NetApp working on a new SnapManager for VMware?

Quoting from SearchServerVirtualization:

Sources close to VMware Inc. and Network Appliance Inc. say that engineers at the two firms are working closely to improve integration between VMware’s ESX virtualization platform and NetApp’s storage software, specifically its snapshot capabilities.

That’s not to say that people don’t use NetApp snapshot technologies in VMware environments today; they do. But in order to get a consistent copy of a VMware virtual machine, they need to use VMware’s own snapshot function, which consumes resources on the host. In contrast, NetApp performs its snapshots on the array, consuming no CPU resources.

A NetApp exec’s corroborates the notion of collaboration between the two companies. Server virtualization “creates a powerful need for storage virtualization,” said Phil Brotherton, NetApp senior director of enterprise alliances and solutions. “VMware integration is good today, but we are committed to tightening it up even more.”

In the technology industry, it’s rare to find a company that’s enthusiastic about its primary competitor. But even though EMC owns VMware outright – and will continue to own about 90% of it following VMware’s initial public offering this year — Brotherton is undeterred…

Read the whole article at source.