StarWind Virtual Tape Library OverviewUNIXBusinessApplication

StarWind Virtual Tape Library is the #8 ranked solution in top Software Defined Storage (SDS) tools and #13 ranked solution in HCI Software. PeerSpot users give StarWind Virtual Tape Library an average rating of 10.0 out of 10. StarWind Virtual Tape Library is most commonly compared to Red Hat Ceph Storage: StarWind Virtual Tape Library vs Red Hat Ceph Storage. StarWind Virtual Tape Library is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 61% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 24% of all views.
Buyer's Guide

Download the Software Defined Storage (SDS) Buyer's Guide including reviews and more. Updated: June 2023

What is StarWind Virtual Tape Library?

For SMB and Enterprises, who either look to get rid of backup tapes completely, or are willing to accelerate backup process and add an extra level of protection, our solution is StarWind Virtual Tape Library (VTL). It is an appliance that eliminates the need in physical tape and “pretends” to be a supported tape drive or autoloader, keeping all data on inexpensive, fast and high-capacity spinning disks.

Even with explosive data growth, StarWind VTL fits the backup into backup window by accelerating it, so the process does not overlap with production time. Optionally, it creates additional copy of backup data for better safety. It is also available in a software-only form, as part of StarWind VSAN functionality. 

StarWind VTL targets those, who need to replace existing tape backup infrastructure or accelerate it if regulatory requirements prohibit replacement. In case the goal is just virtualizing tape backup or creating a stretched backup infrastructure, StarWind Tape Redirector will come in handy. 

StarWind Virtual Tape Library Customers

Volvo, Sony, Samsung, Hitachi

StarWind Virtual Tape Library Video

StarWind Virtual Tape Library Pricing Advice

What users are saying about StarWind Virtual Tape Library pricing:
  • "The solution is cost-effective."
  • "The pricing of the solution could be more flexible to meet the needs of smaller to mid-market size companies."
  • StarWind Virtual Tape Library Reviews

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    DevOps Director at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
    Real User
    Top 10
    Flexible and reliable with helpful support
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution made our backups way more reliable."
    • "I am not sure if this is a limitation of my physical hardware or if it is the software itself. However, I would like the throughput to be faster."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have been using the product for backups and long-term storage. 

    We had been using physical tape backups for many years. It became harder to get those tapes to successfully complete and also get access to the data center to swap out the tapes. 

    With the VTL, we have seen our success rate increase to 100%. We are now also able to direct the virtual tapes onto cheap storage and send them to multiple different sites. 

    Finally, we can even replicate the backup tapes without the need to run the job again by using the built-in functions of the SAN.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Firstly, the solution made our backups way more reliable. Typically, we would have failures with the physical tape, and we would need to rerun the job. Our backup window is now smaller, and thus, we can process the same amount of data even faster.  

    We have flexibility in terms of where the backups are stored, and as hardware changes, we are able to take advantage of new storage or even use our older storage to store the virtual tape backups. This decreases our costs, and we don't have to keep investing in new LTO technology.

    What is most valuable?

    With this solution, you can choose the LTO format. That means you can pick from LTO1 through LTO9 currently. All that really does is set up how big a tape folder will be. 

    Inside that folder, you can set how large you want the file chunks to be.  This allows you to take the capacity of an LTO9 tape and break it down into smaller increments. This does a better job of taking advantage of the underlying storage that you are using. You can also create more than one virtual backup appliance.  Each appliance can have up to four virtual drives assigned to it.

    What needs improvement?

    I am not sure if this is a limitation of my physical hardware or if it is the software itself. However, I would like the throughput to be faster. Who would not like things to be faster? 

    It would be nice if StarWind could come up with a best practice document for configuration. I had to do some playing around in my environment with test runs to get the configuration that really allowed for the maximum amount of throughput that I was going to get with the software. Once I had figured out what worked best, the solution was rather fast for backing up 30+ TB of data

    Buyer's Guide
    Software Defined Storage (SDS)
    June 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about StarWind, Red Hat, Nutanix and others in Software Defined Storage (SDS). Updated: June 2023.
    710,326 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using this product for about eight months now.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is very stable, and now our backups are always successful.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It can scale easily into PB - it just depends on the hardware you are storing the virtual tapes on.

    How are customer service and support?

    It was great working with technical support. They took the time to address everything I needed to know.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

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

    We were using physical tape previously. It was taking too long to back up, and backups were failing. It was also hard to keep getting the tapes swapped out. Our tape hardware was aging out, so it was time to either spend the money on new physical hardware or go this route.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was a bit complex with regard to understanding the terminology. However, using their support, we were guided through the process via a remote session. From there, I was able to tweak it as I needed without a problem.

    What about the implementation team?

    We implemented the solution with the help of the vendor. Their expertise on the product was excellent.

    What was our ROI?

    Considering the ROI is hard as we were going to update our physical tape hardware. This solution is cheaper, even if you are considering buying new storage to store the backups on.

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

    The pricing is surprisingly reasonable, and that includes the help to get it set up and running. They really want you to use their support get to get everything up and running.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    In the VTL field, this was the only solution that I evaluated.

    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.
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    PeerSpot user
    KellyVon Der Heyden - PeerSpot reviewer
    Sales Director at CLOUD READY SOLUTIONS
    Reseller
    Scalable solution with a good technical support team
    Pros and Cons
    • "It is a stable solution."
    • "The solution's training process and online documentation could be more thorough."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the solution for data backups and ransomware protection.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution is compatible with cloud storage platforms, such as Amazon S3. Also, it efficiently reduces the storage cost for archiving.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution's training process and online documentation could be more thorough.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using the solution for four years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a stable solution. I rate its stability a ten.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is a very scalable solution. We can back up data from one terabyte to a hundred terabytes. I rate its scalability an eight out of ten.

    How are customer service and support?

    The solution's technical support is good.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    How was the initial setup?

    The solution's initial setup process is easy if you have technical expertise. It takes a couple of hours to complete and requires one executive for deployment and maintenance. Also, the operational expenses to maintain the product are minimal.

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

    The solution is cost-effective. I rate its pricing as a three. We purchase its yearly license.

    What other advice do I have?

    It is a perfect product if you are looking for a low-cost solution to archive your company's data backups. I rate it a ten out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Distributor
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Software Defined Storage (SDS)
    June 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about StarWind, Red Hat, Nutanix and others in Software Defined Storage (SDS). Updated: June 2023.
    710,326 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Sales Director at Cloud Ready
    Reseller
    Top 20
    Knowledgeable technical support, flexible, and simple lab configuration
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature of the StarWind Virtual Tape Library is the archiving to the AWS cloud."

      What is our primary use case?

      We use StarWind Virtual Tape Library as a high-capacity storage system.

      What is most valuable?

      The most valuable feature of the StarWind Virtual Tape Library is the archiving to the AWS cloud.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using StarWind Virtual Tape Library for approximately four years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      StarWind Virtual Tape Library has been stable.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      The support that they provide is excellent. They have 24 hours a day seven days a week support, and all the engineers and the support staff know the solution very well.

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup is straightforward. Additionally, it is easy to configure in a lab and to run tests, which is very important.

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

      The pricing of the solution could be more flexible to meet the needs of smaller to mid-market size companies.

      What other advice do I have?

      I rate StarWind Virtual Tape Library an eight out of ten.

      Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
      PeerSpot user
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Software Defined Storage (SDS) Report and find out what your peers are saying about StarWind, Red Hat, Nutanix, and more!
      Updated: June 2023
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Software Defined Storage (SDS) Report and find out what your peers are saying about StarWind, Red Hat, Nutanix, and more!