ScaleXtreme now offers two versions of its cloud-based systems management product: ScaleXtreme Xpress edition and ScaleXtreme Xpert edition.

ScaleXtreme Xpress is free. It is designed for small companies with fewer servers to manage; or anyone interested in testing cloud-based systems management. ScaleXtreme Xpert edition is our professional-level subscription service. It lets you manage unlimited numbers of servers across multiple clouds; and provides the system control features needed to manage large-scale production environments.

Features Overview and Comparison

What is ScaleXtreme Xpress?

ScaleXtreme Xpress is a free version of Scalextreme that provides comprehensive cloud-based systems management for unlimited numbers of servers, with no time limit or expiration date. You can use ScaleXtreme Xpress to bring all of your servers into a unified management system; and to perform a full range of management activities across your infrastructure via ScaleXtreme's convenient Web UI. ScaleXtreme Xpress offers powerful features for server management, automation, monitoring, and resource provisioning for a single cloud.

 

 

 

Note that ScaleXtreme Xpress is limited to a single user and single organization per account, which may not be sufficient for companies with more than one administrator; or those with multiple departments that need to maintain separate IT infrastructure; and it does not include server groups, an important feature for managing large numbers of servers in a production environment. Thus Xpress is best suited to smaller organizations with one administrator and fewer servers -- for example, a small business with 20 servers or less. And ScaleXtreme Xpress edition is highly recommended for anyone wishing to test or preview the powerful capabilities, and ease-of-use, of ScaleXtreme's cloud-based system management products. 

For organizations with larger numbers of servers and more complex infrastructure management requirements, we recommend ScaleXtreme Xpert edition, our professional-level subscription service. For more information on upgrading from ScaleXtreme Xpress to ScaleXtreme Xpert edition, see our documentation: Upgrading from ScaleXtreme Xpress to Xpert. 

How do I sign up for ScaleXtreme Xpress?

It's fast and easy to sign up for a ScaleXtreme Xpress edition account: Go to http://www.scalextreme.com and click Get Free Edition. Enter the basic info requested, and click Create Account -- that’s it. No credit card is required. No time limits apply. To access your account, click Login on the ScaleXtreme homepage. The only requirement for using ScaleXtreme Xpress is having one or more servers to manage! Just install the ScaleXtreme software agent on your servers, and start managing your system with ScaleXtreme Xpress via any Web browser.

 

  

What is ScaleXtreme Xpert? 

ScaleXtreme Xpert edition is our professional-level subscription service. It provides a comprehensive and cost-effective cloud-based systems management solution with features important to larger organizations, including rapidly scalable multi-cloud service provider capability; and versatile administrative control features that enable multiple users, roles, organizations, server groups, and more. ScaleXtreme Xpert edition combines the automation, elasticity, and control required by system administrators to manage today's complex IT infrastructures and demanding production environments.

ScaleXtreme Xpert edition includes these additional features:

• Provision and manage servers on multiple cloud providers - ScaleXtreme Xpert edition lets you add an unlimited number of public and private cloud provider accounts into a single federated management framework. You can launch and manage new instances on each service provider account; and you can install the ScaleXtreme software agent to extend your management system as needed across unlimited numbers of servers and clouds. For example, you may have existing cloud provider accounts at Rackspace and Amazon, and an on-premise private cloud built on the OpenStack API or VMware's vCloud API. ScaleXtreme Xpert edition lets you federate all of these cloud providers into one management system;  launch and manage servers on each cloud; and bring new and existing machines under management -- all from a single Web UI!

 

• Server Groups - ScaleXtreme Xpert edition includes Server Groups, which let you organize your virtual and physical machines into logical sets and hierarchies. Server Groups are invaluable for large-scale production environments, which may include hundreds or thousands of servers, as they enable admins to navigate instantly to the machines they require, without scrolling through huge lists of servers. More importantly, servers managed using ScaleXtreme Xpert edition can be assigned tags and grouped together based on these tags, for any number of purposes. This applies to dynamic cloud servers that can be automatically included in groups based on tags as they are created.

 

 

• Manage servers for unlimited Organizations - In ScaleXtreme an “Organization” refers to a distinct entity, such as a company, department, division, branch, etc. ScaleXtreme Xpert edition lets you create unlimited numbers of Organizations, each of which can be managed separately. This is an essential capability for enterprises that have many departments and subdivisions (e.g., engineering, R&D, sales, marketing, accounting, technical services, etc,) who need to manage multiple, separate IT infrastructures; or for managed service providers (MSPs) who maintain separate IT infrastructure for multiple separate clients.

 

 

• Create unlimited Roles and Users - ScaleXtreme Xpert edition lets you add and invite unlimited numbers of users into an Organization. Users can be assigned a role, including Admin, Architect, and Operator, which determines the level of access the user has to the management system (e.g., Admins have full access), and which actions that user has permission to perform. This is an important feature as it allows multiple admins full access to the management system, and appropriately restricts other users who, while perhaps performing important tasks (e.g., running scripts, monitoring jobs, etc.) do not require full system access.

 

• Manage Access Control Lists (ACLs) - ScaleXtreme Xpert edition lets you add and manage unlimited Access Control Lists (ACLs). ACLs are lists that determine who can access what features within the product. ACLs enable separation of duties between different roles, so that risk of systematic fraud is reduced.

How do I upgrade to ScaleXtreme Xpert edition?

To upgrade to Xpert edition, just click on the UPGRADE NOW button anywhere inside an open ScaleXtreme Xpress account. Enter the requested information, and your subscription will be initiated. You will be billed one month in advance, at the start of your new subscription. Thereafter, you will be billed automatically on the same day each month, until you cancel your subscription. There is no contract, no minimum time period, and no hassle.

 

 

For more information on upgrading from ScaleXtreme Xpress to ScaleXtreme Xpert edition, see our documentation: Upgrading from ScaleXtreme Xpress to Xpert. For questions and assistance with your subscription, please contact our support team at support@scalextreme.com.

Which edition is right for me?

Which edition of ScaleXtreme is right for you, Xpress or Xpert, depends entirely on your systems management requirements. Both editions provide the same core feature set. However, ScaleXtreme Xpress is limited to a single cloud provider, single user, and does not include server groups. Thus, ScaleXtreme Xpress edition is recommended for smaller organizations with fewer servers to manage (e.g., 20 servers or less).

ScaleXtreme Xpert edition, on the other hand, lets you add and provision resources on unlimited cloud providers; and it provides comprehensive system control features, including multi-users, roles, organizations, server groups, Access Control Lists, etc. Thus, ScaleXtreme Xpert edition is recommended for larger organizations with many servers to manage in a production environment.

No Special Requirements

Both ScaleXtreme Xpress edition and ScaleXtreme Xpert edition are hosted services accessed entirely via Web browser. The only requirements for using either product offering are: An Internet connection, a Web browser, and one or more virtual or physical servers to manage. Note that the ScaleXtreme software agent must be installed on the server you wish to manage. For more information on installing the ScaleXtreme software agent, see our documentation: Installing the ScaleXtreme Agent.

Getting Started

Start by signing up for a free ScaleXtreme Xpress account. Go to http://www.scalextreme.com and click Get Free Edition. There is no credit card required and no time limit. ScaleXtreme Xpress gives you the opportunity to bring all of your servers into a single streamlined cloud-based management system, where you can  provision servers at a cloud provider, run automated scripted routines, and monitor your system via a single UI. As your company grows and your underlying IT infrastructure expands, consider the benefits of upgrading to ScaleXtreme Xpert edition, our professional-level subscription service.