NetApp Launches Scale-Out Storage update from February 2014

To help manage storage across private and public clouds NetApp (NTAP) introduced FAS8000 series scale-out enterprise storage systems with the I/O flexibility to simplify and eliminate complex upgrades as IT needs change. With new FlexArray virtualization software, NetApp V-Series becomes a software option enabling the FAS8000 to virtualize and manage multi-vendor data storage platforms, paving the way for software-defined storage.

“As they adapt their IT operations to improve service delivery and embrace cloud mandates, CIOs recognize the advantages of shared storage infrastructures," George Kurian, Executive Vice President, Product Operations at NetApp. "Our proven, flash-accelerated FAS enterprise storage systems combine scale-out innovation and rich data management capabilities in a single unified platform. Our new FAS8000 series and enhanced software offerings allow customers to respond quickly to changing business needs, move seamlessly to an era of unbound clouds, and eliminate the over provisioning of people, time, and money.”

FAS8000: Single Hybrid Array

Built as an enterprise storage system to unify SAN, NAS and storage virtualization, the new FAS8000 series is a single hybrid array designed specifically for scale-out storage environments. The new storage systems can improve performance (up to 2 times) and deliver better flash acceleration benefits (up to 3 times more flash) than previous FAS platforms. Additional improvements with the FAS8000 include a new, storage I/O–optimized architecture including the Intel microarchitecture (formerly code-named Sandy Bridge), expanded memory, and improved flash support to deliver superior, low-latency performance for enterprise-class workloads.

FlexArray virtualization software enables existing storage to be managed by Data ONTAP for a greater return on investment and makes legacy storage cloud-ready. A new release of clustered Data ONTAP, version 8.2.1, extends nondisruptive operations (NDOs) and improves data security and management of CIFS environments. This is the foundation for software-defined storage, enabling organizations to provision and consume storage services based on policies and to deploy resources on a wide range of hardware.

“CIOs and IT executives are constantly looking to simplify operations, make infrastructure decisions that can scale to demand, and deliver a solid return on investment for their organizations," said Ashish Nadkarni, Research Director, Storage Systems and Big Data Research at IDC. "Building or implementing cloud-supported infrastructures however requires storage and data management product and solutions that satisfy cloud requirements. With the introduction of its new enterprise storage systems and software, NetApp is innovating the underlying storage infrastructure in such a way that enables this type of flexible and efficient data storage infrastructure.”