Today’s IT landscape demands agility and a unified management experience. Migrating virtual machines to Hyper-V shouldn’t involve juggling multiple interfaces. That’s why Windows Admin Center (WAC) and the NetApp Shift Toolkit join forces to deliver a single-pane-of-glass solution that makes VM mobility simple and efficient.   What is NetApp Shift toolkit? NetApp Shift Toolkit is a free, GUI-based solution that simplifies VM migration across different hypervisors and converts virtual disk formats. It automates the creation and configuration of destination VMs, reduces virtualization costs through VM portability, and supports disk-level conversions for multi-hypervisor environments. It performs a VM inventory first, then converts to Hyper-V (VHDX) format.   What is Windows Admin Center? Windows Admin Center is a modern, browser-based management tool for Windows Server environments. It provides a unified interface to manage servers, clusters, and virtual machines without requiring additional licensing costs.   With WAC, administrators can:   Manage Hyper-V hosts and clusters: Create, configure, and monitor clusters for high availability. Provision and control virtual machines (VMs): Easily create, start, stop, and configure VMs across multiple hosts. Simplify operations: Perform tasks like storage management, networking configuration, and performance monitoring from a single dashboard. Extend functionality: Use extensions like NetApp Shift Toolkit for VM migration and disk format conversions.   WAC helps streamline virtualization management, reduce complexity, and improve operational efficiency in on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments.   Why this integration matters With this powerful integration, VMs can be seamlessly converted to Hyper-V from the familiar WAC interface. No complex scripts or no manual conversions, just a streamlined workflow that saves time and reduces risk.   Faster migrations with minimal downtime Simplified management through WAC’s intuitive UI Enhances cutover speed & operational confidence Supports large scale (10s of 1,000s of VMs) migration Delivers a superior alternative to slower “copy-through” methods No need of additional capacity, optimized storage leveraging NetApp’s enterprise-grade capabilities   The Process Overview Install the extension - NetApp Shift Toolkit (Preview) from Available extensions Access NetApp Shift Toolkit (Preview) from the "All connections" page within Windows Admin Center Add the source and destination site along with the hypervisors Create a migration batch by grouping all the required VMs Create the mappings via blueprint Once the VM preparation is complete, trigger the migration blueprint The disk conversion happens in minutes irrespective of the size The virtual machines are bought online on Hyper-V   Explore the Complete Walk-through Prerequisites   Shift toolkit installed on a virtual machine on a Hyper-V node Ensure “Enable WAC extension” option is selected during the installation Install NetApp Shift toolkit extension via extension Hyper-V hosts configured as standalone hosts or failover cluster Hyper-V user account must have administrator privileges Hyper-V hosts are network reachable and DNS entries are up-to-date Virtual switches should be configured with the appropriate trunking Ensure the VMs to be migrated are residing on ONTAP NFS datastores. If they are not, use svmotion to move the VMs for Shift toolkit to perform its magic Make sure that the NFS share (used to store the VMs to be converted) and the destination share (used to store the converted VMs) reside on the same volume.          For detailed information about pre-requisites, refer to Hyper-V requirements   Once the pre-requisites are in place, login to Windows Admin Center and add the NetApp Shift toolkit connection.   Access the “NetApp Shift Toolkit Extension (Preview) extension via “All connections”. Click on Add and enter the Shift toolkit endpoint (FQDN or IP address) Once added, click the endpoint to access Shift toolkit via Windows Admin Center.   Login with the default credentials. The first step is to discover and add the source and then the target Hypervisor details (both hypervisors and storage) to Shift toolkit.  Configure Hyper-V as the destination hypervisor. To add, click on “Add New Site” and select “Destination”.          For detailed step by step walkthrough, follow ”Configure Shift toolkit” Fill in the Destination Hyper-V details Hyper-V Standalone or failover cluster manager IP address or FQDN Username - username to access (in UPN format: username@domain.com or domain\administrator) Password – Password to access Hyper-V host or FCI instance for performing inventory of the resources.  Once done, click “Create Site” Note: The source and destination storage system should be the same as the disk format conversion happens at the volume level and within the same volume. Next step is to group the required VMs into their migration groups as resource groups. Shift toolkit resource groups allow to group set of dependent VMs into logical groups that contain their boot orders and boot delays. Select the VMs and also the appropriate workflow: Clone based Migration – performs end to end migration of the VM from source hypervisor to destination hypervisor. Clone based Conversion – Performs conversion of the disk format to the selected hypervisor type. For detailed step by step guide, follow ”Resource Grouping” Define the blueprint with appropriate mappings. So, navigate to the “Blueprints” tab and click on “Create New Blueprint”. Select Resource Group Details and click on “Continue” Once done, select Network Mapping to the appropriate virtual switch.  