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.

Virtualized applications let you run software without installing it directly on your device. From reducing compatibility issues to making updates easier, this approach is becoming a standard in IT.

Learn how it works and why it matters in our latest article by Roman Bitsiuk for StarWind. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/vm

Eurokars Group Indonesia, a leading automotive distributor, needed to upgrade its Microsoft Hyper-V infrastructure but couldn’t justify the high cost of replacing its aging SAN. The company was looking for a cost-effective, Hyper-V-compatible hyperconverged solution that wouldn’t require a complete rework of its existing setup. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), Eurokars Group Indonesia replaces costly SAN hardware, achieves a reliable hyperconverged setup, reduces hardware costs, and improves system availability. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/vj

Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) takes the traditional mix of servers, SANs, and switches and merges them into one Software Defined stack. The result? Lower costs, easier scaling, and simpler management.
Check out our latest list of the top 10 benefits of HCI in 2025 by Ivan Ischenko for StarWind and see when it makes sense to deploy it. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/vg

Interested in #opensource solutions for #cybersecurity? #SecurityOnion integrates powerful tools into one package, making it easier to monitor networks and manage logs.

Discover our latest article by Vladan Seget, a virtualization expert, for #StarWind, and learn how to set it up and use it effectively. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/vd

The Department of Business Management at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, which provides education and research in Industrial Organization and Logistics, faced a lack of scalability and high availability (HA) in its CentOS-based NFS infrastructure, with data security relying only on traditional backups. It required a cost-effective HA storage solution that could integrate with XCP-ng and eliminate downtime risks. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), the Department of Business Management at the Polytechnic University of Valencia ensures HA and continuous access to its critical educational data, bringing improved infrastructure resilience and operational reliability. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/va

With VMware changes under Broadcom and rising license costs, many are rethinking their desktop virtualization strategy. In our latest article by Marius Sandbu, a cloud-native and end-user computing expert, for StarWind, we compare Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Citrix, Dizzion, and Omnissa – looking at strengths, weaknesses, and best-fit scenarios. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/v7

SUD THD, a French government agency, had a standalone Hyper-V server with local storage which lacked fault tolerance and high availability. With the server’s warranty nearing expiration, the inflexible infrastructure could no longer meet the company’s growing demands. The organization needed virtual shared storage to move to hyperconvergence. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), SUD THD successfully builds a fault-tolerant, highly available infrastructure that fully meets its operational needs while staying within budget and enables the final stage of its fiber-optic network creation project. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/v4

VMware license costs are pushing IT teams to look for alternatives. Nutanix offers enterprise-grade HCI with strong support, while Proxmox brings flexibility and affordability. Our latest detailed comparison by Dima Yaprincev for StarWind helps you decide which platform fits your business best. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/v1

From autonomous cars to smart factories, many industries can’t wait for the cloud. Edge Computing delivers real-time decisions, keeps sensitive data on-site, and saves bandwidth.
Discover how edge computing works, why it matters, and where businesses are already using it in our latest article by Dmytro Malynka for StarWind. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/uy

Archway School, an England-based secondary school, relied on outdated and costly SAN storage that required expensive third-party maintenance. The school required a cost-effective and reliable hyperconverged solution that seamlessly integrated with its existing VMware environment while eliminating unnecessary complexity. By implementing StarWind HCI Appliance (HCA), Archway School replaces the aging SAN with a hyperconverged platform and reduces hardware footprint, power consumption, and points of failure while enhancing performance and ensuring continuous access to critical educational resources. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/uv