NetApp validates ONTAP for VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1

NetApp says its ONTAP storage platform is tested and certified to support VCF 9.1, enabling hybrid-cloud workloads and AI deployment for joint customers.

By The Datatech Times Editorial Team AI level 2 of 5
AI level 2 of 5: drafted by our AI editorial assistant from the company's announcement; fact-checked, edited and signed off by Mark Walker, Editorial Director. What the levels mean
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NetApp has announced that its ONTAP data management platform has been tested and validated to support VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.1, the latest release of Broadcom's unified private cloud stack. The NASDAQ-listed storage vendor says joint customers can begin adopting VCF 9.1 immediately on upgrade, without needing to rework their existing data infrastructure layer.

The announcement was timed to coincide with VMware Explore 2026 in Las Vegas, where NetApp held booth space. The partnership with Broadcom, which acquired VMware in late 2023, positions NetApp as a preferred storage partner for enterprises running VCF-based private and hybrid clouds.

What the integration covers

The validated integration spans several capability areas. NetApp ONTAP is offered as primary storage for both VCF management domains and workload domains, with the company citing cost-efficient scaling and built-in ransomware protection with rapid recovery as headline features. Two new management tools, NetApp Console Backup and Recovery and NetApp Console Data Services, are described as extending cyber resilience controls for VCF environments.

On the virtualisation side, ONTAP Tools for VMware will introduce datastore-granular replication and consistency group management, surfaced within the vCenter UI and accessible via REST APIs for VCF Operations Orchestrator. NetApp says this gives administrators native control over vSphere Metro Storage Clusters without leaving the VMware management plane.

The company also confirmed validation for VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) under VCF 9.1, allowing containerised workloads to run alongside traditional virtual machines on the same infrastructure. The intent is to offer IT teams a single operational model spanning both VM and container management as they modernise application estates.

NetApp claims its first-party cloud storage services are the only external enterprise storage certified to support VCF environments across the major hyperscale clouds, a positioning point the company says delivers workload portability without licence refactoring through VCF licence portability entitlements. The release did not provide independent benchmark data or third-party certification references to support this claim.

"NetApp continues to innovate to ensure VCF customers can operate consistently and without disruption across cloud environments," said Alvaro Celis, Chief Partner and Ecosystem Officer at NetApp.

Paul Turner, Chief Product Officer of Broadcom's VMware Cloud Foundation Division, said the two companies had collaborated to deliver "an AI- and Kubernetes-native private cloud platform that maximises infrastructure efficiency and security," adding that joint customers can adopt VCF 9.1 with a storage layer that is already proven and ready.

Market context

The validated-partner ecosystem around VMware Cloud Foundation has become a significant commercial battleground since Broadcom's acquisition of VMware. Broadcom moved quickly to simplify the VMware product portfolio and shift customers to subscription licensing, a transition that unsettled parts of the installed base and prompted some enterprises to evaluate alternative hypervisor and software-defined storage stacks. NetApp's rapid certification for each new VCF release is, in part, a response to that uncertainty: it signals continuity and a lower-risk upgrade path for organisations that have standardised on both vendors.

NetApp competes in enterprise storage against Dell Technologies (PowerStore, PowerFlex), Pure Storage, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (Alletra), and hyperscaler-native storage services. All of these vendors maintain VMware compatibility programmes, making speed-to-certification a differentiator in the short window after a major VCF release. The company's claim to be the only external storage certified across all major hyperscale clouds for VCF environments, if sustained, would represent a meaningful advantage for customers running hybrid or multi-cloud estates.

Enterprises weighing this integration will also need to consider Broadcom's evolving VCF licensing model. Under the current subscription framework, storage costs and VCF subscription costs are negotiated separately, and total cost of ownership calculations depend heavily on the density improvements cited for VCF 9.1. NetApp did not publish specific density or cost-per-workload figures in this release.

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