Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - FSx for ONTAP: Enterprise-grade unified storage for any application (STG220)

Summary

• Puneet Dhawan, Senior Director of Product Management at NetApp, discusses FSx for ONTAP, a fully managed, highly scalable storage service from AWS.
• Key use cases and workloads for FSx for ONTAP are reviewed, including enterprise applications, unstructured data, Kubernetes platforms, and SaaS applications.
• FSx for ONTAP offers multi-protocol storage, data protection, and cost efficiency.
• The architecture of FSx for ONTAP includes two storage servers with multi-AZ deployment options, intelligent features like memory caching, and data tiering to optimize storage costs.
• Advanced data protection features include thin snapshots, rapid cloning, and compliance technology.
• FSx for ONTAP integrates with a range of AWS services and supports a variety of compute resources.
• A new scale-out architecture is announced, significantly increasing performance and storage capabilities.
• Use cases for FSx for ONTAP include high-performance computing, electronic design automation, media and entertainment, seismic analysis, machine learning training, and more.
• FSx for ONTAP also supports block storage for databases and mission-critical applications, offering high performance and low latency.
• Integration with VMware Cloud on AWS (VMC) allows for independent scaling of compute and storage.
• Trinh from Gilead Sciences and Justin from Thomson Reuters share their experiences with FSx for ONTAP, highlighting the ease of migration, performance, and cost benefits.
• The session concludes with a discussion on future plans, including testing new features and focusing on generative AI.

Insights

• FSx for ONTAP is positioned as a versatile solution for a wide range of storage needs, from file shares to high-performance databases and AI workloads.
• The service's multi-protocol support is a key differentiator, allowing customers to consolidate storage needs and simplify their architecture.
• Data protection and efficiency features are emphasized, suggesting a strong focus on security and cost optimization in cloud storage.
• The integration with AWS services and the ability to automate storage scaling through AWS Lambda functions indicate a seamless cloud-native experience.
• The announcement of the scale-out architecture reflects AWS's commitment to supporting high-performance and large-scale workloads.
• Customer testimonials from Gilead Sciences and Thomson Reuters provide real-world validation of FSx for ONTAP's benefits, including ease of migration, operational efficiency, and cost savings.
• The discussion on future plans, such as exploring new FSx for ONTAP features and focusing on generative AI, suggests that AWS is continuously evolving its services to meet emerging technology trends and customer needs.