DCIG is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the 2025-26 DCIG TOP 5 Enterprise SDS Block Storage Solutions Report. This DCIG TOP 5 report provides enterprises with guidance on the best SDS block storage solution for deploying in business- and mission-critical IT environments.
SDS Block Storage Solutions Ready for Enterprise Deployments
Software-defined storage (SDS) block storage solutions have come of age. Sometimes viewed in the past as too hard, too risky, or unproven, those days are over. Rather, any enterprises that still view SDS block storage solutions through this lens do themselves a disservice.
SDS block storage solution providers have made significant strides to mitigate the risk and perceived stigma associated with deploying their solutions into enterprise environments. For instance, these providers now:
- Certify their SDS block storage solution with multiple leading application, database, hypervisor, and operating system providers.
- Configure and ship SDS block storage solutions directly from one or more hardware providers as preconfigured, ready-to-use hardware storage appliances.
- Make their SDS block storage software available on hardware from multiple providers.
- Offer ample evidence and proof points to demonstrate their SDS block storage solution performs as well or better than comparable storage appliances from hardware providers.
- Offer enterprise levels of upfront and ongoing technical support and customer training to ease deployments and ensure successful ongoing operations.
These and other factors should give enterprises the assurance they need to confidently move forward with deploying SDS block storage solutions. They also help explain why researchers forecast the market for SDS storage solutions will grow significantly. Two research firms forecast an increase in the SDS market from about $US50+ billion in 2024 to as high as $US260+ billion by 2029.
Its SDS block storage’s other features that should contribute to its accelerated growth and adoption in the coming years. For instance, depending on the SDS block storage solution, enterprises obtain new flexibility to virtualize multiple types of storage. Storage choices may range from storage arrays to disk drives available in x86 server hardware to cloud block storage.
SDS block storage solutions also help simplify the tasks associated with managing environments with block storage networking protocols. This simplification can range from migrating data between systems to centralizing the volume management of the virtualized storage. It may also alleviate complex zoning, LUN masking, and other storage networking tasks commonly associated with managing block storage environments.
Drivers for Enterprise SDS Block Storage Solution Adoption
DCIG identified over 20 different enterprise SDS block storage solutions that enterprises could deploy in various ways. Deployment options could include software for deployment on-premises, in the cloud, a preconfigured hardware appliance, or a combination of these.
Some providers also partner with hardware OEMs so that enterprises may order appliances from their preferred OEM. A few providers even make infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) available as an option. If electing to use IaaS, the provider manages the software after an enterprise deploys it.
Enterprises increasingly encounter new use cases that demand the use of storage solutions other than traditional storage hardware appliances. While edge locations may be the first that come to mind, enterprise IT environments possess additional business drivers for adopting SDS block storage solutions:
Common storage management experience
Deploying SDS block storage solutions in the cloud immediately emerges as a common enterprise use case. Enterprises may want to have the same block storage management experience both on-premises and in the cloud.
Many of the SDS block storage solutions meet many if not all enterprise requirements. In some cases, the provider bases its SDS block storage software on the same software that runs on the provider’s enterprise storage systems. This software may offer features such as replication, snapshots, data reduction, and data migration.
Additionally, some enterprises seek a more robust hybrid cloud experience. Some SDS block storage solutions give them the flexibility to host the same workloads both on-premises and in the cloud. In some cases, they can even move the workloads back and forth between on-premises and the cloud.
Identifying a VMware vSAN alternative
Broadcom has further incentivized enterprises to explore alternative SDS block storage options. In December 2023, Broad-com announced that vSAN had become part of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) and VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF). As a result, enterprises may no longer acquire vSAN as a standalone solution. This may prompt existing vSAN enterprise clients to identify a new SDS block storage solution.
Cybersecurity and ransomware concerns.
Enterprises have increased concerns about cybersecurity attacks in general and ransomware attacks specifically. To address these concerns, DCIG evaluated the various cybersecurity capabilities of each SDS block storage solution.
DCIG used the National Institute of Science and Technology’s (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework to focus its research in this area. Using these guidelines, DCIG evaluated how well each SDS block-based storage solution delivered on the NIST’s five cybersecurity categories: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.
DCIG TOP 5 ENTERPRISE SDS BLOCK STORAGE SOLUTIONS
In preparing this report, DCIG formally evaluated over 20 different SDS block storage solutions based on multiple different features and capabilities. The general categories under which the features of these SDS block storage solutions fell included:
- Data protection and security.
Deployments options.- Product and performance management.
- Technical support.
Deployments options.Based on these criteria, DCIG awarded the following enterprise SDS block storage solutions a DCIG TOP 5 ranking:
- DataCore Software SANsymphony
- Hitachi Vantara VSP One SDS Block
- OSNexus QuantaStor
- StorONE Data Storage Platform
- Veritas InfoScale
REPORT AVAILABILITY
The full 2025-26 DCIG TOP 5 Enterprise SDS Block Storage Solutions Report is available for download immediately on DCIG’s site with registration by following this link. The full report contains additional details such as:
- A list of all 21 Enterprise SDS Block Storage Solutions evaluated.
- Common features across all enterprise SDS block storage solutions.
- The two enterprise SDS block storage solution differentiators.
- Similarities and differences between the DCIG TOP 5 Enterprise SDS Block Storage Solutions.
- A profile of each DCIG TOP 5 Enterprise SDS Block Storage Solution that lists at least three (3) ways each one distinguishes itself from the other solutions.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND COPYRIGHT
Other than excerpts from this report published in this announcement, the content of the 2025-26 DCIG TOP 5 Enterprise SDS Block Storage Solutions Report is copyrighted and may not be republished without the express written permission of DCIG.
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH DCIG
DCIG will release more DCIG TOP 5 reports in the weeks and months to come. Please sign up for the weekly DCIG Newsletter to receive notice of their availability.
To learn about DCIG’s forthcoming research and publications, see the DCIG Publication Calendar.
Technology providers interested in licensing DCIG TOP 5 reports or having DCIG produce custom reports, please contact DCIG for more information.