NetApp Global File Cache

Modernize Distributed Storage using NetApp’s Global File Cache

IDC estimates that 90 percent of today’s enterprise data is unstructured — accessed and stored across multiple environments, in multiple formats, in locations all over the world. By leveraging the power of the cloud, NetApp enables organizations to consolidate the data into the cloud to cut costs and create a globally accessible file system in the cloud.

NetApp’s proven intelligent Global File Cache allows distributed enterprises to securely consolidate silos of file servers into one cohesive global storage footprint in the public cloud, which streamlines overall IT management, significantly cuts costs and boosts business productivity on a global scale.

Why Global File Cache

NetApp’s intelligent Global File Cache creates a software fabric that caches “active data” sets in distributed offices globally. As a result, business users are guaranteed transparent data access and optimal performance on a global scale.

As organizations are aiming to centralize and consolidate their branch office server and storage assets, eliminating IT complexity provides significant cost savings. As Global File Cache deploys transparently on a Microsoft Windows Server instance, enterprises can consolidate local storage and embed services like Microsoft Active Directory, DNS/ DHCP, DNS, DFS Namespaces, and SCCM software distribution in their unified IT infrastructure.

IT Challenges

Managing "Islands of Data" in branch offices
Excessive data growth and duplication of data
Inefficient usage of server and storage resources, server sprawl
Local storage, data replication and backups cause poor recovery times
Complex IT Management

Business Challenges

Poor performance accessing data
Unable to collaborate efficiently
Data integrity issues
Conflicting file versions, resulting in data loss
Poor business productivity

Key Use Cases

Distributed File Server Consolidation

Leverage the cloud for a single enterprise data footprint for all users, simplify data management and improve business continuity.

Global VDI Deployments

Enable regional VDI farms to keep user productivity high and keep data close to the VDI farm/users without needing replication/sync overhead.

Large File Collaboration

Enable a “Single Set of Data” for users globally to leverage virtual teams and increase their productivity for team and collaborative workflows.

The Solution: Global File Cache

NetApp’s intelligent Global File Cache is a software-based solution that delivers fast and secure access to data for
users by caching ‘active data’ sets to distributed offices globally. Anywhere, anytime, as used by your workforce, your
data is consistent, and performance is guaranteed.

Consolidate and centralize your data into the public cloud and leverage the scalability and performance from enterprise-grade storage solutions.

Create a single set of data for users globally and leverage intelligent file caching to improve global data access, collaboration and performance.

Rely on a self-sustaining, self-managing cache, and eliminate full data copies and backups. Utilize local file caching for active data and cut storage costs.

Transparent access from branch locations through a global namespace with real time central file locking.

Cloud Platform Agnostic

Deploy Global File Cache together with Cloud Volumes ONTAP, Cloud Volumes Service or Azure NetApp Files in any of the major hyperscaler platforms (Azure, AWS and GCP) to kick-start your cloud consolidation project.
End-to-End Security

Seamless integration with Microsoft Active Directory and data access control through ACLs and NTFS permissions along with data encryption at-rest and in-flight.
Cost Savings

Leverage existing hardware or VM infrastructure at distributed locations while providing file services to globally dispersed users.

Operational Simplicity

Zero touch management through a self-sustaining, self-managing cache at the edge and a consolidated and centralized storage environment at the core in the public cloud.
Transparent Integration

By accessing data and collaborating in real-time, users will feel as if they’re all working in the same office, anywhere in the world, regardless of bandwidth, latency, and distance.
High Performance

Accelerated data access as active data is cached locally in your office together with efficient data transfer over WAN through compression / streaming and delta differencing.

Customer Success Stories

The feedback from the locations has been fantastic, with users commenting that they feel like they are working on the LAN, which is exactly what we were aiming for.

NetApp Global File Cache was cost-effective and makes it feel like information is on your local file server, even when it is not.

We looked at other similar solutions, but the pricing and the comparable performance was not competitive to NetApp Global File Cache.

Bringing the data together using NetApp Global File Cache software allows users to work simultaneously on large project files from any location. And in a disaster recovery situation, you get the business back up and running very, very quickly.

Our CEO has a vision to grow nationally and internationally over the next few years. We say 'bring it on.' We can now access files anywhere without performance worry.

NetApp Global File Cache has been great. New technologies like VR scanning are becoming more of a possibility every day, so we will eventually integrate those technologies into our system, and GFC will help us keep the data under control.

We were moving from a daily replication to a single consolidated footprint, so there were some growing pains. The NetApp engineers were fantastic and very responsive for implementation and post-implementation support.

Frequently Asked Questions

We get asked a lot of questions, which is great. However, below you can find the most frequently asked questions, either on
the Global File Cache (GFC) solution itself, technical aspects, support, services-related queries, or how the solution is licensed.

General Questions

Technical Questions

Pricing and Licensing Questions

Competitive Landscape
and ROI Questions

Supported Platforms

Global File Cache is supported with all variations of Cloud Volumes across all hyperscalers.

CVO for AWS Quick Start

In AWS customers have the choice of Cloud Volumes ONTAP or Cloud Volumes Service (or both)

CVO for Azure Quick Start

In Azure customers have the choice of either Cloud Volumes ONTAP or Azure NetApp Files (or both)

CVO for Google Cloud Quick Start

In Google Cloud customers have the choice of Cloud Volumes ONTAP or Cloud Volumes Service (or both)

NetApp Storage Systems

Smart, powerful, trusted scale-out solutions for your massive growing data from the NAS leader

Global File Cache

Consolidate your
Unstructured data
Into the cloud

Modernize Distributed Storage using NetApp’s Global File Cache

Why Global File Cache