The virtual switches should already be provisioned within Hyper-V. Under VM details, select the relevant IP config and related options against each VM including remove VMware tools, retain mac, vLAN override and more. For detailed step by step guide, follow ”Blueprints” Once the blueprint is created, a prepareVM job is initiated and it automatically runs scripts on the source VMs to prepare them for migration After the prepareVM task is successful, “Migrate” option can be exercised. During migrate option, shift toolkit performs a series of steps to convert the disk format and use the converted disk to create virtual machines on Hyper-V host as defined in the blueprint. The steps performed are as follows: Pre-requisite – The VMs must be turned OFF gracefully as per the planned maintenance time. downtime Power OFF VMs in the protection group – at source   Delete existing snapshots for all VMs in the blueprint Trigger VM snapshots for Blueprint – at source Trigger volume snapshot before disk conversion Clone and convert VMDK to VHDX format for all VMs Power ON VMs in protection group – at target Register the networks on each VM Remove VMware tools and assign the IP addresses using trigger script or cron job depending on the OS type The conversion of VMDK to VHDX happens in seconds which makes this approach the fastest of all the options that are available out there for an additional cost. This also significantly reduce VM downtime during migration. Once the job is complete, the VMs are ready to use and the status of the blueprint changes to “migration Complete”. For detailed step by step walk-through with examples, follow ”Migrate VMs to Hyper-V using Shift toolkit”   Eliminate costly delta syncs and long VM downtimes The NetApp Shift Toolkit delivers fast, scalable disk format conversion for businesses of any size. It uses an agentless, header-only approach to convert VMDKs directly within ONTAP storage via FlexClone technology with no data movement and minimal downtime (typically 3–10 minutes).   Planning to migrate virtual machines to Hyper-V? Simply download this free tool and experience how our capabilities make migration seamless and stress-free.   To download, configure, and test the full feature set along with Microsoft Windows Admin Center, start here.       Safe Harbor Statement: Any unreleased services or features referenced in this blog are not currently available and may not be made generally available on time or at all, as may be determined in NetApp’s sole discretion. Any such referenced services or features do not represent promises to deliver, commitments, or obligations of NetApp and may not be incorporated into any contract. Customers should make their purchase decisions based upon services and features that are currently generally available. ... View more

As hybrid cloud strategies continue to evolve, organizations are increasingly adopting Azure Local and Hyper-V to extend Azure services into their on-premises environments and Azure capabilities like Azure Virtual Machines for applications such as SAP, Oracle, and SQL, Azure VMware Solutions (AVS), Azure Red Hat OpenShift, Azure Virtual Desktops, AI & ML.   NetApp complements these Azure capabilities with ONTAP-powered solutions that span on-premises, hybrid, and cloud deployments. ONTAP AFF and ASA systems deliver enterprise-grade performance and resiliency for mission-critical workloads running in on-premises, while Azure NetApp Files provides a fully managed service for seamless integration with Azure. For organizations seeking a DIY approach to hybrid architectures, Cloud Volumes ONTAP offers flexibility and advanced data management. Together, these solutions enable easy migration, consistent enterprise capabilities, and significant cost savings, empowering businesses to scale efficiently without compromising performance or security.   As always, our focus remains on enabling customers to optimize workloads wherever they reside. Below is a brief overview of recent enhancements and capabilities designed to support hybrid and cloud deployments, helping organizations implement enterprise-grade solutions with greater efficiency and flexibility.   Microsoft Hyper-V – A strong alternative With the recent licensing changes in the market, Microsoft Hyper-V has emerged as a compelling alternative to VMware for enterprise IT virtualization needs. ONTAP delivers enterprise-grade storage features that enhance Hyper-V environments with performance, reliability, and flexibility. Key capabilities include:   NetApp SMI-S Provider delivers integrated dynamic storage management for SAN and NAS within System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) ONTAP uniquely enables native copy offload between SAN and NAS, offering flexibility and efficient storage utilization, along with native space reclamation across NAS (SMB3 TRIM) and SAN (iSCSI/FCP with SCSI UNMAP) New comprehensive backup and recovery for Hyper-V VMs ensures granular protection, restoration and long term retention capabilities. Leading backup partners support ONTAP snapshots and SnapMirror for optimized, array-native backup and recovery WAC extension integration for dynamic VM mobility ONTAP PowerShell toolkit for quick and automated provisioning Ransomware protection using built-in onbox ML   Lightning fast VM mobility – the true migration offloader Migrating between hypervisors can be a complex process, requiring careful consideration of factors such as application dependencies, migration timelines, workload criticality, and the potential impact of downtime on business operations. However, with ONTAP storage and the NetApp Shift toolkit, this process becomes significantly simpler and more efficient.   