NetApp at AWS re:Invent 2022—Postevent wrap-up

Well, it’s a wrap. Another AWS re:Invent is behind us. I think that NetApp’s Ronen Schwartz and Kevin McGrath best summed up the most important themes of re:Invent 2022—data at scale and cloud cost optimization.

To achieve those goals, NetApp^® technology is key to your enterprise success on AWS. Our portfolio of cloud storage services—based on the industry-leading NetApp ONTAP^® storage platform—can be managed through the NetApp BlueXP™ unified control plane. And you can further automate and optimize cloud resources with CloudOps solutions from Spot by NetApp. Let’s walk through the highlights from the event.

AWS introduced some innovative new features to promote your enterprise success in the cloud:

• Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP is now Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) authorized for Moderate and High levels. It’s also authorized for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (SRG) Impact Levels 2, 4, and 5.
• Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP has now doubled the maximum throughput capacity per file system to accelerate your performance-intensive workloads like video rendering and database applications. 
• The NVMe read cache support that was previously included only with Multi-AZ file systems now extends to Single-AZ file systems. 
• It’s now even easier to access Multi-AZ file systems from other networks (on-premises networks and peered networks in AWS). You can create Multi-AZ file systems that you can access from other networks over AWS Transit Gateway with no additional routing configuration. 
• AWS announced four new features that make it even easier to configure Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP and to manage your file systems. Now you can:
  • More easily assign a NetApp Snapshot™ policy to your FSx for ONTAP volumes. Previously you could configure Snapshot policies for your volumes by using the ONTAP CLI and REST API. Now you can also use the AWS Management Console and the Amazon FSx CLI and API.  
  • Smoothly migrate and protect your data with the NetApp SnapMirror^® feature of ONTAP. By using the AWS Management Console and the Amazon FSx CLI and API, it’s easier for you to create FSx for ONTAP data protection (DP) volumes. DP volumes are the destination for SnapMirror, which efficiently replicates data to the same or to a different ONTAP file system.   
  • Simplify how you organize, secure, track, and audit your backups. Now you can configure volumes so that their tags are automatically copied to their backups.  
  • Add or remove Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) route tables for your existing FSx for ONTAP Multi-AZ file systems, so you can easily update your file system network configuration as your network evolves.  
• FSx for ONTAP automatically encrypts data in transit between AWS Nitro System–based compute instances and new FSx for ONTAP file systems, with no negative impact on your network performance.

And that’s just a summary! To learn more:

• View details about these announcements
• Watch the FSx for ONTAP newsreel video
• Watch the NetApp sponsored breakout session, PRT230, which covers the major enhancements and use cases for FSx for ONTAP

Since 2016, Vanguard, a financial advisory firm, has embarked on a journey to modernize its applications, systems, and data and to migrate to AWS. The company was looking for a cloud storage solution that has data security, end-to-end encryption, seamless capacity scaling, multiregion replication with failover and failback, and tiering. Learn why Vanguard chose FSx for ONTAP.

As part of its cloud-first strategy, NVIDIA is migrating SAP workloads to the cloud. The company wants an agile and scalable cloud storage infrastructure that meets its requirements for high availability, near-zero downtime, and stringent data security. Find out why NVIDIA chose AWS DataSync, FSx for ONTAP, and Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3).

Look for more customer videos coming soon.

We had a couple opportunities to capture the insights and cloud vision from NetApp and AWS business leaders. First, NetApp sat down with the hosts from SiliconANGLE in theCUBE interview.

Ronen Schwartz, general manager and senior vice president of Cloud Volumes at NetApp, summed up the most important themes at AWS re:Invent this year: “The innovation in the cloud is breaking all records. This year, specifically, you will see a lot of focus on data at scale.”

From a CloudOps perspective, Kevin McGrath, vice president of Spot by NetApp, summed up the most important theme: “You will hear a lot about cost in the cloud. How much you are spending, how far is your dollar going, how are you using the cloud to the best of your abilities, and how efficient are you being with the dollars in the cloud. It is a huge topic, on everyone’s mind due to the macroeconomic situation happening right now.”

Watch theCUBE interview

Ed Naim, general manager of AWS File Storage; Ronen; and Kevin took to the sky to survey the AWS and NetApp partnership and its benefits. The three discuss several topics on FSx for ONTAP, key use cases on AWS, and how to optimize costs with Spot by NetApp.

Watch The Perfect Blend video

With numerous cloud file services to choose from, what are the key ingredients that make FSx for ONTAP the industry’s leading file storage system?

• The best price/performance that you can find in cloud storage. Achieve up to 90% savings from the 90% storage reduction that you get from world-class storage efficiency technologies, including compression, compaction, deduplication, thin provisioning, and tiering.
• High-performing storage service with 540,000 IOPS at submillisecond response times are certified by the most demanding enterprise apps, including SAP and Oracle.
• Highly available enterprise cloud, with 99.99% reliability.
• A complete array of data services, including tiering, protection, mobility, observability, and governance, that work natively with the storage service for simplicity and security.
• Superior cyber resilience:
  • Integrated ONTAP Snapshot technology reduces backup times and offers instant recovery of data with zero impact.
  • You get proven disaster recovery capabilities for both on-premises and cloud data by using NetApp SnapMirror along with automated data synchronization from NetApp Cloud Sync.
  • Built-in automation enables replication across AWS Availability Zones and delivers control with cost-effective, incremental-forever, block-based backups.
  • The use of NetApp AI-driven Cloud Secure technology thwarts ransomware and other external threats before you even know that they’re occurring.
• A comprehensive storage service. FSx for ONTAP delivers not just file storage, but also true multiprotocol block, file, and Kubernetes support so that your various teams and workloads can use a common resource.
• Tested and trusted service. FSx for ONTAP has been integrated with an array of AWS native services and has already achieved some of the most valuable third-party validations and certifications. It’s the first and only native AWS cloud storage service certified and supported as a supplemental datastore for VMware Cloud on AWS, and it’s SAP HANA certified. And as I already mentioned, FSx for ONTAP is now FedRAMP and DoD SRG authorized.

If you’re ready for a full serving of enterprise greatness, take the next step:

• See pricing details.
• Get started today.
• Speak to an AWS Cloud Storage Specialist.

Sincere thanks to all of you who stopped by our booth to say hello. If you didn’t attend re:Invent in person or virtually, check out the NetApp and AWS joint webinar on January 18, “Get the secret sauce to AWS Cloud.” Register today.