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Network Appliance Enhances Enterprise gFiler Gateway Solution

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 December 2003, 06:00 CST

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 2003--Network Appliance, Inc. (Nasdaq:NTAP):

gFiler(TM) Systems Bring NetApp(R) Unified Storage Appliance

Simplicity to Customers' SAN Storage Environments; Deliver

Business Continuance Solutions, Including Easy and Fast Load

Distribution with SnapMover(TM); and Expand Storage Array Support

Network Appliance, Inc. (Nasdaq:NTAP) today announced that NetApp enterprise gFiler now supports unified NAS and SAN consolidation for an expanded set of storage environments. NetApp announced its first gFiler storage partnership with Hitachi Data Systems in December 2002 and today adds IBM(R) storage system platforms to its list of supported arrays. The new gFiler for IBM storage systems will be sold by NetApp through its direct sales and channel partners; gFiler solutions for other storage arrays will continue to be sold through NetApp array partners. Today's expanded gateway support offers even more customers the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of NetApp simplicity and robust data management in their storage infrastructures and broadens the NetApp market opportunity. NetApp gFiler brings NetApp unique storage management tools to installed SAN environments enabling customers to introduce IP storage benefits into the data center while protecting their Fibre Channel SAN investment. Replete with powerful new software such as SnapMover (also unveiled today), gFiler is poised as the industry's most robust storage system for heterogeneous array environments.

NetApp gFiler is a special-purpose, highly optimized multiprotocol storage appliance that seamlessly integrates into Fibre Channel SAN fabrics, enabling customers to leverage NetApp high-performance and scalable data management solutions, consolidating disparate DAS, NAS, and SAN islands into a common open storage pool. The release of iSCSI support on gFiler complements the system's existing NAS capabilities and enables affordable, cost-effective storage consolidation; provides data accessibility to a broader range of servers and applications; and helps today's business share its valuable data across wider corporate networks. The solution maximizes customers' existing investments in SAN infrastructures to provide scalable, high-performance access services using inexpensive and broadly deployed Ethernet networks. The resulting consolidation of storage maximizes flexibility in planning storage growth, improves storage utilization, and taps the full value of existing storage systems when combined with NetApp storage systems and software.

For customers who have deployed Fibre Channel SANs, load distribution between gFiler systems is simplified with the unveiling of new load distribution software called NetApp SnapMover. SnapMover is specially designed for SAN environments to provide a simple, fast, and seamless way to distribute data between gFiler systems, without physical copying, and while still maintaining high levels of system availability and performance. Plus, gFiler customers for the first time can leverage the complete portfolio of NetApp business continuance and data permanence solutions, including synchronous SnapMirror(R), MetroCluster, SyncMirror(TM), and SnapLock(TM) Enterprise.

NetApp is also expanding the gFiler system solution to include support for the IBM Enterprise Storage Server(R) line of disk storage systems. New and existing IBM ESS customers can now leverage the simple, reliable, and rich NetApp solution sets while maximizing investment protection and ROI through increased utilization of IBM SAN storage. The gFiler series is in the final stages of completing the IBM TotalStorage Proven(TM) interoperability and certification program. Achieving IBM TotalStorage Proven status ensures customers that the integrated solution is validated to work reliably and efficiently with IBM ESS disk storage systems. IBM Global Services will also provide professional services to ensure successful worldwide deployments of NetApp gFiler with IBM Storage.

"Customers need solutions that extend their SAN deployments with additional capabilities for cost-effective data consolidation and file sharing over broader corporate networks," said Mark Santora, senior vice president of Marketing at Network Appliance. "Customers can now deploy the NetApp gFiler enterprise storage system to expand and enhance the functionality of their existing SAN infrastructure and easily provision SAN storage for NAS and SAN applications. NetApp is able to provide a best-in-class solution that helps customers integrate storage resources on their own terms, according to their own needs, and without compromise."

Availability

Designed for heterogeneous storage environments, the GF960, GF940, and GF825 and clustered versions scale in capacity to 48TB and are available immediately.

The gFiler series for IBM Enterprise Storage Servers will be available through NetApp, and the gFiler series for Hitachi Freedom Storage is available exclusively through Hitachi Data Systems.

For more information on the NetApp gFiler series, please visit http://www.netapp.com/products/nas/gfiler.html.

About Network Appliance

Network Appliance is a world leader in unified storage solutions for today's data-intensive enterprise. Since its inception in 1992, Network Appliance has delivered technology, product, and partner firsts that continue to drive "The evolution of storage.(TM)" Information about Network Appliance(TM) solutions and services is available at www.netapp.com.

NetApp is a registered trademark and Network Appliance, gFiler, SnapLock, SnapMirror, SnapMover, SyncMirror, and The evolution of storage are trademarks of Network Appliance, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. IBM and Enterprise Storage Server are registered trademarks and TotalStorage Proven is a trademark of IBM Corporation. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meeting of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include comments regarding the company ability to deliver market acceptable storage solutions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary. Factors that could impact our ability to achieve these goals include general economic and industry conditions, including expenditure trends for storage related products, our ability to deliver new product architectures and products, our ability to design products which compete effectively from a price and performance perspective and other important factors as described in Network Appliance, Inc.'s reports and documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recently submitted 10-Ks and 10-Qs.

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