NetApp FAS Systems Are Top Notch Appliances That Just Work
Updated May 19, 2025

NetApp FAS Systems Are Top Notch Appliances That Just Work

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Modules Used

  • FAS8300
  • FAS2720
  • FAS2620

Overall Satisfaction with NetApp FAS Storage Arrays

Two primary uses: we have a NetApp FAS Storage Arrays system serving as our primary DR target system, and we have a few smaller ones in remote offices serving data to small offices. We also use one as a test system.

Pros

  • Easy to use GUI interface
  • Easy to use command line interface
  • Core functionality (serving data) "just works"
  • Great performance for what we need

Cons

  • GUI needs to add additional functionality
  • Would be helpful to have more flexible size options for purchase (i.e. purchase less storage if needed)
  • Over time, the amount of rack space and datacenter power required to run our storage environment has gone from 4 full racks to less than 1/2 of one rack. Space/power savings is amazing!
  • Over time, continual improvements in the operating system has drastically improved performance release after release. No one ever says anything about performance for nearly 10 years!
  • The amount of space used for the same amount of content continues to drop as deduplication and compression capabilities continue to improve.
I've used it for 13 years now and I can say that since 2016 in particular the usability is just great. It just works. Easy to configure and manage.
We selected NetApp back in 2011 before looking at Pure. I took a look at Pure several years ago just to compare. They *do* appear impressive and I might seriously consider them if we were deciding today. However, NetApp just seemed to have a much more mature product than Pure with broader capabilities. In particular, NetApp's cloud capabilities (which we may use in the near future) were superior.

Do you think NetApp FAS Storage Arrays delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with NetApp FAS Storage Arrays's feature set?

Yes

Did NetApp FAS Storage Arrays live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of NetApp FAS Storage Arrays go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy NetApp FAS Storage Arrays again?

Yes

Great for serving data when you don't need blazing speeds provided by AFF systems. If you need exceptionally fast speed you would be better off going with a NetApp AFF system.

Using NetApp FAS Storage Arrays

300 - Standard business functions (accounting, etc.) and architectural design, product design, etc.
3 - Familiar with NetApp OnTAP OS and FAS/AFF systems. One of us is NetApp certified. All technicians are also well versed in Windows and VMware systems.
  • CIFS file shares [redirected My Docs]
  • iSCSI-connected LUNs for SQL Servers [to allow for app-aware backup]
  • NFS-connected datastores to host VMs
  • In the past we created highly secure virtual spaces on NetApp for our PCI environment.
  • iSCSI-connected storage for other supported databases
  • Improve our VMware integration
It just works! We've used NetApp FAS Storage Arrays systems since 2011 and have had fantastic results, in particular since 2016 as performance has drastically improved. Tools are great/user friendly, command line capabilities are very strong ... it is simply very effective at what it does!

Evaluating NetApp FAS Storage Arrays and Competitors

  • Scalability
  • Ease of Use
  • Other
The decision was made prior to my involvement back in 2011, but my understanding is that one of our company divisions was already using it and had experienced tremendous success with it for years.
Again, I was not involved initially so I can't comment directly. Today I would likely check out both NetApp and Pure as my two leading candidates.

NetApp FAS Storage Arrays Implementation

Our initial deployment was handled by pro services. Most later deployments were handled in-house. All went very smoothly. Documentation made it relatively easy to set up new systems which allowed us to do it in-house. When using pro services they were professional and comprehensive.
  • Implemented in-house
  • Third-party professional services
EchoStor
Change management was a big part of the implementation and was well-handled - None in particular. We just issued change controls for cutting content over and it worked well.
  • Minor configuration issues with a head swap that were easily resolved
  • A few early iSCSI migration issues [not a relevant issue now due to changes]

NetApp FAS Storage Arrays Support

Top level techs are excellent! It can be mildly frustrating at times to get past the lower level techs but on balance it is great support.
ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Good followup
Knowledgeable team
Problems get solved
Kept well informed
Immediate help available
Support cares about my success
Escalation required
Slow Initial Response
Yes, it is worth it for the faster responses, especially for our most critical systems.
Yes - Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Some were resolved fairly swiftly or at the very least a workaround provided, and others took longer.
Yes. We had a huge SQL Server issue on a very old SQL Server that was on an unsupported OS and they helped us resolve the issue anyway.

Using NetApp FAS Storage Arrays

ProsCons
Like to use
Relatively simple
Easy to use
Well integrated
Consistent
Quick to learn
Convenient
Feel confident using
Lots to learn
  • Creating and configuring virtual storage spaces (SVMs)
  • Creating, configuring, and managing volumes
  • Creating, configuring, and managing snapshot and replication backups
  • GUI 'improvements' made some basic tasks a little harder actually
  • iSCSI is a little complex to set up initially
  • SnapCenter backup software is a little buggy and problematic at times

Comments

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