It is never a matter of “if” but “when” NetApp announces End of Service or End of life for your storage systems. When that time comes, it is time to take a look at what your options are.
Let’s take a look at the difference between the 2 terms:
- Netapp End of Life: The product will not be receiving any new features, bug fixes or security updates after the announced date. The machine can still remain on NetApp Manufacturer Support, and will still bbe a low-risk option to store your data.
- NetApp End of Service (Life): The product will no longer be supported by the manufacturer. Their parts inventories for these systems will deplete, and they will no longer be service-able by NetApp.
If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
Some view end of service life as an upgrade point in the lifecycle. Fair enough. Ask yourself these questions before you consider spending tens of thousands, to hundreds of thousands of dollars on an upgrade:
- Is the system still stable and reliable?
- Is the performance still adequate for our needs?
- Does the system have enough capacity for our data requirements?
Solution!
If the answer to all 3 questions is yes, then consider 3rd party Support! NetApp 3rd party Maintenance organizations can maintain your equipment for years past the end of service life date.
We still have NetApp FAS3000 products under support! For reference, these are over a decade old at this point. Just because NetApp says it’s time for an upgrade, doesn’t mean it’s time for an upgrade.
Of course, they would love to push you into purchasing new equipment. However, If your old equipment is fine, your budget is probably best spent on more urgent items.
Oftentimes, NetApp 3rd party support is more responsive, and more reliable than NetApp manufacturer support. With parts-in-stock, and tier 4 engineers, and DEEP discounts compared to NetApp, it may leave you asking why you did not make the move sooner!
Get in touch with us to see how we can improve your support experience!
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