In this article we’ll be going over HPE vs Dell servers, and comparing and contrasting some of the different features and qualities that a procurement officer, system admin, or data center manager may be considering when making their decision.
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HPE VS Dell Servers: 4 Main Factors
1) Support
Dell
Dell does not require a paid support program to download any updates or firmware, and they also provide an extremely intuitive site to find updates for your sytems.
Additionally, Dell Prosupport is regarded in the IT sphere as one of the more reliably helpful support programs around. If you can afford it, pro support is a worthwhile investment. That being said, word has been going around that Dell will soon be requiring a support contact for downloads in the future, though nothing concrete has surfaced as of yet.
Anecdotally, it’s been reported that Dell can be more particular about documentation for part replacements. For most enterprise purposes, this shouldn’t be an issue, but business class purchasers may find it more problematic.
HPE
HPE requires you to have a service/support contract to download any new firmware or updates. Subjectively, It can be difficult to find support drivers and firmware through HP’s platform even if you do.
HPE’s website is also fairly difficult to use for any information or support in general. That being said, their documentation is extremely thorough, and those with know-how can find manuals for essentially any part you could conceive of. HPE’s support for replacing parts and their supply chain has also improved in recent years.
However, creating an online account through HPE’s website allows for extensive personalization. Users can update their profile with specific portfolios that chronicle every piece of HPE hardware your business owns.
Additionally, you’ll gain access to HPE’s 24/7 support, manage future orders, and the ability to utilize the HPE Operational Support Services experience. It claims to ‘help manage the day-to-day IT operational tasks while also freeing up resources to help your business stay ahead of the competition.”
Depending on your business’ level of growth and experience, it may be worth it to explore everything HPE support has to offer. With that said, the navigation and general user experience is still overwhelming.
Winner: Dell
2) Reliability
Dell
It is not uncommon to hear of Dell servers running without a single breakdown for years. Dell EMC is very vigilant as far as continuously improving their servers, and the more recent lines generally reinforce that fact.
HPE
According to a survey done mid-2017, HP proliants had about 2.5x as much downtime as dell poweredge servers. That being said, HPE systems do a good job with predictive alerts for parts that are liable to fail. This allows the enterprise to repair or replace parts before they go bad.
Additionally, HPE’s superdome line showed incredible reliability. So for mission critical big data workloads, HPE’s solution does seem reliable.
HPE’s Apollo line and the newer proliants are likely too new for users to determine long term reliability yet, so keep that in mind when you’re comparing HPE vs Dell servers.
Winner: Dell
3) Price
Dell
Most users report less flexibility on price when negotiating with Dell, though with larger, consistent customers they’re typically willing to cut more of a deal. In years past dell was more affordable, but the price differences are much less clear cut these days.
Usually less expensive. For that reason, tends to be the choice for consultants who try to keep their material cost low to boost profit. It’s widely available through a variety of channels. There’s a lot of it out there, so used and spares are relatively easy to find. It benefits from being self-referential. Dell’s cheaper because everyone uses it. Everyone uses it because it’s cheaper. Dell is business class.
HPE
HPE is usually more flexible on price, though initial quotes are similar to Dell in most cases. In most cases your relationship with the vendor will be the more important factor.
A little more expensive on average. Tends to be the choice of larger consultant shops where long-term stability is the more important goal over cost. It’s supported world wide through a number of channels. There is also a lot of HPE used gear out there. Spares and parts are easy to find. HPE has a more comprehensive documentation system behind it. I can find manuals for every obscure part HPE has ever made. HPE is enterprise class.
Winner: It Depends On Your Business
If you’re a longstanding customer with either one of the two companies or you have trade-ins, you’ll probably be able to get a much better deal.
4) Management Tools
As far as Out of Band Management systems go, HPE’s Management tool is iLO, and Dell EMC’s is iDRAC. Both systems have progressed a lot to provide similar features, such as HTML5 support.
In years past there were some stark differences, but these days the IPMI implementations don’t contrast enough to be a significant deciding factor. That being said, there are a few differences.
Dell
iDRAC has come a long way in recent generations. You no longer have to use java after iDRAC 7 which is nice, though the Graphic User Interface is not quite as nice as the new iLO GUI.
As far as licensing goes, iDRAC uses a physical license, which can be bought on the secondary market and prevent being locked in again with the OEM after end of life.
Updates are generally a bit longer with iDrac, and in general it seems a bit more sluggish than iLO. As far as a previous point of contention, iDRAC does have a similar tool to RIS, called OpenManage Essentials, though both have their issues on some browser versions.
HPE
ILO standard is included, but Advanced (i.e. post console session) requires a license, which can lock you in with the OEM if your servers go EOL; you can’t buy them from the used market.
Some users will claim that you only have to buy one key because you can reuse the advanced key on multiple servers, but this is against the terms of service; you do have to purchase new keys just as with iDRAC.
Overall, the GUI with ILO seems more intuitive and the platform seems a bit more snappy, but there are more important things to consider than the out of band management interface.
Winner: HPE
The Final Roundup
At the end of the day, HPE and Dell are both fairly similar companies with similar offerings, and so when comparing HPE vs dell servers, there is not clear cut winner. There isn’t a huge difference between the companies as far as build quality, price, or reliability, so those are going to be best evaluated on a case by case basis.
However, Dell’s effective support and minor differences make Dell our server provider choice when we evaluate HPE vs dell servers. That being said, in almost all cases they provide comparable hardware and services, so companies should always do their due diligence and evaluate their options on a case by case basis.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our recent roundup for the best all flash array in 2018
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