NetApp Private Storage Reviews

It consists of a large production company and national television channels broadcasting 24/7. We wanted to choose a stable product with flawless SLA levels for an organization that broadcasts 24/7.

We do not use deduplication or compression. Since media files are already compressed with a codec, additional compression offers no benefit.

We use storage units both when broadcasting on national channels and when editing at the production company. This gives us the opportunity to gain experience with different workloads.

Their reading and writing performance is truly top-notch. Additionally, node redundancy provides a significant benefit.

We appreciate the NetApp ONTAP operating system in NetApp Private Storage, and there are stable products for mission-critical operations.

They can make more solutions for cloud integration in NetApp Private Storage. It should be easier to use the cloud S3 integration, maybe from a NetApp interface, where users can choose the type of storage before sending to S3.

I would like to see more audit and performance logs via cloud integrations and ONTAP. Without the need for separate software.

I have been working with NetApp systems for approximately 15 years.

In emergency situations, the transition between nodes was very fast, and the performance was adequate for the projects we worked on. Both local and global SLAs were successful.

In Turkey, we receive support from local vendors for NetApp Private Storage. Their engineers' knowledge is very good, and I would rate it as nine out of ten.

Positive

We have used different types of storage solutions before NetApp Private Storage, such as HPE MSA, Hitachi, and EMC Isilon series.

The deployment of NetApp Private Storage was easy. They have an installation chart. When the storage is unboxed, it comes with a diagram for the installation. This is easy to set up for engineers. The vendor we purchased the installations from did the setup on our end.

The supplier performed the installation. Two engineers completed the setup quickly.

We have gained experience using different storage products on the SAN and NAS sides. NetApp's stability, ease of use, and ability to provide all sharing under a single namespace were among the many features that helped us make our selection.

I believe it will deliver the expected performance and stability for television channels and production studios. On a scale of 1-10, I rate NetApp Private Storage an 8.

We are in a VMware Intra environment, so we are utilizing NetApp Storage for our virtualization infrastructure.

NetApp offers multiple features that we utilize for our projects.

At the moment, we are extensively using SnapMirror Flex.

There is room for improvement in the support. It has been a problem for our team. The support response time has been an issue, and we've faced delays in addressing our tickets immediately. It needs to improve. 

I've been using this solution for the last five to six years. We are using version 9.11.

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. 

I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten. It is very scalable. 

Around 1000 to 1500 users are using NetApp Private Storage. We're considering expanding the usage, possibly even integrating it with public clouds.

There is room for improvement in the support. 

Positive

I would rate my experience with the initial setup a nine out of ten, one for difficult and ten for easy for NetApp Private Storage.

The deployment is handled by NetApp backup technicians, with support from the implementation team. They manage to complete the process in three to four hours. Generally, one person is sufficient to handle the deployment.

The deployment process takes about four hours.

I would rate the pricing model a nine out of ten, where one being cheap and ten being expensive. It is an expensive solution. NetApp can look into cost optimization. 

The pricing aligns with the numerous features provided by NetApp. So, it has been relatively expensive.

Alongside NetApp, we were using Dell Storage solutions.

For those looking to enhance their data center on-premises, I strongly recommend considering NetApp.

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

We use the product for customized data storage features.

NetApp is faster than other storage brands.

NetApp is a great storage device, but sometimes support is not accessible. Also, the current version has removed most of the dashboard features. We have to use the CLI for some tasks. Additionally, users find the new version's GUI complicated to use.

I have been using NetApp Private Storage as a customer for five years. We are using the latest version.

We had five downtimes in one year. Our storage is highly utilized, but when I checked VMware, we only used a fraction of that capacity. There is a difference in utilization between VMware and the storage devices. The NetApp support team explained that we need to enable a feature to make the data store utilization consistent with the VMware utilization. They said that the difference in utilization is likely due to the location of the data store.

I rate its stability a six out of ten.

We use multiple solutions because we have so many assets in our company. Every solution requires NetApp Private Storage. I rate its scalability a ten out of ten.

We also have Dell EMC and Synology storage. The best thing about NetApp is that we have excellent support and technology.

The initial setup is easy since I am a distributor and have knowledge. I rate the process a seven out of ten.

Deployment can be done for one day, but it depends on the availability of the network and security teams. It requires two people, including me and an assistant. The connectivity of the switch to the storage and servers must be set up first. Then, the ONTAP can be provisioned with the storage and IPs needed to access it.

I manage and deploy the product with the help of the vendor.

The product is costly. Also, we need to pay for features like SnapMirror, etc.

I rate its pricing a nine out of ten.

