Kevin Kastberg - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Consultant at Brightkast
User
Top 20
Integrates well with HyperV and storage solutions and expands easily
Pros and Cons
  • "We have been able to use more on-prem hardware to reduce cost and also use old disks that we do not trust enough for ordinary RAID or usage."
  • "The setup and documentation for the installation with the free version could definitely be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We have used vSAN as an SDS storage solution with fiber channel JBOD chassis as hardware and integrated the SAN with HyperV to supply storage to VMs. 

The setup was required to expand our storage capabilities, and when looking for solutions, we wanted an SDS system for easier management of new disks and disk failures. 

Our system, therefore, consists of many disks with varying quality, which for us is the true benefit of vSAN since we now can trust different levels of degraded disks and still stay certain that we will not lose data.

How has it helped my organization?

We have been able to use more on-prem hardware to reduce cost and also use old disks that we do not trust enough for ordinary RAID or usage.

The storage system has been a great expansion of our capabilities to store large amounts of data since we previously relied on cloud storage which became exponentially more expensive as we expanded our data collection and our pipelines which required more virtual machines and hence more storage. 

With the web GUI available, it also became easier to monitor disk health instead of always logging in to the respective storage servers and checking status, which sometimes only was available during boot in raid controllers.

What is most valuable?

For us, the SAN solution needed to integrate well with HyperV since that is what we currently use - although we are planning to add an ESXi hypervisor which made vSAN optimal (since it is hypervisor-agnostic and we can select whatever hypervisor we want in the future without the need to redo our storage system).

Furthermore, we have a lot of fiber channel disks lying around, which we had no good use of. Therefore vSAN was great since we could easily integrate these into our storage system and also distribute block storage via fiber channel to the hypervisors and other storage-requiring servers.

What needs improvement?

The setup and documentation for the installation with the free version could definitely be improved. It took some time to get it up and running; however, when running, it worked well. 

The setup is done in PowerShell and requires quite some knowledge about how to navigate windows through Powershell. Fortunately, there were scripts available to help out. That said, the documentation was not that thorough in helping me understand the scripts. This is definitely room for improvement since it would be nice to quickly get up a demo of the SAN running to evaluate if it works as one expects, which it did in our case.

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StarWind Virtual SAN
August 2023
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For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for two months.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is great. It integrates with all hypervisors, and disks can easily be added.

How was the initial setup?

It was far from the easiest implementation; however, we got it working.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution in-house.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We looked into TrueNAS and Windows storage spaces.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Edward Wordsworth - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Support Manager at Support IT
Real User
Offers great performance, increases the load, and maximize the return on hardware infrastructure
Pros and Cons
  • "We went from "no way DB applications would have good performance" to "Wow! We can now actually have a DB running and have some VMs running at the same time.""
  • "This is a great product."

What is our primary use case?

I started using StarWind to maximize the return on hardware infrastructure.

We had multiple slow disks and required multiple HyperV servers to run simultaneously with business-grade speed. After some time and research was connected with StarWind vSAN and then set up the vSAN environment and was really surprised to see how fast the "average" hardware was performing inside the virtual environment. We met the target, and we also had more resources than previously thought as the performance was so good.

How has it helped my organization?

I found that StarWind vSAN provided an excellent return on investment and had a performance that blew my socks off. 

We increased the load within the storage we already had as StarWind was able to more than double the speed throughput on IOs by leveraging memory as a cache for read/write operations.

Now we also had a way of leveraging our really old hardware to create fast storage for a testing environment. Also, it is really useful to access large cheap storage for lab environment testing.

What is most valuable?

If you test the average speed on SATA hard disks, you'll note an average of anywhere around 80-160MB/s - not really great for multiple HyperV Virtual Machines. Just as I thought I couldn't possibly get them to go faster, I found StarWind vSAN and decided to give it a go; after some testing and tuning with how the memory cache works, I was amazed and how far I could push the HDD, memory, and CPU whilst running virtual machines. 

