NetApp Beefs Up Cloud Storage Management

Network storage provider NetApp on June 14 upgraded its OnCommand storage management software, which now includes the capability to automate and analyze shared storage infrastructures.

NetApp, like its archrival EMC, comes at cloud management from what it considers the center of the data center universe: storage. Conversely, Cisco Systems comes at cloud-type systems from a network-centric perspective, while Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Dell, Oracle, Hitachi and others start with servers and databases.

NetApp provides a foundation for a cloud with its Unified Storage Architecture and a corresponding set of storage and data management capabilities built on its standard Data ONTAP software. The company provides a secure multitenant package that can scale up or back down to meet changing workload demands, NetApp Vice President of Product and Solutions Marketing Chris Cummings reminded eWEEK.

"Enterprise customers can transition to a private cloud environment at their own pace as their business grows, without needing to shut anything down or disrupt anything inside their IT infrastructure," Cummings said.

Partners Fill in Gaps as Needed

OnCommand won’t command all the attributes of a private cloud infrastructure, but NetApp has thought ahead on this one: It will introduce you to business partners who can handle those aspects of an IT infrastructure.

To read the original eWeek article, click here: NetApp Ratchets Up Storage Management for Clouds