Finally, StarWind Virtual Storage Appliance is available on Linux allowing you to save costs on Windows licensing. Being hypervisor-agnostic, StarWind VSA easily integrates into any IT infrastructure as a fully pre-configured virtual machine ready for deployment and operation. It simply installs in any existing environment requiring no specialized SAN skills and is managed using StarWind Web console or thick client allowing to control the entire storage infrastructure from a centralized console.
Join our Tap Room Meeting on April 27 11 am PT / 2 pm ET to see all benefits of the StarWind Linux-based VSA.
Register now: https://www.starwindsoftware.com/dedicated-live-demo-session

StarWind Virtual SAN Free allows deploying a 2-node cluster providing a highly available storage for your virtual machines to Hyper-V or ESXi hypervisor for free. When deploying multi VSAN Free nodes, the data is synchronized across the network between the nodes. StarWind VSAN Free can be deployed in a hyperconverged model where VSAN Free is installed on hypervisor nodes or in a disaggregated model with separated compute and storage resources. StarWind VSAN Free management capabilities include PowerShell, with StarWind Management console available as a 30-day trial.

Read the full article by Romain Serre, a Senior Consultant at Lyon to learn how to deploy a 2-node StarWind VSAN Free for VMware ESXi 6.5 on Windows Server 2016 Core Edition.

StarWind gets closer to Linux users by providing them with special Linux-based Virtual Storage Appliance version combining the underlying OS and preinstalled StarWind Virtual SAN, allowing to save money on Windows Licensing when it’s unnecessary.
StarWind VSA is compatible with any hypervisor, be it Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware ESXi, Xen or KVM and can be managed via a Web Management Console while additionally containing a StarWind vCenter plugin allowing to manage the product directly from vCenter Server.

Read the full article by Vladan Seget, IT and Virtualization consultant to learn more about StarWind Virtual SAN on Linux

AlwaysOn Basic Availability Groups (BAG) supported in SQL Server Standard Edition and AlwaysOn Availability Groups (AG) introduced in SQL Server Enterprise Edition were designed to create a replicated environment with improved failover capabilities. However, the two types provide different capabilities while also requiring different licensing costs.

Read the full article by Shashank Singh, Microsoft MVP, and SQL Server Architect to learn more about BAG and AG cost and functionality differences.

Migrating your VMs from one hypervisor to another may be quite a complicated task if there’s no decent virtual machine converter at hand. Fortunately, there are various V2V tools allowing to turn this process into a simple thing. But, when choosing a V2V converter, there are several factors you should take into consideration.

Read the full article to learn how to choose a V2V converter that will become a perfect fit for your needs.

StarWind is currently working on the new product - a flexible and customizable web-based platform which will allow users get the full control over their IT infrastructures from a single HTML5 graphical interface including S2D, Failover Clustering and Hyper-V. More information to be found in a nearby thread: https://mangolassi.it/topic/14114/help-starwind-to-pick-the-name-for-the-upcoming-product

StarWind HyperConverged Appliance utilizes Local Reconstruction Codes, Replication, and Grid Architecture to provide an ultimate fault tolerance rate while delivering sustained high performance. With StarWind HCA, the whole infrastructure remains operational even after multiple disk or node failures. In case a failure occurs, applications are automatically recovered to working cluster disks or nodes, allowing to easily withstand a failure of more than 50% of the cluster nodes.

Watch our video to learn how to get uncompromised resiliency with StarWind HCA
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/get-uncompromised-fault-tolerance-of-it-infrastructure-with-starwind-hyperconverged-appliance

With PowerShell, automatic deployment of Hyper-V VMs in Windows Server 2016 becomes a piece of cake
No doubts, commercial software for automatic VM deployment is great, but it may be too expensive comparing to the goals that need to be achieved. That’s where PowerShell kicks in. With PowerShell commands, the creation and configuration of Hyper-V virtual machines in Windows Server 2016 become a fairly simple thing. But, what is more important, you can create a script which deploys VMs of the same configuration automatically.

Read the full article by Boris Yurchenko, a Support Engineer at StarWind, to learn how to automate your VMs deployment with PowerShell in Windows Server 2016.

Installing an HTTPS certificate is just a tip of the iceberg. This certificate has a huge number of options that usually are hidden deep inside config files. Actually, these tiny details allow distinguishing a site that can be rendered vulnerable via HTTPS downgrade attack and the one that is really secure.

