NetApp Snapshot Reviews

The primary use of the solution is mainly for backup and recovery. We also use it for repurposing the workloads.

The most valuable features of the solution are the repurposing and backup features.

The solution could include more databases and make it accessible to the DBAs. The automation process should be run in a way where it could be run from the database itself.

In terms of stability, it’s very good. We've never lost anything. The only downside, I would say, is it does take a while to browse through. Sometimes I wait for maybe three minutes for something to come back so that I can get a proper listing and find what I need. If it's used with SnapManager, it does take long to update from the GUI.

Right now, we don’t plan to increase usage. We have 150-200 people on the solution currently. We will still use the solution, but not so extensively.

Technical support is good. However, sometimes we are put in touch with an agent that is not so knowledgable.

The initial setup was straightforward. Deployment took about three weeks.

Mostly we handled the deployment ourselves, however, we did hire a consultant to assist us with implementation.

We bought the license with the machine, so we put everything together and paid for a bundle.

We use a hybrid deployment model.

If you do have a storage device, I would strongly recommend that you implement it, especially with the ransomware that's going around. It offers quick recoveries for users, especially on file servers.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

I use the solution for backup and testing purposes. We take a Snapshot of our virtual machine doing something. If something goes wrong, we revert it.

Snapshot is a valuable feature by itself. The best thing about the product is the integration into some applications, like Oracle or SQL, via plug-ins. The product is application-aware. If we take a snapshot from Oracle, it is consistent. The consistency of Snapshot is very significant.

The price could be improved a little bit.

I have been using the solution for more than five years.

I rate the tool’s stability a seven or eight out of ten.

Our clients are mostly enterprises. The tool is very scalable. I rate the scalability a nine or ten out of ten.

The initial setup was very easy. I rate the ease of setup a seven out of ten. The time taken for deployment can take several hours to several days, depending on the size, complexity, and customer requirements. Sometimes, we simply turn on and configure the groups. Sometimes, we have to perform a full integration with the existing environment like VMware or any other system that has been installed.

When I was selling the equipment to customers, the product was more expensive than the average street price. I was working in a very specific market. The price perception might differ for different markets, countries, and regions.

My company has a partnership with NetApp. Customers purchase NetApp for its features and everything it provides. NetApp has a very long history. It's a little difficult to compare it with other products. I do not know every product.

NetApp is good, mature, stable, and delivers many useful things for its customers. Sometimes, customers purchase servers from Cisco and storage from NetApp. We configure them together. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

I use NetApp Snapshot for the mirroring or clone capabilities. For example, snapshots of different applications.

NetApp Snapshot's most valuable features are the snapshot capabilities, you can take snaps of shared directories, files, and VMs.

I have used NetApp Snapshot within the past 12 months.

NetApp Snapshot has been around a long time and they are stable. They are a standard on their own.

NetApp Snapshot can be scaled.

The disc arrays can be expandable, that's what the NetApp does it sells you hardware and it's a benefit for the company to make it available to the end-user to add storage easily. It's can be an easy sell for them.

I have not needed to use the support. If you have to spend a lot of time with support, that means their instructions are not solid and the solution doesn't work as advertised.

The initial setup of NetApp Snapshot is not straightforward. It's not something that you can do just by clicking on the next step button. It has to be designed and it has to be implemented according to your network capabilities and the use case scenario.

The price of NetApp Snapshot depends on the use case. They charge by how much data you need, the capability, and for snap licenses.

I rate NetApp Snapshot an eight out of ten.

Our primary use of SnapMirror and Snapshot is for site to site replication. 

The most valuable features are the console which is the on top command that we use daily. The console is very nice for viewing and we really do use it on a daily basis. They also throw in file arms and disk size. 

We normally have two VR sites that we just replicate. We'll start it in the evening and already by the next day we can see that the replication time rate is moving, the turnover rate is verified and there's no issue. I believe that there's now a new NetApp with flash and lots of other features, although I don't remember the name of the hardware.

For improving the product, I would suggest that NetApp update their products more often. It's possible that I might only get one update in a two-year period. Other products seem to have more regular updates. 

Also, we use two controllers in our company. If I have a hard disk in the first controller, it can't be used in the second one to virtualize. There will be a motion but it's not a new motion. It isn't synchronized. If I use a SATA (computer bus interface) in the first controller, I can't use it in the second. 

The product is an amazing solution. In the nine years we've been using it we've never had any downtime and no issues regarding updating and new parts. My manager is also very happy with NetApp. Last month we had a problem with the backend because NetApp was creating duplicate snapshots. But otherwise there have been no problems with the product, no problem with the console, it works very smoothly, it's fun and has no issues. I have nothing bad to say about NetApp. They are always good. Even when our hard disk crashed, we received the new hard disk within 24 hours. So there's no issue there, they perform very well. 