It is truly amazing that the PC's memory was turned into a storage cache and leveraged storage input/output at that speed. 

We went from "no way DB applications would have good performance" to "Wow! We can now actually have a DB running and have some VMs running at the same time."

What needs improvement?

Given the requirements we had in our office, we needed StarWind vSAN to be able to re-purpose average hardware for use in multiple virtual machine scenarios without having to outlay more CAPEX on hardware. We also needed good technical support and a robust, reliable option with predictable outcomes. 

Fantastically, StarWind offered all that and more. It is rare in our industry to find something that takes efficiency to the Nth degree, and I am all about efficiency and saving people time and money. This is a great product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

The product offers great service and support.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

It was easy to set up and the support is good.

What was our ROI?

It has great ROI. We were able to maximize the use of old and new equipment.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
StarWind Virtual SAN
August 2023
Learn what your peers think about StarWind Virtual SAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2023.
734,024 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Director of IT at Kelly Aerospace, Inc.
User
Top 10
Outstanding support, great redundancy, and easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "The price was right."
  • "Though I have learned some of the nuances with the upgrading of firmware/windows/etc., it would be nice to have a more efficient method of doing so."

What is our primary use case?

StarWind is used as our primary physical server with nine VMs. This serves different locations around the US. 

One application is shared using RDS where as before it was being shared using individual pcs for each remote user. This caused major issues with data integrity.

Also with the two-node environment, not only are we benefitting from the redundancy, we are able to load balance between the servers. This allowed us to bring our hosted ERP environment in house. 

The price was right. It is very hard to beat this system! 

How has it helped my organization?

We had a very dated infrastructure. One that had been a hodge-podge over many years with no clear direction or future needs planning. 

I was brought on board to correct this and give us some growing room in the future. As the business continues to grow at this time, redundancy/DR planning became a significant focus as well.

StarWind, with a low-cost two-node HCA system, was truly turnkey.

With the redundancy and efficiency of the software and servers, we are running better than ever, with room to grow.

What is most valuable?

The ease of use of the system overall. If you don't understand something or need any help at all, support is there. I cannot speak highly enough to the value the support team offers. They are very knowledgeable and willing to help. They work on your time, not theirs. I agree with some other reviews that they can be hard to understand at times, however, they are more than willing to make sure you understand. 

The redundancy is a big factor. As a very small IT department, that gives us the peace of mind needed as well as knowing that support is there to help me through any glitches.

What needs improvement?

Though I have learned some of the nuances with the upgrading of firmware/windows/etc., it would be nice to have a more efficient method of doing so. Though truthfully, it's not bad.

I have had to call support to help me through some of the updates, so I know they are done right.

A missed SSD update caused a few headaches. That said, thanks to support, no data loss occurred, and considering the issue, we had minimal downtime.

Overall, I find StarWind above par and am excited to see what they think of next.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for 1.5 years.

How are customer service and support?

Support is nothing but stellar. The support staff is very knowledgeable and willing to help.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented it through a vendor team. The experience was extremely positive!

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The initial cost included setup, and it was genuinely turnkey. It would be hard to find a lower-cost solution that offers what Starwind offers.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technical Manager at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
User
Top 20
Easy to deploy and configure with lots of online videos and documentation
Pros and Cons
  • "StarWind vSAN is easy to deploy and administer."
  • "I'd prefer it if a remote console was provided."

What is our primary use case?

A customer wanted to build a test environment for his VMware. However, he was running out of financial resources. 

I suggested this product (vSAN in particular), and he was quite happy with its features. Later, he decided to convert his test environment into production using the same StarWind products, and to date, he is a happy customer. 

After this success story, I have referred many of my customers to use this product; no complaints so far. 

Happy customers mean good business, and the company is progressing well, so I'm enjoying the benefits as well. 

