NetApp & Cisco unveil converged AI infrastructure for enterprise
NetApp has announced a new collaboration with Cisco to deliver what both companies describe as an evolution in converged infrastructure for enterprise artificial intelligence (AI), featuring disaggregated storage solutions.
The partnership builds on more than two decades of collaboration between NetApp and Cisco, bringing together the NetApp AFX architecture with Cisco Nexus switches for intra-cluster connectivity. This integration is part of the joint vision to provide a foundational infrastructure for AI within the enterprise environment.
Enterprise-grade focus
According to NetApp, the AFX platform now supports integration with Cisco Nexus 400G switches, delivering the bandwidth and low-latency connectivity required for demanding AI workloads. NetApp stated that this approach addresses the requirements for scalability, reliability, and operational simplicity in contemporary data centre environments.
The technology underpinning this collaboration is NetApp ONTAP, which NetApp describes as a widely trusted storage operating system in the enterprise sector. Customers are anticipated to benefit from unified data management across advanced workloads, including AI, supported by integrated, high-performance networking from Cisco.
"The NetApp data platform allows our customers to build out intelligent data infrastructure that unifies their data for advanced workloads like AI," said Dallas Olson, Chief Commercial Officer at NetApp. "By working with Cisco, NetApp is delivering a unified solution for AI-ready data centers. This collaboration combines the advanced storage architecture of NetApp AFX with AI networking from Cisco, setting a new standard for performance, scalability, and simplicity in enterprise AI infrastructure."
NetApp's integration with Cisco Nexus switches is positioned as further evidence of the companies' collective commitment to AI within the enterprise sector. The collaboration is expected to facilitate both performance and security while reducing complexity for IT teams charged with supporting AI deployments.
"The integration of Cisco Nexus switches into the NetApp AFX architecture exemplifies our shared commitment to AI innovation," said Murali Gandluru, Vice President, Data Centre Networking at Cisco. "Our customers are asking for simplicity without sacrificing performance or security, which requires Cisco and strategic partners like NetApp to solve customer challenges. Together, we will move the industry forward and enable a new era of AI-driven outcomes."
Infrastructure extension
The collaboration will extend to FlexPod AI, a converged infrastructure solution that brings together NetApp storage, Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS), and Cisco Nexus data centre switching. This solution is intended to provide a flexible, secure, and centrally managed foundation for hybrid cloud and AI workloads, enabling organisations to align infrastructure with specific AI application demands.
Through this solution, customers can leverage centralised management using Cisco Intersight, offering a consolidated interface for operational tasks. The combination of enterprise-grade storage from NetApp and high-performance networking from Cisco is expected to allow enterprises to appropriately size their infrastructure to match diverse AI workload requirements and streamline the adoption of AI technologies.
Industry direction
This partnership comes as enterprise organisations increasingly seek storage and networking infrastructure that can scale efficiently, deliver predictable performance, and enhance the security required for AI and cloud-driven applications. Both NetApp and Cisco anticipate that the integrated solution will offer customers the tools to support more advanced AI projects as IT strategies evolve.
The companies also highlighted their ongoing commitment to supporting AI through ongoing product development, though they emphasised that statements regarding future offerings are subject to change and not to be considered as warranties or commitments.
