StarWind Virtual SAN Reviews

StarWind vSAN is set up on our two host VMware ESXi systems. Each system is running a Linux VM for the vSAN storage and a Windows Server 2022 VM that runs the StarWind vSAN management software. 

The two hosts are connected on a dedicated 25GB backbone with a 1GB management network and a 1GB heartbeat network. ISCSI is run on a separate 25GB connection between the two hosts.

There have been zero issues with stability or downtime in the past three months. One of the servers experienced a random system crash and the vSAN was not affected and there was no downtime with the VMs running on the vSAN storage solution.

It was relatively easy to set up and the support was great. After purchasing the license, it was relatively simple to follow the StarWind documentation on their website.

It has allowed us to set up vSAN with ESXi without spending extra on an ESXi license or needing to buy a third host. This saved us thousands on initial setup costs and hundreds in licensing yearly.

An issue with one of the hosts caused the server to crash, however, our services and VMs running on the vSAN storage were not impacted. The storage implementation experienced zero downtime and behaved exactly how we wanted it to. 

vSAN implementation is straightforward and easy to setup. 

The support has been amazing and quick to reply. They also reached out and made sure that everything was setup correctly. Support quickly answered any questions we had and setup a screen share meeting to validate our install and give optimization tips. 

After the initial meeting, they reached out a few weeks afterward to double-check that their recommendations were implemented properly.

Their support did not try and upset anything and were very helpful and knowledgeable about their product.

Documentation could be a little more clear on what the most recent version of the documentation is. 

I had issues locating the documentation that applied to my version of StarWind vSAN. However, it was easy to follow and set up once I did locate the correct documentation.

It would also be helpful to provide the software download links with the documentation. I had to find the vSAN Linux VM and the vSAN management software in separate locations and with separate download links. It wasn't initially clear that the Linux VMs and vSAN management software needed to be installed. 

I've used the solution for three months.

It seems to work fine on our two host systems. It seems like it would easily be able to expand to a larger system. 

Customer service and support replied quickly and ensured everything was implemented correctly. They checked in and ensured we implemented all their recommendations so that we would have the best experience. 

Positive

We did not previously use a different solution.

It was easy to set up once we found the documentation.

We deployed it ourselves in-house.

The solution allowed us to have a high availability system without having to purchase additional hardware or support licensing.

If you email StarWind, they might give a discount on the licensing compared to what they list online. 

We looked at VMware vSAN.

When support reaches out, they're not trying to sell anything. They just want to ensure everything is set up correctly and you have a good experience! 

The StarWind vSAN product is not used directly by me. We use it in the organization via one of our clients. It is used as a shared storage solution for a Hyper-V converged project with two nodes. The project consists of a cluster with two Hyper-V nodes in which several virtual machines are running. 

The hardware is quite common. The disks used on the two virtual hosts are normal 7000 SATA disks. Only the synchronization interests are 10GB. Otherwise, there's nothing special; they are usual servers with Xeon processors from the 2018 generation.

StarWind Virtual SAN was the most optimal choice, both from a financial point of view and in terms of compatibility. It is an excellent choice for use together with Microsoft Hyper-V. Other options would have been the use of Microsoft Server Datacenter licenses on the two nodes and the use of Storage Replica and Storage Space Direct as a storage solution or VMware vSAN, both of which would have cost considerably more without bringing anything extra from the point of view of functionality or reliability, compared to Starwind Virtual SAN.

Although StarWind Virtual SAN free is fully functional and can be used in production, the support that comes with the license is priceless, the expertise of the StarWind support specialists is worth all the money. 

Also, the administration console, which is only available for the paid version, is extremely useful, being very intuitive and easy to use. The information displayed in the console is excellently structured, so that the complete solution can be seen in a single screen, which is very useful in monitoring and diagnosing the system.

While using StarWind Virtual SAN so far, I have not found anything missing. It is true that we are using it in a very strict project in which we were looking for a solution that would satisfy a strict set of requirements, and StarWind Virtual SAN explicitly fulfilled that set of requirements, we were not looking for a solution with many options. That's why I can't say if improvements are necessary. The options used in our project have everything we need and they have managed in excellent time regardless of the citations that have appeared so far.

