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Deans Computer Services ensures continuous service delivery to its clients by deploying a high-availability cluster with StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN)

January 22, 2026
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Adam Findlay
Technical Director. Has over 20 years of experience in cloud service delivery, data center management, and Microsoft-based infrastructure solutions.
Technical Director. Has over 20 years of experience in cloud service delivery, data center management, and Microsoft-based infrastructure solutions.

CHALLENGE

Before deploying StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN), Deans Computer Services relied on a standalone Hyper-V setup to run critical workloads. This design had a clear single point of failure and offered no redundancy. The company needed a high-availability (HA) cluster but wanted to keep its existing hardware. A traditional shared storage setup was not a good fit, as a hyperconverged model aligned better with the company’s technical and budget requirements. DCS tested several alternatives, but none delivered the right mix of functionality, cost, and reliability. The need to protect essential services without overhauling its infrastructure made the problem difficult to solve without a software-defined storage solution.

We tried a number of other solutions, but StarWind VSAN ticked all the boxes for functionality, reliability, cost, and support. We opted for the 24/7/365 ProActive Support, which is absolutely fantastic and has helped us on a number of occasions.

Adam Findlay, Technical Director

SOLUTION

Deans Computer Services chose StarWind VSAN because it enabled the company to reuse its existing Hyper-V servers and build a fully redundant HA cluster. The software removed the single point of failure by synchronizing storage across the nodes without external shared storage. This significantly reduced hardware purchases and maintenance costs.Over the past year alone, the company saved thousands compared to a classic shared-storage cluster. StarWind ProActive Premium Support became a standout benefit, with engineers assisting in upgrades and monitoring system health. The new setup meets all current requirements, and the company plans to expand its StarWind-based infrastructure in the future.

About the Company
Deans Computer Services (DCS) is an IT provider based in the North of England. Founded in 1982, the company provides day-to-day IT support, business software such as ERP and payroll systems, cloud and backup services, cybersecurity measures, and custom development.
Region
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
Country
Great Britain
Industry
IT & Services
Product
StarWind Virtual SAN
Inspired by Adam Findlay’s success? Want to improve business continuity for your business-critical apps and services?
Dmytro Malynka StarWind Virtual SAN Product Manager
We’ve got you covered! StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN) is specifically designed to provide highly-available shared storage for Hyper-V, vSphere, and KVM clusters. With StarWind VSAN, simplicity is key: utilize the local disks of your hypervisor hosts and create shared HA storage for your VMs. Interested in learning more? Book a short StarWind VSAN demo now and see it in action!