StorPool
Terms related to simplyblock
StorPool is a high-performance, distributed storage software solution designed for primary block storage in private cloud and virtualized environments. It transforms clusters of standard x86 servers into a unified, high-availability, low-latency storage system, often deployed as a backend for VMware, OpenStack, and custom virtualization platforms.
Unlike traditional SAN or NAS architectures, StorPool is fully software-defined and runs on the same nodes as compute workloads, providing flexibility and efficiency for modern data centers.
How Does StorPool Work?
StorPool aggregates local drives from a cluster of physical servers into a shared pool of block storage. It then presents volumes to compute nodes over the network with high performance and redundancy. The software supports inline deduplication, replication, and thin provisioning, and it is typically installed alongside hypervisors like KVM or integrated with orchestration systems.
StorPool volumes can be accessed over iSCSI or NVMe-oF, depending on the deployment model. The architecture is tightly coupled with the operating system and hypervisor stack, allowing administrators to run both storage and compute on the same physical nodes, which helps reduce infrastructure sprawl.
In contrast, Simplyblock offers a distributed storage system designed around NVMe over TCP and built to be cloud-native and container-native from the ground up.
Key Features
StorPool offers enterprise-grade features for performance and resiliency:
- Distributed block storage across standard x86 hardware
- Inline replication for fault tolerance
- Thin provisioning and auto-balancing
- High-availability volumes with multi-node failure protection
- Integration with OpenStack, KVM, Proxmox, and VMware
- Native snapshots and clones
- Scale-out architecture without performance degradation
For Kubernetes environments, Simplyblock’s snapshot and clone capabilities offer similar functionality with native CSI integration.
StorPool vs Simplyblock
StorPool provides powerful distributed storage with virtualization-friendly features. Simplyblock™, on the other hand, delivers a cloud-native distributed architecture optimized for Kubernetes, hybrid cloud, and edge workloads.
| Feature | StorPool | Simplyblock |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Shared-everything, node-integrated | Shared-everything, decoupled control/data plane |
| Storage Protocol | iSCSI, NVMe-oF | NVMe over TCP |
| Kubernetes Integration | Manual CSI integration | Native CSI, snapshots, clones |
| Data Protection | Replication | Erasure coding |
| Deployment Flexibility | Virtualized environments | Kubernetes, cloud-native, air-gapped |
| Hardware Requirements | x86 with local drives | x86 with NVMe or standard drives |
Looking for an Alternative?
StorPool is ideal for virtualized environments requiring tightly integrated storage and compute on the same nodes. However, Simplyblock offers a more cloud-native, scalable, and infrastructure-agnostic alternative.
Built on a distributed NVMe-over-TCP foundation, Simplyblock provides better separation of compute and storage, reduces redundancy costs through erasure coding, and supports Kubernetes-native deployments out of the box.
It also includes native support for hybrid and edge deployments, multi-tenant QoS, and snapshot-based automation — making it ideal for organizations scaling across cloud-native and container-first workloads.
If you’re evaluating alternatives that reduce operational overhead, simplify scaling, and fit seamlessly into DevOps pipelines, Simplyblock is a modern alternative to StorPool.
Learn more:
- CloudStack Integration with Simplyblock
- Proxmox VE Support
- VMware Storage Compatibility
- OpenStack + Kubernetes Mixed Environments
- Why SDS is a SAN Alternative
External Resources
- StorPool Official Website
- StorPool Storage Architecture Overview
- Distributed Storage – Wikipedia
- OpenStack Block Storage (Cinder)
- KVM and Storage Best Practices – Red Hat
Questions and Answers
StorPool is a software-defined storage solution designed for ultra-low latency and high throughput. It delivers reliable block storage across standard servers, making it ideal for cloud providers, IaaS platforms, and performance-critical workloads like databases and virtualization.
Yes, StorPool supports Kubernetes via a CSI plugin, allowing dynamic provisioning of persistent volumes. For modern containerized workloads, you can also explore Kubernetes-native NVMe storage as an alternative with built-in multi-tenant features.
StorPool is optimized for speed and can outperform traditional SAN/NAS systems. Comparable results can be achieved using NVMe over TCP architectures that provide fast block storage without the complexity of proprietary solutions.
StorPool offers built-in encryption, but for stronger compliance, it’s often beneficial to implement storage-level encryption with per-volume key isolation, especially in multi-tenant or regulated environments.
StorPool is highly optimized and offers great performance, but it’s tightly coupled to its own ecosystem. In contrast, software-defined storage platforms like Simplyblock are built cloud-native and offer simpler integration with Kubernetes, NVMe over TCP, and flexible multi-cloud use cases.