Organisations are increasingly adopting “cloud-first” strategies as a way to maximise operational flexibility and simplify the process of scaling resources on demand. But the reality is that not all workloads and data are suited to the cloud, which means that network-attached storage will continue to be important for the foreseeable future.
Not all network-attached storage (NAS) is created equal, however. Your choice of NAS solution will have implications for IT strategy (including cloud), either creating new opportunities or limiting choices in future.
This is why you should seriously consider NetApp Scale-out NAS which has been identified as the scale-out storage industry leader by IDC.
Seamless cloud integration
The foreseeable future of IT remains hybrid, with some resources hosted on-premise and some in the cloud. However, the choice of technology will play an important role in how your organisation takes advantage of this hybrid setup.
Choosing NetApp NAS technology with StorageGrid management tools will allow you to automatically migrate workloads between storage tiers (including cloud) for maximum price-to-performance value. In this scenario, data access is seamless, regardless of physical location.
NetApp NAS users also benefit from a clear migration path when they do choose to move more of their workloads to the cloud permanently. NetApp file-based storage (FBS) and ONTAP management software can be used with popular public cloud services (AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google) for maximum flexibility – and to avoid vendor lock-in.
AI-powered storage
Moving data manually between tiers is a major operational overhead, losing many of the cost benefits of doing so. NetApp NAS users can rely on ActiveIQ AIOps to automate the process of moving data from high-performance on-premise all-flash arrays to lower-cost cold storage in the cloud.
ActiveIQ also optimises the environment automatically, compressing and deduping data to maximise storage potential and performance. This allows NetApp users to control costs and extend the lifespan of their storage assets.
Enhanced hybrid security
ONTAP data security, included with NetApp NAS solutions, offers exceptional protection for your data – wherever it is located. Choosing NetApp extends enterprise-grade security across your entire storage estate – including encrypting data at rest and in transit.
ONTAP also offers granular protection against malicious deletions and data loss. Users can define appropriate retention standards to meet legal, industry and internal compliance requirements.
Planning for the future
As an industry leader in the field of network-attached storage, NetApp NAS products bring together cutting-edge technologies with intelligent automation to build a future-ready platform for growth.
When combined with ONTAP enterprise data management software, you can simplify and modernise storage – even though a hybrid environment would normally add complexity to management and operations.
IDC analysts are clear: Customers in need of an FBS on-premises and hybrid cloud strategy should consider NetApp because of its expanded product portfolio, investment and vision.
To learn more about how industry-leading NetApp Scale-out NAS technologies will help you build a hybrid platform that works – and how WTL can help – please get in touch.