a bug. Our Exablox 5210 is a brand new product and, as such, has a few wrinkles that are still being worked out. Exablox as been very responsive as we work through through the concerns.
We had a file share issue, which was more of a user training issue, connecting Exablox to our Active Directory domain. StorageCraft sent someone to our office to work through the issue with me.
Using Exablox
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar | None |
- The initial configuration was simple. Upon powering on the Exablox you get an IP address. The remainder of the config is done in a browser using a setup wizard.
- Setting up SMB shares and NFS share was a simple matter of going to the Shares webpage and filling in a few settings.
- None.
Exablox Reliability
Integrating Exablox
- The only "integration" we attempted was using Exablox with ESXi.
Integration with VMware was as simple as creating an NFS datastore. Very easy.
- Not at this time.
- Single Signon
No advice.
Relationship with StorageCraft
We negotiated pricing. With a limited budget we were able to find funding, and StorageCraft worked with us to get the product at the right price.
Be honest and straightforward and you can expect StorageCraft to do the same.
Upgrading Exablox
Yes - We have upgraded a couple of times. The upgrade went very smoothly. The storage did need to reboot, but to the end user there was only a small delay in accessing files.
- The biggest benefit for us was the tighter integration with ESXi.
- We are not looking for anything specific, but we are excited to see where StorageCraft can improve in the future.