Advanced simplicity the key to NetApp's new all-flash storage systems

NetApp has announced the release of its new all-flash NetApp ASA A-Series storage systems. These systems are optimised for block storage and are designed to facilitate storage modernisation for various organisations. The company claims that these new systems eliminate the need for trade-offs between operational simplicity, high-end capabilities, and affordability.

The ASA A-Series systems aim to assist customers in managing advanced block storage workloads by offering three primary benefits: simplicity, power, and affordability. According to the press release, the ASA systems promise ease of deployment, management, and upgrading, with set-up possible within minutes and provisioning in seconds. NetApp highlights the built-in AIOps and deep integration with VMware that simplify day-to-day management.

In terms of performance, the new systems are said to accelerate VMware and database applications with market-leading performance metrics, including millions of IOPS (input/output operations per second) and consistent sub-millisecond latency. Advanced features such as scale-out clustering, seamless workload balancing, a "six 9s" availability guarantee, and the Ransomware Recovery Guarantee underscore the system's robustness. Application-aware backup further bolsters the performance characteristics of the ASA A-Series.

Affordability is another key selling point for the ASA A-Series. The systems offer a 25-50% lower upfront price compared to previous models and promise a better return on investment over time. Energy efficiency and low operational overhead are highlighted as additional factors contributing to substantial savings over the system's lifecycle.

NetApp has also enhanced its Data Infrastructure Insights service, previously known as Cloud Insights, to better support the monitoring and analysis of the ASA platform. These updates aim to help customers optimise visibility, performance, and reliability for their data infrastructure.

Sandeep Singh, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Enterprise Storage at NetApp, stated, "Our customers tell us that the demands on their infrastructure keep intensifying so they need storage systems that deliver real value through power, affordability and simplicity. With the new NetApp ASA A-Series systems, our customers can modernise their operations to meet the demands of more powerful workloads on block storage without having to choose between operational simplicity and high-end capabilities. Simpler operations at an affordable price point ensure our customers have the time and resources to apply their powerful storage systems to drive innovation across their business."

Alongside the ASA A-Series, NetApp has introduced several enhancements to its portfolio. New FAS systems in the form of midrange FAS 70 and high-end FAS 90 systems are now available. These systems are aimed at achieving a low cost of data over its lifecycle by auto-tiering cold data, making them suitable for secure backup storage and recovery from ransomware attacks.

NetApp also announced updates to its Cloud Volumes ONTAP, including Autonomous Ransomware Protection (ARP) and WORM, which are now available at no additional cost. Additionally, new features have been introduced to NetApp's native cloud storage services, Google Cloud NetApp Volumes and Azure NetApp Files, increasing cost-efficiency and data reliability.

Simon Robinson, Principal Analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, commented on the new releases, stating, "What sets NetApp apart is not just the strength of its storage systems, as displayed by its new ASA A-Series, but also its comprehensive portfolio of solutions to support data operations both on-premises and in the cloud. The definition of value is changing for IT customers. It isn't just about price or performance anymore; it's both. Organisations are running increasingly advanced workloads but need to do so with budgets that they can sustain for the long term. By packaging incredible simplicity for block storage workloads with impressive performance and affordable TCO in its ASA A-Series, NetApp is giving organisations the tools they need to succeed in the era of data and intelligence."