We have been using this solution for over five years.

It is very reliable. In the five-plus years since we have had it in production, it has coped brilliantly with all the events that have occurred.

It is extremely scalable. The free version is limited to three nodes. However, the licensed version has an unlimited number of nodes.

The support was excellent. I was assisted well and all the steps were explained to me, including how it should be set up and why, making the initial implementation of the project easy.

Positive

We opted from the beginning to do the project with StarWind Virtual SAN.

The initial setup was quite intuitive. That said, I had full support from StarWind at the beginning of the project implementation.

The solution was implemented in-house.

Choose StarWind Virtual SAN, it is the most flexible, reliable and cheap solution.

I evaluated Window Server Datacenter licenses for Storage Space and B2B, and another attempt with VMware vSAN. Both did not fit very well and were also considerably more expensive.

You can use the free evaluation version to see if it is what you need.

I have a two-node high-availability setup. The first goal is to use it as a hyper-visor for critical servers to be hosted locally. If this use case works well over time, I may use the Virtual SAN as a storage cluster for multiple servers to connect to.

Two servers used for Hyper-V hosting, with high-speed NVME underlying storage, are being used for high-availability hosting and storage. No additional hardware is required beyond a high-speed network connection between the two (25gbps fiber optic in our case).

The storage/hosting cluster is currently being used for test servers. We have hosted some of our test SQL servers on the devices to ensure seamless failover and good IO performance.

Once it moves out of testing, we will host critical servers on these devices and will be able to quickly transfer servers between hosts to allow for host server maintenance without VM downtime. It will also provide instant failovers in case of hardware failures, reducing downtime that would otherwise occur while a VM is being restored from a backup or the host server is fixed.

The ability to host high availability storage between existing servers without additional hardware is a great benefit. This not only saves money but also reduces the complexity of the hardware configuration creating fewer points of failure.

I also appreciate the alternative this product provides compared with the very restrictive options provided by large vendors for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure. That this solution can be configured on existing hardware and managed on Windows servers as opposed to a proprietary hardware-tied HCI solution is a positive in my book.

Including their own hyper-visor would be a valuable improvement over simply integrating with Hyper-V. 

A more streamlined setup where components like the iSCSI connectors were configured from the application would be useful as well (currently, there is a lot of back and forth between the StarWind application and Windows Server High Availability configuration screens when setting it up)

The only issue I have dealt with is slow contact with support and things like trial license extensions through my sales rep.

I used the free version a few years ago and have been using the paid version for around six months.

The application itself has operated without issue. That said, it is utilizing a number Windows Server roles and hardware devices that themselves can have issues. The web of interconnected components can be harrowing, however, it still is a superior option to a closed-box HCI option that provides no insight for troubleshooting.

You could have significant scaling by just having more two-node or three-node clusters, but you cannot scale a single cluster past three-nodes currently.

My experience with support was terrific. The only issue was having to communicate through a sales rep instead of being able to directly contact the engineer.

Positive

Our previous solution utilized Direct-Attached Storage devices. We are evaluating this vSAN-based approach to storage and integrating hosting to reduce surface area, improve I/O performance, and provide more seamless failovers.

The setup is very complex, particularly regarding network configuration.

Pricing on this product is controlled largely by the number of nodes and the storage volumes involved. One of the cutoff points for license cost is 10TB. If you intend to use storage volumes beyond that size, expect an uptick in cost.

I did some basic research into Azure and Dell HCI options.

The product is being utilized within an airgap lab environment, which means it is isolated from external networks and internet connectivity for security reasons. The virtual Storage Area Network (SAN) is integrated into the system alongside Hyper-V, a virtualization platform developed by Microsoft. 

This configuration allows for efficient storage management and virtualization capabilities within the isolated environment of the lab. The virtual SAN helps in providing centralized storage resources that can be dynamically allocated to virtual machines running on the Hyper-V infrastructure, enhancing the overall performance and flexibility of the system. 

By combining these technologies, users can optimize their lab environment for testing, development, or research purposes without compromising security or network integrity.

