NetApp Turbocharges AI Innovation with Intelligent Data Infrastructure

NetApp, Inc. announced new capabilities that maximize the potential of generative AI (Gen AI) projects and build competitive advantage for users.

Customers can now take their AI projects to the next level by combining the firm’s intelligent data infrastructure with high-performance compute, networking and software from Nvidia Corp.

Gen AI has captured global attention for its potential to automate tedious tasks, uncover new insights, and drive product innovation. Nearly three out of four companies are already using Gen AI, according to the NetApp 2023 Data Complexity report. To unlock the potential of Gen AI, organizations need secure, high-performance access to data spread across complex hybrid and multicloud environments. The company has a long history of expertise in supporting AI with solutions that deliver management simplicity anywhere data lives, provide high performance without requiring new infrastructure silos, and supply trusted, secure data to drive responsible AI.

“NetApp is the intelligent data infrastructure company, with solutions optimized to maximize the potential of our customers’ AI investments,” said Arunkumar Gururajan, VP, data science and research. “Our unique approach to AI gives customers complete access and control over their data throughout the data pipeline, moving seamlessly between their public cloud and on-premises environments. By tiering object storage for each phase of the AI process, our customers can optimize both performance and costs exactly where they need them. Our unified approach delivers the performance, productivity, and protection customers need to quickly innovate with AI.”

To support companies leveraging Gen AI to improve their operations and strategic decision-making, the firm released updates to its intelligent data infrastructure capabilities including:

• NetApp AIPod is the company‘s AI-optimized converged infrastructure for organizations’ highest priority AI projects, including training and inferencing. NetApp AIPod powered by Nvidia’ DGX is now a certified DGX BasePOD solution using DGX H100 systems integrated with NetApp AFF C-Series affordable capacity flash systems to drive a new level of cost/performance while optimizing rack space and sustainability. The firm’s AIPod powered by Nvidia DGX also continues to support DGX A100 systems.

• FlexPod for AI reference architectures extend the converged infrastructure solution from the firm and Cisco Systems, Inc. FlexPod for AI now supports the Nvidia AI Enterprise software platform. FlexPod for AI can now be extended to leverage RedHat OpenShift and SuSE Rancher. New scaling and benchmarking have been added to support increasingly GPU-intensive applications. Customers can use these new FlexPod solutions as an end-to-end blueprint to efficiently design, deploy, and operate the FlexPod platform for AI use cases.

• Now validated for Nvidia OVX systems. NetApp storage combined with Nvidia OVX computing systems can help streamline enterprise AI deployments, including model fine-tuning and inference workloads. Powered by Nvidia L40S GPUs, validated Nvidia OVX solutions are available from leading server vendors and include Nvidia AI Enterprise software along with Nvidia Quantum-2 InfiniBand or Spectrum-X Ethernet, and BlueField-3 DPUs. NetApp is one of the first partners to complete this new storage validation for Nvidia OVX.

To further enhance its AI leadership, the company also is announcing new cyber-resilience capabilities including one of the 1st uses of AI/ML embedded in storage to fight ransomware. The Autonomous Ransomware Protection with AI (ARP/AI) will provide the next-gen of ML in ONTAP, giving the increased accuracy and performance required to detect and mitigate new, more sophisticated cyber threats.

“AI powers mission-critical use cases in every industry, from healthcare to manufacturing to financial services,” said Tony Paikeday, senior director, AI systems, Nvidia. “NetApp AIPod certified for Nvidia DGX BasePOD provides a powerful reference architecture that helps enterprises eliminate design complexity, reduce deployment time frames, and simplify ongoing operations.”

“GenAI has massive potential to help organizations harness their data to uncover business insights and improve operational efficiency,” said Archana Venkatraman, research director, cloud data management, IDC. “NetApp has continuously adapted to deliver the services and solutions customers need to effectively manage their data pipelines. These updates further illustrate NetApp’s willingness to evolve and bring innovations to customers that unlock the full potential of AI.”

The company delivers a unified approach to infrastructure and data management that eliminates data silos, brings enhanced performance and trusted data protection to customers’ AI turnkey solutions, and helps customers accelerate the time to results for their AI projects.

Resources:
Blog: NetApp’s intelligent data infrastructure turbocharges AI    
FlexPod: Where Converged Meets Cloud     
Blog: NetApp announces industry-leading enterprise storage with AI-powered ransomware detection