Read the full article by Gary Williams, a virtualization, storage, and Windows systems administrator, to achieve the highest security.

StarWind team will take the floor at Storage Field Day 15 to reveal new awesome backup storage technologies: Virtual Tape Library with Cloud and Object storage and backed by ProActive Support! Our speaking slot is the first in line: March 9, 8-10 am PT, don’t miss it!

For Livestream, go to https://www.facebook.com/TechFieldDay/ or watch on http://techfieldday.com/, Livestream.com - includes the entire event.

Selux, a global manufacturer of sustainable lighting solutions, relied on multiple standalone physical servers running Hyper-V, creating single points of failure and requiring constant hardware expansion to support system upgrades. The company needed a cost-effective and easy-to-manage solution that would eliminate hardware dependency and ensure 24/7 business operations. By deploying StarWind HCI Appliance (HCA), Selux replaces physical servers with a fully redundant, preconfigured, and easily scalable hyperconverged platform, achieving continuous uptime for its design and manufacturing processes. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/11t

Microsoft has released the public preview of Windows Admin Center Virtualization Mode (vMode) – a native, web-based management plane for Hyper-V, clusters, Storage Spaces Direct, and even VMware-to-Hyper-V migrations. And it’s free with Windows Server licensing.
If you’re considering moving away from costly VMware renewals, this might be your sign. Check out all the details and how to set it up in our new guide by Vladan Seget, a virtualization expert, for StarWind. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/11q

Virtual Networking is important for a stable Hyper-V environment. In our latest article by Karim Buzdar, an IT Engineer & Linux Expert, for StarWind, we cover in clear steps and practical examples how to create and manage private, internal, and external vSwitches using both Hyper-V Manager and #PowerShell. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/11n

Ohio Dominican University, a Catholic liberal arts institution, had three IBM DS3400 SANs using Fibre Channel that were expensive to maintain, occupied too much space, and lacked flexibility. The university needed a cost-effective, easy-to-manage, and highly available storage solution that could integrate with its existing Hyper-V environment. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), Ohio Dominican University replaced its Fibre Channel setup with an Ethernet-based, fully redundant storage cluster that reduced costs, simplified management, ensured high availability, and provided uninterrupted access to academic and administrative systems. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/11k

The #OnPremises vs Cloud debate is more nuanced than it appears, and it’s becoming far more acute as we head into 2026. Rising cloud costs, tightening regulations, funding volatility, and growing AI and analytics demands are forcing organizations to re-evaluate long-standing assumptions.
Our latest article by Ivan Ischenko for StarWind explains both models clearly: how they work, their strengths, key differences, and where each one fits best. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/11h

Graham Corporation, a U.S. manufacturer of fluid, power, and heat transfer technologies, relied on a costly Nimble SAN that remained a single point of failure and occupied excessive rack space. The company required a fault-tolerant and space-efficient storage solution that would integrate with its existing VMware infrastructure without major changes. By deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), Graham Corporation deploys a high-availability cluster, eliminates single points of failure, and reduces rack space by one-third, ensuring uninterrupted production workflows and annual savings. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/11e

Still configuring switches or routers by hand? Zero Touch Provisioning automates the entire process from first boot to production, saving countless hours and reducing configuration errors.
Check out our latest in-depth article by Ivan Ischenko for StarWind to see how ZTP operates step by step and how it can transform your rollout strategy. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/11b

With Windows 10 security updates ending in October 2025, organizations need a realistic migration solution for legacy workstations. FlyOOBE 2.0 performs an upgrade to Windows 11 25H2 using only official sources and provides configurable privacy options.
If you support older endpoints or want a controlled upgrade path, check out our latest detailed guide by Vladan Seget, a virtualization expert, for StarWind. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/118

Astral Brands, a U.S.-based beauty products company, used VMware ESXi with Direct Attached Storage (DAS), which prevented multiple hosts from sharing storage and blocked easy VM mobility. The company required a simple, cost-effective way to create shared storage across all ESXi hosts without deploying a complex physical SAN. By implementing StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), Astral Brands builds a shared storage pool accessible to every host in vCenter, allowing seamless VM movement and ensuring uninterrupted access to e-commerce platforms and product management workflows. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/115

2025 brought unpredictable licensing costs and SKU retirements from VMware. If your team runs on a tight budget, understanding these changes is crucial.
Discover what’s changing in VMware Licensing and how to prepare your virtualization strategy in our latest article by Roman Bytsiuk for StarWind. Read more here: https://starwind.com/s/112