This innovative product has significantly enhanced speed, security, and organization. With its advanced features and capabilities, users can experience improved efficiency and productivity. 

The optimization of speed ensures rapid performance, allowing tasks to be completed more quickly and effectively. Additionally, the enhanced security measures provide peace of mind and safeguard sensitive information from potential threats. 

Furthermore, the organization features streamlined processes and ensures easy access to important data, ultimately contributing to a more seamless and structured workflow. 

This product has proven to be a valuable asset in enhancing overall operations and effectiveness.

When it comes to ease of installation, the whole process is designed to be user-friendly and straightforward. With simple step-by-step instructions and all the necessary tools included in the package, setting up the product is a breeze. Even for those who are not particularly tech-savvy, the installation can be completed in a matter of minutes without any hassle. Whether it's assembling a piece of furniture, installing software, or setting up a new device, the ease of installation ensures a smooth and hassle-free experience for users.

The dashboard is functional, but it could benefit from a more modern and visually appealing design. A facelift would not only enhance the overall aesthetics but also improve user experience by making it more intuitive and user-friendly. 

Updates such as streamlined navigation, clearer data visualization, and customizable widgets could make the dashboard more engaging and efficient for users. 

A fresh look and improved functionality would elevate the dashboard to better meet the needs and expectations of users.

I've used the solution for six months.

One of the standout features of the device is its exceptional stability when used for virtual SANS (Storage Area Network). The stability ensures that data transfer and storage operations are smooth and uninterrupted, making it a reliable and efficient solution for managing and accessing large volumes of data in a network environment. 

This feature enhances the overall performance and reliability of the virtual SANS, making it a valuable asset for businesses and organizations that rely on secure and high-speed data storage solutions.

One of the best features of the product is its scalability. This allows users to easily customize and adjust the product to suit their specific needs and preferences. 

Whether it's expanding storage capacity, upgrading performance capabilities, or adapting to different user requirements, the scalability of the product ensures versatility and flexibility. 

Additionally, scalability often means that the product can grow with the user, accommodating changing needs over time without the need for a complete overhaul or replacement. This feature adds significant value to the product by enhancing its longevity and adaptability in various scenarios.

Their support team is highly knowledgeable and skilled in assisting customers with any technical issues they may encounter. 

Whether it's troubleshooting a complex setup, optimizing performance, or addressing compatibility concerns, the StarWind customer service team is well-equipped to provide expert guidance and solutions. 

Customers can rely on their technical expertise to ensure smooth implementation and operation of the Virtual SAN solution.

Positive

I did not previously use a different solution. 

The installation of StarWind Virtual SAN was straightforward and seamless. The user-friendly interface guided me through the process step by step, making it easy to set up and configure. 

I was impressed by the clear instructions and the minimal technical knowledge required to get the software up and running. The whole installation process was efficient and well-organized, allowing me to quickly deploy the virtual SAN solution without any hassle.

My experience with installing StarWind Virtual SAN was smooth and hassle-free.

We used an in-house team.

We witnessed an ROI within one to three months.

I did not evaluate other options. 

We use the solution for HA storage for HVs.

We are an SMB that can't be bothered paying tens of thousands of dollars just to get a proper HA storage for a two node failover cluster. Therefore StarWind's vSAN was financially attractive from the start.

The reviews you can find all over the web incentivised us to research this solution deeper (e.g. just check all the great posts vom Kooler on Stackoverflow), leading to us actually implementing it.

We were coming from an S2D implementation which already gave us a ridiculous amount of headaches (bugs, performance stalls, "we know what's best for you" automatisms) in addition to being slow and annoying to administrate/debug while also having the most annoying documentation ever to be created by mankind. These solutions rush out some code and ship it and never fix anything (but break it every few weeks with patches).

The initial tests were easily implementable (without begging some sales folks for a POC, due to a free version being available) as well as proper documentation that you actually like to read due to it having been typed by a tech (and that also isn't behind a pay/registration wall).

As close to perfect as the documentation is, do read the blog posts to the two-node HA setup as well. Some minute details were only found in those.
There are no showstoppers, and not many things in general, just a few hints here and there.

