NetApp is a leading data management company that specialises in assisting businesses to maximise the value of their data. NetApp offers a variety of storage and data management solutions that help businesses optimize their operations, increase efficiency, and gain valuable insights from their data. Businesses can use NetApp’s innovative technology to streamline processes and drive success in today’s data-driven world.
So, what is NetApp? What do they do, and what type of service do they provide? Continue reading to learn more about one of the largest IT services companies.
What does NetApp actually do?
NetApp (formerly known as Network Appliance), is a renowned player in the field of data management. At its core, this product provides innovative solutions for storing, managing, and protecting data assets. Whether you are a small startup or a large enterprise, the challenges of handling massive amounts of data are universal. This is where NetApp steps in.
According to Company official website, here’s how they describe what they do:
“Only NetApp provides a silo-less approach combining:
- unified data storage with the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in the world’s biggest clouds,
- integrated data services with built in data resilience and policy-based governance,
- and CloudOps solutions with AI-powered optimization of on-prem and cloud infrastructure.”
Since 2008, the company has changed its legal name to NetApp, Inc. With that legal name change, the company has officially abandoned the Network Appliance name.
Data management, data protection, and data storage are all part of NetApp’s extensive service offering. Ultimately, it aims to help businesses maximize the value of their data by making it more accessible, secure, and efficient. This data management company does more than store data; it turns it into a strategic asset that helps companies gain insights and make better decisions.
Another significant IT service provider company, in addition to NetApp, is Rackspace. If you would like additional information about Rackspace, you can read our article, “What is Rackspace: Highlighting the Powerhouse of Cloud Solutions“.
Key Features and Services Offered by NetApp
NetApp offers a wide range of functions and services. However, they provide at least three primary services, which are CloudOps Solutions, Integrated Data Services, and Unified Data Storage. These services are designed to help businesses manage their data effectively, whether it is stored on-premises or in the cloud.
So what are these services and features?
Unified Data Storage is one of the key features offered. NetApp explained that thirty years ago, they introduced multi-protocol storage, which would then be their first step into these key features. NetApp achieves Unified Data Storage by doing three things: implementing a single storage OS for all data, enabling data access across any environment, and having consolidated control.
Another important feature provided by NetApp is Integrated Data Service. They accomplish this by developing ONTAP, a proprietary data management software. NetApp developed ONTAP, a data management software that provides a comprehensive solution for storage and data management across a variety of environments.
ONTAP’s unified storage capabilities support both block and file-level access, ensuring flexibility and scalability while offering robust features for data protection, storage efficiency, and seamless scaling. It supports data tiering, multi-cloud integration, and security features like encryption and access controls.
The last service they provide is CloudOps Solutions. Through these services, they assist businesses in managing their cloud infrastructure. These offerings, which leverage NetApp’s expertise in storage solutions, include tools for optimising cloud storage, ensuring data protection and security, enabling seamless integration across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, and implementing automation for streamlined cloud operations.
They also have their own software for this service, called BlueXP. According to their website, BlueXP offers unified control over storage and data services to support an intelligent data infrastructure across your hybrid multicloud. With powerful AIOps, flexible resource consumption, and integrated data services, it provides speed, simplicity, and security.
Is NetApp hardware or software?
NetApp provides both software and hardware solutions. That is why NetApp has grown to become one of the world’s largest IT services companies. NetApp hardware includes the FAS and AFF storage systems. These hardware solutions—the physical infrastructure—store and manage data.
On the software front, NetApp’s proprietary operating system, Data ONTAP, powers the storage systems. Data ONTAP orchestrates the storage infrastructure, data management operations, data integrity, and the numerous features that distinguish NetApp as a strong solution.
NetApp’s Data ONTAP operating system also supports data deduplication, snapshotting, and replication, which improves the overall performance and efficiency of storage systems. This combination of hardware and software ensures NetApp’s continued leadership in the storage solutions industry.
Hardware serves as the physical foundation, while software adds intelligence and functionality; together, they form the holistic ecosystem that NetApp is known for.
Is NetApp a SAN or NAS?
NetApp is a company that provides both NAS (Network-Attached Storage) and SAN (Storage Area Network) solutions. SAN is a dedicated, high-speed network that stores data at the block level. NAS is a file-dedicated storage device that accesses data as files.
The main difference between SAN and NAS in NetApp storage systems is the level at which they provide access to storage. NetApp filers are known for their robust NAS capabilities, including features like data deduplication and snapshotting. NetApp’s FAS900 devices can manage both NAS volumes and SAN logical unit numbers and allocate storage between the two modes.
This flexibility allows for seamless integration of both NAS and SAN solutions within the same storage system, providing users with a versatile and efficient storage solution. NetApp’s FAS900 devices are widely recognised for their scalability, performance, and reliability in handling diverse storage needs for businesses of all sizes.
While NetApp focuses on enterprise services, DigitalOcean is another interesting company that provides IT services to startups. Learn more about DigitalOcean in our article, “What is DigitalOcean: Use Case, Features, and Pricing“.
Conclusion
To sum up, NetApp stands out as an adaptable and crucial partner for companies dealing with the challenges of contemporary data management. It is at the forefront of the IT industry because of how well it stores, protects, and manages data. When it comes to data security, scalability, and the requirement for smooth integration with cloud services, NetApp is your go-to solution.