In NetApp, they have SnapMirror, and they sell licenses for that. However, in Pure Storage, you don't need to buy it. It's already included, and you enable it.

Overall, I rate NetApp Private Storage an eight out of ten.

The thing I like most about it is it's unified. They're the first guys who came up with this Unified Storage concept. It can do almost everything. It's sort of a Swiss army knife in a storage box. It can do NFS, SCSI, and FC. It has its own backup solution to the cloud. 

I get a lot of comfort these days when the NetApp storage solution is also integrated into the hyperscalers. You can find the same NetApp in Azure or AWS. 

The solution scales well. 

It is not the fastest storage solution.

If you don't follow best practices, it can come back to bite you. A lot of the other vendors have taken out a lot of that infinite flexibility from their solutions so that you just don't do something to harm yourself. With NetApp, sometimes you can really push it. If you overthink provisioning, if you over-allocate, if it gets full, or if something crazy happens and you haven't been watching, then you can lose data. It requires skills to use it properly. It's maybe not the simplest to configure either, however, if you know what you're doing, if you're willing to do the homework, if you're willing to do the research, willing to do the tickets with the vendor, then you can get something really good out of the solution. 

I've used the solution since 2010. We've used it maybe for around 12 years.

In terms of stability, we have to accept now, while you can do so many things, it might not be the fastest in one particular area. NetApp these days as the fastest storage solution. However, in terms of stability, I do like it. 

They're following this open-source sort of model, although they have their own propriety software. With the ONTAP 9, the whole point is scalability. It can scale horizontally. It can scale vertically, and it's pretty good. The only negative I draw from that is sometimes it comes at a cost. It's not the cheapest solution. You buy the original box at a good price with a good vendor discount, however, after that, you pay for the increase in performance or increase in scale that you're looking for. That said, it's easy to scale. You can add nodes quite easily or you can add shelves. It can be done. 

Support is good. That said, it is not like what it used to be. Still, when I reflect on that, I can say the same story with just about every product I use today. Nobody has time for support anymore. In the old days, you could ask them any question, anything. They know if you're with VMware, they understand VMware. If it's Linux, they understand Linux. If you're Unix, they understand Unix. Previously, the person on the other side could help you with any problem you had. That's just not the case anymore.

They do win awards for their support. They're responsive, yet sometimes, you have to pedal before you get to someone. It is what it is. For me now, luckily, it's reached a point where I don't use their support much as they don't change the product much. It's been the same operating system since 2003. Once you master it, then you don't need to go back to support a lot. The only times we go to support is when we are doing a part replacement and that is very fast.

The initial setup is complex. It takes a long time to do an implementation.

You've got to set up the networking, virtual routing, and any VRFs that you've got. Everything's in there. It's not just a click. The initial setup to just get yourself going may take you an hour just to start serving the data. However, to do it properly, by the time you've set up the replication, by the time you've maybe backed up to the cloud, it's a lot. There is just so much in there. A proper, fully-fledged setup will take you at least a week or two.

We've seen an ROI. However, it's becoming difficult now. It has to be that refined client who knows value. In East Africa, we have Huawei here offering something at half to a quarter of the cost. Old school guys will still go for this. You have to have management, or you have to have a leadership in the organization that understands the value and the protection of data to be able to really push this. I find in these days, with the cloud, people are less patient in terms of trying to understand the value. However, this solution provides so much of it. 

It's a costly solution. 

It's not easy to get a sale, and we have noticed the sales are really slowing down. Guys are opting for cloud now, or if not, I have guys tell me, "Just buy a Synology. Who cares?"

That said, when the first failure comes, it will be worth it. Sometimes you're inside the data's loss situation and even the discs are fried. I've recovered data from NetApps in near-impossible situations. However, that's hindsight. It's very difficult for somebody to appreciate the potential if they haven't dealt with such an issue before.

I am familiar with Huawei and HP. It becomes harder and harder sometimes to convince people to spend double when they can get away with less. A lot of people, they go in, and then the second time around, they just get a Huawei, they get something cheaper. They might get an HP and back it up with SIEM, and then they're good.

I'm a vendor. I'm a partner and a reseller.

If you're not multi-skilled, then I wouldn't recommend it. If you are good, if you still want to do it, it's a good solution, and you should take some training. Otherwise, you'll find it difficult to do, or you have to get somebody to take you through your first setup or get a vendor or partner to take you through. The beauty is it's worth it. You'll struggle for a month, however, then, once you master it, they don't change it. 

I'm going to stick here til the end. Even if it costs more, I'll always find a way of convincing the customer to get it. 