The install itself is easy as pie. The config file is properly documented (you can do most things via GUI, just some things are set in the main config file).

Do help yourself to the iSCSI Powershell commands (Windows defaults from MS) when implementing. It is way more attractive than clicking via GUI.
(New-IscsiTargetPortal, Connect-IscsiTarget etc.)

Some things must be done via GUI though, since iSCSI has been implemented way back and "making scripting available" wasn't that widespread for developers back then. This being a Microsoft topic, not StarWind though. They would have had to make their very own iSCSI implementation otherwise.

For testing, you should use a proper tool like https://docs.microsoft.com/en-...
since "Windows copy from within the VM running on the test setup" can be flakey.
Not as in "the results aren't valid real world performance if you check with the Windows copy within a VM" but rather "non-scientific" since you can't extract much data from that process aside from size/time.

There is a visual bug with a specific part of iSCSI. It's Microsoft's fault, and, as usual, has never been fixed in over 15 years. Just don't panic if you experience it.
https://www.dell.com/support/k...
https://social.technet.microso...

Price-wise this is very attractive. The support is great (little that we needed due to the good docs) and I would expect you to reach a very good performance just like we did.

The next-best solution from my research back then - that you would actually want to use, so no S2D or anything - would have started at 7X or 8X the price. Since StarWind's solution has served us very well over the last two years already, I would recommend it.

To respond to the "how it has improved our organization," in a nutshell: it has provided very stable and performant storage-level HA which allows for live failover of VMs (as long as the compute doesn't die as well).

We like the ability to be installed and used on the same host, so we get the max performance possible.

It is easy to set up and maintain, resulting in a happy admin and low TCO/good ROI.

It offers good performance and stability and also makes for a happy admin.

It provides HA for our failover cluster storage where anything can go wrong up until compute, the thing still chugs along like nothing ever happened.

The upgrades are also very easy to implement. It's basically "click click click" once everything has been shut down and you're back up really quickly.

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.

ATM (20220609) is still necessary, since taking a node offline without properly activating the maintenance mode on the vSAN would trigger a full sync of the vSAN nodes.

This is fine and a good thing since it ensures data integrity. However, there is something in the making that would ensure integrity without a full sync after a node goes down, which, as stated above, one could "abuse" to patch (and boot = take down) the hypervisors during business hours 😁

Other than that, the thing is rock stable and chugging along without issues.
We are an SMB so we "only" have around 50 VMs on our FO cluster, which is a medium load for SSDs.

If you plan to go more to the "max" side of performance use, do proper testing!

I've used the solution for two years.

It's rock-stable.

So far, we only had visual issues in a specific place due to Microsoft being a PITA and never fixing any bugs they bring in (this one being over 15 years old).

It scales very easily.

Depending on your setup, their actual SAN might be a better fit for you, however, that's for your very specific case to decide.

We really only had contacted the support for the final checkup after setting it up ourselves, so that they could verify everything is running as it is supposed to.

That was great, so our experience has been great overall.

Positive

We previously used Microsoft S2D. It had bad documentation, offered bad performance, and had bad GUI and bad CLI.

The setup is very easy, and they offer very nice documentation and blog posts.

We did the implementation all in-house, self-taught by their great docs.

Since our HVs already run with Windows DC we had S2D included in the cost.

However, the operational costs were high. I'd easily say the invested time over a year with S2D would be $20-30K while StarWind's vSAN now took like $500-750 (yes, less than $1K!) over two years. 😎

Even if you add the license cost (which is cheap even with our 3-year premium support package) it is a no-brainer.

There is the "invisible" cost of you reading the docs, however, that comes with every solution. At least with StarWind, you have tech-to-tech documentation that you can actually use.

The pricing is very fair!

We looked into VMware and others. They usually had a way higher cost or worse performance or worse GUI/documentation, or all of those things together.

I'd advise others to use the free license to test it. The doc is also public. This is the way.

We purchased StarWind Virtual SAN to replace the no longer supported SAN App. Since the hard drive is outdated, the warranty was expired, and the user interface is poor, we decided to upgrade to a newer system. 