How has it helped my organization?

StarWind vSAN is easy to deploy and administer. It's a user-friendly solution. We are integrators and deployed vSAN from StarWind with multiple clients and all are happy with its performance. 

What is most valuable?

Creating the new server and deploying it to be used by hypervisors over ISCSI is good. It is very easy to configure. 

What needs improvement?

I'd prefer it if a remote console was provided. That way, the customer doesn't have to log in to a specific server where the product is running. That could be very beneficial. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have deployed this product at multiple locations (for clients) and have had no complaints so far. It is a fully stable product. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is relatively easy to manage on StarWind. When having real hardware, it's a bit complex to scale, yet way easier with StarWind than with other options.  

How are customer service and support?

Customer service is easily available by email. I have not tried by phone. However, it's my understanding that they would be of great help if I reached out that way too.  

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have worked with NetApp, Lenovo, EMC, and some other brands as well for storage with VMware and Hyper V. 

StarWind is easy to manage as compared to these and is a cheap solution with very similar features. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. Any IT professional can handle it after some studying and training from Youtube. 

What about the implementation team?

After reading the help material and watching some Youtube videos, I deployed this product myself. 

What was our ROI?

A happy customer is the best ROI. I have many happy customers using StarWind. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It's quite easy to deploy this product. 

Any IT professional can read a few documents and watch some videos and maybe go to Youtube to learn about deployment and management. It's a very simple and user-friendly product. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Christopher Morley - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder and Consultant at Unified Microsystems
Real User
Great technical and installation support with great high availability
Pros and Cons
  • "Given the high availability of the server cluster, we were able to reduce separate physical servers onto one hyper-converged cluster - this saved in OPEX and CAPEX costs immediately, along with licensing costs of the Windows Server licenses."
  • "The documentation could be clearer in terms of explaining the installation."

What is our primary use case?

The product is for clients who require high availability of their servers, from file servers and domain controllers, through to line of business applications.

I've done installations of two-node HA clusters running Windows Server Hyper-V. With the HA cluster we then ran virtual machines, both Windows Desktop, Windows Server, CentOS and Ubuntu. We have installed on pysical servers with both DELL PowerEdge and HP Proliant server hardware (Windows clustering requires exact server hardware to be matched - so two-node DELL, and two-node HP).

How has it helped my organization?

As an MSP, stability is important for our clients. StarWind's virtual SAN solution has allowed us to have an always-on architecture allowing survivability of hardware failure. We install it for all clients who need high availability of their virtual servers on-premise.

Given the high availability of the server cluster, we were able to reduce separate physical servers onto one hyper-converged cluster - this saved in OPEX and CAPEX costs immediately, along with licensing costs of the Windows Server licenses.

What is most valuable?

We have multiple sites running StarWindws Virtual SAN, which have been running for years without any issue.

The thing that impressed me the most about the product is the technical support from the vendor. Everyone knows the benefit of high-availability clusters, but setting one up and reading the documentation is an enormous task in itself.

With StarWind Virtual SAN and the installation support, we have high-availability clusters running within a couple of hours. This has been repeated over and over on many customer sites, so they have their process perfected in this regard.

What needs improvement?

The documentation could be clearer in terms of explaining the installation, although I will make two comments on this.

The high availability of virtual SAN is by its very nature not a simple drop-in thing, so the documentation will understandably be complex.

Secondly, the installation process is completely guided and done remotely by StarWind certified installation engineers, who handle all aspects.

Given the above, the only thing I can really say needs improvement is that I am not keen on the pricing per storage tier model, however, understand this is a common model charged.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've done multiple client installations over five years.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

No, there was no other solution that we have tried.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Consider how much space you will need as pricing is per node and data.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

No, we found the price point compelling, which led to immediately trying StarWinds versus traditional SAN costs from DELL and HP, etc.

What other advice do I have?

