Accelerate and protect your block workloads in Azure
As a part of Microsoft Ignite 2025, NetApp® Cloud Volumes ONTAP® for Azure is introducing powerful enhancements that redefine performance, security, and flexibility for block workloads in Azure. These updates optimize speed and resilience, and they also strengthen data protection, helping you run mission-critical applications with confidence.
Additionally, we’re excited to announce an upcoming private preview that will give selected customers early access to these innovations. Stay tuned to learn how you can accelerate, protect, and future-proof your Azure block workloads with the latest from NetApp.
Enhanced performance with new VM families
With NetApp ONTAP® 9.18.1 data management software, Cloud Volumes ONTAP for Azure will support new virtual machine families that are optimized for end-to-end block (NVMe/TCP) and file workloads, all managed seamlessly through NetApp Console.
This upgrade delivers:
- Improved performance and reduced latency across both block and file storage.
- Significant gains for enterprise applications, enabling faster response times and smoother operations across diverse I/O profiles in cloud environments.
For organizations running high-performance databases, analytics, or transactional systems, these enhancements mean greater agility and reliability in the cloud.
Stronger security with VNet encryption
Also new in ONTAP 9.18.1, Azure VNet encryption at the infrastructure layer will:
- Strengthen security for sensitive workloads.
- Enhance application resilience so that data remains protected even under demanding conditions.
This feature adds another layer of protection for enterprises that prioritize compliance and data integrity in hybrid or multi-cloud environments.
Seamless hybrid cloud mobility with block-based workloads in Azure
The NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP and Microsoft Azure VMware Solution (AVS) integration will enable customers to:
- Extend or migrate block-based iSCSI VMware workloads to Azure with minimal disruption.
- Leverage automated workflows to streamline VMDK migration, reduce costs, and accelerate time to value for enterprise cloud initiatives.
- Private preview: Late 2025/Early 2026.
This integration simplifies hybrid cloud strategies, making it easier for organizations to move or extend VMware workloads without rearchitecting applications, saving time and reducing risk.
Why it matters
These enhancements empower organizations to:
- Run high-performance, block workloads confidently in Azure.
- Protect critical data with advanced encryption.
- Simplify cloud migration for VMware environments, reducing complexity and cost.
Whether you’re modernizing infrastructure, scaling applications, or planning a hybrid cloud strategy, Cloud Volumes ONTAP delivers the speed, security, and flexibility you need to succeed.
Get ready for what’s next
- We’re inviting customer nominations for participation in the upcoming private preview for the Cloud Volumes ONTAP + AVS integration (coming in late 2025/early 2026).
- Participants will gain early access to the integration and personalized white-glove onboarding, as well as a unique opportunity to directly influence the final feature set before public release.
- As a participant, you will commit to a biweekly, 30-minute product and architecture call with our product and engineering teams, giving you a direct voice in shaping this joint solution and influencing our roadmap.
Interested? To get started, contact your NetApp sales representative or our product lead, Michal Gliksman.