Based on the cloud integration, I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

The disc themselves will do it if you need performance. However, the fact that without touching anything, you don't even need backup software, and you don't need anything as this box can do so much on its own. That's why I give them extra points compared to other vendors.

We have certain application database servers, the data of which needs to be replicated or moved to an offline storage mode. That's where we bundle the offline or on-premise NetApp Private Storage.

The most valuable feature of NetApp Private Storage is out-of-the-box integration with the SAN switches. They are much easier compared to Dell solutions. Additionally, the connector that comes with the solution that allows connection back to the Cisco SAN switches is very good. In Dell, I would need to use an FCIP or CIP port that is required.

NetApp Private Storage is still integrated into the ISCSI connectivity and the FC protocol. I would recommend them to migrate to the FCIP because the SAN switches are moving further to an FCIP, and are scaling out of the ISCSI connectivity. Sooner or later, that will be an issue for NetApp Private Storage. An NFCIP should be available to them moving three years down the line.

I have been using NetApp Private Storage for approximately three years.

NetApp Private Storage is a stable solution.

I have found NetApp Private Storage to be scalable.

NetApp Private Storage is a capacity-based solution and we have approximately one terabyte of usage from our users.

Our clients do not need to use the support much, we have not heard anyone complaining.

I rate the technical support from NetApp Private Storage an eight out of ten.

I have previously used other solutions, such as Dell. NetApp Private Storage is more commercially viable compared to Dell.

The setup of NetApp Private Storage is straightforward.

We used the support from NetApp Private Storage for the implementation.

NetApp Private Storage is cheaper here in India compared to other solutions, such as Dell.

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate NetApp Private Storage an eight out of ten.

We use NetApp Private Storage for block storage and NAS.

The most valuable feature is integration.

The documentation could be improved. It would be helpful to have some additional training.

I would like to see the GUI management simplified in the next release.

I have been working with NetApp Private Storage for one year.

NetApp Private Storage is a stable solution.

NetApp Private Storage is scalable.

I have not contacted technical support.

I have experience using Dell, NAS, NetApp, EDR, and Sophos.

The initial setup could be simplified.

In general, I am pleased with the pricing, though it is a little high.

I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

I would rare NetApp Private Storage an eight out of ten.

NetApp Private Storage is a network-attached device that helps us manage our storage easily. In addition, it allows for easy, seamless connectivity to our storage solutions.

Two years ago, a client was hit by a ransomware attack. They have more than 60 servers and many workstations. The malware affected all the servers and databases. But, everything stored using NetApp was not affected. When the malware struck, NetApp was blocking that IP address, so it didn't harm the video files. That is the main advantage of this product. Our client was pleased.

NetApp has its own dedicated operating system, so it will not be affected by any wireless piggybacking or malware. That's the beauty of NetApp's operating system. I'm a hundred percent satisfied.

If I am using a product in the data center, they will give us a cloud-based DR solution. In the past two years, they have started using that kind of solution as well. We have DR solutions so our data will be safe in the cloud if any disaster happens.

We have been dealing with NetApp Private Storage since 2015.

I am a hundred percent keen on this product because we're getting a lot of positive feedback from clients. Last year, we heard a success story from another client. That client was affected by malware. The breach wasn't reported to NetApp, but it automatically raised a case ID. And NetApp sent a new hard disk to that client. The client was shocked. And fortunately, that client called. They said, "I got a hard disk from NetApp, but we have not raised any ticket for this. Could you please ask an engineer, to verify that?" And my engineer visited the site and found out why they have sent a fresh, a new, hard disk to a client. 

We have implemented some storage using the NetApp service, and next year we can easily upgrade it. Add-ons are also possible with this product. I think the scale depends on the model number of the storage device. Some support around 500 users, another model can handle 2,000 users,  another is 5,000 users, etc. So it depends on the model specifications.

They need a little more technical people in Akola. Most of the NetApp people are in Bangalore, Mumbai, or Delhi, but there are very few in Akola. I think NetApp has few technicians in Akola because they mostly rely on partners to service this area. They have support. The service provider is there, but there are few techs. There is no dedicated support. They have so many service providers, but they have some limitations. Most of the service providers are engineers who will be working with NetApp, HPE, or Cisco. There is one service provider that has many engineers, but we suggest one dedicated NetApp service person. 

Previously we used a Dell solution, but we transitioned to NetApp, so some clients converted from Dell to NetApp as well.

The implementation also is straightforward. We can quickly implement NetApp. Before implementing, we submit a customer procurement order to NetApp. We pre-configure the device for the customer so it's plug-and-play. Lastly, we assign the IP address and quickly configure it. It takes half an hour at most, and one person can manage it.

