Node4 is the first Managed Cloud Service Provider (MCSP) to provide NetApp Private Storage as a Service (NPSaaS) to its customers. Node4’s NPSaaS gives customers a way to access public cloud compute while guaranteeing the privacy of their data. Node4, which is now listed as an official NPSaaS provider, will provide NPSaaS access to customers as a fully-managed service.
NPSaaS allows Node4’s customers to utilise hyperscaler compute, across multiple industry-leading public cloud providers, whilst keeping their data secure in Node4’s Data Centres, maintaining complete control over their data and complying with data protection and sovereignty regulation requirements.
Node4’s solution consists of Node4-managed NetApp storage systems colocated in Node4’s Equinix UK Data Centres, which are in turn directly connected to chosen cloud compute services using a dedicated, high-bandwidth, low-latency network connection. With Storage Tiers ranging from All Flash (SSD) through to SATA with both latency and IOPS guarantees, the NPSaaS offering from Node4 encompasses all storage needs.
Through this approach, public cloud compute facilities can be accessed as required, while data remains protected in Node4’s Data Centres. This offers Node4 customers a way to meet privacy, compliance, regulatory, and sovereignty requirements (in line with regulations such as EU GDPR, coming into force in 2018). Node4 has multi-tenanted the NetApp NPS solution in its Data Centres, giving Node4 the capability of offering NetApp NPS as a service (NPSaaS). NPSaaS opens up many high-bandwidth/IOPS -intensive applications that might not otherwise be suitable for the cloud.
Node4 infrastructure is connected via private connection to Equinix Data Centre in UK where the high bandwidth connection point to the public cloud (the Meet Me Point) is, guaranteeing paramount performance. Node4 is also 100% transparent in terms of the systems and infrastructure it uses, making it the ideal choice for any company with stringent privacy and auditing requirements.
“For some time customers have long been able to access OPEX cloud compute while keeping private data within private CAPEX storage environments”, commented Gregg Mearing, Head of Managed Services, Node4. “Through NPSaaS, customers can now do the same thing, maintaining data privacy, but with storage provided on an OPEX basis. This degree of flexibility, combined with reassurance of the safety and sovereignty of their data while accessing the public cloud, is exactly what many companies have been looking for to-date. We’re extremely proud to be the first UK-based MCSP to provide this service.”
“As a longstanding NetApp partner that understands our systems and services intimately Node4 was a natural collaboration to provide NPSaaS as a managed service”, added Martin Warren, EMEA Cloud Solutions, NetApp, “Node4’s NPSaaS provides an additional path for customers to access our leading cloud aggregation solution, particularly if they are already utilising Node4’s infrastructure or services, or would particularly appreciate the presence of an industry-leading MCSP to help in the ongoing management of the service.”