We're not necessarily planning to switch. When we want to bring in new products we need to have a commercial technical evaluation, so we bring in around two or three people to suggest options. I will give you an example: It's like purchasing a car. When I go to the showroom, I will tell the salesman that I want a Mercedes Benz. He will tell me, don't buy a Mercedes, it has no extra features, take a Porsche. So Dell and NetApp are like a Mercedes Benz and Porsche. They are in competition and Mercedes Benz is trying to reach the level of Porsche.

Our license is coming to an end shortly, at the end of the year, and we will lose the warranty so we're planning on implementing a replacement. We need to get proposals for the new NetApp or new Dell and see who is the winner. Dell has come up with other features, so there's a lot going on now. 

I would rate this product 10 out of 10. 

It’s about understanding how it works. If you know how it was designed at a very low level with bits and bytes, you understand what you can do. However, most people don’t understand WAFL very clearly. WAFL is the file system—Write Anywhere File Layout—and it’s the genesis of all the technology. It is the base technology that generates the snapshots.

One of the best features in the industry is that data snapshots can be synchronise for database consistency. Using NetApp Snapshot, you can synchronise the redo logs of a database to ensure a consistent snapshot.

The solution should have a snapshot mode using AI to decide when to create the snapshot, depending on the workload. For instance, if there are a bunch of transactions, it could create snapshots faster, allowing the system to decide the optimal times for snapshots.

I have been using NetApp Snapshot as a reseller for over 15 years. We are using the latest version of the solution.

The product is stable.

You don’t have to worry about the size of the data. It works because the snapshot is created based on a pointer. So, whether you are dealing with one hundred terabytes or one gigabyte, it functions the same way.

Support is very good.

Positive

The deployment process is extremely easy. It comes preinstalled, and works by default. It comes inside the base curve, so there won’t be any problem making it work. If you want to integrate it with a database or something similar, you will need to meet some requirements but in terms of base-level Snapshot functionality, it works out of the box.

The integration requires having a specific layout, and this layout depends on how the data is moved. If you don’t have a good setup from the beginning, you may need to rearrange the data to ensure correct usage, especially if you have a huge database.

I recommend the solution because it protect with no impact and recover easily.

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

The replication and SV protocol features are valuable.

The next release should include developments on the step center for purpose or bandwidth. The hardware has the capability of the hardware Snapshot. But if you want to integrate it for applications such as WIEM or databases with better purposes, it will be perfect.

We have been using the solution for approximately ten years and are currently using ONTAP 9.8, but we will upgrade to a newer version soon.

The solution is stable.

The solution is scalable, and approximately 80 people use it in our organization.

We have had a decent experience with customer service and support.

We previously used different solutions.

The initial setup is easy, and the duration depends on client requirements.

Implementation was done in-house.

I rate the solution a nine out of ten. The key is good, but the next release can include developments in the step centre for bandwidth purposes. I advise users considering the solution to seek out professional integrators.

Our primary use is to take a snapshot of a current data state. We can use that, for example, if you make some changes — even minor changes database — you take snapshots of the data in a state that you believe the data is good. After that, you make a change to something in the data or maybe something happens where you lose some information or you make some other mistake — accidentally delete data — you can revert to the snapshot and your data will be restored to the point where the snapshot was taken.

The point is to create states so that it is impossible to lose big data. Sometimes people use Snapshot for other purposes — which is not correct — like for making backups. It is not a good idea. You can, technically, use it for that purpose, but I do not recommend it. Some of the information is saved on the same physical media when using Snapshot as a backup. The backup is on the same physical media as the original information, so if something were to happen to the physical media, you lose also backups.

Snapshot has improved our operations by allowing the opportunity to manipulate data sets without having to worry about making major mistakes with the data.

Snapshot has a specific purpose as a means to take a temporary picture of the current state of the data. This is its main feature but also the most important and valuable. Really, it is the only thing that it does.

Because the product is so mature — it was developed 25 years ago — every major feature that should be added to the product is already added. It doesn't seem that this product can be improved upon in significant ways. It is used to make a snapshot of the current data, that is what it needs to do and it does exactly that. I don't think that it can be improved at all. It is like a wheel: it is a round wheel and it is doing its job. You can make a wheel with a different shape, but it won't be better than the round one.

Rather than the product itself, the one thing that could possibly be improved is that NetApp global support is not very efficient. I had some issues that I contacted support about and sometimes they react to issues slowly. But the reaction time may be according to the exact product in the NetApp line and the hardware being used. There are different products in the NetApp Snapshot line, built with different approaches. Some are more difficult to use.

