NetApp Architects Application-Integrated Data Management for Kubernetes with Project Astra

NetApp has introduced Project Astra, a vision for a software-defined platform that is currently in development with the Kubernetes community. Project Astra will deliver robust, easy-to-consume, enterprise-class storage and data services platform for Kubernetes that enables both application and data portability for stateful applications.

Although companies everywhere are rapidly adopting Kubernetes, many organizations lack reliable data and application services, and have difficulty making application data as portable as the applications themselves are in Kubernetes. Yet to meet the standards that CIOs expect, IT teams and site reliability engineers must find a way to store, govern, protect, and replicate the data for both stateless and stateful cloud-native applications with enterprise-class cloud storage and data services.

Project Astra is being purpose-built for and in collaboration with Kubernetes developers and operations managers to help bridge the fundamental gap that exists between the popularity of containers today, the capabilities and user experience they require, and their ability to deliver true, comprehensive portability. NetApp’s vision for Project Astra is to enable companies to work seamlessly with their choice of Kubernetes distribution, on any cloud.

Project Astra leverages the underlying technology delivered through NetApp’s public cloud partners and enhances it through Kubernetes-native integration of data services with applications.

NetApp is working with the Kubernetes community to further develop technology that advances the user experience and extends the promise of Kubernetes to data-rich workloads. Together, NetApp and the Kubernetes community are building a platform to help you:

• Discover applications with your Kubernetes of choice, whether on your premises or in any cloud
• Integrate and unify applications and data management
• Deliver NetApp’s expertise in data and Kubernetes both as a service and as built-in capabilities
• Extend the promise of portability for all workloads, including stateful, data-rich apps

“Project Astra represents the next major step in the evolution of storage and data services for Kubernetes,” said Anthony Lye, senior vice president and general manager of NetApp’s Cloud Data Services business unit. “We are making a decisive and long-term commitment to addressing the data challenges of Kubernetes, together with the communities and platforms that use it. Project Astra will provide a software-defined architecture and set of tools that can plug into any Kubernetes distribution and management environment.”

Project Astra builds on NetApp’s experience in enabling customers to manage petabytes of container data with NetApp Trident and NetApp Kubernetes Services and adds a specific focus on the developers and operations managers who are innovating with containers today.

“Kubernetes platform is the gold standard for container deployment for a number of use cases, across edge to core to cloud environments,” said Puneet Gupta, Vice President for Sales, NetApp India and SAARC. “NetApp recognizes the reality of organizations’ needs to shift priorities, and Project Astra ensures to deliver on the promise of portability, while still making all data well managed and protected wherever it exists. Project Astra reiterates NetApp commitment towards innovation, customer-centricity and time to market.”

“As the first product manager for Kubernetes with Google back in 2014, I’m thrilled to be at NetApp as we continue to lead the effort to tackle the very real challenges that organizations are facing,” said Eric Han, vice president of product management for NetApp’s Cloud Data Services business unit. “I’ve been inspired by the potential of Kubernetes to transform IT services—and by the passion of the community that has helped to build Kubernetes to its prominence today. In a few short years, Kubernetes has become the de facto choice in orchestrating container environments. Yet there is still potential, and a need, to further evolve. With Project Astra, NetApp is delivering on the true promise of portability that professionals working with Kubernetes require today and is working in parallel with the community and our customers to make all data managed, protected, and portable, wherever it exists.”