NetApp and Equinix Plug Enterprise Storage into Azure Cloud via Private Links

Equinix and NetApp announced an expansion of their cloud partnership with more private storage offerings integrated with public cloud, including NetApp Private Storage for Microsoft Azure. As a means to access the cloud more efficiently, NetApp's private storage for Azure is now available through the Equinix Cloud Exchange, the colo company's interconnection platform that provides direct access to multiple clouds.

NetApp and Equinix started the partnership in 2012 by enabling the same direct connections between NetApp private storage to Amazon Web Services.

Equinix offers Microsoft ExpressRoute, a private connection service to Azure, in many of its data centers worldwide, the last six added recently. Like ExpressRoute -- and an AWS equivalent called Direct Connect -- integration of NetApp storage systems and Azure through Equinix facilities is a way to make public cloud more digestible by traditional enterprises.

NetApp and Equinix developed tests to examine performance gains that can be achieved when accessing multiple cloud and IT services. The companies said test results showed data throughput between NetApp Private Storage customers and Microsoft Azure rose by an average of 36 percent when the two services were connected via the Equinix Cloud Exchange, versus sending data over a VPN on the public Internet.

It was also noted that latency was two milliseconds or less in the Azure U.S. East and Azure U.S. West regions, where NetApp Private Storage Labs are deployed with Equinix.

Phil Brotherton, vice president of the Cloud Solutions Group at NetApp, said, “The exchange platform’s automated connections give NetApp customers direct, easy access to multiple clouds and managed services, so they can quickly create a virtual portfolio IT services that works for them. As for NetApp, we see great value in this new solution, because it enables us to connect our infrastructure stack to multiple cloud vendors, expanding opportunities for our customers and our business.”