A Strategic Perspective from Product Leadership at NetApp and Starburst Data   The enterprise AI revolution isn't waiting for anyone. As organizations rush to implement AI, with 87% planning deployments within 12 months, a harsh reality is emerging. Most AI projects will fail not due to inadequate AI models, but because of insufficient data infrastructure. The critical challenge most customers face is integrating their existing data, whether in the cloud, on-premises, or both, with their enterprise AI workflows. The strategic partnership between NetApp and Starburst Data represents a fundamental reimagining of how enterprises should architect for AI success.   The $100 Billion Question: Why Data Infrastructure Determines AI Success Every large enterprise faces the same challenge. AI initiatives demand instant access to all data, everywhere, with zero compromise on governance or security. Traditional storage vendors have responded with incremental improvements. We've chosen to break the mold.   The Fatal Flaw in Current Approaches Traditional storage vendors continue to treat storage as a passive repository, a place where data waits to be moved, processed, and returned. This outdated paradigm creates three critical failures: A Data Movement Tax: Every AI workflow requires multiple hops between storage and processing layers, introducing latency, cost, and complexity. Siloed Intelligence: Data remains trapped in infrastructure silos, preventing the holistic view AI requires. Static Architecture: Traditional storage can't adapt to AI's dynamic requirements for training, inference, and real-time processing.  Beyond Traditional Storage: The Intelligent Data Platform The new design center in NetApp® ONTAP® is built on the tenets of disaggregation and composable architecture. This design center is ideally suited for workloads that require high bandwidth and scale and provides cost-effective scaling of data infrastructure for deep learning. NetApp's new disaggregated architecture includes an enhanced metadata management engine that helps      customers understand all the data assets in their organization, enabling them to simplify AI training and fine- tuning. This new engine will automatically capture changes to your data, generate highly compressed vector embeddings, making that data available for searches and AI/RAG inferencing workloads that leverage generative AI technologies and large language models (LLMs). This shift holds several important implications. Let’s unpack them one by one.     Data preparation and data management happen where data lives. This approach reduces the inefficiency of external processing AI workflows accelerate. This allows the value of AI to scale by orders of magnitude through in-platform optimization Governance remains intact. This means that, with Starburst Data’s hybrid data federation capabilities, data never leaves the secure perimeter, enabling in-place query execution without data movement. The Starburst Multiplier Effect Starburst's distributed and hybrid platform amplifies this vision by providing federated data access across all data sources, whether in NetApp ONTAP or StorageGRID, cloud object stores, or legacy databases, along with the ability to secure, govern, and maintain the compliance of the data with AI.     Together, we deliver: Single data access interface across petabytes of distributed and hybrid data for a unified data view. NetApp ONTAP unifies storage through a simplified, software-defined approach for secure and efficient data management. Customers can leverage ONTAP for NAS, SAN, and S3 object protocol, which enables effective use of cloud resources for improved performance and seamless scalability. Performant 50+ native connectors to every major enterprise data platform. NetApp ONTAP offers extended REST API capabilities enabling S3 object administration and AI service integration, which also includes enhanced OAuth 2.0 support. Ability to not only store but govern the data to enforce and maintain compliance across all data sources with AI. ONTAP includes several synchronous and asynchronous data protection and compliance policies that ensure client I/O is      not disrupted across your AI workflow.  The NetApp-Starburst Advantage: Quantifiable Business Outcomes The adoption of NetApp and Starburst together results in several advantages and quantifiable improvements in business outcomes. Let’s unpack them one by one. Accelerated AI Time-to-Value Using NetApp and Starburst accelerates the time spent to achieve value when compared to traditional approaches. Consider the typical scenario listed below.  Traditional Approach NetApp-Starburst Platform 6-12 months to production 6-8 weeks to production Multiple data movements Zero data movement 5-7 tools required Single integrated platform Limited to structured data All data types supported   Dramatic Cost Reduction Using NetApp and Starburst also results in a dramatic reduction in cost. The sample below shows a typical cost reduction using this strategy.       