O1982 wrote:A simple piece of software that runs on windows server that can share part(s) of the local storage space to other computers over the network.
Well said
. I have some things to add (StarWind VSAN is not only for Windows).
Is it an OS, a simple program?
An application. It can be installed industry-standard hypervisors like Citrix XenServer, MS Hyper-V, VMware ESXi, and RedHat KVM. On Windows Server, it is just an application. On others, it is installed inside a VM ( More details at
https://knowledgebase.starwindsoftware. ... hitecture/ (old but gold). Find more at
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/starwind-virtual-san.
You can install StarWind inside the VMs and play around with them. Make sure that VMs meet the requirements mentioned here
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/system-requirements. Then, request NFR/Trial/Free license (find out more here
https://knowledgebase.starwindsoftware. ... g-options/). Finally, install StarWind VSAN in a scenario and hypervisor of your choice as described in our guides (
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/resour ... al_papers/)
What is the benefit of using Starwind Virtual SAN?
Licensing, performance, flexibility, no HCLs (a true hardware-agnostic solution), minimalistic requirements, simple and robust management, support... well, that's not all, I guess. You should better get on a tech call with my colleagues in PreSales (just reach out to the Sales team to schedule a call). Learn more at
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/why-starwind.
P.S. we have a free version that can be used for production.
Are there alternatives?
There are some. Google is your best friend here
They offer cool solutions, but StarWind VSAN has some killing features (see above and beyond) to offer. On top of that, we are constantly developing our solutions (see what we have in stock) to fit the constantly changing demands of modern environments. For example, StarWind pioneered NVMe-oF implementation by designing industry-first all-software NVMe-oF Initiator.
Should you have any other questions, I am here to help.