NETAPP EF550 12X800GB SSD ISCSI BASE
Mfg # EF550-0008-R6
CDW # 3231408
| UNSPSC 43201835
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NETAPP EF550 12X800GB SSD ISCSI BASE is rated
4.70 out of
5 by
3.
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Valerii Prokofiev from
The simplicity of the project and the storage opportunities are valuable
What is our primary use case?
We utilize NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays for banking data, hypervisors, and databases in our productive environment.
What is most valuable?
The simplicity of the project and the storage opportunities are valuable. Considering the cost, I find NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays to be the best storage available in the market. We've implemented more than ten systems similar to this, and they all function seamlessly. We've even tested them with an end-to-end fiber channel over Ethernet on the six hundred series, and everything operated smoothly.
What needs improvement?
I've observed an issue when creating a new storage solution with NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays. If we turn off the cache on the controller, we encounter packet flooding. It's a technical issue that I believe could be addressed for better functionality, although it doesn't seem critical.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In our fifty years of use, we haven't encountered any issues. We haven't needed to change drives; we installed the system, and it operates smoothly. Our only action is to add new drives when our storage capacity decreases.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
During our performance tests, we experimented with the system using twenty-four drives to gauge its performance capabilities. We haven't utilized the system with more than twenty-four drives.
How are customer service and support?
It's quite beneficial. We communicate a couple of times per year, and they address all our inquiries.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We’ve used a variety of storage solutions, including HPE 3PAR, HPE CBA, XP 12000, XP 20000, Hitachi VSP, Dell EMC, and IBM StoreWise, among others. However, currently, we mainly utilize IBM and Fujitsu storage systems, alongside NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays. We don't use all of these simultaneously; we've transitioned from some and are presently focused on using IBM, Fujitsu, and NetApp products.
How was the initial setup?
It is easy to deploy. The deployment takes a couple of hours.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
They provide licenses upon purchase, so there's no need for additional licenses. Regarding additional expenses apart from the standard licensing fees, such as for support or maintenance, there aren't any. Updates take around twenty to thirty minutes, including rebooting the systems, and we haven't faced any problems with NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays. We utilize various other storage solutions like Fujitsu, IBM, and Dalian SIP, but NetApp EF-Series stands out as we've had no issues throughout the entire year of usage.
What other advice do I have?
I find it cost-effective. When evaluating it against other storage options like Apache DSP, Pure Storage, and Huawei Barada, the performance seems comparable, and the overall cost is lower compared to other storage options offering similar performance.
Overall, I would rate it 10 out of 10 and absolutely recommend it.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-11-19T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Enric Cuixeres from
A storage solution that offers great stability, resilience, and support
What is our primary use case?
My company uses the solution to store our files, virtual machines, and also our ERP tool, which is from SAP.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of the solution are that it has NetApp Snapshot capacity and it offers resilience in recovering files. NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays is the best solution for storage purposes in the market if you currently face any storage problems.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup phase of NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays is not straightforward and needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays for five years. My company is a customer of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a highly scalable solution since it allows you to add more storage easily. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
My organization has 315 users of NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup phase of NetApp EF-Series All Flash Arrays is not easy. Probably every customer will need a specialized partner to help them create the volumes to let them store files, virtual machines and create a NetApp Snapshot policy, which is not an easy task and requires NetApp professionals.
The solution is deployed on-premises.
The deployment process of the solution took around two to three weeks.
What was our ROI?
The return on investment from the use of the product was visible because of the stability, resilience, and support from NetApp. If there were any problems with NetApp, NetApp would call for support or arrange a call back from NetApp's support team. NetApp's support team is outstanding.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of the solution is expensive, considering the initial investment required. Considering the life cycle of NetApp, the initial investment is high if you buy it for five or seven years. At the end of the product's life cycle, it could get cheaper, but the initial investment in NetApp makes it one of the most expensive solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the solution to others and suggest they seek the services of a specialized partner, or else the deployment could fail. Suppose your company doesn't have enough size. In that case, the initial pricing may be very high, especially if you do not have professionals inside your company that could manage the solution. The deployment might fail if you cannot pay for a specialized partner.
I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-08-17T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Mir Gulzar Ahmed from
Ideal for applications, databases, and scenarios requiring good performance and easy to setup
What is our primary use case?
The basic use cases are for extreme performance applications, databases, converged infrastructure, virtualization like VDI, and scenarios requiring low power and cooling with high streaming performance. Examples include oil and gas, banking, and any industry needing these features.
What is most valuable?
Its cost-effectiveness is a major selling point. Compared to other storage vendors, the EF-Series offers excellent value for its price. It's truly a leading product in the industry.
What needs improvement?
The only major drawback is the replication between EF-Series units. Both the EF-series and NetApp are marketing this feature, but it is not functional yet.
However, I believe NetApp is actively working on improving this feature and implementing the replication feature between storage systems.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been a NetApp partner since 2010, so we're familiar with the EF-Series.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a highly stable product. I'd rate it a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. It's best fit for mid-range and high-end enterprise clients.
It has two models. The EF300 model caters to lower-end to mid-range, while the EF600 is for highly scalable enterprise solutions. So, medium and enterprise benefit most.
It can also be offered for lower-end solutions. If a customer or organization is small, it can be scaled from small to enterprise.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and support are really very good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
As a solution provider, we don't use specific products ourselves, but sell them based on experience and knowledge.
How was the initial setup?
I would rate my experience with the initial setup a nine out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy. It is almost ten; it is very easy to setup.
It's a storage system that can be used in both on-premises and cloud environments as part of a larger solution. However, it's important to note that the entire solution, including compute and storage, can be cloud-enabled if needed.
It can be deployed in as little as 30 minutes.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
If one is cheap and ten is expensive, then I'd rate the pricing a three.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, the solution is best in class. I'd rate it a nine out of ten.
Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2023-12-29T00:00:00-05:00