NetApp provides organizations of varied sizes with data storage solutions as well as software for data management. Nine of the various NetApp terms mentioned above can help you gain a sound understanding of NetApp services and enable you to avail yourself of the benefits and IT solutions provided by NetApp to the optimum. This will also help you in choosing the right NetApp training for your career advancements in the future.

Development

Founded by James Lau, Michael Malcolm, and David Hitz in 1992, NetApp (Network Appliance) gained immense popularity since 1995. Established in California, US, NetApp came up with its first storage equipment, ‘filer’ for data storage. The product was a success and worked brilliantly. NetApp ensured that the device was suitable to use hardware of industry standard. Since then, NetApp has firmly rooted itself in the IT industry.

NetApp (Network Appliance) is known for providing companies and organizations of all sizes, with data storage systems and data management software.

Netapp Filer Device

The product, NetApp Filer, which is also called NetApp Fabric-Attached Storage (FAS) is basically a kind of data storage tool. It has a file system which it operates and displays all files and data on the data network of an organization. It functions with a system known as Data ONTAP.

Netapp Storage

NetApp storage includes all hardware as well as software storage products supplied by NetApp to various organizations and multinational companies. These software and hardware storage solutions combined, aim at reducing expenditures on storage tools at all levels along with increasing storage efficiency in an organization. NetApp storage assists in decreasing overfilled storage space that is needed for saving other important data such as backup files and copies of snapshots.

There are many technical terms related to NetApp that IT professionals come across and use, which you might or might not be familiar with. To gain a better understanding of NetApp and the solutions it offers for data storage, it is essential to have a good grasp over some of the basic terms associated with NetApp.

Here are the nine NetApp terms which you need to be familiar with:

1. SnapMirror

The term SnapMirror refers to a technology by NetApp which helps you to replicate data. Through this disk duplicating tool, you can reproduce data and transport it seamlessly from one storage system to another natively either as a support to backup or disaster recovery. SnapMirror may or may not be synchronous. It also decreases network traffic by transferring only the altered data blocks.

2. SnapVault

SnapVault, by NetApp, is a backup storage solution for saving and storing important data on a long-term basis, which is protected by SnapMirror. SnapVault helps transfer data from one filer to another as a backup solution, enabling you to retrieve historic data anytime with convenience. You can store the backup data on a cheaper disc. SnapVault saves all data from SnapMirror and archives it for good. In case you lose any data from a filer, you can easily restore it from the other filer, through SnapVault. These vaults are safe to use as you cannot delete them accidentally.

3. Data ONTAP

With NetApp’s operational system, Data ONTAP, you may easily operate OnCommand to manage the functions and features available on ONTAP. The latest reviewed version of Data ONTAP assists you in having a combined and integrated storage which can be easily altered and modified according to diverse business requirements.

4. WAFL

WAFL is an acronym of “Write Anywhere File Layout”.A valuable data storage option by NetApp, and writes a file not to just one drive only, in multiple drives at the same time, to any location of a disc within a certain aggregate. This will have a positive impact on your write and read performance. It also assists RAID arrays of high performance.

5. 7-Mode

An operating system by NetApp, 7-Mode is the previous version of NetApp ONTAP. Although it can be used by most of the filers, it cannot be used with the 8000 as well as 2500 range of filers. But, it is slowly phasing out. The older operating system 7-Mode is becoming less popular as users are opting for the more recent ONTAP variety, the Clustered Data ONTAP. This is because 7-Mode can have no more than two controllers.

6. MetroCluster

In some ways, the software MetroCluster is comparable to SnapMirror. However, to use MetroCluster, you need to have two equal and similar systems; they must be with exactly the same setup along with identical configuration. Also, same disks must be utilized. In addition to that, the ONTAP version must be alike as well. This software offers you protection against network faults that can adversely affect your site, providing clear recovery from system failures.

As a contrast to SnapMirror, MetroCluster comprises of synchronous mirroring. In this, both systems work actively in real time, simultaneously. It also guarantees zero loss of data. In this cluster, all the units work collectively. In case, any adversity affects your site, it protects you from downtime and your site will still be functioning without losing any crucial data.

7. Clustered Data ONTAP

While using Clustered Data ONTAP by NetApp, by Cluster Mode, you can use a maximum of 16 filers within one singular cluster. But this largely depends on the model. For instance, if you are managing 6 filers within a singular cluster and you face a malfunctioning issue with ay one filer, you can conveniently take out a filer from that cluster, repair it and fix it again into the cluster. This will not affect your work and you will not experience any downtime.

8. OnCommand

Having substituted FilerView, this software by NetApp manages all your filers in single or various sites. Instead of selecting the command file by going to a certain filer, you can simply use one GUI, where you can easily access all your disks and data. You can use it to even grow volume or produce a new one.

9. Aggregate

The term aggregate in NetApp refers to the storage space available in your system. It comprises of several disks combined as RAID groups that make up for the volumes in storage space. A minimum of three disks is required to generate an aggregate. In case any two drives are damaged, you will not lose any data and you can still continue with your work. The volume capacity depends largely on the model. With the latest OS, users can control a petabyte storage space.

You have the option of modulating the aggregates according to the size of the apps you are using. For instance, applications that consume greater space such as Outlook or Oracle, you can just modify the aggregates according to your needs in order to ensure the smooth functioning of other aggregates.