Dell vSAN Ready Nodes vs Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Dell vSAN Ready Nodes and Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two HCI solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Dell vSAN Ready Nodes vs. Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure Report (Updated: March 2024).
767,847 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"A great feature is that I basically set it and forget it, as everything is automatic.""I like the asynchronous replication and failover features. They are what I'm primarily using it for. The asynchronous replication is helpful because our servers are backed up continuously throughout the day. If anything goes wrong we just fail over immediately. That is a very nice feature to have.""We are running Hyper-V on twin servers in failover, and being able to manage servers from anywhere I need to, virtually, has been a game changer.""It integrates (fully) with VMware and Veeam, my hypervisor, and backup vendors, so for me, all the puzzle pieces simply fit and work smoothly.""StarWind is very easy to use, even if you have had no experience using a SAN before.""Virtualizing data infrastructure with StarWind Virtual SAN improves efficiency and reduces operational costs.""Having the ability to scale horizontally if needed is a huge plus for future growth.""You can turn your local disk storage into high-availability iSCSI storage."

More StarWind Virtual SAN Pros →

"The solution immediately expands storage area when you add nodes.""The most valuable feature is the set of user tools that are available.""We find the initial implementation process simple and straightforward.""They are heading in the right direction and moving to integrate everything with a hybrid cloud, and moving workloads back and forth.""The most valuable feature of Dell vSAN Ready Nodes is the flexibility of the nodes. Additionally, if there are any critical issues they update us through emails. The issues are taken care of remotely on the system.""The product is useful for DR and other things.""No concerns regarding the footprint in the data center.""The most valuable feature of Dell vSAN Ready Nodes is file sharing."

More Dell vSAN Ready Nodes Pros →

"The initial setup isn't hard.""It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten... Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.""We find the topology feature of Sangfor HCI particularly valuable.""Sangfor HCI has a really good GUI. It allows us to monitor the temperature of the server and many other things.""It is a smart solution for virtualization""I would rate the user-friendliness an eight out of ten.""It is flexible like a hyper-convergence system. You can add nodes, and you can scale to have better performance and stability. I also like the backup feature, the recovery system, and the web interface GUI to handle everything.""You can get almost all the features of the tool at a low cost. The tool also has built-in backup mechanisms. It also has a physical firewall for internet management which other competitors lack."

More Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure Pros →

Cons
"It could have a dashboard so that you can check all servers' SAN health and performance.""Ongoing improvements in read and write performance would help meet increasingly demanding workloads.""There is no Italian-language version of the software available.""StarWind relies on the underlying OS to manage the "SAN files" whether that would be a RAID volume, software RAID (such as LVM), etc. It would be useful if StarWind could incorporate the actual physical drive management inside of the solution, similar to Storage Spaces Direct.""Besides not being able to use any filesystem, I do not have any additional cons.""The initial setup got a little confusing at a few points with differences between the VMware version in documentation vs the latest, etc.""While StarWind.com excels in numerous areas, there are a couple of notable functionalities that it currently lacks. One of these is duplication, which could be an invaluable feature for data redundancy and backup purposes. The ability to duplicate data across different storage locations can be crucial for safeguarding against data loss, and its absence is a minor limitation in an otherwise stellar offering.""Initially, when we first started, the sync was horrible."

More StarWind Virtual SAN Cons →

"This product is not sufficiently scalable.""Compatibility with other hardware nodes needs to be improved.""Dell vSAN Ready Nodes must be flexible since it is complex in designing concepts. It needs to improve stability. The product should integrate with the public cloud.""The Dell VxRail solution is based on vSAN Ready Nodes, but the Dell VxRail is fully automated. It would be helpful if this automation feature could be added to the Dell vSAN Ready Nodes. For example, we need to install VMware ESXi, and manually expand the cluster.""The solution doesn't scale.""Scalability is an area that could be improved. We are looking at a maximum of 32 nodes now in a cluster, but going to 64 or 128 would be a major advantage.""Dell vSAN Ready Nodes' deployment is complex.""The power switch on the hardware is located in a poor location where it can accidentally be pushed. In an update, they should solve this issue so people do not push it accidentally to have their service go down. A possible solution is the switch should be inside."

More Dell vSAN Ready Nodes Cons →

"Sangfor’s hypervisor is not mature enough to handle all the flavors related to industrial needs.""Sangfor HCI could be improved with certification and the right ecosystem for ISVs like Oracle and SAP.""Sangfor could improve its built-in CAP system. Right now, we need to use an external tool for CAP.""It can have more compatibility and new features. I would also like to see better performance. Some of the other HCI solutions already provide the SSD and flash storage and much higher Intel processors. Sangfor HCI can improve on that.""Sangfor does not support a SAS configuration, which is something that we would like.""We have had issues while integrating VMware with Sangfor HCI. The tool should be also faster in terms of customization.""Lacks network support.""The documentation and support from the community are not as good or as mature as VMware or Hyper-V."

More Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The setup cost is very low. The pricing is great."
  • "We are happy with the price."
  • "The license is reusable. We can always rebuild it and apply the license. Then, boom, we get new servers, apply the license, and we're back up and running."
  • "The pricing is fine for the work that it does."
  • "When we did all the analysis for StarWind, it was approximately 20 percent less than any of the other solutions that we looked at."
  • "The scalability limitation for us is its licensing. At some point in the fairly near future, we will probably have to upgrade our license so we can store eight terabytes instead of four. We are currently at four terabytes, but we're starting to knock on the door of that capacity."
  • "The pricing is excellent. It will run on anything. You don't have to buy a $100,000 server, with hardware you don't need. You just pay for the license and you're good to go."
  • "The licensing is a bit weird. If you license the standard version of StarWind, it allows you four terabytes. Then, they have a pro version, but with the pro version, the only difference is it doubles the terabytes to eight."
  • More StarWind Virtual SAN Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "There is a problem, which is the lack of an integrated price structure."
  • "The price of the solution was reasonable."
  • "We have a four-year contract to use Dell EMC vSAN Ready Nodes."
  • "Comparing the price of Dell vSAN Ready Nodes to other solutions it is not expensive."
  • "The tool's pricing is competitive compared to others. The tool's licensing is based on annual subscriptions."
  • "My company makes yearly payments towards the licensing charges attached to the solution. The solution is expensive."
  • More Dell vSAN Ready Nodes Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The price of Sangfor is cheaper than other competing products."
  • "The pricing of Sangfor is very competitive."
  • "It is in the middle range as compared to other hyper-converged infrastructure solutions. There is a three-year warranty on the hardware. The license also includes other features. Sangfor has included Continuous Data Protection (CDP) and a built-in firewall with the license. Other top brands, such as VxRail and VMware, require a separate license for such features."
  • "Its price should be better, but I don't think they will change the price list. You have to pay for licenses, and you have to pay for support, so you have an annual fee. You can use the product without the fee, but it's really dumb because you need support. We are an IT company. We provide the product, and we need the support too for our customers."
  • "Sangfor needs to be more aggressive because this is a new market or territory for Sangfor. Nepal is a very price-sensitive market, so Sangfor needs to be a little more aggressive with its pricing. I would rate them 3.75 out of five in terms of the price."
  • "I would say its pricing is between cheap and reasonable and would rate it as three out of five."
  • "The solution has a good initial cost but a high renewal cost."
  • "The solution is very cheap."
  • More Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:It is easy to use and can monitor system synchronization and check Storage status. StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN) combines… more »
    Top Answer:I would highly advise new users to consult the StarWind technical team beforehand. Also, consider the paid version if… more »
    Top Answer:You can maintain and update it with little to no fuss, even the free version is incredibly capable whilst it brings the… more »
    Top Answer:The tool's most valuable feature is high availability.
    Top Answer:The tool's pricing is competitive compared to others. The tool's licensing is based on annual subscriptions.
    Top Answer:Dell vSAN Ready Nodes' deployment is complex.
    Top Answer:It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten... Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a… more »
    Top Answer:Sangfor has multiple options. They have both optics and capex models. You have to buy annual support. We went for… more »
    Top Answer:Sangfor has to expand its service network to other countries. They have very good services in the Gulf but don't have… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    StarWind SAN & NAS
    vSAN Ready Nodes
    Learn More
    Overview

    StarWind Virtual SAN provides high availability and fault tolerance for virtualized environments without the need for dedicated SAN hardware. It allows for real-time replication between servers, shared storage for Hyper-V clusters, and enables vMotion and High Availability features for VMware vSphere. The solution reduces costs and leverages existing hardware while providing a scalable and reliable infrastructure. Valuable features include ease of use, scalability, top-tier support, hardware agnosticism, and the ability to use off-the-shelf standard servers to increase storage space. StarWind VSAN has helped organizations improve performance, data availability, and data security while reducing downtime and providing cost-saving storage options.

    Dell EMC vSAN Ready Nodes are pre-configured building blocks that reduce deployment
    risks with certified configurations, improve storage efficiency by up to 50%1
    , and can help
    you build or scale your vSAN cluster faster.14 Whether you're just getting started, and/or
    expanding your existing VMware environment, Dell EMC is here for you every step of the
    way with consulting, education, deployment and support services for the entire solution.

    Sangfor HCI is an IT infrastructure platform built on converged architecture. It integrates server virtualization, distributed storage, and networking. Sangfor HCI provides a unified management platform that converges compute, storage, networking, and security on a single software stack. This approach delivers a simplified architecture, ease of use, and reliability for business-critical applications.

