Panzura CloudFS and StarWind Storage Appliance are both notable competitors in the data storage and management sector. Panzura CloudFS is highlighted for its effective cloud integration and cost-efficiency, while StarWind Storage Appliance holds an edge with its high-performance capabilities in virtualization.
Features: Panzura CloudFS shines with cloud integration, seamless file sharing, and global file locking, which are advantageous for distributed teams. StarWind Storage Appliance boasts storage virtualization, high compatibility with hypervisors, and reliable redundancy features that enhance enterprise-level performance.
Room for Improvement: Panzura CloudFS can enhance its feature set by focusing more on virtualization and expanding its hypervisor compatibility. Users have noted the need for finer control over snapshot configurations and expanded analytics capabilities. Meanwhile, StarWind Storage Appliance might improve by integrating more detailed monitoring tools, refining its support for hybrid cloud environments, and enhancing flexibility in its backup solutions.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Panzura CloudFS is recognized for straightforward deployment and excellent customer service that facilitates seamless integration with existing infrastructures. StarWind Storage Appliance is also noted for a user-friendly deployment process, with standout comprehensive documentation and proactive support for troubleshooting, allowing for detailed deployment assistance and monitoring.
Pricing and ROI: Panzura CloudFS offers a substantial return on investment with competitive initial costs, making it ideal for budget-sensitive businesses. StarWind Storage Appliance, despite requiring higher upfront spending, compensates with a robust feature set that ensures long-term cost savings. The decision between these solutions often comes down to prioritizing immediate affordability versus looking at feature-driven future savings.
Previously, we had latency issues with syncing up files between offices. Files were not locked, leading to overwrites which cost us literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost time and revenue.
We saw the benefits of Panzura CloudFS immediately because our remote offices were able to share files immediately after the product went live.
Panzura CloudFS saves us a significant amount of time frequently.
The support staff and the number of people they have on staff right now are truly good.
When we have a priority-one issue, we typically receive a call within 20 to 30 minutes.
I would give the support for Panzura CloudFS a ten out of ten because they are responsive and helpful.
Unlimited users can access the system without issues.
From our original entry with Panzura CloudFS, we have added an additional seven sites, and deploying those additional nodes was very seamless and did not take any effort.
The latest version, 8.0.2, has better ease of decommissioning filers and bringing new ones online.
I would rate it a nine out of ten for stability.
We have never had their system crash on us.
There were times with file lock issues between filers, causing various anomalies, but with their ongoing development, these issues have improved.
When something goes wrong somewhere, there should be a little bit better alerting with issues before they become a big problem.
The GIS data formats, such as a geo database, have been found better kept outside of Panzura CloudFS.
It would have been nice if they had offered them in increments, of 5, 10, 15, or 20 terabytes than having to get a whole chunk of 25 terabytes again for licensing purposes, which is a little costly.
It did require us to purchase new hardware, however, that was not overly expensive.
They should consider more attractive pricing for companies of our size.
Overall, it is quite costly compared to NetApp and similar solutions.
It is very reliable and very quick.
It helps us increase network resilience. We have a primary object library stored in the cloud and have Panzura Mirroring which allows us to place data in a secondary cloud for added resiliency.
There is no degradation of speed because these filers have cached the data, and they are constantly swapping metadata and updating with each other, which is a very attractive method of getting us to use these applications.
Panzura CloudFS connects data across a distributed network, offering an efficient solution for file storage and management in a cloud environment.
Designed for businesses needing robust data management, Panzura CloudFS enables seamless access and high availability by providing advanced capabilities for distributed file systems. This technology ensures collaboration and data consistency across multiple locations, optimizing enterprise storage strategies and enhancing data governance and compliance. Effective in reducing latency and operational complexity, it addresses the demands of global enterprises seeking scalable and reliable cloud file services.
What are the key features of Panzura CloudFS?Panzura CloudFS finds applications in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and media, where data integrity and accessibility are critical. Financial institutions benefit from secure and synchronized data access, while healthcare providers utilize it for managing patient data across locations. The media industry leverages its capabilities for collaboration and efficient media file handling worldwide.
For SMB and Enterprises who are looking for high performance primary storage for server virtualization, VDI, database and Big Data scenarios, or inexpensive secondary backup tier, our solution is StarWind Storage Appliance. It unifies commodity servers, disks and flash, and associated software into an easily scalable storage platform.
Additionally, the appliance features an optional gateway to Azure public cloud, which helps to implement an effective Disaster Recovery plan or meet regulatory requirements. StarWind SA scales up by adding individual disks and flash modules, or JBODs, while adding ready controller nodes allows scaling out.
StarWind SA targets those, who need high-performance primary storage or secondary storage for backup. In case there is a whole virtualization infrastructure to build from scratch, StarWind HCA will come in handy. Otherwise, if all the required hardware is present, StarWind Virtual SAN will be enough to build a high-performance virtualization setup.
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