NetApp Unveils StorageGRID and ONTAP Tools

NetApp announced its StorageGRID for VMware Sovereign Cloud and the latest release of NetApp ONTAP Tools for VMware vSphere. The company provides systems, software, and cloud services for optimal application performance, whether in data centers, the cloud, or creating cloud-like experiences on-site. NetApp’s solutions work across different environments, allowing organizations to build their data fabric. This enables them to securely deliver the right data, services, and applications to the right people.

The idea of sovereignty is becoming crucial in cloud computing. This is especially true for organizations handling sensitive data like governments and regulated industries such as finance and healthcare. National governments are also seeking to boost their digital capabilities and decrease dependence on multinational firms for cloud services.

StorageGRID for VMware Sovereign Cloud

NetApp’s new Object Storage plug-in for VMware Cloud Director allows Cloud Service Providers to seamlessly integrate StorageGRID as their go-to solution for secure Object Storage of unstructured data. This integration is designed to appear within the familiar VMware Cloud Director user interface. It minimizes training efforts and maximizes revenue for partners.

Phil Brotherton, Vice President, Solutions & Alliances at NetApp, commented on the company’s achievements:

“We know that data sovereignty is increasingly important to large organizations and that they are continually increasing the volume of highly sensitive data they need to manage and store. The integration of NetApp StorageGRID with VMware Sovereign Cloud is a significant achievement for NetApp and a real game changer for our customers with unstructured data in the cloud who must maintain sovereign control of that data at all times.”

StorageGRID stands out for its universal compatibility and native support for standard APIs like Amazon S3, ensuring smooth interoperability across various cloud environments. Enhanced features, such as automated lifecycle management, contribute to more cost-effective data safeguarding and storage. This ensures high availability for VMware environments with unstructured data. This plugin also aids sovereign cloud customers in cost-effective storage, security, protection, and preservation of unstructured data, ensuring compliance with global data privacy and residency regulations.

NetApp’s Sovereign Cloud integration with Cloud Director enables providers to offer customers:

• Strong assurance that sensitive data, including metadata, stays under sovereign control, preventing access by foreign authorities and ensuring compliance with data privacy laws.
• Increased security and compliance safeguard applications and data from evolving attack vectors while maintaining continuous compliance through trusted local infrastructure, built-in frameworks, and local experts.
• Future-proofed infrastructure to swiftly adapt to changing data privacy regulations, security threats, and geopolitics.
• The ability to unlock data value through secure sharing and analysis, driving innovation without violating privacy laws. Data integrity is protected to ensure accurate insights.

NetApp ONTAP Tools for VMware vSphere

NetApp has partnered with VMware to enhance API integrations between NetApp ONTAP and VMware vSphere. This collaboration makes it easier for VMware administrators to manage NetApp ONTAP-based data management platforms in multi-tenant vSphere environments. Moreover, the integration utilizes a new micro-services-based architecture for improved scale and availability. The latest releases of NetApp ONTAP and ONTAP Tools for vSphere enable faster and simpler provisioning, protection, and security for large-scale modern VMware environments, all while maintaining a single point of visibility and control through vSphere.

Rajeev Bhardwaj, Vice President, Cloud Provider Platform at VMware, said in a statement:

”VMware Sovereign Cloud providers help customers in highly regulated industries meet the need for highly secure, data-driven innovation. Because no one company can do this alone, VMware relies on a powerful and interconnected ecosystem to bring innovative solutions to market. NetApp is a longtime, strategic technology partner this is helping us address Sovereign Cloud customers’ requirements for advanced data services. NetApp’s Sovereign Cloud integration with VMware Cloud Director will help customers simplify complex data environments and help ensure their data will stay secure and in compliance of the data sovereignty laws in their regions.”

NetApp ONTAP Tools for VMware offer two main benefits to customers:

• A streamlined architecture with VMware vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) integration, making policy-driven operations and scalable cloud-like functions simpler.
• An automation-ready framework, utilizing an API-first approach, empowers IT teams to integrate with existing tools. This enables the creation of seamless workflows for easy utilization of features and capabilities.