    Hyperconverged infrastructure is a unified system of data storage. HCI combines storage, computing, networking, and management, unlike traditional storage solutions. HCI systems enable you to build your private cloud, expand to a public cloud, or have your own true hybrid cloud. Sangfor HCI presents two product models: The Sangfor HCI server appliance is a hardware version that enables easy deployment. Sangfor HCI software is the digital version combined with a third-party server that enables flexible deployment.

    Sangfor HCI supports Windows systems on desktop and is web-based. Its range of use cases cover a wide spectrum of industries, from healthcare to manufacturing. It is applicable for mid- and large-sized businesses. The software is customizable. Users can customize the logo and contact information in the user interface.

    Benefits and Features

    • Stability: Sangfor HCI delivers high reliability and availability with 0 RPO and 99.99% availability. The infrastructure is fully redundant to ensure business continuity. This means no data is lost in the event of hardware failure.
    • Simplified infrastructure: The solution supports visual management, making it easier to use. The single platform provides a central control with access to resources.
    • High performance: One unit of HCI can support up to 100,000 IOPS. The solution supports data striping, data locality, SSD caching and AI-based DB optimization. It also supports linear expansion without bottlenecks.
    • Hyper-converged infrastructure that enables working with different scenarios. For instance, cloud transformation and data center consolidation. It is fully converged, which means it provides unified management, full resource visualization, and orchestration with SCP. The standardized HCI unit consolidates hardware appliances, a storage network, IP network, and server into a single unit.
    • Integration: Sangfor HCI offers deep integration with NFV components. Users can deploy complex SDN networks.
    • Pay-as-you-grow model: The pay-per-use model reduces operational expenses and total cost of ownership.

    Use Cases

    Sangfor HCI can be applied tin various scenarios:

    • Enterprise applications: Users can benefit from the reliability and performance of Sangfor HCI for business-critical processes. The system is optimized for enterprise applications to enhance their performance and stability.
    • Datacenter consolidation: The unified and software-defined technology simplifies the operational management and the architecture of data centers.
    • Cloud transformation: You can add a cloud management platform, transforming Sangfor HCI into a complete cloud computing solution. You can then run your cloud workloads and benefit from the automation features of Sangfor HCI.
    • Data protection and recovery: Sangfor HCI offers multiple data protection features, such as continuous data protection (CDP), which ensure the integrity of sensitive and user data. You can protect backup snapshots and take backups. It records virtual machine IO logs at frequent intervals. It offers disaster recovery capabilities that ensure business continuity.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Gabriele P., Senior Software and Systems Engineer at SAMU.IT, says "It is flexible like a hyper-convergence system. You can add nodes, and you can scale to have better performance and stability. I also like the backup feature, the recovery system, and the web interface GUI to handle everything."

    A Junior Solutions Engineer at a tech services company adds that "Sangfor has many solutions, and you can easily manage their machine servers with just one management. They're always striving for greatness, and they continuously update their products. For example, they have now built endpoint security within the firewall. They are continuously improving not only the security but also all other products."




    Sample Customers
    Baker Tilly BVI, CMS Internet, Board Harpeth Hall School
    Rackspace
    TOSHIBA TEC Singapore, J&T Express Indonesia, Crowne Plaza Vietnam, Hermina Hospital Indonesia
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Manufacturing Company10%
    Construction Company8%
    Educational Organization8%
    Computer Software Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Manufacturing Company9%
    Government9%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company60%
    Energy/Utilities Company10%
    Healthcare Company10%
    Government10%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company16%
    Government9%
    Comms Service Provider8%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company20%
    Manufacturing Company20%
    Comms Service Provider20%
    Security Firm7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Comms Service Provider9%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    Educational Organization7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business64%
    Midsize Enterprise22%
    Large Enterprise13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business25%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise58%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business36%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise43%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business23%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise61%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business70%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business29%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise52%
    Buyer's Guide
    Dell vSAN Ready Nodes vs. Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Dell vSAN Ready Nodes vs. Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    767,847 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Dell vSAN Ready Nodes is ranked 12th in HCI with 14 reviews while Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure is ranked 9th in HCI with 28 reviews. Dell vSAN Ready Nodes is rated 8.6, while Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Dell vSAN Ready Nodes writes "Offers good performance and is easy to use". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure writes "The solution offers straightforward setup, scalability, and manageability". Dell vSAN Ready Nodes is most compared with VxRail, VMware vSAN, Lenovo ThinkAgile VX Series, Dell PowerFlex and Fujitsu PRIMEFLEX, whereas Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure is most compared with VMware vSAN, VxRail, Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI), HPE SimpliVity and Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series. See our Dell vSAN Ready Nodes vs. Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure report.

    See our list of best HCI vendors.

    We monitor all HCI reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.