StarWind SAN & NAS is a software solution designed to convert a server, or a group of servers for high availability, into a robust and user-friendly storage appliance. It allows organizations to repurpose existing hardware resources to create high-performance shared storage by deploying the software on a hypervisor or directly on bare metal. This solution caters to organizations with budget constraints and limited IT resources, enabling them to maximize the potential of their hardware investments. The software provides shared storage capabilities for virtual machines running on platforms like VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and Xen. It functions as a ZFS-based, multi-protocol storage appliance, supporting NFS, SMB, iSCSI, and NVMe-oF protocols. Additionally, it can serve as a backup target, including a ransomware-proof Veeam hardened backup repository, and is compatible with CommVault and Veritas backup solutions. StarWind SAN & NAS is HCL-certified for VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V, ensuring compatibility and reliability. It also allows users to repurpose servers into certified backup targets for Veeam environments. Built on a Linux foundation, the software leverages ZFS features to optimize storage utilization, data safety, and data integrity. Deployment options include a Linux-based virtual machine and a bare-metal ISO image. The solution offers various redundancy configurations, including ZFS, Hardware RAID, and Linux MD/RAID. High availability and fault tolerance are achieved through mirroring of hard disks and flash storage between hypervisor servers. StarWind SAN & NAS supports industry-standard block and file protocols such as SMB3, NFSv3, NFSv4, NFSv4.1, and iSCSI, including VVols on iSCSI and NVMe-over-Fabrics. It provides a web-based UI, text-based UI, vCenter Plugin, and command-line interface (CLI) for management and monitoring. The software aims for simplicity in deployment and operation, with a user-friendly Installation Wizard and a range of monitoring and management tools. The solution is designed for performance, leveraging StarWind VSAN to process a high percentage of IOPS and utilize the full potential of underlying storage. It also offers cost-efficiency by allowing users to repurpose older servers as backup targets or high-performing storage appliances.

Features & Benefits

• Shared Storage
  • Provides highly available storage for VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and Xen virtual machines.
• Storage Appliance
  • Functions as a ZFS-based, multi-protocol (NFS, SMB, iSCSI, NVMe-oF) high-performance storage appliance.
• Backup Target
  • Serves as a ransomware-proof Veeam hardened backup repository and a backup target for CommVault and Veritas.
• Industry-Best Support
  • Offers next-level user support, including free migration assistance and dedicated support engineers with strict SLAs. ProActive Premium Support is available for 24/7/365 system monitoring.
• Architecture
  • Built on Linux, ZFS, and StarWind Virtual SAN, easily deployed on VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V, or directly on hardware.
• High Availability & Fault Tolerance
  • Offers enterprise-level high availability (HA) that can be deployed and configured quickly, turning servers into cluster-aware shared storage for near 100% uptime.
• File and Block Storage
  • Supports industry-standard block and file protocols, such as SMB3, NFSv3, NFSv4, NFSv4.1, and iSCSI (including VVols on iSCSI and NVMe-over-Fabrics).
• Simplicity
  • Easy to install and operate, with a user-friendly Installation Wizard and a broad choice of monitoring and management tools.
• Performance
  • Processes a high percentage of IOPS, engaging the entirety of underlying storage potential.
• Cost-Efficiency
  • Allows users to repurpose aging servers as backup targets or high-performing storage appliances.