SUNNYVALE, Calif.-May 15,
2012- In today's highly networked world, innovation
requires collaboration and continuity in order to successfully
drive business. With NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP) and SAP AG, customers
and partners benefit from integrated, end-to-end solutions from the
global network of SAP® Co-Innovation Labs. As one of the four
founding sponsors of the first SAP Co-Innovation Lab in Palo Alto,
Calif., NetApp delivers both leading-edge solution expertise and
the global storage platform for all SAP Co-Innovation Labs in
locations that include Bangalore, India and Tokyo, Japan. Today,
NetApp announced an increased investment to support the SAP
Co-Innovation Labs Network, including the new SAP HANA® Center
of Excellence Switzerland in Zurich.
The first SAP Co-Innovation Lab was opened in
2007. Since then, SAP has opened a network of labs and facilities
featuring showrooms, engineering facilities, data centers, and
project resources. Its mission is to facilitate project-based
co-innovation between SAP and its partners on global and regional
levels and in a real-world context. Working closely with SAP for
more than a decade, NetApp has a leading role in driving data
management innovation for customers.
Developments Resulting from Efforts
of NetApp and SAP in the SAP Co-Innovation Lab
FlexPod
- The Cisco® and NetApp® FlexPod® data center
solution is an example of how, through cooperation with SAP, NetApp
has transformed innovation into a solution. Started as an
exploratory proof of concept called "Lean Cloud Reference
Architecture," NetApp and its partners evolved the concept beyond a
pure hardware stack and built it on the FlexPod shared
infrastructure. Through integration with SAP applications,
processes, and workflows, the FlexPod solution offers customers
greater value.
- Working closely with the SAP Co-Innovation Lab and the SAP CTO
team, NetApp and partners enhanced the FlexPod solution by
developing SAP solution-specific core services and workflow
descriptions. The innovative use of proven NetApp technologies such
as FlexClone®, Snapshot™, and SnapManager® helps
customers reduce risk and cost and to accelerate SAP lifecycle
management and run SAP landscapes in the cloud. The solution is
based on the pretested FlexPod design architecture by Cisco and
NetApp and integrates VMware® cloud infrastructure.
- Today, customers have a broad choice for FlexPod automation and
orchestration that leverage open APIs, including Cisco Intelligent
Automation for Cloud, VMware vCloud Director™, and VMware
vCenter™ Server. The new integration with VMware vCenter
Orchestrator provides out-of-the box workflows and enables
administrators to automate existing manual tasks and execute
workflows.
In-Memory Computing, Including SAP
HANA
- Through involvement in the SAP Co-Innovation Lab and hardware
partner Cisco, NetApp is a major stakeholder in the new SAP HANA
Center of Excellence Switzerland. It is dedicated to SAP HANA,
performing proof of concepts, developing customer-specific demo
scenarios, and executing development tasks. The lab has the latest
hardware and software versions on site, including the SAP ERP
application, the SAP BusinessObjects™ solution portfolio, and
the SAP NetWeaver® technology platform, all integrated with
NetApp data management.
Real-life Disaster-Recovery
Simulation Between Tokyo and Osaka
- A Japanese system integration partner posed a challenge to
participants in the SAP Co-Innovation Lab: Create an efficient
disaster-recovery concept. Five partners, including NetApp, worked
together to meet the challenge. One scenario was set up in the
Tokyo data center of the SAP Co-Innovation Lab, and a temporary one
was set up at the member's site in Osaka, backed by NetApp business
continuity solutions. The scenario was tested successfully, and
soon gained broader interest, because it was simulated shortly
before the tsunami hit Japan's coast in March of 2011.
NetApp Contributes to SAP
Co-Innovation Labs with High Levels of Efficiency and
Flexibility
NetApp solutions provide the storage and data-management backbone
of the global network of SAP Co-Innovation Labs, helping to meet
the challenges of limited resources and a global shared-project
infrastructure. Working concurrently with many partners worldwide
involves sensitivity to data privacy and security, as well as to
timely closing conditions. Projects require different landscapes
based on solutions from both SAP and its partners.
Building on agile NetApp storage and
data-management solutions, as well as leveraging full
virtualization and cloud capabilities, the SAP Co-Innovation Lab
network is able to save resources, reduce SAP landscape
provisioning to hours, and easily support 140 concurrent landscapes
worldwide. Customers and partners can concentrate on their
application challenges rather than on infrastructure needs.
Supporting Quotes
- Patrick Rogers, vice president, Data Center Platforms,
NetApp
"For more than a decade, we have been working closely with SAP to
create innovative solutions for our joint customers. The SAP
Co-Innovation Lab concept is highly appealing, because it provides
an open framework to build the solutions of tomorrow and makes the
results of co-innovation efforts on solutions such as SAP HANA
visible and tangible to customers and partners worldwide. We are
excited to be part of the ecosystem of partners involved in the SAP
Co-Innovation Lab network, as both a storage expert and a
supplier."
- Dr. Axel Henning Saleck, vice president and head of
Global SAP Co-Innovation Lab Network, SAP Research, Technology and
Innovation Platform, SAP
"NetApp is a highly committed partner, driving innovation for joint
customers. From the launch of the first SAP Co-Innovation Lab,
NetApp has been ready to take the next step and share its
technology and knowledge. NetApp is easy to work with, inspiring
and open minded, and has the attitude of getting things done.
Customers, resellers, and industry partners clearly benefit from
core innovation efforts resulting from the labs. Together with our
partners in the labs, we are accelerating new innovations and
deployments, providing best practices, and shortening time to
market for our customers."
Additional Resources
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About NetApp
NetApp creates innovative storage and data management solutions
that deliver outstanding cost efficiency and accelerate business
breakthroughs. Our commitment to living our core values and
consistently being recognized as a great place to work around the
world are fundamental to our long-term growth and success, as well
as the success of our pathway partners and customers. The use of
the word "partner" or "partnership" does not imply a legal
partnership between NetApp and any other company. Discover our
passion for helping companies around the world go further, faster
at www.netapp.com.
Press Contact:
NetApp PR
xdl-uspr@netapp.com
(408) 822-3287
NetApp, the NetApp logo, Go further,
faster, FlexClone, FlexPod, SnapManager, and Snapshot are
trademarks or registered trademarks of NetApp, Inc. in the United
States and/or other countries.
SAP, SAP HANA, SAP BusinessObjects
Explorer, NetWeaver, and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered
trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.
Business Objects, BusinessObjects, and the Business Objects logo
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company. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as
such.
Cisco is a registered trademark of Cisco
Systems, Inc.
VMware, VMware vCloud, and VMware vCloud
Director are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of VMware,
Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. The use of
the word "partner" or "partnership" does not imply a legal
partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.
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Statement
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facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private
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