At NetApp Insight conference last year, NetApp had announced the preview of its Azure-integrated service called Azure NetApp Files. This service is now generally available.
The Azure NetApp Files is a bare-metal cloud file storage solution that provides high performance, advanced data management, and security to customers migrating their workloads to Azure.
Many Fortune 100 companies globally have used the new solution since its preview. With feedback from them, Microsoft and NetApp have improved the offering.
“Azure NetApp Files is the most significant proof-point of NetApp’s commitment to accelerate our customer’s digital transformation,” said Anthony Lye, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cloud BU at NetApp.
“We have partnered extensively with Microsoft across engineering, sales, and marketing to help customers benefit from the availability of our industry leading storage and data management technology on Azure. The general availability of Azure NetApp Files is also a fantastic moment to thank our customers for their enormous interest and feedback that has helped shaped this service.”
The new offering is the culmination of NetApp’s ONTAP technology and Microsoft’ Azure. It is an Azure first-party service that will allow enterprises to shift and run their workloads to the cloud. They can also migrate their databases, SAP, and high-performance computing apps to cloud without changing the code.
The companies said that the new managed cloud service will be fully integrated with Azure portal and provide access via REST API and Azure SDKs. Going ahead, Microsoft will also allow access via Azure CLI and PowerShell. The aim is to free customers from worries of managing or procuring storage infrastructure.
“It provides FIPS-140-2-compliant data encryption at rest, role-based access control (RBAC), Active Directory authentication (enabled for SMB), and export policies for network-based access control,” wrote Tad Brockway, Corporate Vice President, Azure Storage, in a blog post.
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Microsoft will exclusively sell and support the Azure NetApp Files. Existing customers with Azure agreements will be able to purchase Azure NetApp Files without any up-front or separate term agreement.
