At AWS re:Invent 2025, NetApp® is raising the bar for cloud storage automation and intelligence. With the latest enhancements to NetApp Workload Factory, AWS customers can expect a smarter, faster, and more proactive way to manage Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP (FSx for ONTAP) environments.
This year’s innovations are designed to do more than check boxes; they directly address long-standing customer pain points around visibility, automation, and operational efficiency. From AI-powered event intelligence to developer-first automation, Workload Factory is evolving into a true command center for enterprise storage in the cloud.
Workload Navigation from the NetApp Console
Let’s dive into the new capabilities and what they mean for customers.
Table of contents:
Agentic AI for FSx for ONTAP: From Reactive to Proactive
Real-Time Visibility with Amazon CloudWatch
Automated Best Practice Advisor for VMware Deployments
Integrated AI with GitHub Copilot for IaC
Simplify Oracle Database Management
Native FSx for ONTAP iSCSI Provisioning in EC2 Launch Wizard
Intelligent Edge-Aware Caching for Distributed Workloads
Summary: Smarter, Faster, More Proactive
Agentic AI for FSx for ONTAP: From Reactive to Proactive
The challenge: Storage admins have long been stuck in firefighting mode—parsing logs, chasing alerts, and reacting to issues after they’ve already impacted users.
The solution: The new Agentic AI Analyzer flips the script. By applying AI-driven event intelligence, it proactively detects anomalies, correlates them across the environment, and guides administrators toward resolution before problems escalate.
Why it matters:
- Anticipate and prevent downtime instead of scrambling to recover
- Reduce operational risk with guided, intelligent remediation
- Free IT teams to focus on innovation and transformation rather than troubleshooting
This is more than monitoring—it’s a shift from reactive operations to proactive estate control.
AI assistant for FSx for ONTAP
Real-Time Visibility with Amazon CloudWatch
The challenge: Until now, monitoring FSx for ONTAP required custom scripts, external Syslog servers, or delayed reporting, fragmenting visibility and slowing response times.
The solution: With native integration into Amazon CloudWatch log groups, Workload Factory delivers near real-time visibility and automated alerting without the need for custom tooling.
Customer impact:
- Simplified monitoring with AWS-native tools
- Faster response to events with real-time alerts
- Lower operational overhead by eliminating custom scripts
This integration ensures that storage events are no longer hidden in silos, they’re surfaced where cloud teams already operate.
CloudWatch integration
The challenge: AWS Elastic VMware Service (EVS) deployments often drift from best practices, leaving organizations exposed to performance, security, and compliance risks. Manual audits and static checklists can’t keep up.
The solution: The Automated Best Practice Advisor continuously scans EVS + FSx for ONTAP configurations, flags misalignments, and provides intelligent remediation guidance.
Customer impact:
- Ensure VMware-backed storage remains aligned with vendor best practices
- Optimize performance, security, and cost efficiency
- Reduce compliance and configuration drift risks
This feature acts like a built-in consultant—always on, always current, and always aligned with VMware and AWS guidance.
VMware inventory dashboard
Integrated AI with GitHub Copilot for IaC
The challenge: Developers building infrastructure-as-code (IaC) for FSx for ONTAP often lacked integrated tools, slowing down development and increasing the risk of errors.
The solution: Workload Factory now integrates directly with VS Code and GitHub Copilot, enabling developers to generate, validate, and deploy IaC with contextual intelligence and automation.
Customer impact:
- Accelerate IaC development cycles with AI-driven code suggestions
- Reduce errors through contextual validation and environment awareness
- Empower developers to move faster without sacrificing quality
This is a developer-first feature that bridges the gap between storage expertise and modern DevOps workflows.
VSCode extension
Simplify Oracle Database Management
The challenge: Oracle environments demand constant tuning, patching, and oversight. DBAs often spend more time troubleshooting than innovating.
The solution: Workload Factory introduces automated detection and remediation guidance for Oracle databases running on FSx for ONTAP.
Customer impact:
- Lower operational burden on DBAs
- Improve database reliability and performance
- Reduce costs through optimized configurations
By automating the heavy lifting, DBAs can shift their focus from maintenance to modernization.
Oracle database dashboard
Native FSx for ONTAP iSCSI Provisioning in EC2 Launch Wizard
The challenge: Provisioning iSCSI LUNs after EC2 instance launch required manual steps and post-launch scripting, slowing down deployments.
The solution: With native iSCSI provisioning directly in the EC2 Launch Wizard, customers can streamline deployment and eliminate manual configuration.
Customer impact:
- Faster time-to-value for new workloads
- Simplified deployment workflows
- Reduced risk of misconfiguration
This is cloud storage provisioning the way it should be: fast, simple, and integrated.
Intelligent Edge-Aware Caching for Distributed Workloads
The challenge: Managing FlexCache relationships across distributed workloads was complex, with limited visibility into cache topology and performance.
The solution: Intelligent edge-aware caching automates detection, visualization, and optimization of FlexCache relationships, giving architects centralized insight and control.
Customer impact:
- Optimize distributed workload performance with intelligent caching
- Simplify cache management across multiple sites
- Gain confidence in workload alignment and data locality
For global enterprises, this means faster access, smoother collaboration, and more predictable performance.
Cache management
Summary: Smarter, Faster, More Proactive
With these new capabilities, NetApp Workload Factory is redefining what’s possible for AWS customers:
- Smarter operations with AI-driven insights and best practice alignment
- Faster deployment with automation and native integrations
- Proactive control with real-time visibility and event intelligence
See Us at re:Invent 2025
Join NetApp at AWS re:Invent 2025 to see these innovations in action. From Oracle automation to AI-powered storage intelligence, Workload Factory is transforming how enterprises run FSx for ONTAP in the cloud.
This is more than an update—it’s a leap forward in how enterprises can deploy, manage, and optimize storage at scale.
