NetApp SolidFire SF4805 Storage Node

Mfg # SF4805-01 CDW # 4192957 | UNSPSC 43201835

Quick tech specs

Write Cache: 8GB Non-Volatile DRAM
Processor: 2.1GHz 15m Cache 6 Core

Power Supply: Hot-Plug Redundant High-Efficiency 750W

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Know your gear

Drives: (10) 480GB 2.5" SSD
System Memory / Read Cache: 128 GB Shared
Write Cache: 8GB Non-Volatile DRAM
Processor: (2) 2.5GHz 15m cache 6 core
Networking: (2) 10GbE iSCSI SFP+, (2) 1GbE RJ45 management

Enhance your purchase

NetApp SolidFire SF4805 Storage Node is rated 4.30 out of 5 by 4.

Rated 5 out of 5 by reviewer2123541 from Excellent support team, but lacks in hardware robustness What is our primary use case? We use SolidFire for a number of iSCSI connections across different environments where we need an SSD disk with a Tier 0 type of allocation. Across our legacy setup and hardware refresh, we have a mix of SolidFire and VNX, but wherever we need good IOPS for a particular server, we allocate volumes from SolidFire. In our environment, most of the volumes are configured on the Tier 0 level, which is an all-flash array. We have a cheat sheet for each person's IOPS configuration, and we configure the minimum and maximum logs manually. Sometimes, we face issues with IOPS even in SolidFire. How has it helped my organization? I can't really say that I've seen a lot of benefits since we installed SolidFire as our legacy backup storage. I haven't noticed any significant increases in productivity or functionality. What is most valuable? From my point of view, the best feature is the auto-support I've received over the last two years. The auto support is triggered automatically if there is any node issue, node failure, disk failure, or even a small glitch in the particular port. It directly creates a support case, and those people follow up with me. They ask for the logs and work on the issue. Support-wise, I feel SolidFire has very good support, and by using it, I feel very satisfied. Another thing that makes me happy with SolidFire is its support. It makes me feel extremely satisfied. What needs improvement? SolidFire could improve in terms of hardware robustness. We often experience many hardware failures across the environment compared to EMC, with many discs and other known failures. In comparison, Fujitsu is the best, as we don't experience any hardware failures. SolidFire would rank third in hardware robustness, with EMC coming in second. Overall, I feel that the hardware structure of SolidFire is more fragile than that of EMC. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using SolidFire for three years now. Across our global environments, we are using a three-node setup. Initially, we used version 11.8.0.23, which was the latest version available at the time. However, we have since upgraded to version 11.8 Airpack, which is the current version we use. Regarding the nodes, we have a mix of SF1920 and SF9605 models with 9TB and 19TB nodes. Unfortunately, due to the end of support from NetApp management, we can no longer procure node replacements for the 9TB nodes. Therefore, we only use the 9TB nodes as reserves whenever we have dismantled a SolidFire array. We are now only able to get 9TB nodes from the vendor. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I have seen some performance issues, but we weren't sure if the bottleneck was caused by SolidFire or something else, like backups of a particular application or the application condition itself. However, even when we moved the volume from SolidFire to another system like VNXR or Unity, the performance issue wasn't completely resolved. I tried to increase the IOPS of that particular volume and used ActiveIQ to identify when the issue occurred. ActiveIQ is a helpful tool for analyzing and troubleshooting issues. However, I can't directly attribute the performance issue to SolidFire, which may have been caused by something else. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is very easy to scale up SolidFire. If the cluster has six or seven nodes, you can easily add one more node if it exists. So, it's very easy to scale up to your environment. How are customer service and support? The support team is very good. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I don't think they have any hidden costs. As far as I know, they are very transparent with their pricing. How was the initial setup? I would rate the initial setup a ten out of ten. Compared to other solutions, SolidFire is very easy to implement, including node upgrades, and it's also easy to manage and administer. We perform various activities across the environment every six months or a year as part of release management, and SolidFire is very straightforward to work with. Even someone who is not well-versed in storage technology can easily manage it. Overall, I am very satisfied with the ease of implementation and administration. What about the implementation team? The whole setup was done by a vendor. I managed everything and have done node upgrades and movements from one place to another through node replacements. What other advice do I have? I advise that if the environment is confined, if there is a need for solid-state devices and flash devices, and if there is a need for better logs, then SolidFire is a good choice because it has good support and is easy to manage. The upgrades and data sync is easy to manage on the UI console. I would rate SolidFire a seven out of ten; it is a good choice but still has room for improvement. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Date published: 2023-03-20T00:00:00-04:00

Rated 5 out of 5 by Salim Hebada from A great solution that not only allows users to monitor their networks, but also provides flexibility by allowing other users to utilize its extensions What is most valuable? Feature-wise, it is a good solution allowing users to monitor and simplify their networks. The solution also provides its users with flexibility by enabling them to utilize its extensions. What needs improvement? The security provided by the solution is one area that can be improved. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using SolidFire for four to five years. Also, I am using the solution's licensed version. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Though it is a stable solution, its users may face some security issues at times. Since I am using the solution currently, I can say that there is no problem with its stability. However, there are tools that offer better stability than SolidFire. But, I will consider SolidFire to be good since our company's management has no problem with it. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is a scalable solution. There are two or three people using the solution in my company. Also, I don't know if my company has plans to increase the usage of the solution. How are customer service and support? I have previously contacted the technical support team of the solutions provider, and I had no issues with them as they provided good service. How was the initial setup? The initial setup requires the involvement of at least one engineer or technical expert, which indicates that it falls somewhere between being straightforward and complex. One should follow the commands provided for the installation process. In that case, it is not a very hard process since the person doing the initial setup needs to be qualified enough to do it. In our company's deployment process, we utilized the demo servers within our network. In adherence to our policy management, we were also responsible for managing these demo servers. The number of staff required for the deployment and maintenance of the solution depends on the network in which the solution is being used. So, one can have a person or two to manage the solution. What other advice do I have? I would recommend the solution to those planning to use it. I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Date published: 2023-04-13T00:00:00-04:00

