Upcoming EOSLs for EqualLogic from Dell EMC

There are several Dell EqualLogic systems losing OEM support in the near future. The first Dell End of Service Life (EOSL) date to mention is just days away. The Dell EqualLogic PS6010E will no longer have Dell support contract options as of June 26, 2017.

From there, the PS6000X and the PS6000XV both reach EOSL on November 11, 2018, giving customers a little over a year to decide on the fate of those systems. They are followed into OEM-imposed obsolescence by the PS6010X and the PS6010XV on June 26, 2019.

The Logic for Keeping the EqualLogic

EqualLogic servers were snatched up by Dell for $1.4 billion in 2008 to expand Dell’s SAN storage offerings. Six generations have been released but with proper updates, all are interoperable.

Configuration options allow for standard spinning drives or newer solid state drives, increasing the upgradability and flexibility of the server line. In fact, EqualLogic servers upgraded with an SSD array are within 10% IOPS performance of many brand-new systems from top-tier vendors. This makes keeping EqualLogic servers in place a prime opportunity to save the costs and staff time associated with upgrades!

Strong market share, in the 25% range, ensures that spare parts remain available and systems can be maintained for the foreseeable future. All told, there are good reasons to keep older EqualLogic servers for some time to come while leveraging third party storage support.

Better Support Available for ALL of These Systems

Regardless of the precise EOSL date, these Dell EqualLogic servers have reached an age where they can benefit from third party EqualLogic support over the OEM variety. The reasons for this are many:

• Less costly support for stable server installations makes a lot of sense after the four- or five-year point in service life. When OEM microcode loses importance and servers are humming along, a 60% lower cost for a support contract is a real advantage.
• More responsive support with immediate escalation to Level 3 engineers and quick-turnaround, on-site assistance and spares delivery in the case of component failure. Companies like Park Place Technologies are in the business of connecting clients with our experts, not putting up artificial barriers, such as severity level assessments and waiting times.
• Better results. Park Place enjoys lower DOA rates for spare parts and higher first-time fix rates than the OEMs. That means systems are back online faster and more reliably than they are if Dell is responding to the service call.
• A simple solution. For clients who want to simplify support, Park Place can offer one easy-to-manage contract covering a full variety of IT hardware from any major OEM. That leaves customers with just one number to call and one process to follow to access the best support in the market.

A Dell EqualLogic EOSL may be an opportunity to try a new, higher performing version of support. If that sounds interesting, simply contact us for a free quote or more information about how we can meet your specific IT support needs with our Dell maintenance.