NetApp AFF - All Flash Reviews

Name: NetApp AFF
Brand: NetApp
Rating: 4.5 (320 reviews)

Vendor: NetApp

4.5 out of 5

320 reviews
98% willing to recommend

4,895 followers

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What is NetApp AFF?

The NetApp A-Series and C-Series are AFF storage arrays that deliver high performance, scalability, and simplified data management for a wide range of workloads. They are designed for organizations that need to improve the performance and agility of their applications, while also reducing costs and complexity.

Get the NetApp AFF Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about NetApp AFF, VMware vSAN, Pure Storage FlashArray and more!

NetApp AFF is the #2 ranked solution in best All-Flash Storage Arrays and best NVMe All-Flash Arrays. PeerSpot users give NetApp AFF an average rating of 9.0 out of 10. Based on the analysis of the 320 most recent NetApp AFF reviews, the overall sentiment is positive, with a sentiment score of 7.6. NetApp AFF is most commonly compared to VMware vSAN: NetApp AFF vs VMware vSAN. NetApp AFF is popular among the midsize enterprise segment, accounting for 67% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a educational organization, accounting for 62% of all views.

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Featured reviews

Anna Sofo

Commercial adviser at Personal Data S.r.l. Gruppo Project

We recommend NetApp for all our clients that have traditional infrastructures with two servers and some companies that are in manufacturing or the public sector. We have many different experiences with NetApp NetApp AFF has helped our clients simplify their infrastructure while delivering high…

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Ian Rousom

Owner at RTX

Keystone offers flexible consumption models that go beyond just how much capacity at such and such a speed, et cetera. We don't always know what the profile of that data will be. However, if we can quickly agree on terms that meet our needs and make NetApp still reasonably profitable, we can confidently deploy, see how things go and adjust. That kind of service delivery model, that customer service model has sped things up and made contract negotiations much easier. It frankly made the owners of the system more confident. We've experienced faster time to market. It's hard for us to find and retain infrastructure staff. We're in a business where the firm fixed price contract reigns supreme, and so we can't always just offer someone more money. However, if they can dedicate their time to learning one company's portfolio and learning it really well, but be useful in a bunch of different places, they will do well. We've seen that in a lot of different places. We've been able to hire younger people and retain them, moving them from program to program based on their understanding of the solution its skill set, and its portability. It's been useful for high-speed multi-protocol storage in places with ever-increasing density. We have limits on how much power and cooling and rack space we have, and yet they've delivered every time. We needed a storage company that had mastery of multi-protocol, and this solution stands out. They especially stand out as a secure provider. We require solutions that we can run ourselves, that we can air gap since so much of what we do is either classified or very sensitive or cannot live in a public ecosystem. For us, the issue consuming AI has been the trust of the models given to us by third parties. We can't necessarily trust their provenance, what fed them, what originally trained them, or what gave them their worldview, for lack of a better term. We can't simply just trust that at face value since we know nothing about where it came from or what inferences it might make. We must assume that some AI inferences were made deliberately to damage or hurt national security systems. So the models that we start with tend to be very, very primitive, crude, and not well trained, so we have to train them much longer and not always with the availability of cloud that has inexhaustible capacity. A partner who understands this and provides consistency at all scales is very important.

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Raymond Ciscon

Senior Systems Engineer at MacLean-Fogg Company

We're a manufacturer. All of our ERP software is dependent upon fast performance and connection to this hardware. So when there was an issue years ago when something was wrong or slow, that prompted us to say, "Can we check storage? Can we check the network?" Ever since we've gone up to all-flash FAS systems, there's never any questions about performance when it comes to storage. There's been a huge leap from spinning disks to SSDs. I'm hoping with the next update, we'll go to NVMe and we'll have similar experiences. Last year, we refreshed the SAN at our headquarters. We signed a Keystone agreement with the ability to pay for storage as a service at an excellent price point yet still have the hardware on-prem. I manage the hardware, and, for me, it's the best of both worlds. We've just come up with a situation where, finally, after some time, we're going to need to buy some additional storage. In previous situations like this, it usually meant the purchase of an additional shelf at a large price. Now we have Keystone, and we're locked in at that price per tebibyte. We just have to say that we want to add 25 tebibytes and they take care of it. It's worked out really well. We work ISO 27001 certified. Since I manage the enterprise storage, we use SnapMirror, and we're currently using Veeam for backups. Thanks to what this tool provides, we are able to get through that portion of our certification without a problem. No changes, no rectifying. It's very slick. Our company's goals include maintaining a level of consistency. We're never going to be on the bleeding edge. We're never going to have the super fastest abilities. We want something that works, is easier for us to manage, and has a better growth path. For us, in the past, in the need for additional disk space, if we didn't do the sizing right in the first place, buying additional disks was incredibly expensive. Now, with Keystone, that's no longer an issue, and that's what we like.

