StarWind Completely Eliminates a Need in Shared Storage When Implementing Windows Server 2012 Scale-Out File Servers

StarWind Allows Scale-Out File Servers without Any Shared Storage Hardware

Burlington, MA – July 12, 2012 - StarWind Software Inc., an innovative provider of storage virtualization software and VM backup technology, announced today that StarWind software allows eliminating a need in shared storage that is required for implementing Scale-Out File Servers (SOFS) and delivers high performance and data protection to Windows Server 2012 environment.

Windows Server 2012 is coming out with a vast set of new features and introduces support for server applications, such as Hyper-V™ and Microsoft SQL Server, which can store live data on Windows file shares. A new update drives a wholesale shift away from SANs' complexities to a simpler, NAS-like foundation.

The new Scale-Out File Server is an active/active file server cluster that is designed to provide scale-out file shares for file-based server application storage. Since the SOFS only supports storing application data on file shares, the new SMBv3.0 functionality provides continuous availability and transparent failover for those shares to the supported applications.

Implementing Scale-Out File Servers requires all the application data shares to be hosted on Cluster Shared Volumes v2 (CSVv2) and, therefore, it requires a shared storage to enable the access to share content through all the Scale-Out File Server nodes simultaneously. Shared storage can be composed of the clustered PCI RAID (on shared SAS JBOD), Fibre Channel/ iSCSI/ SAS fabric (on arrays). All of these technologies have one thing in common – they all require additional hardware and many deployment elements.

StarWind software runs on the same physical machines where the Scale-Out File Servers configuration is built and turns the existing DAS into highly available, flexible, and fault-tolerant SAN. Therefore, StarWind eliminates a need in additional hardware while increasing server utilization. It allows building an Active-Active High Availability (HA) storage architecture that ensures high reliability, great performance, and maximum uptime of the IT infrastructure. Moreover, StarWind is a cost-effective and affordable solution that is well suited for SMBs and cost-conscious businesses.

"Failover Clustering and Cluster Shared Volumes are the key foundational technologies for Scale-Out File Servers and they require a shared storage to eliminate a single point of failure," said Artem Berman, Chief Executive Officer of StarWind Software, Inc. "StarWind iSCSI SAN software provides highly available shared storage for Scale-Out File Server at an affordable price and delivers an ideal mix of performance, simplicity, and advanced data protection features."

About StarWind Software Inc.
StarWind Software is a global leader in storage management and SAN software for small and midsize companies. StarWind's flagship product is SAN software that turns any industry-standard Windows Server into a fault-tolerant, fail-safe iSCSI SAN. StarWind iSCSI SAN is qualified for use with VMware, Hyper-V, XenServer and Linux and Unix environments. StarWind Software focuses on providing small and midsize companies with affordable, highly availability storage technology which previously was only available in high-end storage hardware. Advanced enterprise-class features in StarWind include Automated HA Storage Node Failover and Failback (High Availability), Replication across a WAN, CDP and Snapshots, Thin Provisioning and Virtual Tape management.

Since 2003, StarWind has pioneered the iSCSI SAN software industry and is the solution of choice for over 30,000 customers worldwide in more than 100 countries and from small and midsize companies to governments and Fortune 1000 companies.

For more information on StarWind Software Inc., visit: www.starwindsoftware.com

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