The NetApp Shift toolkit offers an intuitive, graphical user interface (GUI) that enables seamless migration of virtual machines (VMs) across different hypervisors while converting virtual disk formats. Leveraging NetApp FlexClone technology, the toolkit accelerates VM disk conversion, ensuring rapid and efficient transitions. Additionally, it automates the creation and configuration of destination VMs, reducing manual effort and complexity throughout the migration process.     The screenshot above shows high throughput VM conversion - 8TB VM with 6 VMDKs migrated in under 4 Minutes using Shift toolkit.   VM Mobility Made Simple: WAC Extension with NetApp Shift Toolkit (Preview) Today’s IT landscape demands agility and a unified management experience. Migrating virtual machines to Hyper-V shouldn’t involve juggling multiple interfaces. That’s why Windows Admin Center (WAC) and the NetApp Shift Toolkit join forces to deliver a single-pane-of-glass solution that makes VM mobility simple and efficient.   With this powerful integration, VMs can be seamlessly converted to Hyper-V from the familiar WAC interface. No complex scripts or no manual conversions, just a streamlined workflow that saves time and reduces risk.   Why does this matter?   Faster migrations with minimal downtime Simplified management through WAC’s intuitive UI No need of additional capacity, optimized storage leveraging NetApp’s enterprise-grade capabilities         Ready to make VM mobility simple? Explore the WAC extension with NetApp Shift Toolkit today and unlock the future of hybrid cloud.   Supercharge Azure Local with ONTAP: Scale on Demand, Without Limits (Preview) While Azure local offers robust virtualization and integration with Azure Arc, as infrastructure grows beyond eight nodes or demands independent storage scaling, organizations should consider advanced optimizations that improve agility, efficiency, and long-term scalability. Enterprises also do not compromise on high-performance, low-latency storage solutions that can scale and integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure. This is where NetApp AFF and ASA systems shine—especially when deployed with the Fibre Channel (FC) protocol.   NetApp AFF (All Flash FAS) and ASA (All SAN Array) platforms are purpose-built for high-performance workloads. They offer:   Sub-millisecond latency for mission-critical applications Advanced data management with ONTAP, including snapshots, replication, ransomware protection and encryption Unified protocol support including FC, iSCSI, NFS and SMB High availability: keeping the workload running during complete site failure with synchronous replication and automated failover Scalability: Easily scale storage independently of compute Hybrid Cloud Ready: Integrates with Azure NetApp Files and Cloud Volumes ONTAP for cloud extension   When paired with Azure Local, NetApp AFF and ASA systems can act as external block storage arrays, providing FC-based cluster shared volumes (CSVs) for virtual machines and workloads that demand consistent performance and reliability. This allows seamless integration into existing SAN fabrics or new deployments using FC switches.   A typical deployment looks like this: Configure Azure Local nodes with FC HBAs, drivers, MPIO settings and install NetApp Windows Host Utilities. Deploy the Azure local cluster Connect all cluster nodes to the ONTAP storage system via Fibre Channel and complete zoning and WWN registration on the SAN array. Create volumes and LUNs. Unmask them to the WWNs of all cluster nodes and then initialise and format the LUNs as NTFS Cluster Shared Volumes (CSVs). Define Azure Arc VM storage paths pointing to these CSVs   This architecture ensures that storage is decoupled from compute, enabling independent scaling and maintenance while leveraging ONTAP’s rich feature set.   Be among the first to experience the future of hybrid cloud. An exclusive preview of Azure Local integrated with NetApp external storage is now open to a limited number of customers. Organizations running or planning to deploy Azure Local and able to validate Fibre Channel connectivity can secure a spot in this limited opportunity. Contact the NetApp account team today to join this early access program!   Azure NetApp Files and Hybrid Workloads – Powering Enterprise workloads in Azure While NetApp AFF/ASA systems provide on-premises performance, Azure NetApp Files, a fully managed service, offers a cloud-native extension for born in the cloud applications and hybrid workloads.  Azure NetApp Files (ANF) delivers high-performance, low-latency storage natively in Azure, enabling businesses to run mission-critical workloads with confidence. From Azure VMware Solution, Azure Virtual Desktop, SAP, Oracle databases, and AI/analytics, ANF simplifies complex storage needs while ensuring scalability and security. For instance, Azure NetApp Files supports supplemental NFS datastores for Azure VMware Solution, enabling seamless data mobility and disaster recovery.   Key highlights that spark curiosity:   Cache Volumes (Preview): Cloud-based caches keep hot data close to applications for faster throughput and reduced footprint. Migration Assistant (Preview): A streamlined experience for effortless data migration enabling Hybrid Cloud with SnapMirror for replicating on-premises data to Azure. Object API Integration: Expose enterprise data directly to OneLake, enabling instant access for Microsoft Fabric, Azure AI Foundry, Copilot Studio, and M365—without ETL or duplication. OpenShift Virtualization Support (Preview): ANF now integrates with Azure Red Hat OpenShift, enabling enterprise-grade storage for containerized and virtualization workloads. Rapid Cloning & Backup: GA features include short-term clones, large-volume backups, and granular file restores.   