VMware vSphere: It just works
August 13, 2014
VMware vSphere: It just works
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Software Version
ESXi 5.5 Standard
Overall Satisfaction with vSphere
We currently are using 20 vSphere hosts running 150 server vms. We made the decision to consolidate our entire server infrastructure to drive down TCO and run more efficiently. We recognized the value of virtual technology from the standpoint of resource management as well as DR and SLA initiatives our business requires.
- The first real benefit we experienced was the transition from physical to virtual servers. Tools like VMware vCenter Converter Standalone made the process very simple for our technical team and transparent to our end users.
- The resource scheduler as compared to others such as Hyper-V is second to none. The vSphere hosts handle contention and loads without issue. The alerts and stats given are accurate and insightfull helping you be proactive to any problems.
- Scalability is also a huge benefit. We were able to install vSphere on many different types of physical hardware and have the same experience on all.
- One thing that has been helpful recently is the plug-in support for 3rd party vendors. For example we use Dell Equallogic storage and were able to utilize Dell's Virtual Storage Management (VSM) plug-in directly within vCenter to manage our vm datastores connected to our vSphere hosts. VMware partners with many vendors for better control over all of your technology and more important it's integration with vSphere.
- The biggest complaint for me is the use of the web client. The newest version 5.5 relies very heavily on the use of the web client compared to earlier releases and still leaves me wanting. Using the thick client or C# client app for vCenter to manage vSpere was seamless and intuitive. I understand the move to web based but it still needs work. I still find myself using the thick client for certain tasks.
- Cost is always an issue. VMware products are very expensive but for good reason. I also really dislike the feature differences from standard, enterprise, and enterprise plus. For example enterprise offers DRS for resource management, however to get storage DRS you must have enterprise plus. Just a small annoyance especially when getting a budget approved.
- The easiest way to explain our ROI with vSphere is resource allocation. We were using a 1:1 server configuration before making the switch. After we are now hovering around 6:1 density ratio. The software more than paid for itself.
- The technology is scalable and flexible allowing us to provision servers in minutes as apposed to days or weeks.
- No question up front costs are nothing to sneeze at and with VMware products you will feel the impact. However, the benefits both from management and cost savings are well worth it.