Overall it has been a great product and company to work with for the past five years and many more to come.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: We are an MSP and resell StarWinds Virtual SAN as one of our technology vendors for our customers.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2120202 - PeerSpot reviewer
User at Hilal Computers
User
Easy onboarding, good integration capabilities, and high availability on offer
Pros and Cons
  • "Integration with virtualization platforms helped us to resolve many issues we were facing while using the physical storage."
  • "The platform needs to improve user management and the web console."

What is our primary use case?

We were using traditional physical storage for our environment, and it was costly for us. On top of that, the performance was not satisfactory. We started using the StarWind vSAN for virtual storage. 

It is cost-effective and has amazing features. The capacity to scale assets to address changing issues and upgrade execution contrasted with conventional capacity arrangements and therefore is another positive aspect when utilizing StarWind Virtual SAN

Utilizing the StarWind Virtual SAN gave us a more steady and adaptable arrangement. I noticed a persistent upgrade in the functionalities of the StarWind Virtual SAN, so its development is great.

How has it helped my organization?

We were facing issues with high availability and the integration of virtualization platforms then we started using StarWind vSAN to help us improve the high availability and the integration with the virtualization platform. 

StarWind Virtual SAN permitted me to have extraordinary adaptability in making an exceptionally basic framework, where I could gather total independence over vSAN, yet connect it so that it was fit for working with the VMware Hypervisor. That way, I had a more powerful and dependable framework.

What is most valuable?

The high availability features helped with storage availability 24/7.

Integration with virtualization platforms helped us to resolve many issues we were facing while using the physical storage.

StarWind Virtual SAN is great for a financially savvy arrangement if you're utilizing Hyper-V or VMware. 

Thanks to a simple execution, you can save your expenses and convey the product with your inner sources with the help of a merchant.

The onboarding is effortless. Setting up and designing the Virtual SAN is clear, with an easy-to-use interface that makes it simple to oversee and screen the capacity climate.

We have an elite execution. StarWind Virtual SAN can convey quick, dependable capacity for virtual machines. Its abiluty to use nearby capacity as a component of a profoundly accessible capacity group assists with guaranteeing superior execution.

What needs improvement?

The platform needs to improve user management and the web console. 

Improved help for more up-to-date advancements would be ideal. As fresher innovations and guidelines arise, it tends to be provoking programming suppliers to keep up. 

While StarWind Virtual SAN, by and large, works effectively to support the most recent advancements, there might be a few regions where it lingers behind the opposition. Further developing help for fresher advances could assist the product with remaining cutthroat and pertinent.

Upgraded investigating capacities are needed. While the product incorporates a scope of symptomatic and investigating devices, there might be a few regions where it very well may be gotten to the next level. For instance, giving more nitty gritty mistake messages or better direction on the most proficient method to determine issues could be useful for clients.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the StarWind vSAN solution for the last six months and I found this product exceptional and amazing for virtual storage.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PeerSpot user
Real User
Has a remarkable ability to seamlessly integrate with Dell systems
Pros and Cons
  • "One of the standout features of StarWind.com is its remarkable ability to seamlessly integrate with Dell systems. This integration provides users with an unmatched level of convenience and compatibility, allowing for streamlined operations within a Dell environment. This compatibility factor alone can save significant time and effort for IT professionals, ensuring a smooth integration process and optimized performance."
  • "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."

In the realm of software solutions, StarWind stands as an outstanding choice that I wholeheartedly recommend. This comprehensive review highlights the exceptional aspects that make StarWind.com a true gem in the world of IT management and storage solutions. While it boasts numerous commendable features such as seamless Dell integration, all-in-one support contracts, and top-tier customer support, it's important to address a couple of areas where it could further elevate its capabilities.

Why I Recommend StarWind.com

One of the standout features of StarWind.com is its remarkable ability to seamlessly integrate with Dell systems. This integration provides users with an unmatched level of convenience and compatibility, allowing for streamlined operations within a Dell environment. This compatibility factor alone can save significant time and effort for IT professionals, ensuring a smooth integration process and optimized performance.

