When EMC announces that a piece of hardware will reach End of Life (EOL) or End of Service Life (EOSL), it can be difficult to understand what these milestones mean for your storage environment. Not only do you have to
understand what each term means, you also have to figure out next steps for your EOL EMC hardware. And after all that, you must keep up with future EOL and EOSL dates for your other EMC equipment. So, what exactly is the difference between End of Life and End of Service Life?
End of Life (EOL)
EOL or “End of Life”, means that EMC has decided that a
specific product has reached the end of its “useful lifespan”. This is when EMC usually recommends doing a hardware refresh to the latest generation of their hardware. This is also when EMC will no longer be selling or marketing the hardware in question. There are still extended OEM hardware maintenance options at this point in your equipment’s lifecycle, but this stage is a good time to evaluate your support needs.
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End of Service Life (EOSL)
EOSL or “End of Service Life”, indicates that all support, including both primary and extended, will no longer be offered by EMC. There are certain instances when you may still be able to obtain maintenance from EMC, but this will come at a premium cost. Now that your equipment is EOSL, if you want to keep it you will have to consider a third party vendor for all your maintenance needs.
Extend the Life of Your EOL and EOSL Hardware
End users have several options when it comes to extending the life of an EOL storage system. The first involves purchasing extended support from EMC, which usually comes in six month increments for a total period of two years. But just because EMC still offers support doesn’t mean it’s right for your IT budget and environment. Implementing EMC third party support may be more ideal. This is largely thanks to the ability to receive the same or better support services at a fraction of OEM maintenance prices. When using third party support from a vendor like Reliant Technology, end users can enjoy customizable SLAs, coterminous contacts, and more.
