Data Management Glossary
NetApp Cloud Tiering
The NetApp Cloud Tiering solution is called FabricPool.
FabricPool is a NetApp tiering technology that enables automated tiering of data from an all-flash appliance to low-cost object storage tiers either on or off premises. This technology is a form of storage pools which are collections of storage volumes exported to a shared storage environment.
Cloud tiering and data tiering (or data archiving) can deliver significant data storage cost savings as part of a cloud storage strategy by offloading unused cold data to more cost-efficient cloud storage solutions. The approach you take to NetApp tiering can either create an easy path to the cloud with native access and full use of data in the cloud or it can create costly cloud egress and lock-in.
Here is some background on storage tiering.
- Storage array vendors have historically done delivered minimal insight into the data stored on them.
- As unstructured data growth has created more cost and complexities for enterprises, storage vendors have introduced new solutions to externally tier data to the cloud.
- NetApp FabricPool for NetApp cloud tiering and Dell EMC Isilon CloudPools for Isilon cloud tiering, may reduce the cost of super-fast, expensive flash-based storage by adding lower-cost choice in cloud storage, but there are trade-offs.
Blocks vs. Files
Storage-based cloud tiering provides limited data analytics and limited policies for data tiering. File storage arrays use an efficient block-based storage system to store files. Each file is represented by a set of equally sized blocks, which grow as the file grows. To reduce the cost of the storage arrays, vendors provide multiple tiers of storage, from fast flash storage to slower, lower cost SAS drives and SATA drives.
Commonly, the storage tiering system places file metadata and the frequently accessed blocks (from any file) in the highest tier and less accessed blocks stored on lower, less expensive tiers. By applying their tiering system, designed to work efficiently with internal storage tiers, to tier data to the cloud, it tiers cold blocks rather than files to the cloud. Metadata resides on the storage vendor filesystem and all data access needs to occur through the storage filesystem. Storage tiering solutions are good for tiering snapshots to the cloud, they result in unnecessary costs and lock-in for tiering files.
The Komprise hybrid tiering approach addresses these challenges by moving the entire file, so you don’t experience rehydration penalties when you need to move the data again. You can adopt new storage anytime with no penalties, due to the standards-based approach. Users and applications can access the tiered files from the original location with no disruption, thanks to Komprise Transparent Move Technology. File tiering moves unused cold data from the active footprint so that cold data is stored on low-cost, resilient solutions such as object storage which can be 30 times cheaper than file storage.
Komprise hybrid tiering is both a complement and an alternative to built-in tiering capabilities from data storage vendors, delivering more benefits and ROI such as:
1.Reduce your ransomware attack surface.
Unstructured file data is highly vulnerable to ransomware attacks due to its vast surface area and widespread access across enterprise users and applications. The Komprise hybrid tiering strategy helps mitigate this risk by moving cold data to an object-locked destination, reducing the attack surface by up to 70% while also lowering storage costs. Additionally, features like versioning and tamperproof snapshots provide further protection by ensuring an intact copy of data is available for restoration even in the event of an attack.
2. Avoid rehydration when refreshing your storage.
Enterprise data storage systems require frequent refreshes, leading to high costs when switching vendors due to data rehydration. Traditional tiering solutions, like NetApp FabricPool, force enterprises to buy more storage just to migrate off their existing platform, increasing expenses and complexity. Komprise hybrid tiering eliminates this issue by offering storage-agnostic, file-based tiering that preserves file fidelity and avoids costly rehydration during migrations.
3. Provide flexible data management polices while maintaining transparent access.
Storage-based data tiering is limited by vendor-specific constraints, such as a fixed policy that prevents gradual data movement to lower-cost storage over time. In contrast, Komprise hybrid tiering offers a flexible, policy-driven approach that works across heterogeneous storage environments without disrupting users or applications, thanks to Transparent Move Technology (TMT™). For example, a higher education IT team using NetApp and StorageGrid can seamlessly tier older data to Wasabi with Komprise, maximizing cost savings and efficiency.
4. Ensure innovation and choice with cloud native data access.
Cloud hyperscalers offer rapid innovation, making it essential to fully use cloud storage tiers for cost efficiency, such as Amazon FSx versus S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval. Komprise hybrid tiering allows for seamless data movement to lower-cost cloud storage while maintaining native access, allowing users to access data directly in the cloud and apply cloud services such as AI to the data. In contrast, traditional storage-based tiering moves data in blocks within proprietary systems, limiting its usability in the cloud beyond simple archiving.