But from my experience and what I have heard from other users, the level of support in general for NetApp should be improved for better global coverage.

The Snapshot product just works. In my opinion, you can't talk about the stability of this small component which is just part of a whole system. It is something like talking about the stability of a screwdriver. On the other hand, I think that actually the entire NetApp system is mature and stable.

By itself, it isn't really correct to talk about the scalability of Snapshot. Snapshot just takes what is essentially a photo of the current state of the data. That photo itself cannot be scalable. As far as the whole system — such as the storage capacity and the hardware components — this is scalable, but not the Snapshot itself. Imagine a hard disk which is part of your computer and this computer can be part of a larger network. The network can be scalable or not scalable. Your computer, which contains the hard disk, can be scalable or not scalable. You can add CPUs, you can add memory, you can add additional hard drives and so on. But the hard disk inside your computer, can not be scalable or not scalable. It's just a component.

Claims from my colleagues concur that they are not entirely happy with the level of global support. I cannot say that NetApp support is bad because it's not. But, for example, my colleague from Russia claims that they had some problems conversing with and getting support in some cases. Not all cases. It highly depends on the country and your location as to whether support is available during convenient hours.

But another problem, for example, is the availability of spare parts. Some hardware and spare parts are available subject to local customs procedures. So, when someone makes a claim that support procedures are slow, it may not be NetApp that is the problem because they can not do anything about the customs. It's a problem caused by local laws, maybe the importers, maybe customs, maybe someone else and not the vendor at all. Blame about slow support may be getting put on the company when it is not their problem at all.

Installing NetApp is not like a fridge where you just plug it in a power outlet and you are okay. No. It is necessary to know something about the product. NetApp writes excellent documentation and they also have some resources for partners that make it easier to use. I do not think that it is highly complex because I am familiar with it, but it is necessary to have done some preparation and gain some familiarity before the installation. You can not drive a car without the training and without passing the exams and so on. It is the same with Snapshot.

The need for assistance and the complexity of the installation depends on the product. If we are talking about Data ONTAP, you should have a technical background or maybe use resources like a vendor or partner to help with the installation. If we are talking about the HCI, you don't need to have a strong technical background. Many people decide to use or are moving to HCI solutions because they are simpler for the customer. At the same time, it is not quite as good of a solution for me. But people use what they want to have and sometimes ease-of-use is more important than specialized functionality.

But the coding for the more classic solution, Data ONTAP, requires some technical background or assistance to install.

A lot of vendors have a Snapshot solution. Snapshot is just the name of a solution by NetApp and represents one approach. Different vendors have different types of solutions for capturing data states. For example, it's like a diesel car, a car that runs on ethanol, or electro cars. All of them are cars. It is the same situation with the Snapshot solutions — they all make snapshots. NetApp invented it first and then other vendors just created something which looks like and behaves like Snapshot. NetApp's Snapshot is better — if we compare with all the storage solutions — because there is no performance overhead.

If we are talking about classic storage, the products are not so different if we are comparing NetApp and other snapshot solutions. In my opinion, Data ONTAP storage performance is very good, and the other vendors are just trying to achieve the same performance.

On a scale from one to ten, with one being the worst and ten being the best, I would rate NetApp's Snapshot as a six or seven. The problem with offering advice about this product is that it is just a component of a system. It is almost like somebody is asking you about how skilled you are with computers. If you think that skill with computers means you can push a button and something happens, you may be very skilled pushing that one button, but the skill is just pushing a button. You can press it or not. But if you have a whole keyboard, you won't press only one button. You buy the keyboard and use the whole keyboard. Some buttons will be pressed more frequently than other buttons. But you can not have a keyboard with half of the buttons or can't use a keyboard that is missing the one button you know how to use. On a keyboard, you can not say one button is more useful than another one. A keyboard is a whole thing. The NetApp solution is not just the Snapshot solution. This is a small part of the storage system. It is very useful — just excellent — but you can not use it without storage and other parts. You need the whole solution. It would be like buying a wheel without the car. You should not pay for something you can't use or have no need for in the first place.

I can answer generally about the NetApp system, and I think it is a seven. 

Storage-based snapshots without an operational or management overhead, which is usually the case with any backup software.

Did you lose your VM? No worries, spin up a new VM and attach to data. Set a policy and tag it during storage provisioning. You never have to worry about maintaining millions of files stored across several thousands of virtual machines. 

• It centralizes your data. 
• It lets your storage take care of backup, DR, and BCP. 
• You never have to worry about protecting your virtual machines. 

If there is a way to save more on the number of snapshots, it should be included in the next release.

If your data is more dynamic and changes frequently, you need more granular retention levels and need to save it for a longer duration, then this becomes a real challenge.