Another aspect that sets StarWind.com apart is its comprehensive all-in-one support contract. This approach greatly simplifies the management and maintenance of the software, offering users a single point of contact for any issues or inquiries. This streamlined support structure minimizes potential bottlenecks, reduces downtime, and fosters a more efficient operational environment. The convenience of a single support contract can't be overstated, and StarWind.com excels in this area.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of StarWind.com is its exceptional customer support. The dedication and expertise of their support team shine through consistently, offering swift and effective solutions to any challenges that arise. This level of customer service instills confidence in users, assuring them that they have a reliable partner ready to assist them at every turn. In a landscape where customer support can make or break a software experience, StarWind.com truly stands out as an exemplar.

Areas for Improvement

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.

Furthermore, encryption is another feature that is notably missing from StarWind.com. In today's security-conscious environment, encryption is a paramount concern for protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access. The inclusion of encryption capabilities within the software would enhance its appeal to users who prioritize data security as a top priority.

In conclusion, StarWind.com presents an exceptional software solution that earns my strong recommendation. Its compatibility with Dell systems, streamlined all-in-one support contract, and outstanding customer service showcase its commitment to providing a top-notch user experience. While it lacks duplication and encryption features, the software's remarkable strengths far outweigh these minor shortcomings. If you're seeking a robust IT management and storage solution with reliable support, look no further than StarWind.com for an exceptional experience.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PeerSpot user
Luca Bertellini - PeerSpot reviewer
Cardio Solution Architect EMEA at General Electric
Real User
Top 10
Great features with excellent support and very good pricing
Pros and Cons
  • "The license price is one of the cheapest in the market."
  • "I would like an automated installation/configuration despite the fact that their service is very collaborative, a customer should be able to deploy the solution by themselves."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case we had was covering with StarWind vSAN was to provide customers with a redundant solution that was able to guarantee flexibility. In terms of physical storage, we can aggregate in order to provide a redundant, replicated solution. At the same time, we were looking to keep the total cost of ownership as low as possible as the customer may have multiple venues to cover with the same schema of the system. 

With StarWind vSAN we were able to set a simple 2-node cluster leveraging the internal disks to create a replicated vSAN - eliminating any SPOF at a reasonable price.

How has it helped my organization?

StarWind, compared to other competitors in the market and in the same range of price, allows us to design system plans with the resilience of enterprise-grade storage, however, we are able to use smaller storage even at the consumer level. This makes us more competitive as the total price of the offered solution was comparable to a usual non-HA system yet with all the resilience features that StarWind is bringing with its product. This combination of low price with enterprise-grade HA features is key in the market.

What is most valuable?

There are tons of valuable features that StarWind vSAN brings to the table. It is very difficult to choose one to be raised as a role model.

The unique capability to create a vSAN on a 2-node cluster while all the other competitors will require users to have at least an external witness to set the Virtual SAN.

The service team is very collaborative and skilled and followed us from the implementation to the go-live of the system constantly.

The license price is one of the cheapest in the market.

What needs improvement?

The price is the key aspect (yet not at the expense of reliability and stability). It is not so easy to find an aspect where StarWind can improve their offering or any additional feature they can include for the price they ask. 

I know that StarWind can scale out easily, however, I wasn't in the position to test that. I would like an automated installation/configuration despite the fact that their service is very collaborative, a customer should be able to deploy the solution by themselves. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for more than one year.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to test the scalability aspect.

How was the initial setup?

As it was driven by StarWind reps, it was running very smoothly.

What about the implementation team?

There's nothing to finger point on the StarWind team. They were great.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We also evaluated StorMagic, VMware vSAN, and Datacore.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free StarWind Virtual SAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: August 2023
Buyer's Guide
Download our free StarWind Virtual SAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.