What Is NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP?

Cloud technologies are an integral part of any digital transformation strategy. However, most organizations face challenges with data control and workload management in the cloud.

While there is no shortage of data management products on the market, not all of them can meet the needs of data-driven enterprises. Choosing the right platform to unlock the cloud's vast potential isn't a walk in the park.

NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP (CVO) is a leading enterprise data management platform that can give you a solid foundation for building a unified hybrid or multi-cloud infrastructure. 

Let's explore its capabilities and see if it's the right solution for your organization.

What is NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP?

Cloud Volumes ONTAP (CVO) is a virtual ONTAP instance that runs in the cloud and enjoys all the feature-rich capabilities of an on-premises ONTAP storage array. It offers an efficient storage solution with continuous availability and instant failover capabilities while allowing IT leaders to simplify operations and reduce costs.

NetApp CVO also enables rapid response to critical workloads. You can run traditional and cloud-native applications from anywhere, move them across hybrid and multi-cloud environments without redesigning your code or processes, and ensure data security across your entire infrastructure.

The core strengths of NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP

NetApp CVO is one of the most versatile and flexible integration options for data management—a Swiss Army knife in cloud storage. Here are its key benefits:

Flexibility and resiliency

Cloud Volumes ONTAP can deliver both file and block storage management thanks to its unified code architecture. FlexCache makes your data instantly available whenever CVO is deployed without any wait time, and you only pay for the amount of cache used. 

Additionally, CVO provides centrally managed high-performance block storage with enhanced resilience. It can be delivered natively on AWS, Google Cloud and Azure by simply attaching NetApp CVO block storage to any cloud-based applications, databases and containers. You can then access its built-in backup, security and performance monitoring features.

Simplicity and cost-efficiency

CVO offers a centralized control plane through its integration with NetApp Cloud Manager. It enables you to manage, monitor and automate data in multi- or hybrid cloud environments. You can also consolidate siloed storage systems—either on-premises or via AWS, Azure and Google clouds—into a single-pane console to streamline management.

There are various licensing options to fit your needs with NetApp CVO:

• Capacity-based licensing: Pay per TiB of capacity for any CVO systems in your environment up to 2 PiB of total capacity. This option is available by bringing your own license (BYOL) purchased through WWT.
• Keystone Flex Subscription: Pay-as-you-grow by TiB up to a total capacity of 2 PiB. Charging is based on committed capacity and can be shared across any CVO deployments in your environment. The subscription can be purchased through WWT.
• Pay-as-you-go (PAYGO): Pay by the hour for each CVO node deployed in three performance tiers: Explore 2 TiB, Standard 10 TiB and Premium 368 TiB. This licensing option is subscription-based through the cloud provider marketplace.
• Freemium offering: This is the newest offering for NetApp CVO, offering all CVO features free of charge for up to 500 GiB of provisioned capacity per CVO working environment. If your capacity exceeds 500 GiB, the Freemium licenses will be converted to a capacity-based license, and you will need to purchase a license from WWT.

Security and protection

NetApp has achieved SOC 2 reports and is compliant with various data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. NetApp CVO incorporates multiple native ONTAP backup and recovery features, such as SnapShot and SnapMirror, to ensure that your data is protected. It integrates with Cloud Secure, which features AI algorithms that detect ransomware attacks or access anomalies. 

In addition, NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP integrates with NetApp SnapVault, which creates a collection of Snapshot copies on a FlexVol volume from which you can restore data from any point in time. It also features native encryption and supports WORM drives to ensure that your data can't be accidentally deleted, overwritten or affected by malicious actions.

Insights and optimization

NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP is application-driven, with the ability to provision the underlying infrastructure based on the volume and type of requests. You can continuously deliver the appropriate storage for each application to optimize costs and workload performance.

CVO's integration with SaaS-based Cloud Insights provides data-driven analytics to support real-time monitoring, troubleshooting and cost optimization for your global cloud infrastructure. Meanwhile, features such as thin provisioning, compression, deduplication, data compaction and data tiering offer waste-reduction efficiencies because you only pay for what you use.

Experience the NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP difference

Wondering if NetApp CVO is right for your organization? We can take the guesswork out of your decision-making process.

WWT offers the technology and expertise to help you evaluate and test CVO against other solutions. Our Advanced Technology Center (ATC) can help accelerate your decision-making process with capabilities that include product benchmarking, functionality testing and product comparisons that deliver timely, unbiased results.

Launch our Cloud Volumes ONTAP Lab to see how it performs in a real-world environment to facilitate your digital transformation effort.