Rated 5 out of 5 by Sourav Sourav from Compact, efficient, fast, and easy to understand What is our primary use case? In my previous company, we had SolidFire and HCI nodes. I was in the Element OS upgrade team, and we also used to look into normal break/fix. We mostly used SolidFire for cloud operations. How has it helped my organization? At the time I was using it, it was better than other products. It was fast and easy to understand. It didn't have complex connectivity. Connectivity was very easy. Even the management, in terms of how we access the device, was easier as compared to other devices. I have not done the configuration. It was something that their support used to do for us. They used to send an engineer. What is most valuable? In our environment, we had both HCI and SolidFire. It worked well. It was a good device. All the operating systems in NetApp are customized units. It's very user-friendly and easy to understand. It was previously owned by a different company, which was acquired by NetApp in 2016. It's a very compact device. For a medium-sized business, it's very helpful because the device is efficient and very fast. What needs improvement? The scalability of HCI or SolidFire as such isn't a concern, but when you compare it to PowerMax or NetApp AFF series devices, scalability is a concern because it's only the drives that are connected to the nodes. We don't have any shelf connectivity. I don't know if they have updated it recently because, for the past year, I've been working on other products. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I'd rate it a nine out of ten in terms of stability and performance. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? For a medium-sized business, it's very good because the performance is good. For a large enterprise, I'm not sure. I have no idea about connecting it with others. SolidFire single devices are meant for medium businesses. They have thought it through and made SolidFire single nodes for medium businesses. If someone wants to migrate to the cloud, they can use HCI which gives hybrid storage. It will also give better performance. I'd rate it a seven out of ten in terms of scalability. How are customer service and support? We contacted them. They were responsive, and they were able to resolve our issues. How was the initial setup? In storage, we have the concept of RAID, but SolidFire doesn't have that. The technology used in SolidFire is Double Helix, which is entirely a different concept. If someone wants to implement it in their environment, they should study the basics of it. They should know its architecture because the block-level concept that is there in other NetApp solutions isn't applicable to SolidFire. RAID, which is the main component for storage, is not there. They should learn about Double Helix and how it works. Once you do that, it's easy. We had the on-prem as well as cloud deployment. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? In India, we didn't use it much. It was being used for our sites in the US for banking operations, etc. Based on what I heard from other people, its price was on the higher side. What other advice do I have? I'd advise learning about the device before implementing it. Take some time and get an idea of how it works. It's a very interesting new technology. It's a good concept. Overall, it was a good experience working with this solution. I'd rate it an eight out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.ex customer (previous company)

Date published: 2023-03-25T00:00:00-04:00

Rated 5 out of 5 by Ramil Cerrada from A versatile storage solution suitable for various workloads in cloud environments providing scalable architecture, granular Quality of Service and consistent performance What is our primary use case? As a service provider, our role involves serving as consultants for our clients. We are responsible for managing and improving infrastructure services. This includes making recommendations for solutions, strategizing capacity additions, and overseeing the retention of various databases. It serves as our primary storage solution for third-tier storage, catering to both warm and cold data. Additionally, we leverage its features to enhance various aspects of our cloud environment. What is most valuable? The most significant benefit lies in its exceptional performance, driven by its Flash-based architecture. This enhances routing speed and, consequently, database performance. The provisioning process is efficient and doesn't demand higher latency, ensuring optimal data transfer performance which is particularly valuable for tasks like data mining, where quick results are essential. What needs improvement? There is room for improvement with a focus on creating a centralized storage system, functioning similar to AWS. This involves diverse storage tiers that can be designated for various customers. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using it for more than ten years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Stability has been consistently excellent, with no issues over the past years. It provides a high level of availability, reaching up to 99.99% I would rate it ten out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It provides impeccable scalability. I haven't come across another solution that can currently scale up to that level. I would rate it ten out of ten. Approximately ten thousand users utilize it on a daily basis. How are customer service and support? I would rate its customer service and support nine out of ten. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We transitioned from VIOLIN storage to SolidFire primarily due to the need for IOPS optimization in our environment. Our customers had varied requirements, with some demanding higher IOPS and others not needing as much. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was straightforward. What about the implementation team? The deployment time varies according to complexity, such as ours, which involves numerous storage tiers annually. Since we're part of the project team, our team consists of only ten members. Maintenance is integrated into our monitoring tool. As a precautionary measure, we have service engineers from our vendor partner. What was our ROI? Currently, the return on investment is being recognized, whereas initially, it wasn't apparent at that level due to the higher one-time cost. However, once the storage is introduced to the market and sold to customers, the sales uptake increases, leading to the realization of ROI typically within a timeframe ranging from three to five years. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? It might be considered expensive, but when evaluating performance, it represents good value online because you pay for what you get. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We were evaluating it head-to-head with NetApp. At that time, it was not yet acquired by NetApp, and we already had NetApp storage in use. What other advice do I have? Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Hybrid Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Date published: 2023-12-07T00:00:00-05:00