Unlike physical StoreOnce boxes, the VSA is often available as a free download for evaluation or small-scale use, making it a popular entry point for HPE’s deduplication ecosystem. Key Features You Get with the StoreOnce VSA Before you download, understand what the appliance provides:
The is a software-defined, deduplication-focused virtual appliance. It runs inside your existing hypervisor (VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V) and emulates the functionality of a physical HPE StoreOnce backup appliance. It allows you to create Catalyst Stores, VTL (Virtual Tape Library), and NAS shares using your own internal storage or DAS.
Pro tip: Before downloading, open a free HPE Support account and register for the “StoreOnce VSA 1 TB Free for Life” program – it still works as of 2025. Join the HPE Storage Community (community.hpe.com) and search for threads on “VSA deployment errors.” Avoid generic forums – most issues are specific to OVF parameters.
Introduction: What is the StoreOnce VSA?