VMware, it just works
April 13, 2016
VMware, it just works
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with VMware ESXi
We virtualized 95% of our servers on VMware ESXi and were also using it to offer virtual desktops to nearly everyone in the company.
- It did a good job hosting our SQL Servers and we didn't see any real difference between servers directly on the hardware and virtualized.
- It made it very easy to move servers between farms and/or servers for load balancing.
- Early versions demonstrated multiple problems which precluded using it due to performance issues but they've all been overcome so be sure you're on the lastest VMware offerings.
- We were able to much better utilize existing hardware by consolidating loads onto it using VMware.
- It's much, much easier to provision VMs than it is to provision new OSs directly on hardware.
- Being able to copy VMs from one farm to another, or one server to another is very handy.
I actually used Hyper-V at my previous company, and am now using it at my current company so I'm actually much more familiar and comfortable with it. In fact, it's what I use at home as well. It's just really easy to use.
VMware ESXi Feature Ratings
Using VMware ESXi
Like I said, the entire company.
Just need to be able to understand technology.
- 95% of servers were virtualized, and there were a couple thousand servers.
- Everyone who wanted a virtual desktop, accessible from anywhere in the world with an internet connections, was offered one using a VM in VMware.
Evaluating VMware ESXi and Competitors
- Prior Experience with the Product
- Existing Relationship with the Vendor
It wasn't me that made the decision, another department in the company did and they had experience with this product already.
If it were up to me, I'd have given Hyper-V a realistic chance and probably have gone with it.