Finally, StarWind Virtual Storage Appliance is available on Linux allowing you to save costs on Windows licensing. Being hypervisor-agnostic, StarWind VSA easily integrates into any IT infrastructure as a fully pre-configured virtual machine ready for deployment and operation. It simply installs in any existing environment requiring no specialized SAN skills and is managed using StarWind Web console or thick client allowing to control the entire storage infrastructure from a centralized console.
Join our Tap Room Meeting on April 27 11 am PT / 2 pm ET to see all benefits of the StarWind Linux-based VSA.
Register now: https://www.starwindsoftware.com/dedicated-live-demo-session

StarWind Virtual SAN Free allows deploying a 2-node cluster providing a highly available storage for your virtual machines to Hyper-V or ESXi hypervisor for free. When deploying multi VSAN Free nodes, the data is synchronized across the network between the nodes. StarWind VSAN Free can be deployed in a hyperconverged model where VSAN Free is installed on hypervisor nodes or in a disaggregated model with separated compute and storage resources. StarWind VSAN Free management capabilities include PowerShell, with StarWind Management console available as a 30-day trial.

Read the full article by Romain Serre, a Senior Consultant at Lyon to learn how to deploy a 2-node StarWind VSAN Free for VMware ESXi 6.5 on Windows Server 2016 Core Edition.

StarWind gets closer to Linux users by providing them with special Linux-based Virtual Storage Appliance version combining the underlying OS and preinstalled StarWind Virtual SAN, allowing to save money on Windows Licensing when it’s unnecessary.
StarWind VSA is compatible with any hypervisor, be it Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware ESXi, Xen or KVM and can be managed via a Web Management Console while additionally containing a StarWind vCenter plugin allowing to manage the product directly from vCenter Server.

Read the full article by Vladan Seget, IT and Virtualization consultant to learn more about StarWind Virtual SAN on Linux

AlwaysOn Basic Availability Groups (BAG) supported in SQL Server Standard Edition and AlwaysOn Availability Groups (AG) introduced in SQL Server Enterprise Edition were designed to create a replicated environment with improved failover capabilities. However, the two types provide different capabilities while also requiring different licensing costs.

Read the full article by Shashank Singh, Microsoft MVP, and SQL Server Architect to learn more about BAG and AG cost and functionality differences.

Migrating your VMs from one hypervisor to another may be quite a complicated task if there’s no decent virtual machine converter at hand. Fortunately, there are various V2V tools allowing to turn this process into a simple thing. But, when choosing a V2V converter, there are several factors you should take into consideration.

Read the full article to learn how to choose a V2V converter that will become a perfect fit for your needs.

StarWind is currently working on the new product - a flexible and customizable web-based platform which will allow users get the full control over their IT infrastructures from a single HTML5 graphical interface including S2D, Failover Clustering and Hyper-V. More information to be found in a nearby thread: https://mangolassi.it/topic/14114/help-starwind-to-pick-the-name-for-the-upcoming-product

StarWind HyperConverged Appliance utilizes Local Reconstruction Codes, Replication, and Grid Architecture to provide an ultimate fault tolerance rate while delivering sustained high performance. With StarWind HCA, the whole infrastructure remains operational even after multiple disk or node failures. In case a failure occurs, applications are automatically recovered to working cluster disks or nodes, allowing to easily withstand a failure of more than 50% of the cluster nodes.

Watch our video to learn how to get uncompromised resiliency with StarWind HCA
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/get-uncompromised-fault-tolerance-of-it-infrastructure-with-starwind-hyperconverged-appliance

With PowerShell, automatic deployment of Hyper-V VMs in Windows Server 2016 becomes a piece of cake
No doubts, commercial software for automatic VM deployment is great, but it may be too expensive comparing to the goals that need to be achieved. That’s where PowerShell kicks in. With PowerShell commands, the creation and configuration of Hyper-V virtual machines in Windows Server 2016 become a fairly simple thing. But, what is more important, you can create a script which deploys VMs of the same configuration automatically.

Read the full article by Boris Yurchenko, a Support Engineer at StarWind, to learn how to automate your VMs deployment with PowerShell in Windows Server 2016.

Installing an HTTPS certificate is just a tip of the iceberg. This certificate has a huge number of options that usually are hidden deep inside config files. Actually, these tiny details allow distinguishing a site that can be rendered vulnerable via HTTPS downgrade attack and the one that is really secure.

