Leveraging NetApp BlueXP workload factory to boost FSx for ONTAP sales

As an AWS seller, you're constantly looking for ways to provide more value to your customers and streamline their cloud adoption journey. NetApp^® BlueXP^™ workload factory is a game-changing tool that can help you do just that, especially when it comes to selling and implementing Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP. This free solution offers intelligent automation, management, and optimization, making it easier than ever for your customers to design, launch, and operate their AWS workloads.

With BlueXP workload factory, you can provide clients with a seamless transition to FSx for ONTAP, helping them to:

• Shorten migration planning from days to hours
• Reduce errors in infrastructure configurations by up to 90%
• Save up to 50% on infrastructure and operational costs

The power of BlueXP workload factory

Infrastructure administrators face the challenge of understanding, planning, and continuously operating in accordance with industry and multivendor best practices. This challenge often requires navigating long, detailed, complex documentation, sometimes leading to manual actions on disparate tools that are prone to error and difficult to scale.

BlueXP workload factory helps overcome these challenges by standardizing the implementation of best practices into workflows and continuously analyzing the environment for drift. It offers a single interface that enables users to execute workload operations through a UI or an API.

One important feature of workload factory is its flexible operational modes, which allow immediate value without compromising security. And customers can gradually increase functionality as their trust grows.

• Basic mode. Requires no AWS account credentials and is based entirely on best practices and manual data entry.
• Automate mode. Enables automated discovery of AWS resources and execution of automation scripts in the customer’s account.

Key selling points

Workload factory can be a powerful selling tool, helping you to quickly demonstrate the cost and performance benefits of FSx for ONTAP to potential customers. When discussing this solution with your customers, focus on these key benefits:

• Accelerated learning curve. Guided workflows for assessment, planning, and deployment mean that both novice and experienced users can benefit from the tool’s assistance.
• Streamlined implementation. Significantly reduces the time and effort required to implement best practices, making it easier for customers to adopt FSx for ONTAP quickly and efficiently.
• Simplified workload deployment. Automates complex processes, reducing planning time and operational efforts. Provides a clear migration plan, making it easier to demonstrate value to customers.
• Cost optimization and TCO reduction. Helps customers make informed decisions about their sales strategy with built-in TCO calculators and migration advisors. This can be a powerful conversation starter when discussing potential cost savings.
• Seamless automation and integration. Generates infrastructure-as-code snippets, enabling easy integration with existing automation workflows and platforms. Implements industry and vendor best practices automatically, reducing the risk of configuration errors and optimizing performance from day one.
• Protection of workload data. Helps safeguard against user errors, corruption, ransomware, and disasters. 

Tailored for enterprise workloads

BlueXP workload factory is designed to support the critical workloads that enterprise clients rely on, helping to optimize deployment and management across (but not limited to) the following environments:

• Database. This tool is particularly effective for database environments, such as Microsoft SQL Server. By automating best practices for SQL Server deployment on FSx for ONTAP, workload factory simplifies database cloning and backup and recovery processes. This approach means that database administrators can focus on enhancing application performance rather than getting bogged down in configuration details.
• VMware. Workload factory streamlines the migration planning of on-premises VMware workloads to AWS, including VMware Cloud on AWS, Elastic VMware Service, and for native usage EC2. This capability assesses the on-premises VMware estate and determines the recommended storage layout of FSx for ONTAP storage for the migrated virtual machines according to vendor best practices, and can reduce the effort from days to hours.
• Builders. Workload factory accelerates software development for builders by using the advanced data mobility features of FSx for ONTAP. It enables software engineers to swiftly and effortlessly create development workspaces by automating data storage infrastructure operations, and it offers DevOps and IT teams comprehensive control and governance through robust policies and observability tools.
• General storage services. This tool supports multiprotocol access and efficient data management by providing multiprotocol access (NFS, SMB, iSCSI) for diverse use case requirements. It automates the setup of high-performance file shares for enterprise applications, which means efficient data management and retrieval.

Empowering innovation for AI and GenAI applications

BlueXP workload factory is powered by Amazon Bedrock to accelerate your clients’ AI and generative AI journey, enabling them to use private data for secure retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipeline creation. It automates data ingestion and management of knowledge bases for efficient and secure use of proprietary information.

Selling strategies and tips

BlueXP workload factory can benefit a wide range of users, including:

• Cloud architects and infrastructure engineers planning cloud migrations or new deployments
• Database administrators managing SQL Server environments
• VMware administrators looking to optimize their cloud storage

When introducing BlueXP workload factory to your customers, consider:

• Positioning it as a co-pilot or chaperone, guiding users through the deployment process.
• Using it as a conversation starter by demonstrating instant cost savings potential.
• Leveraging the tool during customer engagements to run quick assessments and TCO calculations.
• Addressing security concerns by highlighting the flexible operational modes.
• Emphasizing how it enhances the FSx for ONTAP value proposition against competitors.

Getting started

To learn more about how you can leverage this powerful tool in your sales process, contact a NetApp specialist for a demonstration and additional resources. With this addition to your arsenal, you'll be well equipped to exceed your Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP sales quotas while offering added value to your customers.

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