Choosing A Windows Clustering Strategy in 2025
Azure Local vs. Traditional SAN Clustering vs. Storage Spaces Direct
Introduction Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI) Key characteristics and features Azure Local Use cases Traditional WSFC with External SAN/NAS Storage Key characteristics and features Traditional WSFC Use cases Windows Server Failover Clustering with Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) Key characteristics and features WSFC with S2D Use cases Comparative Analysis of the Three Solutions Comparison Matrix Azure Local – Pros and Cons Traditional WSFC + SAN – Pros and Cons WSFC + Storage Spaces Direct – Pros and Cons Industry and Workload Considerations Industry Examples Workload Examples Optional Azure Integration for WSFC (SAN or S2D) Clusters Decision Framework – Choosing the Right Approach Conclusion Introduction In modern Windows infrastructure, there are multiple strategies for building highly available clusters.