In today’s data-driven world, organizations are facing an unprecedented “data deluge.” Enterprises must retain massive volumes of data for longer periods—often for compliance, analytics, or historical value—while keeping costs under control and protecting data from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
IBM and NetApp are addressing this challenge head-on.
By integrating IBM Storage Deep Archive as a Cloud Storage Pool target for NetApp StorageGRID, organizations can seamlessly tier cold data to a cost-efficient, air‑gapped archive—without disrupting applications or workflows.
The Value Proposition
Expanding Storage Efficiency Opportunities
NetApp serves a significant portion of the enterprise market, and many of these organizations are struggling with rising costs of primary storage expansion. StorageGRID combined with IBM Deep Archive provides a seamless path to offload cold data—helping clients extend storage capacity without rearchitecting their environment.
1:1 Cost Optimization
This solution provides a clear cost optimization opportunity.
By moving cold data from higher-cost storage tiers to IBM Deep Archive, organizations can significantly reduce total cost of ownership (TCO). Large-scale data tiering initiatives can significantly reduce overall storage spend.
Seamless, No-Disruption Integration
Applications and users continue to access data exactly as before.
No application changes are required; access is maintained through standard S3 APIs, ensuring continuity across workflows and environments.
Built-in Cyber Resiliency
IBM Deep Archive provides a tape-backed, off-network layer of protection.
This creates an air‑gapped defense mechanism that enhances resilience against ransomware and other logical attacks, making it ideal for long-term retention strategies.
Why This Integration Matters
Modern enterprises require storage architectures that balance:
• Performance for active workloads
• Cost efficiency for long-term retention
• Cyber resiliency for regulatory and security requirements
NetApp StorageGRID and IBM Deep Archive deliver all three—through policy‑driven lifecycle management and tightly integrated object storage capabilities.
Rather than relying on manual migration or separate archival workflows, this integration enables automated, intelligent data placement aligned with business policies.
How It Works
NetApp StorageGRID and IBM Deep Archive integrate to provide policy‑driven tiering of cold object data while maintaining seamless application access.
Policy-driven data movement
• StorageGRID uses Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) policies to automatically move infrequently accessed objects to IBM Deep Archive.
• Policies define when and how data is tiered based on business needs
Separation of metadata and data
• Object metadata remains in StorageGRID, enabling fast search, indexing, and management.
• Object data is stored in IBM Deep Archive for cost-efficient long-term retention
Transparent access via standard APIs
• Applications continue to read and write data through StorageGRID using standard S3 APIs.
• No application changes are required
Integrated placement and retrieval
• StorageGRID manages data placement into Deep Archive and handles retrieval requests when needed.
• Existing workflows remain consistent and unaffected
Cloud Storage Pool integration
• IBM Deep Archive is configured as a Cloud Storage Pool within StorageGRID, enabling seamless interoperability between both systems
Architecture Overview
This integration is built on a clear separation of responsibilities:
• StorageGRID
• Retains object metadata locally
• Manages data placement and retrieval using policy-driven lifecycle rules
• IBM Deep Archive
• Stores object data
• Provides ultra-low-cost, tape-backed storage for long-term retention
Applications interact only with StorageGRID, while StorageGRID handles tiering transparently in the background.
Key Benefits at a Glance
• Automated lifecycle management through ILM policies
• Tape-class economics for cold data tiered to IBM Deep Archive
• No application changes required (standard S3 API access)
• Air-gapped protection layer for enhanced cyber resiliency
• Scalable, cost-effective archive expansion
A New Standard for Cold Data Strategy
The integration of NetApp StorageGRID with IBM Storage Deep Archive represents a shift in how enterprises approach long-term data retention.
It eliminates the traditional trade-offs between cost, accessibility, and security—delivering a unified solution that:
• Optimizes storage spend
• Preserves operational simplicity
• Strengthens data protection
In a world where data continues to grow exponentially, this combination provides a pragmatic, scalable path forward.
Final Thought
Enterprises no longer need to overpay for cold data storage or compromise on accessibility and security. With NetApp StorageGRID and IBM Deep Archive, organizations can implement a modern archive strategy that is efficient, resilient, and seamlessly integrated into existing operations.
IBM Deep Archive is configured as a Cloud Storage Pool within StorageGRID, enabling seamless interoperability between both systems and is officially listed as a validated third-party solution in the NetApp StorageGRID 12.0 and 11.9.