Uncovering the Best OviOS Linux Alternatives for Your Storage Server Needs

OviOS Linux is a specialized Linux distribution designed to simplify the creation of fast and easy unified storage servers. It prides itself on requiring no in-depth knowledge of Linux, NFS, SMB, or iSCSI protocols, allowing users to set up a fully functional storage server in under 10 minutes. While OviOS Linux offers a streamlined experience, various other powerful and flexible solutions exist that might better suit specific storage requirements. This article explores some of the top OviOS Linux alternatives available today.

Top OviOS Linux Alternatives

Whether you're looking for open-source flexibility, advanced features, or commercial support, there's an OviOS Linux alternative out there for you. Let's dive into some of the leading contenders that can help you build the perfect storage solution.

FreeNAS

FreeNAS

FreeNAS is an excellent OviOS Linux alternative, offering an operating system that can be installed on virtually any hardware platform to share data over a network. As a Free, Open Source, and BSD-based self-hosted solution, FreeNAS provides a centralized storage system with features like Lightweight design, Security focus, Stability, Virtualization, and a robust Filesystem, making it a powerful and versatile choice for building a data storage server.

PetaSAN

PetaSAN

PetaSAN stands out as an open-source Scale-Out SAN solution, making it a compelling OviOS Linux alternative for those requiring massive scalability and performance. Built on modern cloud-based technologies, this Free and Open Source Linux platform delivers elasticity crucial for large-scale storage needs.

StorPool

StorPool

StorPool is an intelligent software-defined storage solution that serves as a powerful OviOS Linux alternative, especially for service providers, enterprises, and Cloud builders. This Commercial offering supports a wide range of Linux distributions including SUSE Linux Enterprise, CentOS, Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Ubuntu Server, and Red Hat, alongside VMware vSphere Hypervisor and Microsoft Hyper-V Server. It boasts an extensive feature set including HCI support, High Availability, Infiniband support, Automatic recovery, Backups and Disaster Recovery, Cloud Storage, Data tiering, Ethernet Support, Fault tolerant, ISCSI support, Network redundancy, QoS, Thin Provisioning, TRIM/Discard, Virtualization, Zeroes detection, and Kubernetes integration.

LINBIT VSAN

LINBIT VSAN

LINBIT® VSAN SDS for VMware is a strong OviOS Linux alternative, specifically tailored as a software-defined storage solution for small and medium-sized VMware® deployments. This Commercial, Linux-based platform is also usable on Oracle VM Server and primarily focuses on delivering High Availability, ensuring your data is always accessible.

SvSAN

SvSAN

SvSAN offers a simple, cost-effective, and flexible virtual SAN, making it a perfect OviOS Linux alternative for edge computing environments that demand a highly available, two-server solution. This Commercial offering is compatible with Windows and VMware vSphere, providing critical features like High Availability and Virtual disk capabilities.

Starwind Virtual SAN

Starwind Virtual SAN

StarWind Virtual SAN provides a powerful OviOS Linux alternative by eliminating the need for physical shared storage. This Freemium solution, compatible with Windows, achieves high performance by mirroring internal hard disks and flash between hypervisor servers, maintaining excellent performance without relying on external arrays.

StoneFly SCVM™

StoneFly SCVM™

StoneFly SCVM™ is a Commercial, Software as a Service (SaaS) solution and a viable OviOS Linux alternative for IT-driven businesses aiming to enhance agility and reduce data storage costs. Compatible with VMware vSphere Hypervisor and Microsoft Hyper-V Server, it offers key features such as AES encryption, Cloud Storage, Data deduplication, File Storage, and an integrated Operating system.

vSAN

vSAN

vSAN is an enterprise-class storage virtualization software that serves as a robust OviOS Linux alternative. When combined with vSphere, this Commercial, Linux-based solution for VMware vSphere Hypervisor allows you to manage compute and storage with a single, unified platform.

Dell EMC UnityVSA

Dell EMC UnityVSA

Dell EMC UnityVSA is a powerful Freemium and Self-Hosted OviOS Linux alternative that allows you to deploy Dell EMC Unity unified storage as a virtual storage appliance. This software-defined storage solution runs on VMware vSphere Hypervisor, providing a flexible and scalable option for your storage needs.

Choosing the right storage solution depends on your specific needs, whether that's budget, required features, scalability, or ease of use. We encourage you to explore these OviOS Linux alternatives further to find the perfect fit for your unified storage server.

Daniel Green

Daniel Green

A passionate tech reviewer who follows the latest in software innovation and licensing tools.