Network Appliance Announces Next-Generation Virtualization Capabilities Within VFM Software.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 2003

Virtualization Technology Provides Enterprise Customers with a

Robust and Flexible Centralized Management Solution for

Windows(R) and UNIX(R) Environments

Network Appliance, Inc. (Nasdaq:NTAP), today announced the availability of its latest version Virtual File Manager software, VFM(TM) 4.0. VFM is Network Appliance's automated storage management software, the industry's first file-level storage virtualization solution enabling customers to unify and manage distributed file storage in networked enterprises, simplifying the deployment and ongoing management of NetApp(R) storage infrastructures. Key innovations in VFM 4.0 are the ability to create a tiered NetApp storage architecture for Information Lifecycle Management, as well as byte-level differential replication, allowing for dramatic reduction in data backup times over WANs and enabling aggregation and centralized management of network storage environment. All this makes NetApp storage infrastructures more robust and flexible for the high demands placed on enterprise data systems.

"VFM is a tremendous asset to NetApp customers, particularly in Windows environments," said Mark Santora, senior vice president of Marketing at Network Appliance. "It enables aggregation and centralized management of networked file storage, making it possible for administrators to

add, consolidate, migrate, and failover storage systems and Windows servers. More importantly, it provides administrators with powerful policies that enable them to perform tasks without causing downtime to users. Users also benefit from simplified access to their data because VFM creates a unified view of data distributed across heterogeneous file servers. The net effect is a more powerful and nimble storage architecture that reduces complexity and the total cost of ownership."

Product Distinctions

-- Tiered Storage Architecture: VFM enables the creation of

"storage tiers" in a NetApp environment while maintaining

unified access to all tiers of storage through the global

namespace. VFM accomplishes this by automatic policy-driven

movement of data across heterogeneous devices based on

criteria such as age, usage, size, etc. This new feature from

VFM helps administrators control the life cycle costs of

storage in the enterprise by facilitating the matching storage

policies with business priorities, in other words, by placing

important data on systems with higher reliability,

availability, and scalability as well as more administrator

attention.

-- Byte-Level Differential Replication: VFM features a

significant advance in file replication. As opposed to

replicating entire files and wasting precious WAN bandwidth,

VFM 4.0 replicates only changes made to files. Initial NetApp

tests show that the byte-level differential replication

provides reductions in the amount of data transferred of

approximately 90%. By reducing data traffic, VFM significantly

shortens the replication window with the effect of increasing

data availability.

-- Multivendor Storage Aggregation: VFM implements a global

namespace that aggregates files located on NetApp systems and

Windows servers. Once files are aggregated and presented as a

single logical "pool" of storage, administrators change, add,

consolidate, or migrate the storage without affecting data

users.

-- Nondisruptive Server Consolidation: VFM enables administrators

to seamlessly consolidate data from multiple heterogeneous

file servers onto one or more filers. VFM's global namespace 

masks physical changes from users during consolidation, and

its policy engine significantly reduces operator activities

during the consolidation.

-- Disaster Recovery Automation for NetApp Systems: VFM provides

administrators with a comprehensive low-cost solution for

deploying and managing NearStore(TM) solutions that are

tightly integrated with primary NetApp systems. VFM's global

namespace provides a centralized platform for replicating

files across heterogeneous file servers across locations, as

well as for failing over users transparently across locations.

About Network Appliance

Network Appliance is a world leader in unified storage solutions for today's data-intensive enterprise. Since its inception in 1992, Network Appliance has delivered technology, product, and partner firsts that continue to drive "The evolution of storage.(TM)" Information about Network Appliance solutions and services is available at www.netapp.com.

NetApp is a registered trademark and Network Appliance, VFM, NearStore, and The evolution of storage are trademarks of Network Appliance, Inc., in the United States and other countries. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.