Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ONTAP Select VS Azure Stack

Compare ONTAP Select VS Azure Stack and see what are their differences

ONTAP Select logo ONTAP Select

Speed enterprise data storage deployment on premises with cloud-like agility and greater flexibility. Leverage software-defined storage built on ONTAP.

Azure Stack logo Azure Stack

Microsoft Azure Stack is an extension of Azure that brings the innovation of cloud computing to build and deploy hybrid applications anywhere.
  • ONTAP Select Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-19
  • Azure Stack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-12

ONTAP Select features and specs

  • Flexibility
    ONTAP Select can be deployed on a variety of hardware platforms, whether commodity servers or existing enterprise infrastructure, allowing organizations to leverage existing investments.
  • Scalability
    It supports a wide range of configurations, allowing it to scale according to the organization's current and future storage needs.
  • Advanced Data Management Features
    Users benefit from NetAppโ€™s suite of advanced data management features like deduplication, compression, and Snapshot copies.
  • Data Protection
    ONTAP Select provides integrated data protection capabilities, ensuring data backup, recovery, and security are handled efficiently.
  • Multi-tenancy
    It supports multi-tenancy, making it suitable for shared environments or service provider solutions.

Possible disadvantages of ONTAP Select

  • Complexity
    Setting up and managing ONTAP Select can be complex, requiring specialized knowledge and expertise.
  • Licensing Costs
    There may be significant licensing costs, which can be a concern for smaller organizations or those with tight budgets.
  • Hardware Dependency
    While it can run on various hardware, its performance and capabilities can be dependent on the underlying hardwareโ€™s quality and configuration.
  • Resource Consumption
    It may consume substantial computing resources, which can impact other applications running on the same physical hardware.
  • Initial Setup Time
    The initial setup and configuration process can take a considerable amount of time, affecting rapid deployment needs.

Azure Stack features and specs

  • Hybrid Cloud Capabilities
    Azure Stack allows for a seamless hybrid cloud experience, enabling organizations to use Azure services both on-premises and in the cloud, which promotes flexibility and scalability in IT infrastructure.
  • Consistent Development Environment
    Developers can use the same tools, APIs, and processes used in the Azure public cloud, providing a consistent and efficient development experience across environments.
  • Data Sovereignty
    Organizations can keep sensitive data on-premises, complying with regional data sovereignty laws and regulations while still leveraging Azure services.
  • Edge Computing
    Azure Stack can process and analyze data locally, close to the source, which is beneficial for scenarios that require low latency, such as IoT and real-time analytics.
  • Customizable Hardware
    Azure Stack can be deployed on hardware options from several OEM partners, offering flexibility in terms of hardware choices to meet specific organizational needs.

Possible disadvantages of Azure Stack

  • Initial Cost
    Implementing Azure Stack can be expensive due to the need for specific hardware, licensing fees, and the potential complexity of integration with existing systems.
  • Management Complexity
    Managing an Azure Stack environment can be complex, requiring skilled personnel and additional resources to maintain and support the hybrid cloud infrastructure.
  • Limited Service Availability
    Not all Azure services available in the public cloud are supported on Azure Stack, which may restrict certain functionalities and require careful planning and architecture design.
  • Updates and Maintenance
    Azure Stack requires regular updates and maintenance to keep it aligned with the Azure cloud and to ensure security, which can add to operational overhead.
  • Scalability Constraints
    Although Azure Stack offers scalability, it is still bound by on-premises infrastructure limits, which may constrain growth compared to the scalability offered by the full Azure public cloud.

ONTAP Select videos

ONTAP Select: Technical Overview

More videos:

  • Review - NetApp ONTAP Storage Platforms Overview - FAS, AFF, ONTAP Select, and Cloud Volumes ONTAP
  • Review - NetApp ONTAP Select Capacity Pools Licensing

Azure Stack videos

Azure Stack - An extension of Azure | Azure Friday

More videos:

  • Review - Azure Stack HCI 20H2 with Cosmos Darwin
  • Review - Dell EMC Solutions for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI Deep Dive

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ONTAP Select and Azure Stack)
Cloud Storage
27 27%
73% 73
Cloud Computing
26 26%
74% 74
Storage
18 18%
82% 82
Project Management
46 46%
54% 54

User comments

Share your experience with using ONTAP Select and Azure Stack. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Azure Stack seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ONTAP Select mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ONTAP Select yet. Tracking of ONTAP Select recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Azure Stack mentions (3)

  • Oxide: The Cloud Computer
    Oracle, AWS & Azure all have "Cloud at Customer" offerings. And these offerings have existed for years. https://www.oracle.com/cloud/cloud-at-customer/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/azure-stack https://aws.amazon.com/outposts/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Some old propaganda from the Windows 7 Retail Release.
    Azure runs a specialised version of Windows server called Azure Stack. You can get info on the versions Microsoft released to the public here https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/azure-stack/. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Did they just invent on-prem hosting?
    Azure Stack - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/azure-stack/. Source: almost 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ONTAP Select and Azure Stack, you can also consider the following products

AWS Storage Gateway - AWS Storage Gateway is a service connecting an on-premises software appliance with cloud-based storage.

Azure Storage Explorer - Easily manage your Azure storage accounts in the cloud, from Windows, macOS, or Linux, using Azure Storage Explorer.

VMware vSAN - VMware vSAN is radically simple, enterprise-class software-defined storage powering VMware hyper-converged infrastructure.ย 

Zadara Storage - Enterprise Storage-as-a-Service Solutions (STaaS). On premises or in the cloud. Fully-managed 24/7. Pay only for what you use. Leading companies worldwide trust Zadara Data Storage. Proud to be the best cloud storage option

Datrium - Get primary storage and backup, disaster recovery orchestration, encryption, and mobility in a single powerful platform. Liberate IT from complexity.

StorPool - StorPool is designed from the ground up to provide cloud builders, shared hosting providers and MSPs with the most resource efficient storage software on the market.