I can recommend the solution to those who plan to use it. My problem with NetApp stems from the fact that since cloud services are offered, along with the offerings from Microsoft, which includes SharePoint and OneDrive, there is no longer a need to have just NetApp.

Considering that nowadays, there are better cloud services offered, while NetApp AltaVault remains an expensive product that is deployed on an on-premises model, I rate the solution a three or four out of ten.

For new users, it's really all about strategy and policy. The platform itself does what it says it does. How much benefit you get from that is dictated by your policies and how you're archiving data.

I'd rate the solution six out of ten.

We are resellers of the solution.

We're using AltaVault for doing cloud based backup, actually taking a lot of our backup database to the cloud. Not backing up the databases, but the repository and the catalog of our backups is out to the cloud.

Our most important criteria when selecting a vendor are functionality, reliability, and dependability. That it's actually going to work and that they're going to be around in five years. Cost and then ease of use.

I believe there's a free software version to try for 30 days with limited use. When we bought it, it was actually an appliance you had to buy, and now it's software based. So you can actually put it on any server and test it out and try it and see if it as simple or if it works as well as you want it to. We've actually deployed the virtual appliance since our first go at it, so that's what I would recommend for anybody else: try the virtual appliance and make sure they like it.

I gave it the rating I did because there's got to be room for improvement somewhere, but overall it's pretty simple. For what we use it for, we like it.

AltaVault is very economical. You don't need big expertise to manage this product. If you are working school and building a table, this is the best product. You can make it very low cost, and at the same time, it's a great investment.

We use cloud-based backup with AWS and NetBackup as our backup software. Basically, what we do is take the snapshot backup through AltaVault, encrypt it, and put it on the database.

Most important criteria for selecting a vendor: They would have to be in business for five years and should have a clear road map, for stability and everything. It's not that someone can just open a company and you're the top one in the first three years, but if you don't have a clear road map of your vision, then it makes it difficult.

We are using AWS for cloud-based backup and have file and block storage.

Most important criteria when selecting a vendor:

• Simplicity of the solution
• Support has to be really good.
• The company history pedigree: I want to choose a company that I can rely on for the next ten years.

We're partners. We are system integrators. I'm exposed to storage regarding NetApp - all services of NetApp and HDS and AltaVault. We are also selling that. From the backup perspective, arguably our specialty is actually in Commvault and Veritas. We handle backup, archiving, and data management solutions as well. 

NetApp these days is completely different than the old days. NetApp started as a software company. The core is the software, which is the ONTAP software. Now ONTAP software can be deployed on the cloud. If you're looking for on-prem storage, you can have that. If you're looking for the storage capabilities yet you want the same capabilities on the cloud, you can have it by having the ONTAP for the cloud. The only difference is that NetApp doesn't have a complete solution for the cloud as a cloud provider. It's not like Amazon and it's like not Azure. This is a service that is running on those services.

They do not have the same capabilities as the on-prem storage - such as the rate of de-duplication. They don't have de-duplication actually as a normal feature with the normal rate. They don't have serverless replication between desks. It's not like that. It's a clock active storage there on the cloud. However, when you use the NetApp ONTAP on the cloud, it allows you to treat the cloud storage and cloud tier like normal storage on-prem with everything, regardless of the number of snapshots, compression, or deduplication.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

It's super simple. We tried to overly complicate it and expected it to be overly complicated and it wasn't. From start to finish, within three days I had moved all my backup policies over to it, and it took longer to replicate to the cloud for that initial data. But after that, like I said, in seconds, where our recovery window is a 24-hour period. We're literally 30 seconds out from backup, to dumping, to dedupe, to the cloud.

Definitely try a demo. I think the on-prem solution where you buy the storage, you keep it locally for quick re-stores. Our restore window has been cut by 10 times. From having to pull back from tape -  I'd definitely recommend it. I don't have to worry about where it's at, I don't have to worry about anything. It literally knows to either pull it from local or pull it from the cloud, and it does everything itself. I just use my backup software, which I know how to use.

Depending on where's your primary data and what you want to achieve, AltaVault's not great in all cases. In my case, it is really good. I have really long data retention periods, and I want to keep my arms around the data. Also, I want to know where it is, but at the same time, I don't want to be looking at it everyday on the datacenter. Having a solution there that can move data from on-premise into the cloud and back is a massive win.

Most important criteria when selecting a vendor:

• Their reliability: We're in a storage market and a data market, the first thing is reliability. Everything that I do on top of it, I want it to work, but it has to be a really good foundation the bottom.
• Cost is obviously a factor, but for me, it's about reliability.
• I have somebody on the end of the phone. Where if I do have a problem, I can call and have good support with them? That's something that until you actually have a problem, you don't really realize its importance.

For me, it's about a company that I can work with and a company who's always innovating, not standing still. A company like that, with cost and the support, it's a great decision.

It's been very helpful for us in our environment and what we do.

Buy it. Get it. It'll help your environment as well. It's one of the best products out there.

I wasn't in design phase of this, but from what I know, we had vetted like two or three other companies and NetApp came out on top, so it's a good solution with good service.

I would rate this solution 7 out of 10. My advice is to stick with ONTAP and ownCloud because NetApp AltaVault is going to die.

I don't use the solution myself, I recommend it to customers. We're a Star Partner of Netapp.

The solution is a cloud-based subscription. It doesn't need a deployment. It's subscription base, therefore, it's sort of its own service.

The solution is great for reducing headaches in the IT department. It's easy to use and narrows issues surrounding taking Office 365 to the cloud. Users can simply install it and get safe, easy access to cloud backups. They can retrieve data easily if it's deleted. They have a great data protection policy in place. All of these reasons are why I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Our use case is cloud-based archive to AWS.

For us, when selecting a vendor, cultural fit is big. But, in this space, the cultural belief in the protection of the data is critical. We see NetApp as a technology company that has that at the heart of their strategy; keeping the data integral is number one, everything else comes after, and that's number one for us too.

The product does as it's intended, as it says. All of the features meet our experience. I would suggest to make sure that you are looking at fabric pulls and storage grid and ensuring that what they do with the AltaVault aligns with those technologies as well because there might be some other efficiencies you can gain there. So just have a broader look. But the AltaVault itself will do exactly what you need it to do.

It is a good solution. I would rate it nine out of ten.

We're doing AWS S3 with Glacier with cloud-based backup. The integration is good. It works with Veeam and Commvault. We are using Commvault for our backup software.

Most important criteria when selecting a vendor: support.

I'm pro NetApp, so I recommend the solution.

They're adding more to the product, and the overall vision of the product is correct and true.

Definitely make sure to look at the system requirements, make sure that you're onboard, and give it a try. Make sure you have people on your staff that are familiar with cloud, because it can be a little tough to set up if you're not already familiar with it.

Most important criteria when selecting a vendor:

• Previous experience with vendor is always good.
• Industry penetration

We use AltaVault for cloud-based back up. We have connected it to a public cloud service.

I gave it a seven out of 10 because right now we're just performing at an average, it's not blowing away.

If I were to advise a colleague at another company who is researching this or a similar solution, I would say make sure you get a good PS engineer involved. It needs maturity. I'd wait another year to see where the OS is.

Leverage the SE and the technical expertise within NetApp. They offer really great services, and they'll provide you with an honest approach to how to address your business problems.