Azure Stack HCI vs HPE Hyper Converged comparison

Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are both solutions in the HCI category. Microsoft is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.3, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.5. Additionally, 100% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

HPE Hyper Converged and Azure Stack HCI are prominent players in the hyperconverged infrastructure market, each providing robust solutions for data centers. Azure Stack HCI has an edge due to its seamless Microsoft integrations and advanced features that cater to Microsoft-dependent businesses.

Features: HPE Hyper Converged offers features like robust data protection, high scalability, and integrated management tools, making it perfect for businesses looking for comprehensive infrastructure solutions. Azure Stack HCI provides seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, supports hybrid capabilities, and enhances workload management, which is beneficial for organizations heavily reliant on Microsoft services.

Room for Improvement: HPE Hyper Converged could enhance deduplication, compression, and disaster recovery features. Additionally, its resource utilization and performance could be improved. Azure Stack HCI may benefit from streamlined deployment processes, enhanced cost-efficiency, and improved support for non-Microsoft environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HPE Hyper Converged is known for its straightforward deployment with excellent support, ideal for organizations with limited IT resources. Conversely, Azure Stack HCI demands more technical expertise during deployment but is backed by robust Microsoft support channels, ensuring issues are resolved effectively.

Pricing and ROI: HPE Hyper Converged provides competitive initial costs and substantial ROI due to its cost-effective scalability. Azure Stack HCI, despite higher initial costs, ensures significant ROI through hybrid cloud capabilities and integration benefits with Microsoft, appealing to long-term value seekers.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Stack HCI vs. HPE Hyper Converged Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Stack HCI vs. HPE Hyper Converged

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

StarWind Virtual SAN

Featured Reviews

Ahmed Hosni

Senior System Engineer at Giza Systems

Feb 24, 2024

Provides a cost-effective way to run an HCI storage platform for almost any hypervisor

You can maintain and update it with little to no fuss, even the free version is incredibly capable whilst it brings the cost of a Highly Available HCI solution down to a very cost-effective point. Having used Starwind Virtual SAN for many years both for clients and for internal systems, it has always done exactly what it set out to do. It provides a cost-effective way to run an HCI storage platform for almost any hypervisor, but it is most effective with Hyper-V. It's simple and easy to use, The software monitoring should be web-based to be reachable from any VLAN workstation.

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Sushil MIshra

AG at SIS.

Apr 17, 2024

Performs well, provides good features, and has the latest processor

We were looking for a solution with high computing features and IOPS. We also have high network requirements. We have a production environment that runs on Kubernetes The solution has the latest processor. It provides the new SSD and a 25 GB network. The Kubernetes environment is better than that…

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Amir Azmy

HPE Account Manager at Ingram Micro company

Feb 14, 2024

A stable and useful product that enables organizations to use any software or database

HPE Hyper Converged is a processor The product enables me to use any software or database. I can connect it from multiple connections. It is a simple product. I do not have any problem with the solution. The product must provide more storage capability. I have been using the solution for four…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"This solution made it possible to deploy a new infrastructure in the shortest amount of time, at a low cost without purchasing expensive hardware storage, and use unused servers."

"It has been extremely stable for the three years we've been running it."

"The biggest benefit was that it allowed us to provide SAN services on a limited hardware budget."

"The support has been amazing and quick to reply."

"It allows me to configure High Availability and failover clustering with some fault tolerance, at a cost point that doesn’t break the bank for a small business budget."

"Before VSAN, hypervisor configuration changes and updates resulted in VM outages. Now, downtime is dramatically reduced."

"The most important feature is the ability to experience the loss of one node or one storage device, and not lose the entire cluster."

"StarWind SANs come with outstanding support."

More StarWind Virtual SAN pros

"The solution has the latest processor."

"In my hybrid cloud setup, there are three features I've found very efficient. The first is software-defined networking. Similar to Azure where you create virtual networks and software load balancing, Azure Stack HCI lets you configure them with a drag-and-drop experience on the on-premises cluster. That's one of the good feature."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its ability to manage VMs."

"The features of Azure Stack HCI that have proven to be the most beneficial for optimizing our company's data center operations revolve around its performance."

"Hyper Converge is easier to manage and performs better than traditional infrastructure."

"Hyper-convergence is the most valuable aspect of the solution. We can avoid downtime when there's maintenance or updates needed. Also, we have homogenous hardware, so we have a lot of trust in the solution's reliability."

"The solution's most valuable features are scalability, easy migration, easy recovery, and flexible backup possibilities."

"I've found the data protection features the most valuable."

"One of the good features would be the fast backup solution Hyper Converged offers, which is more efficient compared to other vendors."

"The solution has many good features."

"We like the fact that the hyper-converged infrastructure provides a simple to grow, easy to configure platform."