Read: Why Cloud Native Data Access Matters
5. Ensure your unstructured data is ready for AI.
Most storage-tiering solutions are proprietary and restrict seamless cloud access, whereas Komprise hybrid tiering ensures data remains open and accessible to any AI service. This open approach ensure that data is not locked away in proprietary format. limiting its accessibility and use for AI. As well, AI readiness is a top challenge in unstructured data management, making it crucial to choose a tiering solution that supports automated AI data workflows with proper AI data governance, across all data regardless of where it is stored.
NetApp Cloud Tiering vs Komprise Intelligent Tiering: the full cost
NetApp Cloud Tiering cuts the flash footprint of cold blocks on one ONTAP system. Komprise Intelligent Tiering cuts the full cost of cold files: primary flash, backup capacity, recall-driven egress at refresh time, and the extra flash you would otherwise buy. Block tiering also limits what the tiered data is good for. Because only ONTAP can read it, it cannot feed cloud analytics, AI pipelines or AI agents until it is recalled. Files tiered by Komprise stay readable in place and queryable through Komprise Universal File MCP.
Flash prices are not coming back down
Gartner forecasts NAND flash revenue will grow 371.9% in 2026, driven largely by pricing, and expects supply and demand to stay tight through 2027 as AI infrastructure consumes more memory.
Source: Gartner
TrendForce projects NAND flash contract prices will rise another 15% to 20% quarter over quarter in the fourth quarter of 2026, with enterprise SSD the only memory category set to increase faster than it did the quarter before.
Source: TrendForce
TrendForce also expects memory contract prices to remain broadly elevated in 2027.
Source: TrendForce
Waiting for relief is not a plan. Every terabyte of cold data on ONTAP flash is a terabyte you keep paying for at these prices, and every tiered block that gets recalled lands back on that flash.
| Evaluation Criteria | NetApp Cloud Tiering | With Komprise |
|---|---|---|
| Primary flash freed | Cold blocks on one ONTAP system | Cold files across every NAS system |
| Backup capacity | Unchanged; backups read tiered blocks back | Reduced; tiered files leave the backup set |
| Cost at refresh | Recall all tiered blocks, often onto new flash | No recall; only active data migrates |
| Egress | Charged on every recall | No recall-driven egress |
| Policy flexibility | Per-volume policy and block inactivity | File age, access, type, owner, share and custom tags |
| Savings modeling | Array capacity view | Komprise Flash Stretch assessment models savings by destination |
| AI and agent use of tiered data | Recall through ONTAP first | Read in place by cloud AI; queryable through Komprise Universal File MCP with no rehydration |
| Ransomware exposure | Tiered blocks remain part of the ONTAP system | Cold files moved to object-locked storage shrink the attack surface |
NetApp Cloud Tiering FAQs
What is NetApp Cloud Tiering?
NetApp Cloud Tiering, formerly BlueXP Tiering, is the NetApp service that manages FabricPool tiering of cold ONTAP data blocks to object storage in the cloud or on premises. Tiered data stays in an ONTAP format and is read back through ONTAP.
How do I save on NetApp storage without the rehydration penalty?
Tier files instead of blocks. Komprise Transparent Move Technology moves cold files off ONTAP to object or cloud storage in native format and leaves a transparent link at the source. Users see no change, tiered files leave the backup set, and nothing has to be recalled when you refresh or change storage. Customers cut storage costs 70% or more.
How much NetApp flash can I reclaim before buying more?
Run a Komprise Flash Stretch assessment to analyze ONTAP and other storage, get recommendations on file-level tiering policies, and models savings by destination. Komprise typically identifies how to reclaim up to 70% of primary flash capacity, worth more than $350,000 per petabyte at current prices.
Will flash prices fall before my next NetApp expansion?
Not on current forecasts. TrendForce projects NAND flash contract prices will rise another 15% to 20% in the fourth quarter of 2026 and expects memory contract prices to remain broadly elevated in 2027. Gartner expects supply and demand to stay tight through 2027. Reclaiming capacity you already own is the lower-cost move.
Does NetApp Cloud Tiering reduce backup costs?
Not for tiered file data. Backup applications read whole files, so blocks tiered by FabricPool are read back through ONTAP and the backup footprint stays the same. Komprise file-level tiering removes tiered files from the backup set, which lowers backup capacity and shortens backup windows.
What you need to know before jumping into the cloud pool.
Learn more about your cloud tiering choices.
Learn more about Komprise for NetApp.