NetApp updates flash array to reduce costs in data centers

Storage and data management firm NetApp has released updates to its All Flash FAS array series.

The updates aim to drive down the cost of flash for mainstream data center applications and reduce capacity requirements by as much as 30:1, the company says.

NetApp says new software efficiency technology and higher capacity drives now make it possible for its customers to get the performance of flash at the price of disk.

"The flash market is developing quickly," says Tim Stammers, lead storage analyst at 451 Research. "Performance of flash has always been dramatic versus disk, but enterprise management and lower prices are critical to take flash into mainstream applications," he says.

The company also extended its 3X Performance Guarantee, first announced in the United States, to customers in more than 20 Asia Pacific and European countries. The company added select All Flash FlexPod models to the guarantee program as well.

The NetApp AFF series delivers enterprise-grade benefits that make all-flash systems ready for broad deployment. It is the only all-flash system to support seamless data management across flash, disk and cloud resources. This capability makes AFF arrays ideal for customers who want to boost performance in their traditional data centers while mapping out their move to a hybrid cloud model.

"VMware and NetApp continue to empower organizations to realize great speed, flexibility and reliability in their virtual environments," says Mark Lohmeyer, vice president, Product Management and Marketing, Cloud Platform Business Unit, VMware.

"NetApp All Flash FAS with VMware vCenter Server enables organizations to quickly automate and centralize control of their virtual infrastructure," Lohmeyer says.

Customers can order AFF systems in standalone configurations and in FlexPod converged infrastructure-validated designs. AFF offers NetApp channel partners an easy way to help customers transition to hybrid cloud at their own pace, without the risk of investing in unproven flash platforms.

Customers and NetApp partners can take advantage of the extended support, no-risk try-and buy, and free controller upgrade programs introduced earlier this year. Professional services, delivered by NetApp or its partners, help users identify workloads that are best served by all-flash systems, as well as identify bottlenecks in users' existing environments.

"New efficiency innovations in our All Flash FAS line help customers realize a high return on their flash investments, making it an ideal time to increase use of flash in the core data center," explains Lee Caswell, vice president, Product, Solutions and Services Marketing, NetApp.

"Customers can count on NetApp for affordable, enterprise-grade all-flash systems that are ready for broad deployment, with world-class performance and the industry's best data management capabilities in a single solution.