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NetApp AFF mindshare

Product category:

As of November 2024, the mindshare of NetApp AFF in the All-Flash Storage category stands at 10.6%, up from 9.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

All-Flash Storage

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Oct 29, 2024

Valuable Features

Speed, performance, and low latency are standout features of NetApp AFF. Users highlight its capability for high IO requirements, deduplication, compression, and efficiency. It integrates seamlessly with existing platforms, offering multi-protocol support and non-disruptive upgrades. Snapshots, SnapMirror, FlexClone, and ease of use are frequently noted. AFF delivers significant performance improvements for databases, virtualization, and high-performance workloads, helping organizations handle demanding applications efficiently and securely while reducing latency and enhancing operational efficiency.

"The NetApp technology that has delivered the most value to our organization is FabricPool."
"NetApp's most valuable features are ONTAP, FabricPool, and media storage."
"NetApp solutions are easy to maintain and upgrade."

Room for Improvement

NetApp AFF users express a need for better setup and management processes, suggesting streamlined installation and integration with other tools. Pricing is a concern, with calls for cost reductions. Users desire improved performance monitoring and reporting, as well as enhancements in deduplication and compression. Scalability and feature expansion, specifically in areas like automation, interface design, and security, are also highlighted. Additionally, support improvements and more training options are frequently mentioned.

"One of the challenges we face with NetApp is identifying bottlenecks in the systems they integrate with."
"I would like NetApp to be more aware of organizations that don't run it on a public cloud. Everything is built on the cloud, so if you want to run BlueXP in an environment like ours, it's a real pain because it wants to host too much info on the cloud."
"It's hard to find in-person training that fits our schedule in our area. They offer a lot of online training, but we need somewhere to go because we can't really get away from the office."

ROI

NetApp AFF increases efficiency by boosting performance and reducing operational costs. Users experience quicker response times and minimal downtime, leading to substantial savings in employee hours and storage expenses. Many note extensive space savings due to data deduplication and compression. Organizations observe increased capacity utilization and lower maintenance costs. Some find its upfront cost high but justified by improved agility and reliability. Overall, NetApp AFF delivers strong returns, especially regarding long-term investments and operational benefits.

Pricing

Enterprise buyers generally find NetApp AFF's pricing to be somewhat high compared to other storage vendors like Dell EMC and HPE. However, some users note that NetApp offers better value for money due to its performance and integrated features like deduplication and thin provisioning. Price negotiations often yield competitive rates, especially with bundled licenses. Although acquisition costs may be higher, longer-term cost efficiency often becomes apparent due to reduced management and downtime expenses.

"NetApp AFF is an expensive solution."
"Its price is quite competitive, but there is still scope for better pricing."
"I am comfortable with the pricing, which is fair compared to others."

Popular Use Cases

NetApp AFF is primarily utilized for high-performance storage across various environments, including VMware, databases, and virtual machines. Organizations leverage AFF for NAS and SAN configurations, hosting critical business applications, and enabling efficient data backup and disaster recovery. Its adaptability supports diverse workloads, from electronic medical records to virtual desktop infrastructures, ensuring low latency and scalability. AFF's flash-based architecture enhances performance, catering to industries like healthcare, finance, and cloud services.

Service and Support

NetApp AFF's customer service and support receive positive feedback for responsiveness and effectiveness. Users praise their knowledgeable support team, especially in resolving critical issues quickly. While there are occasional delays and initial hurdles, higher-tier support is often highly rated. The availability of knowledgeable staff helps address most technical challenges efficiently. Customers appreciate the proactive nature of support and the ability to quickly escalate and solve issues. Some experiences note improvement needs at initial support levels.

