Hey everyone, I'm looking for recommendations on storage array vendors that are more grey-market friendly. Specifically, I'm interested in vendors whose licenses aren't locked to the original owner and where the array software is accessible without too much hassle. I'm on the hunt for a used flash array and would like to know what my options are. For context, arrays like Pure Storage and Tintri won't work for me because their licenses are locked and require the vendor for commissioning or firmware downloads. Similarly, NetApp explicitly bans grey market practices. Any advice?
2 Answers
Honestly, I haven't come across any enterprise-level storage vendors that don’t have some form of licensing locks. Most of them either require a license for access or specialized firmware drives. I usually go the DIY route with Linux boxes and JBOD units instead.
From my experience, aside from NAS, I haven't seen major storage vendors that are particularly accommodating towards the grey market. You might want to check out options from Dell or HP; they tend to be a bit more flexible with selling hardware without all the licensing drama.
Good point! I think finding a vendor that focuses more on selling hardware rather than locking down their firmware can really open up your options.