Flexible and powerful block storage now available in Google Cloud NetApp Volumes, along with even greater AI integration for enterprise transformation
NetApp, the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, announced that it has deepened its collaboration with Google Cloud to help customers accelerate cloud transformation and address critical business challenges. New block storage capabilities in Google Cloud NetApp Volumes enhance unified storage for today’s most important data workloads, including virtualized environments, self-managed databases, and AI innovation.
The NetApp data platform enables any Al model—whether on-premises or in any major public cloud—to securely access a customer’s entire data estate, without needing to move data between environments. New integrated caching capabilities in NetApp Volumes allow for seamless access to that unified data foundation, along with advanced new integrations with Gemini Enterprise, empowering customers to break down silos, eliminate complexity, and accelerate their AI journeys.
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“With the enhancements to Google Cloud NetApp Volumes including the addition of block storage capabilities, we’re giving enterprises more flexibility and power, without added complexity,” said Pravjit Tiwana, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cloud Storage and Services at NetApp. “These updates represent a significant leap forward. Our customers will benefit from consistent low-latency performance, enhanced data management with features like snapshots and replication, and the operational simplicity of managing both file and block storage from the same NetApp Volumes service.”
New capabilities in NetApp Volumes include:
- Increased Data Unification with Block Capabilities: With the addition of block capabilities to NetApp Volumes, the Flex service level now supports unified storage with both the NAS (NFS/SMB) and SAN (iSCSI) protocols. Adding iSCSI block support to the existing file storage service opens additional market opportunities for enterprises to use Google Cloud for their enterprise business applications, such as hosting virtualized environments and managing databases. This capability is now generally available to customers upon request.
- Strengthened Integration with Gemini Enterprise: Customers can now use data stored in NetApp Volumes as a native source for AI Applications to build bespoke AI agents without custom code or RAG pipelines. The tight integration between AI platforms like AI Applications and data stores like NetApp Volumes enables enterprises to incorporate context-specific data from reputable, vetted sources, which significantly improves the quality and reliability of AI-generated outputs. This is now in preview for customers upon request.
- Enhanced Unified Global Namespace: Enterprises can now seamlessly unify their global data estate across cloud and on-premises into Google Cloud with new FlexCache capabilities in NetApp Volumes. The same capability can also extend their on-premises workloads such as Electronic Design Automation. This allows for data stored in other ONTAP-based storage in customer data centers or across multiple clouds to be instantly made visible and writeable in a NetApp Volumes environment, but with data transferred granularly only when requested. This allows for a customer’s entire hybrid cloud data estate to be seamlessly accessed in Google Cloud. Additionally, enterprises can migrate data and snapshots effortlessly between environments using SnapMirror, supporting hybrid use cases such as cloud migration, disaster recovery, and workload balancing across environments.
“Our collaboration with NetApp is built on a shared commitment to innovation and customer success,” said Sameet Agarwal, Vice President and General Manager, Storage, for Google Cloud. “Data infrastructure with built-in intelligence enables businesses to get the right data to the right place to generate useful results without unnecessary cost and complexity. By combining Google Cloud’s global infrastructure and Vertex AI with NetApp’s expertise in data management, we’re delivering integrated solutions that help enterprises transform and accelerate their digital journeys.”
“With the accelerating pace of change and innovation, enterprises need unified access to all of their data wherever it lives,” said Dave McCarthy, Research Vice President, Cloud and Edge Services, Worldwide Infrastructure Research at IDC. “NetApp’s data platform is the first unified storage built natively into the world’s largest public clouds, enabling enterprises to securely access their entire data estate, without incurring delays and costs from data movement.”
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FAQs
1. What is the NetApp and Google Cloud collaboration about?
NetApp has deepened its partnership with Google Cloud to enhance NetApp Volumes, enabling unified storage for both file (NAS) and block (SAN) workloads. This helps enterprises accelerate cloud transformation, simplify hybrid cloud management, and power AI and business-critical applications without moving data between environments.
2. What new block storage capabilities have been added to NetApp Volumes?
NetApp Volumes now supports iSCSI block storage in addition to existing NFS/SMB file protocols. This unified storage approach allows enterprises to run virtualized environments, manage self-hosted databases, and handle other enterprise applications on Google Cloud, all from the same NetApp Volumes service.
3. How does integration with Gemini Enterprise enhance AI workflows?
With NetApp Volumes as a native data source for Gemini Enterprise and AI Applications, enterprises can build custom AI agents using context-specific, vetted data. This integration eliminates the need for custom code or RAG pipelines, improving the accuracy, quality, and reliability of AI-generated outputs.
4. What is the Enhanced Unified Global Namespace in NetApp Volumes?
The FlexCache capability allows enterprises to unify their global data estate across on-premises and Google Cloud. Data stored in other ONTAP-based environments becomes instantly visible and writeable in NetApp Volumes, with granular transfer only when needed. SnapMirror integration supports seamless cloud migration, disaster recovery, and workload balancing.
5. How does this collaboration benefit enterprises in AI and cloud adoption?
By combining Google Cloud’s global infrastructure and Vertex AI with NetApp’s unified data platform, enterprises gain low-latency performance, simplified management, and secure access to their entire data estate. This reduces operational complexity, accelerates AI initiatives, and supports scalable hybrid cloud and multicloud environments.
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