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.

Looking to streamline authentication in your VMware environment? Our latest guide by Alex Samoylenko, an expert in virtualization technology, for StarWind shows how to securely integrate vCenter with Active Directory (AD) or LDAP, covering setup tips, role mapping, and key security considerations. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/r5

LIVEBOX, a.s., a Czech-based streaming services provider, struggled with a slow and aging storage that threatened mission-critical tasks and lacked redundancy. The company needed a scalable, cost-effective solution without vendor lock-in. By implementing StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), LIVEBOX, a.s. gained high-speed virtual shared storage, ensuring high availability and seamless operations for its mission-critical workloads at an affordable cost. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/r2

Nutanix has long been a big name in HCI, but it’s not the only option. Whether you're scaling EDGE deployments, cutting infrastructure costs, or improving hybrid cloud workflows – there are other platforms that may be a better fit.
Explore 10+ top alternatives with pros, cons, and use cases in our new article by Dmytro Malynka, StarWind Product Manager. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/qz

Manually configuring ESXi hosts is a recipe for errors. With Configuration Profiles in vSphere 8.0 U3, you can manage cluster configurations from a single source of truth. Our new article by Vladan Seget, a virtualization expert, for StarWind explains how to transition from legacy #HostProfiles and get it right from day one. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/qw

NCOL Internet, a Canada-based web development company, faced constant data duplication and high administrative overhead due to managing multiple DFS installations. The company needed a shared storage solution to provide high availability (HA) and reduce administrative overhead costs. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), NCOL Internet creates an easy-to-manage HA cluster and gains a reliable and cost-effective centrally managed shared storage solution, saving over $30K in infrastructure costs and ensuring seamless web application performance. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/qt

Licensing Costs shouldn’t hold your IT infrastructure back. Watch our recently recorded webinar where StarWind Product Manager Alex Bykovskyi walks you through everything you need to know about XCP-ng as a serious contender to VMware. From performance comparisons to real migration strategies and live demos – this session gives you practical guidance to evaluate your next move.

Watch the webinar recording now: https://starwind.com/s/e2

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