computer science

NetApp

NetApp is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand NetApp rather than just read about it. In short: NetApp, Inc. is an American data infrastructure company that provides unified data storage, integrated data services, and cloud operations (CloudOps) solutions to enterprise customers. The company is based in San Jose, California.

Key takeaways

NetApp belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect NetApp to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NetApp from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NetApp, Inc. is an American data infrastructure company that provides unified data storage, integrated data services, and cloud operations (CloudOps) solutions to enterprise customers. The company is based in San Jose, California. It was ranked in the Fortune 500 from 2012 to 2021. Founded in 1992 with an initial public offering in 1995, NetApp offers cloud data services for management of applications and data both online and physically.

History

NetApp was founded in 1992 by David Hitz, James Lau, and Michael Malcolm as Network Appliance, Inc. At the time, its major competitor was Auspex Systems. In 1994, NetApp received venture capital funding from Sequoia Capital. In 2006, NetApp sold the NetCache product line to Blue Coat Systems. In 2008, Network Appliance officially changed its legal name to NetApp, Inc., reflecting the nickname by which it was already well-known. On June 1, 2015, Tom Georgens stepped down as CEO and was replaced by George Kurian. In May 2018, NetApp announced its first end-to-end NVMe array called All Flash FAS A800 with the release of ONTAP 9.4 software.

Organization George Kurian is the chief executive officer of NetApp and a member of the board of directors. He joined the company in 2011. The president of NetApp is César Cernuda. In December 2009, Mike Nevens was appointed as chairman of the board. The company employs around 12,000 people worldwide.

Competition

NetApp competes in the computer data storage hardware industry. In 2009, NetApp ranked second in market capitalization in its industry behind EMC Corporation, now Dell EMC, and ahead of Seagate Technology, Western Digital, Brocade, Imation, and Quantum. In total revenue of 2009, NetApp ranked behind EMC, Seagate, Western Digital, and ahead of Imation, Brocade, Xyratex, and Hutchinson Technology. According to a 2014 IDC report, NetApp ranked second in the network storage industry "Big 5's list", behind EMC (Dell), and ahead of IBM, HP and Hitachi.

Partnerships On March 1, 2021, a partnership with the Aston Martin F1 Team was announced. NetApp is currently responsible for data provision and cloud services for the racing team. Similar partnerships have been in place with the MotoGP team Ducati Corse since 2018, and the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team since July 2022.

OEM September 13, 2018, Lenovo and NetApp announced its technology partnership, so Lenovo OEM Netapp products under its own name: Lenovo ThinkSystem DE (using NetApp's EF and E-Series array technology), and ThinkSystem DM uses ONTAP software with Lenovo servers and supports FC-NVMe (analog for NetApp FAS and AFF systems). Vector Data's Vault series of products are rugged and carrier-grade versions of NetApp systems including -48V DC Power and NEBS Level 3 Certification.

Reception

Controversy

Syrian surveillance In November 2011, during the 2011 Syrian uprising, NetApp was named as one of several companies whose products were being used in the Syrian government crackdown. The equipment was allegedly sold to the Syrians by an authorized NetApp reseller. On April 7, 2014, NetApp was notified by the US Department of Commerce "that it had completed its review of this matter and determined that NetApp had not violated the U.S. export laws", and that the file on the matter had been closed.

Legal dispute with Sun Microsystems In September 2007, NetApp started proceedings against Sun Microsystems, claiming that the ZFS File System developed by Sun infringed its patents. The following month, Sun announced plans to countersue based on alleged misuse by NetApp of Sun's own patented technology. Several of NetApp's patent claims were rejected on the basis of prior art after re-examination by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. On September 9, 2010, NetApp announced an agreement with Oracle Corporation (the new owner of Sun Microsystems) to dismiss the suits.

Awards NetApp was listed amongst Silicon Valley Top 25 Corporate Philanthropists in 2013. NetApp was Named Brand of the Year by the Think Global Awards in 2019. In 2023, NetApp was named Best Company to Work For by U.S. News & World Report. In 2024, consulting firm Frost & Sullivan named NetApp Global Company of the Year in the hybrid cloud storage management industry.

Environment In 2021, the CDP Climate Change Score improved to B−. In some NetApp offices, employees have formed Green Teams to integrate sustainable values into their daily lives.

Illustrations

Former NetApp logo

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NetApp

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NetApp claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to NetApp before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about NetApp ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of NetApp

In research: NetApp appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses NetApp in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: NetApp is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1995 initial public offerings, American companies established in 1992, Companies based in San Jose, California, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NetApp outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study NetApp in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NetApp means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain NetApp out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NetApp in simple terms?

Why does NetApp matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study NetApp?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on NetApp.