December 13, 2024

What is SnapCenter?

SnapCenter is a software package from NetApp that focuses on application and file system backup, verification, cloning, and recovery. It manages enterprise workloads across different datacenters or databases hosted on top of public cloud environments, specifically those running on ONTAP storage, and ensures efficient data management and protection for these workloads. With SnapCenter, users can deploy a single instance of the software to handle workload management tasks. SnapCenter supports high availability (HA), allowing for redundancy and failover capabilities to ensure uninterrupted operation.

What's new in SnapCenter 6.0? SnapCenter 6.0 includes several new features and enhancements that work in on-premises and cloud storage:

• Linux server platform support
• Linux filesystem plugin compatibility support for ANF
• Workload support for DB2, MaxDB, Sybase ASE, PostgreSQL, My SQL, Oracle on Windows, Storage and MongoDB
• Support NVMe/TCP Protocol
• SnapMirror Active Sync
• Removal of license enforcement for CVO
• vSphere Virtual Volumes (vVol) support for database and filesystem
• SMB3 support for Microsoft SQL Server

Why should you care?

SnapCenter can help your customers right-size their VMware environments resulting in greater licensing savings. It can also help your customers reduce their backup licensing costs because SnapCenter is built-in to NetApp One licensing. The VMware plugin should be used in all VMware environments as it helps reduce operational costs and streamlines routine tasks such as backup, restore and cloning.

How does it work?

SnapCenter is a centralized server with a common interface that supports plug-ins for a variety of applications, databases, file systems, and hypervisors. SnapCenter supports multisite data center, and the SnapCenter Server and the plug-in host can be at different geographical locations.

Through SnapCenter, you can centrally deploy plug-ins to remote hosts and schedule and monitor backup, verification, clone, and restore operations. SnapCenter also uses centralized role-based access control (RBAC) and offers reports and a centralized dashboard across the entire system.

FAQs

Will SnapCenter handle backup and recovery of my VMware virtual machines and datastores?

The VMware vSphere plugin takes over the backup and recovery capability. However, even though you can back up at the datastore, folder, VM and tag level, only VMs or VMDKs are restorable.

Does SnapCenter support recovery of VM guest OS files?

Yes, SnapCenter supports recovery of VM guest OS files and folders but only for Windows guest OS. Linux guest OS files will have to be done via the attach VMDK option in the VM's SnapCenter action menu. 

Can I still use SnapCenter and ONTAP tools for VMware vSphere (OTV) with the same vCenter?

Yes, SnapCenter works alongside OTV on the same vCenter instance but there is no integration or dependency between the two except for vVols backup and recovery. SnapCenter will be used for backup and recovery use cases while OTV can be used for storage management operations like monitoring, datastore provisioning and Storage Policy Based Management (SPBM) support. 

Differentiation in the market

SnapCenter is built-in to the NetApp licensing structure and supports VMware and all major databases. It can protect new enterprise and modern workloads including AI/ML. SnapCenter provides more recovery point than traditional backup software. It provides future proofing with support for all storage protocols, including newer NVMe and VMware vVol. SnapCenter can protect SQL server both on prem and in the public cloud. 

How to position and sell NetApp SnapCenter

The best part about SnapCenter is that it’s included with purchase on any NetApp Flash A or C Series. If your customers are struggling to meet recovery objectives and are faced with increasing complexity and operational costs, SnapCenter can increase efficiency and provide application consistent backups without the need for third party tools.

Support from Arrow

Arrow provides our NetApp Partners with a dedicated team of experts - from dedicated solution managers to sales to technical support to marketing - that help support them along every step of the commercial and public sector sales cycle.  

For more information on the capabilities of SnapCenter or to see a demo or overview, please contact your NetApp channel manager or Flash supplier manager.