NetApp announced new storage solutions optimized for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, virtualization software that's a feature of most versions of Microsoft Windows Server 2008. The new NetApp storage solutions provide data center customers with server virtualization capabilities for increased operational efficiencies and scalability.

With thousands of NetApp systems already deployed for virtual server environments, NetApp now provides Windows Server 2008 customers with the technology needed to enable them to build a complete virtual architecture. As a result, customers will experience enhanced infrastructure flexibility along with lowered costs through consolidation and simplified management. NetApp's built-in storage deduplication and thin provisioning technologies, both available at no additional charge, allow Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V customers to reduce storage power, cooling, and space requirements by up to 50%. With NetApp's virtual cloning and virtual volume capabilities, Windows Server 2008 customers can reallocate physical storage quickly and provision storage as fast as the virtual servers. Furthermore, NetApp's best-in-class data protection functionality provides customers with instantaneous backups and cost-effective disaster recovery of virtual machines for end-to-end backup and recovery.

"We selected Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V for our server virtualization platform to help us consolidate our IT infrastructure," said Andy Schneider, infrastructure architect, Avanade. "At the same time, we knew that we needed to select a storage platform that would easily work with Hyper-V to provide us with the true benefits of server virtualization. Leveraging our existing NetApp infrastructure for our Hyper-V deployment, it was clear that the NetApp platform would allow us to realize the full potential of our virtual environment. The NetApp solution not only provided top performance, but did so with a cost-effective and flexible solution. In fact, NetApp's built-in deduplication technology has lowered our disk space requirements by 51%."

Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V customers will also benefit from NetApp's continued work with Microsoft to improve the customer experience by enhancing integration with Microsoft's suite of management tools, to include System Center Virtual Machine Manager, Microsoft's solution for managing virtual infrastructures. In addition, Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V customers will be able to leverage best practices developed by NetApp to enable optimal customer deployments.

NetApp's SnapManager 5.0 for Microsoft Exchange also recently received Certified for Windows Server 2008 validation with the Hyper-V designation. SnapManager 5.0 for Microsoft Exchange enables customers to simplify backup, recovery, and verification of Microsoft Exchange Server running as a virtual machine on Hyper-V. This certification signifies that SnapManager has passed independent testing by a Microsoft-approved testing vendor. To earn the Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V designation, testing was performed on a Windows Server 2008 virtual machine running on Hyper-V, and the application was validated to support four key Hyper-V tests specific to virtual machine behavior, including Recover and Save State and Restore of Virtual Machine; Recover After Pause and Resume of the Virtual Machine; Do Not Prevent Shutdown from Host; and Survive the Snapshot Process. This validation provides further proof to customers of the ongoing synergies between NetApp and Microsoft Hyper-V.

"We are excited to have NetApp support Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and our System Center suite of management tools. Thanks to NetApp's storage virtualization capabilities, our mutual customers can receive a complete virtualization solution that addresses both their server and storage needs," said Bill Laing, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows Server and Solutions division. "As we move forward, we will continue to work with NetApp to optimize the virtualization experience for our mutual customers."

"Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V provides customers with server virtualization technology that will further accelerate the aggressive adoption of virtualization solutions in the data center," said Patrick Rogers, vice president of Solutions Marketing at NetApp. "Given our industry-leading storage platform that is optimized for virtual infrastructures, it was a natural fit to work with Microsoft to extend to customers the efficiencies and business benefits offered by NetApp storage systems. We look forward to working with Microsoft to advance the virtualization of data centers."