We have four server rooms on site, which we equipped with storage servers, each with 45 TB of SSD storage, on which we installed StarWind Virtual SAN software. 

With the help of the fantastic support from the StarWind team, we connected five compute servers from our previous SAN setup running Hyper-V. Everything worked smoothly. All of our data is stored on the storage nodes and replicated almost instantly.

We tried several solutions, such as iSCSI storage and Hyper-V Replication. The results were good yet did not produce the expected results. We had many problems with scheduled and unscheduled failovers. There were also limitations in the application itself.

After some research, I decided to go with the free version of vSAN from StarWind. I followed the instructions and technical support to deploy the SQL cluster using the StarWind vSAN free version. I tested the application with many scenarios. All failover options worked without any interruption.

StarWind vSAN has a lot of great features and is a perfect solution for mirroring internal disks and flash between servers. It provides a high-performance mirrored central disk to perform any implantation with high profitability. 

In my case, I had a requirement to implement a SQL cluster solution with servers and internal disks. 

Without StarWind vSAN there would be a bigger cost for the company, as we would need to buy a lot of disks and, of course, hardware and software, to run everything. That's why we choose StarWind.

vSAN's free version does not have a graphical user interface - all options are available from the command line. The graphical user interface is very important when we need to check the status and fix errors quickly, even if it is not a technical expert team. 

There are a few other limitations in vSAN's free version. They could release a few premium features to its free-use version, as we believe then there would not be so much of support tickets, and not everyone knows how to use Powershell. 

They add auto-update features, so you don't need to do it manually.

I've been using the solution for two years. 

The solution offers great stability.

The scalability has been great.

We have found that we can get a quick response to questions on the forums.

Positive

We previously used an HP solution, however, it was unstable.

In order to do a seamless setup, users need to read the manuals.

We handled the setup with our in-house team.

The solution was free to use. 

I'd advise new users to try the free version first.

We only evaluated StarWind.

We use the solution in order to share storage across multiple virtual server hosts. We are currently running VMWare ESXi with vCenter across two locations and with a total of 8 ESXi Hosts. 

We use a storage server with a 30 TB RAID10 Array which is being shared out across all servers. We are using a mixture of Dell R730XDs, and Dell VRTX with M620 Blades, all across a 10GB server backbone and a 1GB End user network. The two locations are 20 miles apart, linked by an MPLS provided by AT&T. 

We currently use Synology for our backup appliance.

Before implementing StarWind Virtual SAN, we would have to copy over every single virtual hard drive file before we could migrate and VM. With Virtual SAN, though, we can use a shared Storage volume and rarely have to move files. This has allowed us to expand our virtual server host threefold and allows us to have a more robust disaster recovery plan. I am now able to do Migrations during the work day which has saved me from having to do things like this overnight. I could not be happier with my shared storage solution.

I have found the graphical user interface to be the most useful thing about Virtual SAN. Most other shared storage utilities either do not have a graphical user interface or a poorly laid-out one. Every single wizard I have used in Virtual SAN is easy to follow, has clear labeling, and just makes sense. There is also an overabundance of documentation every step of the way if you run into any questions about the lingo or what this checkbox does. I could not be happier with my purchase and decision to use Virtual SAN.

This is a tricky question since I do not have many issues with StarWind's Virtual SAN product. Every step along the way, if I ever had any questions, there was either documentation to answer a question, or customer service was able to help quickly. 

There is one issue as far as licensing goes and that is a lack of documentation online by users when transitioning from the free version to the paid version, or vice versa. Customer Service can take care of the issue though without any issues. That's about the only issue I can think of.

I've used the solution for two years.

I had one issue with the product, however, reinstalling solved the issue, and it was nothing crazy.

The product is all about scalability. I have no concerns about future company growth and this solution.

The few times I reached out to technical support, my issues were solved in minuets, not hours.

Positive

I did not use a different soltion. 

The setup wizards are amazing!

I did the implementation myself.

We witnessed an ROI in six months.

I was intimidated at first about the setup, however, it is super easy.

I did evaluate VMware vSAN.

I'd advise new users to give the free version a try to see if the product is right for them. That's what I did, and I am so happy with the solution.