"Our storage and IT are now at an enterprise level with all the necessary controls and restrictions being enacted."

More HPE Hyper Converged pros

Cons

"Ability to to test the virtual storage are network area and storage speed from StarWind Management Console."

"Though I have learned some of the nuances with the upgrading of firmware/windows/etc., it would be nice to have a more efficient method of doing so."

"I think the setup could be streamlined a bit."

"A better overall view of the different deployments could be beneficial, although this is difficult due to how flexible the solution is."

"StarWind relies on the underlying OS to manage the "SAN files" whether that would be a RAID volume, software RAID (such as LVM), etc. It would be useful if StarWind could incorporate the actual physical drive management inside of the solution, similar to Storage Spaces Direct."

"There is no Italian-language version of the software available."

"There should be publicly available tutorials on YouTube or other platforms that help the users to integrate this solution with other platforms, for example."

"Feature-wise we are only waiting for the release of a "planned disaster" feature that would allow us to patch a hypervisor node without having to take the full storage offline."

More StarWind Virtual SAN cons

"There are a lot of areas for improvement. Since I've been working very closely with this product, there are many areas, especially in software-defined networking. We had to improve multiple areas because we depended on the service fabric cluster to manage the software-defined network. That means we're already running a hypervisor inside a VM, and we're managing the control plane of the software-defined network. That's another cluster. So, multiple layers make the complexity more. So, from an operational perspective, it's very difficult to manage."

"The product's initial setup phase can be a bit complex, making it an area where improvements are required."

"We faced multiple problems with the product’s stability."

"The biggest challenge with the tool is not being able to manage everything from Microsoft Azure Portal."

"We have faced some challenges when upgrading. With Hyper Converged, you have to fully upgrade because there are no incremental upgrades available in this solution. For example, let's say we have two nodes. If we want to upgrade storage, we also need to upgrade computing. That means a full upgrade EME."

"Installation and setup could be easier."

"The price can be improved. We would like to see support for some open source virtualization technology like for example KVM."

"The software version on the HC380s we are using is version 1. It does not support spanned vCenter which we use since we have multiple sites."

"The solution needs to add a module or plugin of vCenter for clear monitoring and insights."

"The solution is not very stable."

"Some improvement is required in the availability of the data and performance. The solution is too expensive for our customers. The pricing should be lower."

"Data protection and optimization: It is really weak. They do not offer deduplication or compression."

More HPE Hyper Converged cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I think that purchasing StarWind Virtual SAN Professional Edition would be optimal for most."

"Licensing is easy and the whole package is cost-effective."

"The pricing is excellent. It will run on anything. You don't have to buy a $100,000 server, with hardware you don't need. You just pay for the license and you're good to go."

"We found that the pricing was perfect; simple and clear."

"The premium support from StarWinds is a must have. The ability to have access to a storage engineer 24/7 is a must for a production environment."

"The pricing is more than reasonable."

"StarWind is a low-cost, full-featured alternative to the traditional SAN environment, and their support will guide you every step of the setup."

"The cost was ultimately low to implement, which allowed us to be 3-2-1 complaint."

More StarWind Virtual SAN pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is high compared to other tools."

"The main licenses are the OS licenses, the OEM licenses, and so on. They are very much aligned with the cost of expectations. We never had any challenges with the licensing at all."

"If I'm comparing with Dell, HPE Hyper Converged is definitely cheaper in my experience."

"The solutions cost us a lot."

"It could be cheaper, everything could be cheaper."

"It is a cost-effective solution."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten."

"Pricing with Dell EMC is double the price which I paid for HPE. However, in the end, Dell EMC is double in performance. This is not an apple to apple comparison though, as I have a four node from Dell EMC and a three node."

"It is an expensive solution, however. If they could adjust the pricing, that would be helpful."

"With this solution, I buy everything together, pre-packaged, pre-installed, and in just 15 minutes, it's installed."

More HPE Hyper Converged pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

12%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about StarWind Virtual SAN?

It is easy to use and can monitor system synchronization and check Storage status. StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN) combin...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for StarWind Virtual SAN?

If you are comfortable with the solution and you feel that you don't need support, you can begin with the free licenc...

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What needs improvement with StarWind Virtual SAN?

Areas for improvement in StarWind Virtual SAN include simplifying the setup process, especially for users with limite...

See all answers

What do you like most about Azure Stack HCI?

The solution has the latest processor.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Stack HCI?

The pricing is high compared to other tools.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Azure Stack HCI?

Speaking about the tool's challenges, I would say that if you know the product, you probably know why there are chall...

See all answers

What do you like most about HPE Hyper Converged?