70% reduction in data preparation costs through in-platform processing 50% lower cloud egress fees via intelligent data placement 78% which is best in class storage efficiency Eliminated redundant infrastructure, recouping dollars for priority projects Enterprise-Grade AI Governance NetApp and Starubrst offer rock-solid, enterprise-ready data governance. While competitors struggle with compliance, we are built to deliver a compliance-ready approach no matter where your data lives. This includes data on-premises, in the cloud, or a mix of both.   This results in:       NSA-validated encryption, the only storage vendor to achieve this Immutable audit trails for regulatory compliance Unified access control across all data sources Real-time lineage tracking for AI model governance                                                                                                                                       Why NetApp and Starburst Help You to Act on AI Today     AI adoption is transforming the business landscape at every organization worldwide. Organizations that fail to modernize their data infrastructure today will find themselves permanently disadvantaged. As you decide how and when to adopt AI at your organization, there are several pathways to consider.     Address the hurdle to AI implementation, adoption, and success: Data, data access, and governed data management are the foundation for AI project success. Compound Learning: Every day is a proverbial head start on your competitors. Convert on the AI productivity and cost premise: Successful AI projects drive organizational and business productivity and cost gains - every day. NetApp + Starburst: Your Unfair Advantage NetApp and Starburst are a perfect pairing. Together, they provide a complete transformation of your AI readiness that offers.                      The only platform with embedded      data intelligence + cloud-neutral hybrid lakehouse, with federated access to all data and data management The only unified solution spanning all protocols, all clouds, all data types, without the need to move data The only partnership delivering true federated data intelligence at scale The enterprise race to AI success will not be won by those with the largest models, but by those with the strongest data foundations. NetApp and Starburst together redefine what it means to be AI-ready. We unite intelligent storage, federated access, and governed data management into one cohesive ecosystem.   While traditional storage vendors remain trapped in legacy architectures, NetApp and Starburst are here to help you build an AI-ready, hybrid, future-proof data platform. This partnership transforms data from a static asset into an active enabler of insight, speed, and innovation. The enterprises that act now to modernize their data infrastructure will be the ones setting the pace in the AI-driven economy.   Because in the AI era, your data infrastructure isn't just supporting your business, it IS your business value.   ... View more

Learn about the powerful new addition to Data Infrastructure Insights, designed to give you a smarter, unified approach to risk visibility, governance, and proactive issue resolution so you can prevent problems before they impact your operations. ... View more

We're excited to announce the launch of our comprehensive Infrastructure as Code (IaC) repository for Azure NetApp Files deployments. Whether you're a seasoned cloud architect or just getting started with enterprise storage solutions, this repository provides everything you need to deploy, configure, and manage Azure NetApp Files at scale. Why We Built This Deploying Azure NetApp Files infrastructure can be complex, especially when integrating with virtual machines, networks, and enterprise workloads. Teams often face challenges such as: Inconsistent deployments across environments Manual configuration errors Lack of standardized templates Time-consuming setup processes Limited examples for common use cases We created this repository to address these pain points and provide the cloud community with battle-tested, production-ready templates that follow Azure best practices. What's Inside the Repository Three Deployment Options We understand that every team has its preferred tools. That's why we've built templates for all three major IaC approaches: ARM Templates - Native Azure Resource Manager templates for teams working exclusively in Azure Terraform - Cross-platform IaC for multi-cloud environments PowerShell - Automation scripts for Windows-centric teams and existing PowerShell workflows Ready-to-Deploy Scenarios The repository includes three primary deployment scenarios, each available in all three formats: 1. NFS Volume Deployment The foundational building block for Azure NetApp Files: NetApp account configuration Capacity pool setup NFS volume with customizable size and service level Virtual network with delegated subnet Perfect for teams who want to integrate ANF into existing infrastructure.   