Bulgarian startup StorPool is hoping to expand its reach with the launch of a new private beta test of its virtual SAN technology.

StorPool builds a virtual SAN using aggregated storage in a Linux KVM server’s disk and SSD storage, combining this into a single block-addressed pool where the data can be stripped and replicated across all drives. It’s an interesting alternative to buying a rack of servers and a rack of storage. The net effect is a storage cluster that allows for capacity and performance to be scaled independently simply by adding more servers or drives, or by upgrading the server processors.

The company started life back in 2011 with $261,000 in seed funding, and has since raised an undisclosed amount of money in a series A funding round last February.

StorPool has now embarked on a private beta test, according to The Register, which says that the software lacks the ability to tier data across SSDs and disk, and cannot cache data in the SSDs, which must be used in an all-flash volume only. Other limitations include no deduplication and no compression, yet StorPool still has some interesting ideas – for example, hypervisor support is extended to KVM, while OSS Xen, VMware ESX/EXSi, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Xen, OpenStack, CloudStack are all set to be added later.

The software runs on standard x86 servers promoting easy expandability of the storage space. Among the advanced features include auto-repair and continuous updating. Access to data is as simple as access to a SAN, and any server or node can access it.

StorPool’s tech is intended for managed service providers and end-users, who can choose from a subscription or perpetual license. Those who’re interested can read up on StorPool’s FAQ, or dive right in and request a free demo here.

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