StarWind Virtual Tape Library Reviews

Name: StarWind Virtual Tape Library
Brand: StarWind
Rating: 5.0 (6 reviews)

5.0 out of 5

6 reviews
100% willing to recommend

281 followers

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.

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StarWind Virtual Tape Library is the #11 ranked solution in top Software Defined Storage (SDS) solutions and #15 ranked solution in HCI Software. PeerSpot users give StarWind Virtual Tape Library an average rating of 10.0 out of 10. Based on the analysis of the 6 most recent StarWind Virtual Tape Library reviews, the overall sentiment is positive, with a sentiment score of 7.7. 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 59% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 16% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

Software Defined Storage (SDS)

November 2024

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Helped 816,406 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

KellyVon Der Heyden

Sales Director at CLOUD READY SOLUTIONS

We use the solution for data backups and ransomware protection The solution is compatible with cloud storage platforms, such as Amazon S3. Also, it efficiently reduces the storage cost for archiving. The solution's training process and online documentation could be more thorough. We have been…

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reviewer1414572

DevOps Director at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics

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

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Indeep G

Senior Systems Administrator at Prism Economics & Analysis

The main thing that I felt could be improved was having an estimated time of completion for the virtual tape uploads to the cloud. There is no easy way to determine how long an upload took to complete without looking into the logs, which is very cumbersome. I’m also unable to search by tape and have to manually scroll through the list when troubleshooting. I spoke with their support and was able to add it as a feature request. Starwind VTL is in constant development and after my discussion with them, I found out that they are planning to include this feature in the next release.

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StarWind Virtual Tape Library mindshare

Product category:

As of November 2024, the mindshare of StarWind Virtual Tape Library in the Software Defined Storage (SDS) category stands at 1.4%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Software Defined Storage (SDS)

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Nov 21, 2024

Valuable Features

StarWind Virtual Tape Library's key features include seamless integration with Veeam, efficient data replication to Backblaze, cloud archiving with Amazon S3, and significant cost reduction by eliminating physical tapes. Users appreciate simultaneous uploads to multiple cloud providers and customizable upload speed settings. Its support for LTO formats enhances storage flexibility. Multiple virtual backup appliances and air-gapped virtual tapes improve data protection and meet RPO objectives efficiently. These features are highly valued by organizations.

"It is a stable solution."
"The solution made our backups way more reliable."
"The most valuable feature of the StarWind Virtual Tape Library is the archiving to the AWS cloud."

Room for Improvement

StarWind Virtual Tape Library needs improvements in user-friendliness and a simplified installation process. Users find navigating logs and searching by tape cumbersome, needing enhanced search functionality. Estimated upload times for virtual tapes should be displayed. Faster data transfer is desirable, and comprehensive configuration guidelines are needed. Training and online documentation should be more detailed.

"The solution's training process and online documentation could be more thorough."
"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."
"The main thing that I felt could be improved was having an estimated time of completion for the virtual tape uploads to the cloud."

Pricing

StarWind Virtual Tape Library offers competitive pricing, with initial purchase covering one year of maintenance support and setup at no extra cost. Users find the cost-effectiveness appealing, although some suggest more flexibility for small to mid-sized companies. The licensing is annual, and setup assistance is included to ensure smooth implementation. Current Veeam users particularly note its affordability and ease of integration, considering it a cost-efficient option for their businesses.

"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."
"The initial setup and deployment are also covered in the purchase at no additional cost."

Popular Use Cases

StarWind Virtual Tape Library is primarily utilized for transitioning from manual tape backups, enhancing data protection, and achieving high-capacity storage. Users enjoy automated offsite data storage without manual intervention, leveraging cloud options like Backblaze and Amazon. Its seamless integration with Veeam aids in cost-effective backup solutions, especially useful for managing large datasets, maintaining a 100% backup success rate, and facilitating easy data replication. Its performance and user-friendly setup are greatly appreciated.

Service and Support

StarWind Virtual Tape Library customer service and support receive positive feedback for being responsive and effective. Customers experience quick response times, typically within 24 hours. Support is available 24/7, with knowledgeable engineers and staff who resolve issues efficiently. Users appreciate technical support's thoroughness and ability to address all concerns. Interactions with support are described as satisfactory, with personnel well-versed in providing solutions. The availability of remote sessions enhances the support experience significantly.

Deployment

Initial setup of StarWind Virtual Tape Library presented some complexity, particularly with terminology, but technical support was effective in guiding users. For those with technical skills, the setup is straightforward, taking a few hours and requiring minimal operational expenses. Some found it easy to configure in a lab environment for tests, while others needed support through a remote session, after which they could adjust settings independently.

Stability

Users have expressed confidence in the stability of StarWind Virtual Tape Library over two years of use without encountering issues. They find it to be very reliable, with consistent success in backups. Stability is rated highly by users, suggesting it meets expectations and provides dependable performance.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Software Defined Storage (SDS) Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Healthcare Company

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Media Company

Comms Service Provider

Hospitality Company

Legal Firm

Retailer

Educational Organization

Logistics Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Photography Company

University

Insurance Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Energy/Utilities Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Outsourcing Company

Consumer Goods Company

Compare StarWind Virtual Tape Library with alternative products

Learn more about StarWind Virtual Tape Library

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.