Today NetApp announced new storage systems, the NetApp FAS8000 series. Key elements of the announcement include:-
- Up to 3X more Flash (Maximum total flash of 18TB, with max flash cache of 8TB to increase performance up to 2X.
Note: The Flashcache still seems small to me for some use cases as it has to be mirrored and can therefore only scale to less than 0.1% orf the raw capacity of a max config system. Flash cache size and scalability across different arrays is an interesting topic for a future post. - Expandability up to 4.8PB and 1200 disks in the FAS8060.
- New FlexArray Virtualization Software supporting both SAN and NAS, to virtualize legacy storage behind FAS systems and speed customers deployment of storage clouds.
- The latest release of clustered DataONTAP (cDOT).
One of the interesting elements of the announcement is the new FlexArray Virtualization Software. Virtualization of legacy arrays is not an uncommon function in other arrays or in software, but it is not one that has been widely embraced or succesful in the past. StoreAge was a software-based storage virtualization pioneer and was purchased by LSI back in 2006. The Storage virtualization software was OEM'd from LSI by HP and delivered as a virtualzation solution called the SAN Virtualization Services Platform (SVSP). I managed storage products including SVSP at HP where it was used as a way of providing a services level consolidation engagement for large entrprise customers. Whislt there were some very large and visible customers who used the software it never achieved volume traction and LSI eventually paired back investment and eventually sold the technology to NetApp as a part of the Engenio acquisition. It would be interesting to know if any of StoreAge technology is being used in NetApps implementation.
FlexArray virtualization is made available through a software feature in DataONTAP 8.2.1 and is available on all NetApp FAS8000 systems. Initial support seems to be for EMC, HDS, and NetApp E-Series Arrays. NetApp is clearly positioning FlexArray virtualization as a way to migrate legacy array capacity to the cloud and more quickly build out cloud migrations. We will have to wait and see what kind of adoption it gets but it does offer the opportunity for customers to simplify existing heterogeneous storage implementations. Other arrays from Hitachi, HP, EMC etc, also offer virtualization of legacy arrays.
As a part of the Announcement NetApp is also building out their partner ecosystem to provide value added services and software. For more on the potential implications of the NetApp announcement for consolidation of storage and data protection infrastructure, you can read my guest blog on the Catalogic Software website.
The FAS8000 platforms, FlexArray Virtualization Software, and clustered Data ONTAP
8.2.1 are available now.
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