Deploy Now:   2. Linux VM with NFS Volume A complete end-to-end solution: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS virtual machine Automatically mounted NFS volume Network security group configuration Public IP for SSH access Production-ready networking setup Ideal for development environments, testing, or single-server applications. Deploy Now:   3. Multi-VM with Shared NFS Storage Enterprise-grade high availability setup: Multiple Linux VMs (configurable count) Shared NFS volume across all instances Azure Load Balancer for traffic distribution Network security groups for each tier High availability configuration Designed for production workloads requiring scalability and redundancy. Deploy Now:   Deploy to Azure in Minutes One of the standout features is our "Deploy to Azure" buttons. With a single click, you can: Launch the Azure Portal with pre-configured templates Sign in with your Azure credentials Fill in environment-specific parameters Review and deploy No need to clone repositories or set up local development environments for quick testing and proof-of-concepts. Security Built-In Security isn't an afterthought—it's baked into every template: Network Security Groups with least-privilege access rules Subnet delegation for Azure NetApp Files Encryption in transit and at rest Managed identities for secure authentication Azure Key Vault integration for secrets management RBAC controls for access management All templates follow the Azure Well-Architected Framework security principles. Comprehensive Documentation We've included extensive documentation to help you succeed: Deployment Guides - Step-by-step instructions for each scenario Architecture Diagrams - Visual representations of deployed infrastructure Troubleshooting Guides - Solutions to common issues Parameter Files - Example configurations for different environments Best Practices - Security, performance, and operational recommendations Getting Started Prerequisites Before you begin, ensure you have: An active Azure subscription Contributor or Owner permissions on your target resource group Azure NetApp Files enabled in your subscription Your preferred IaC tool installed (Azure CLI, Terraform, or PowerShell) Quick Start Quick Start # Clone the repositorygit clone https://github.com/NetApp/azure-netapp-files-storage.gitcd azure-netapp-files-storage # Choose your toolcd arm-templates/   # or terraform/ or powershell/ # Start with the basic scenariocd nfs-volume/ # Follow the README for deployment instructions Or simply click one of the "Deploy to Azure" buttons above for instant deployment.   Real-World Use Cases This repository supports a variety of enterprise scenarios: Development and Testing - Quickly spin up isolated environments with shared storage for development teams High-Performance Computing - Deploy scalable NFS storage for compute-intensive workloads Database Workloads - Host database files on high-performance NFS volumes with enterprise features Web and Application Servers - Share configuration files, logs, and content across multiple Linux servers with load balancing Content Management - Share media files and documents across multiple application servers Backup and Recovery - Leverage snapshot capabilities for data protection Community and Support This is an open-source project, and we welcome community contributions: Report Issues - Found a bug? Let us know through GitHub Issues Request Features - Have an idea? Submit a feature request Ask Questions - Use GitHub Discussions for community support Contribute - Submit pull requests to improve templates and documentation What's Next We're continuously improving this repository based on community feedback. Our roadmap includes: Additional workload-specific templates Try It Today Ready to simplify your Azure NetApp Files deployments? Visit the repository and start deploying: GitHub Repository: https://github.com/NetApp/azure-netapp-files-storage Whether you're deploying your first NFS volume or architecting enterprise-scale solutions, this repository provides the tools and guidance you need to succeed. Have questions or feedback? Open an issue on GitHub or join the discussion. We'd love to hear how you're using these templates in your environment!   ... View more

NetApp Disaster Recovery now supports Amazon EVS connected to Amazon FSx for ONTAP, offering scalable, cost-effective DRaaS for VMware workloads. EVS enables seamless vCenter integration, flexible scaling, and lower costs compared to Amazon VMC. Key features include SnapMirror replication, non-disruptive testing, and cloud-based recovery. This upgrade simplifies disaster recovery planning and enhances resilience for enterprise IT teams. ... View more

Here’s an overview of what we’ll cover: Storage workload updates Decrease SSD capacity on FSx for ONTAP VMware workload updates Expedite relocations with the new Amazon EVS migration advisor Compare deployment costs using the new Amazon EVS TCO calculator Database workload updates Support for self-managed Oracle databases Simplify Microsoft SQL Server logs with the AI-powered log analyzer Smarter workload management with Workload Factory ... View more