NetApp has a standard license that's calculated according to the size of the user base. And if you need additional support, they have Pro support and Pro-Plus support. Pro-Plus support means they will assign a dedicated person to support this product online. 

I rate NetApp Private Storage 10 out of 10. 

NetApp Private Storage is used for storing files and replication.

The solution could improve by having better support experts. For example, they do not have clear instructions on configuration.

In the next release, they can improve by having inline deduplication.

I have been using NetApp Private Storage for approximately two years.

The solution is stable.

The performance depends on the sizing and configuration.

We have more than 10 customers using this solution.

We have been satisfied with the technical support of NetApp Private Storage.

We have three individuals that do the implementation and maintenance of the solution.

The price of NetApp Private Storage is similar to other solutions.

There is typically an annual license required for this solution.

I would recommend that because technology is changing it would be best to use a software-defined solution. Here in Thailand, software-defined solutions are slow to come to the market making it more difficult for customers. NetApp has to market the solution better to be able to capture more customers.

If your company has the budget for NetApp Private Storage I would recommend it.

I rate NetApp Private Storage an eight out of ten.

We've primarily used the solution for private storage. 

It is used as a Cinder backend for an OpenStack cloud and for NFS storage and as block storage.

It's fairly easy to use. You can teach yourself. I'm mostly Googling to find my answers.

Its flexibility and ability to configure volumes is its most valuable aspect. I have no problem configuring the product for different kinds of use cases and configuring throughput or configuring some kind of logical volumes and so on. It's pretty easy to configure flex volumes on the NetApp solutions that I use. 

The scalability is okay. 

Integration with other NetApp solutions and merging them is manageable.

The initial setup is pretty easy.

The stability has been very good.

I'm not sure how easy it is to use on the cloud versus on-prem. If they have different user experiences, they should work to make the two as similar as possible to make it easy for a user to understand both even if they only deal mainly with one.

I'm working on part-time contracts for future deployment and therefore I've been using the product for maybe six months. Not just using it, but setting it up and so on.

The stability is excellent. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. it's reliable. 

The solution scales quite well. If a company needs to expand its usage, it can.

We do have plans to increase storage usage in the future. However, it's not my decision. 

I've never reached out to technical support. We've never needed assistance at that level. Usually, I can find anything I need online. Therefore, I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they are. 

The initial setup is not too difficult. It's also easy to set up different scenarios if you need to and use them for various use cases. 

I didn't order NetApp and I didn't make the decision to buy any kind of storage solution. I'm just a developer of a storage solution that uses NetApp. In my current organization, my employment is not limited to NetApp and using NetApp. I can't speak to the exact pricing.

For NetApp, my personal experience is as an integrator, however, can't speak to if we are using NetApp at the moment in our company. There are some other kinds of storage solutions, however, it's not currently NetApp. Personally, I have experience with NetApp, however, not in my current company.

I use it in the cloud solution. It is on-premise, however, it's on-prem in an enterprise cloud solution for enterprise purposes. It's located in some kind of private cloud solution.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. I'm mostly been happy with the product so far.

It back ends some ESXi through NFS shares. I think our database people use it some as well and we have SnapMirror. We've done snapshots for a long time and I found pretty good value there. SnapMirror, we just started using probably about six months ago. SnapMirror replaced MDMP and it's a lot faster. I mean we get backups off-site way quicker than we did with MDMP and MDMP is going to go away in about, I'd say a couple of months. I would say it's probably impactful of probably somewhere in the 1,000 to 5,000 users.

The one thing I've noticed with NetApp when you buy hardware and you can use it for a while and then you have to get new hardware. I wish the hardware would last a little bit longer. Instead, in three to five years, you have to get rid of it because the latest software won't run on it. So the upgrade cycle is kind of expensive. I think Flash is always good, NVMe, that's good. Dedupe and compression improvements always help.

We have been using NetApp Private Storage for over three years.

I'd say it's the best we've got. In terms of quality and uptime, it is the thing to have. We consider it to be top-shelf.

We've always been very impressed with being able to add storage none disruptively. We've always been able to do that.

I think they're top grade. We have always had a good experience with NetApp.

We've had third party support pretty much the whole way.

We've had third party support pretty much the whole way. Slate has helped us quite a bit over the years. We're hoping to get away from that, but I don't know how much of that we can do based on our abilities, our in house abilities. In the past, it's been sort of like one to one and a half, plus we probably hire a quarter FTE of an integrator or a vendor.

I would say compare with whatever is out there. I think that NetApp makes a quality product. I would rate it at a nine out of ten.