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.

AnduinOS is a Ubuntu-based distro built for users who prefer a Windows-like graphical interface without the extra system requirements.

Find out in our latest article by Vladan Seget, a virtualization expert, for StarWind what it offers, how it performs, and why it’s worth a try. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/qq

MSG Ltd., a Georgia-based communication and SMS marketing company, faced challenges with redundancy and fault tolerance in its IT infrastructure, leading to unwanted application downtime. The company needed a solution to eliminate downtime risks and secure its data. By implementing StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), MSG Ltd. builds a fault-tolerant IT environment and ensures continuous application uptime – all at an affordable price. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/qn

Not all IT infrastructure needs are the same – and neither are storage solutions. Whether you're trying to avoid vendor lock-in or just want something simpler to manage, our latest article by Ivan Ischenko, a StarWind Pre-Sales Engineer, offers a realistic look at popular VMware vSAN alternatives. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/qk

#SoftwareDefinedNetworking (SDN) changes how networks are designed and operated by shifting control to software.
If you're looking to better understand the basics and benefits of SDN, our new article by Dmytro Malynka, StarWind Product Manager, covers it all: architecture, virtualization, and comparisons with traditional physical networking. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/qh

Medical Billing Resources, Inc., a U.S.-based healthcare billing services provider, had an end-of-life VMware and EqualLogic SAN infrastructure, which was incompatible with Windows Server and Hyper-V. The company needed a high-performing virtual SAN solution to replace its outdated infrastructure while staying within budget. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), Medical Billing Resources, Inc. ensures a cost-effective replacement for the outdated SAN, a seamless upgrade to Hyper-V on Windows Server with exceptional performance, and over $10,000 in savings. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/qe

If you're planning to work with AI or high-throughput workloads, the NVMe stack improvements in Windows Server 2025 are worth a look. Microsoft has also introduced a Campus Cluster option for S2D to improve fault tolerance.
Learn from our latest article by Brandon Lee, an IT Consultant, for StarWind what these updates could mean for your infrastructure. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/qb

DESAN Research Solutions B.V., a Dutch provider of research solutions, struggled with a proprietary SAN that hindered hardware upgrades, increased points of failure, and limited scalability. The company needed a cost-effective and reliable storage solution to replace its SAN and eliminate hardware compatibility issues. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), DESAN Research Solutions B.V. modernizes its IT infrastructure, reduces hardware costs, and improves overall performance, thus increasing operational efficiency and mitigating downtime risks. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/q8

Thinking of diving into virtualization but not sure where to begin? Our latest step-by-step guide by Karim Buzdar, an IT Engineer & Linux Expert, for StarWind shows you how to create your first Virtual Machine (VM) in Proxmox – complete with screenshots and beginner-friendly instructions. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/q5

Looking for a faster and more flexible way to convert your VMs? StarWind V2V converter supports full CLI functionality with straightforward commands for Hyper-V, ESXi, and Proxmox.
In our latest article by Vladyslav Savchenko, StarWind Pre-Sales Engineer, we’ve got all the command examples you need to get started. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/q2

WebDesk Inc., a U.S.-based cloud services provider, lacked high availability (HA) for centralized data storage and clustering, risking data integrity and operational continuity. The company needed a solution that could provide HA and scalability to accommodate growing demands. By implementing StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), WebDesk Inc. deploys an HA cluster and achieves scalable fault-tolerant storage, ensuring uninterrupted business operations. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/pz