Read the full article by Gary Williams, a virtualization, storage, and Windows systems administrator, to achieve the highest security.

StarWind team will take the floor at Storage Field Day 15 to reveal new awesome backup storage technologies: Virtual Tape Library with Cloud and Object storage and backed by ProActive Support! Our speaking slot is the first in line: March 9, 8-10 am PT, don’t miss it!

For Livestream, go to https://www.facebook.com/TechFieldDay/ or watch on http://techfieldday.com/, Livestream.com - includes the entire event.

When it comes to data protection, backup and replication often get mixed up. But knowing how they work can be crucial for your IT strategy.
Discover in our latest article by Ivan Ischenko, a StarWind Pre-Sales Engineer, why both are essential and how they help safeguard your business. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/7r

Innitec, a Taiwan-based Citrix-certified distributor, was facing challenges with an HP hardware tape-based storage system, which was becoming irrelevant to the company’s data and storage compliance. They needed a software solution that could provide better storage management and visibility without changes to the existing backup environment. By implementing StarWind Virtual Tape Library (VTL), Innitec was able to have a smooth, cost-effective migration to a more efficient storage system while improving data integrity and compliance. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/7o

Tired of RDP connection issues? Microsoft ’s Relayed RDP Shortpath, now with #TURN, is here to improve remote desktop performance and reliability. Learn from the latest article by Brandon Lee, a virtualization expert, for #StarWind how this protocol helps bypass restrictive networks and keeps your connection stable. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/7l

Innotech Windows + Doors, a Canada-based manufacturer of European-style windows and doors, faced a lack of high availability (HA) and redundancy in its IT infrastructure, as its individual server setup couldn't meet the growing demands of production. Traditional storage solutions were far too expensive for a mid-sized company, leaving it in need of an affordable yet robust solution that would provide full redundancy and disaster recovery. By deploying StarWind HCI Appliance (HCA), Innotech Windows + Doors moves to hyperconvergence and achieves reliable performance, thus ensuring uninterrupted production and operational reliability. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/7i

HyperV passthrough disks can be tricky to manage, but with the right approach, you can avoid downtime and data loss. Our latest guide by StarWind Pre-sales Engineer Anton Vovchuk provides a simple, step-by-step walkthrough for configuring and migrating these disks. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/7f

Network Pro Wisconsin Inc., a U.S.-based managed IT services provider (MSP), struggled with an obsolete and slow external drive array in its VMware ESXi-based IT infrastructure, which caused performance bottlenecks and reliability issues. Replacing the external drive array with another similar setup would not address the core performance problems, so the company needed a modern and efficient solution to revamp its IT infrastructure. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), Network Pro Wisconsin Inc. replaces its outdated external drive array with high-performance, internally attached SSD drives, significantly boosts performance and reliability, reduces maintenance costs, and achieves 24/7 business operations. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/7c

Microsoft ’s new checkpoint cumulative updates for Windows 11 and Server 2025 bring a different approach to system updates. These smaller, incremental updates focus on reducing file sizes and speeding up installation times, making life easier for IT admins.
Dive into the details in our latest article by Brandon Lee, a virtualization expert, for StarWind to see how it works. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/79

DevMecca, a US-based software development company, faced significant challenges with its existing non-virtualized IT infrastructure, which was costly to maintain. Despite a substantial investment in new hardware for virtualization using Microsoft Hyper-V, DevMecca faced critical downtime due to a persistent bug in Microsoft's Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) and Cluster-Aware Updating (CAU). So, DevMecca realized the need for a more reliable solution that could ensure business continuity. By implementing StarWind Virtual SAN (SAN), DevMecca expanded its virtual capacity by 50%, moving beyond the limitations of Microsoft S2D and achieving redundancy and business continuity. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/76

Running your VMs on the right node in a Microsoft S2D cluster could be the key to unlocking better performance. In our latest piece by Volodymyr Khrystenko, a StarWind Solution Architect, we investigate the impact of file system redirection on I/O paths and storage performance. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/73

BLDD Architects, a US-based architectural and structural design company, was struggling to maintain an aging and costly EMC SAN infrastructure that was unable to run mission-critical apps smoothly. It required a storage solution that could provide the necessary performance without additional costs and complexity. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), BLDD Architects creates a cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure that meets its needs, boosts productivity, and cuts its IT operational expenses (OpEx). Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/70