Why is this unique? These capabilities are only possible with NetApp ONTAP, the proven enterprise storage platform behind ANF. ONTAP delivers unmatched performance, integrated data protection, and advanced features that no other Azure-native storage service can offer—making ANF the ultimate solution for hybrid cloud, containerized environments, and AI-driven workloads.   Organizations seeking a self-managed approach to storage can leverage NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP, a flexible DIY solution. It provides enterprise-grade capabilities such as data protection, efficiency, and mobility across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.   This hybrid model allows organizations to:   Use AFF/ASA for primary workloads on Hyper-V or Azure Local Leverage Azure NetApp Files for born in the cloud applications, enterprise databases, AI/ML use cases, Disaster recovery or burst capacity and many more Control the data no matter where it is Maintain consistent ONTAP capabilities across environments   To conclude, ONTAP systems are ideal companions to on-premises, Cloud and Hybrid deployments, especially with the protocol of choice for performance and reliability. Together, they enable a modern, scalable, and hybrid-ready infrastructure that meets the needs of enterprise workloads today and tomorrow.     Safe Harbor Statement: Any unreleased services or features referenced in this blog are not currently available and may not be made generally available on time or at all, as may be determined in NetApp’s sole discretion. Any such referenced services or features do not represent promises to deliver, commitments, or obligations of NetApp and may not be incorporated into any contract. Customers should make their purchase decisions based upon services and features that are currently generally available.   ... View more

Enterprises want Microsoft Azure-consistent operations without giving up control of their data. Azure Local with NetApp® external storage brings Azure-native services into your data center with the scale, performance, and data protection that your enterprise relies on.    Microsoft announced today support for external storage, and NetApp has been selected as a key partner, integrating NetApp ONTAP® based solutions. With NetApp technology, your organization can scale compute and storage independently; protect workloads; and use the same Azure tools, such as Azure Policy, Monitor, and Update Manager, for unified management across core, edge, and cloud.    If your organization is reevaluating VMware due to licensing changes, this collaboration brings together Microsoft’s modular compute platform and NetApp’s resilient storage, to offer a credible path forward for your evolving virtualization strategies.    Microsoft and NetApp are bringing the flexibility of Azure to where your data lives. Whether you are modernizing your data center, preparing for hybrid cloud, or operating at the edge, Azure Local with NetApp can help you move forward with consistency, control, and confidence.    Joint value proposition  Enterprise scale for Azure Local. Extend Azure Local clusters with data center–class NetApp storage to support larger, more demanding workloads.  Hybrid consistency and choice. Manage, migrate, and protect your data seamlessly across on-premises ONTAP, NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP®, and Azure NetApp Files storage.  Operational familiarity. Use Azure-native management and update tools while gaining the efficiencies, encryption, and cyber resilience of NetApp solutions.    Use cases  Transitioning from VMware to Azure Local with enterprise storage continuity  Building hybrid and edge-to-cloud strategies with consistent Azure operations  Running large, Microsoft-centric VM estates that need high performance and predictable scaling  Improving operations in industries such as healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and the Public Sector, and in any industry that demands compliance with data residency and other regulations, as well as low-latency performance    NetApp and Microsoft are collaborating to bring this capability to general availability. Early participants will help shape the roadmap and best practices for enterprise deployments.    Join the Azure Local + NetApp preview  We are inviting a limited number of customers to join the preview of Azure Local with external storage from NetApp. If you already run (or plan to deploy) Azure Local and can validate with Fibre Channel over a short pilot window, contact your NetApp account team.  Participants will receive guided setup, reference architecture, and direct feedback sessions with our joint engineering teams.    Safe Harbor Statement: Any unreleased services or features referenced in this blog are not currently available and may not be made generally available on time or at all, as may be determined in NetApp’s sole discretion. Any such referenced services or features do not represent promises to deliver, commitments, or obligations of NetApp and may not be incorporated into any contract. Customers should make their purchase decisions based upon services and features that are currently generally available.  ... View more

Take control of your licenses and subscriptions like never before We’re thrilled to announce the launch of billing preferences in NetApp® Console — along with enhanced customer notifications designed to keep you informed and in control. These updates make it easier than ever to manage your NetApp licenses, marketplace subscriptions, and Keystone agreements across your hybrid cloud environment. ... View more

In this hands-on follow-up, we walk through the deployment of the NetApp DataOps Toolkit, MCP Server integration, and a LangGraph-powered chatbot to turn AI-driven storage automation into reality. ... View more