Deployment

NetApp AFF's initial setup varied in complexity. Many found it straightforward, especially with prior experience or professional assistance, noting its intuitive and guided process. Some encountered complexities due to unfamiliarity with the system or transitioning from older modes. Documentation and support played a crucial role in easing the process. The setup often was quick, taking from a few hours to a couple of days, and users appreciated the improvement over time as configurations became familiar and streamlined.

Scalability

NetApp AFF exhibits significant flexibility for expanding storage capabilities. Users praise its ability to add nodes and storage shelves seamlessly, aligning with evolving needs. Many appreciate it's scaling features, easily adjusting to performance demands without disruption. Despite some concerns about cost, its architecture supports both horizontal and vertical growth. While physics and controller limits can be considerations, users find it's capacity to scale meets various organizational requirements, and its clustered Data ONTAP enhances scalability.

Stability

NetApp AFF remains consistently stable, with users experiencing minimal to no downtime. Feedback highlights its rock-solid reliability, low latency, and easy maintenance, with updates causing negligible disruptions. Users have reported rare issues, like bugs, but these have been swiftly addressed, maintaining high performance and uptime. Even with heavy workloads, NetApp AFF manages stability impressively. Its resilience in various environments, paired with robust support, keeps it a favored choice among long-term users.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our NetApp AFF Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

62%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

Retailer

University

Energy/Utilities Company

Insurance Company

Construction Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Wholesaler/Distributor

Hospitality Company

Non Profit

Media Company

Legal Firm

Transportation Company

Compare NetApp AFF with alternative products

Learn more about NetApp AFF

NetApp A-Series and C-Series feature a scale-out architecture that can be scaled to meet the needs of your growing business. They also support a wide range of built-in data protection and data security features, including snapshots, replication, disaster recovery, and autonomous ransomware protection.

AFF A-Series all-flash systems deliver industry-leading performance, density, scalability, security, and network connectivity.

AFF C-Series systems are suited for large-capacity deployment as an affordable way to modernize your data center to all flash and also connect to the cloud.

NetApp AFF Benefits

Speed up your critical applications with lightning-fast end-to-end NVMe enterprise all-flash arrays.
Increase Performance: AFF A-Series systems deliver industry-leading performance proven by SPC-1 and SPEC SFS industry benchmarks, making them ideal for demanding, highly transactional applications such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MongoDB databases, VDI, and server virtualization.
Save up to 95% of rack space and up to 85% of power and cooling cost over hybrid flash storage.
Reduce cost with guaranteed storage efficiency.
Realize even greater savings by tiering cold data to the cloud easily.
Simplify Operations on premises or in the cloud: Eliminate fragmented and redundant toolsets and combine visibility and manageability of storage instances with data services in a unified control plane across the hybrid cloud.

NetApp AFF Features

Expand capacity with nondisruptive scaling in a cluster without silos or data migration.
Manage data with the ultimate flexibility of unified support across different storage media and protocols, on premises or in the cloud.
Scale performance with technology innovations of NVMe/FC and NVMe/TCP connectivity.
Safeguard your data with best-in-class data security, ransomware protection, multifactor admin access, secure multitenant shared storage, and in-flight and at-rest encryption.
Simplify backup and recovery with built-in application-consistent data protection.
Achieve business continuity and fast disaster recovery with zero data loss and zero downtime.
Scale out to 24 nodes, 367PB of effective capacity, and 4 million IOPS non-disruptively.

Reviews from Real Users

NetApp AFF stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its high performance and simplicity. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

PeerSpot user and Storage Administrator, Daniel Rúnar Friðþjófsson, comments “AFF has helped to simplify our infrastructure, while still getting very high performance for our business-critical applications. Having all these things working well on one solution is really good. We run this as the backbone for both Hyper-V and VMware as well as an archive location for Rubrik. So, it is great having one solution that can do it all.

Because of the ease of it all, you have a highly tunable, high-performance storage system that alleviates a lot of problems. With its ease of management, you can quickly get your work done and go onto the next thing on your list.”

Additionally, Mohan Reddy, Sr. Technology Architect at a Pharma/Biotech company comments on how “NetApp's ONTAP data management software has also made tasks simpler for us. There's no question about that. It has helped us run operations very quickly, saving us a lot of time. Before ONTAP, we used to spend a long time doing regular operations, but with the latest version of the tool, our day-to-day operations are much quicker and easier.”

NetApp AFF was previously known as NetApp All Flash FAS, NetApp AFF, NetApp Flash FAS.