The solution's most valuable features are scalability, easy migration, easy recovery, and flexible backup possibilities.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Hyper Converged?

On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with HPE Hyper Converged?

The solution's pricing for the hardware and support could be reduced.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 28% of the time

StorMagic SvSAN vs StarWind Virtual SAN

Compared 19% of the time

Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct vs StarWind Virtual SAN

Compared 17% of the time

Red Hat Ceph Storage vs StarWind Virtual SAN

Compared 13% of the time

DataCore SANsymphony vs StarWind Virtual SAN

Compared 6% of the time

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VMware vSAN vs Azure Stack HCI

Compared 46% of the time

VxRail vs Azure Stack HCI

Compared 14% of the time

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs Azure Stack HCI

Compared 13% of the time

Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure vs Azure Stack HCI

Compared 6% of the time

Red Hat Hyperconverged Infrastructure vs Azure Stack HCI

Compared 3% of the time

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VxRail vs HPE Hyper Converged

Compared 42% of the time

Dell PowerFlex vs HPE Hyper Converged

Compared 17% of the time

VMware vSAN vs HPE Hyper Converged

Compared 8% of the time

Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure vs HPE Hyper Converged

Compared 7% of the time

More HPE Hyper Converged Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

StarWind Virtual SAN

October 2024

Download StarWind Virtual SAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Azure Stack HCI

November 2024

Download Azure Stack HCI product report

Buyer's Guide

HPE Hyper Converged

November 2024

Download HPE Hyper Converged product report

Also Known As

StarWind SAN & NAS

No data available

HPE Hyper Converged 380, HPE Hyper Converged 250, HPE Hyper Converged 250 for Microsoft CPS

Learn More

StarWind

Microsoft

Video not available

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Overview

StarWind Virtual SAN provides high availability and fault tolerance for virtualized environments without the need for dedicated SAN hardware. It allows for real-time replication between servers, shared storage for Hyper-V clusters, and enables vMotion and High Availability features for VMware vSphere. The solution reduces costs and leverages existing hardware while providing a scalable and reliable infrastructure. Valuable features include ease of use, scalability, top-tier support, hardware agnosticism, and the ability to use off-the-shelf standard servers to increase storage space. StarWind VSAN has helped organizations improve performance, data availability, and data security while reducing downtime and providing cost-saving storage options.

Azure Stack HCI is used by government organizations to maintain local data center operations while accessing cloud services, offering efficient management of VMs through a single console.

Azure Stack HCI effectively supports environments with high computing and network demands, such as Kubernetes. IT professionals advocate its use for managing functional areas and KPIs. Key features include software-defined networking and integration with Azure Kubernetes Service, enabling efficient microservices deployment. Organizations benefit from enhanced performance with the latest processors, SSDs, and robust network capabilities. Challenges include simplifying its deployment process and improving stability, especially in multi-cluster management.

What are the important features of Azure Stack HCI?

Software-defined networking: Efficient management with a drag-and-drop interface.
Azure Kubernetes Service integration: Seamless deployment of microservices.
Virtual machine management: Robust management of numerous VMs under one host.
Enhanced hardware support: Utilization of latest processors and high-speed SSDs.

What benefits should be considered in reviews?

Single console management: Ease in monitoring and managing VMs.
High performance: Supports up to five million applications.
Resource optimization: Efficient use of computing and networking resources.

Azure Stack HCI is implemented in industries with heavy data processing needs, such as government entities requiring local control of data centers while integrating cloud capabilities. It offers specialized support for demanding environments like Kubernetes, significantly benefiting IT operations.

HPE Hyper Converged solutions combine intuitive software with the reliability of a world class platform to deliver cloud-like simplicity to your business.

Now, IT can become an internal service provider to end-users by quickly delivering the resources they need for application development and consumption. With HPE Hyper Converged systems companies can operate with cloud efficiency to simplify IT operations with one comprehensive control panel to deploy, monitor, analyze and update – with a single generalist; consume with cloud flexibility to deliver a cloud-like experience, with multi-tenant workspaces that eliminate stranded resources and flexes on demand; and deploy at cloud speed to empower developers and lines-of-business with a self-service portal that can instantly compose and recompose VMs in minutes. Built-in enterprise grade features, such as performance and resiliency enable HPE Hyper Converged systems to easily handle a wide variety of virtualized workloads, including general purpose virtualization, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), and cloud.

Sample Customers

Baker Tilly BVI, CMS Internet, Board Harpeth Hall School

Information Not Available

North Lindsey College, FireWhat?, HudsonAlpha

Buyer's Guide

Azure Stack HCI vs. HPE Hyper Converged

October 2024

Free Report: Azure Stack HCI vs. HPE Hyper Converged

Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Stack HCI vs. HPE Hyper Converged and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.

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