Netapp Accelerate

Shhh...You're the First to Know

Been wondering just what exactly will be covered at NetApp Accelerate? You’re in luck! Through the coming weeks we will be giving you sneak peek into some of the sessions that will be offered at NetApp Accelerate on February 23 -26, 2009.

As we mention in “The Results Are In…” backup and recovery was the top pick for topics you would most like to hear about at Accelerate. That said, we’re thinking there are more than a few of you that can answer “yes” to the following questions.

1. Do meeting service-level agreements for MS Exchange using traditional backup approaches give you a headache?
2. Is this especially true when you also have to cope with challenges that come from rapidly-growing data stores and scaling to add users?

If you did indeed answer yes to these questions, then make sure to attend the “Stop the Pain of MS Exchange Backup and Recovery” session. During this session we will explore the inner workings of SnapManager for Microsoft Exchange. We’ll focus on the technologies that enable granular restores, provide backup verification, and solve gnarly issues with tape backup. We’ll also show you how you can integrate SnapManger and Protection Manager into your Exchange architecture in such a way that you can add storage and expand volumes without taking Exchange offline.

Key Take Aways:

• How to recover a single mailbox, folder, message, or event
• How to add storage and expand volumes on the fly
• Tips for using SnapManager for Exchange to address tape backup issues

Got something to say? Join our NetApp Accelerate community.

Jaime Leigh Le
Senior Strategist, Corporate Relations

How to Stand Out in a Crowd

Are you looking for a way to advance your career and gain peer recognition? Would gaining the technical skills that can lower support or operating cost enable you to enhance your value to your organization and your customers? Are you planning on attending NetApp Accelerate? Are you nodding “yes?” Then consider expanding your credentials by taking a NetApp certification exam at NetApp Accelerate.

At NetApp Accelerate you will be able to take any of our accreditation and certification exams. Just bring your laptop and show up to the designated testing room on Monday, February 23 or Thursday, February 26. By being registered for Accelerate you are eligible for a 50% discount on all certification exams, and accreditation exams are free for the first attempt. Should you not pass the first time we will offer the subsequent attempt at a discounted rate.

 

Want more details about the exams and what to expect? Then reach out to your peers and ask? Or join in on the current discussion regarding our certification exams in our NetApp communities. 

 

Jaime Leigh Le
Senior Strategist, Corporate Relations

Got Something to Say?

Do you have opinions you would like to share or ideas that could help shape and define NetApp Accelerate 2009? With the rise in social media and growing desire to share insights and be heard, I would find it hard to believe you don’t have something you might want to contribute or say. 

So don’t stand still, take this opportunity to get involved, join the NetApp Accelerate community today. It is your opportunity to engage with NetApp technology experts and let them know what is top of mind. You will also be able to connect with your peers and find out what hot topics they are most interested in. 

Here is a taste of one of the items being discussed within the Accelerate community. 

As you can see we are here to listen and we always welcome suggestions. Special thanks to Evan Battle for helping us to improve our Accelerate training programs. 

The NetApp Accelerate community also gives you quick access to the latest polls, blog posts, and photo streams. 

Check out what is being talked about now and join in. We would love to have you be apart of our community, we would love to hear from you.

NetApp Innovation Awards Winners Recognized at Accelerate

Are you a NetApp customer, or do you know of a NetApp customer, that has used NetApp products in an innovative way? If so, you should nominate that company for a NetApp Innovation Award.

At NetApp Accelerate we will recognizes NetApp customers who have helped their companies, customers, or communities through innovative deployment of NetApp® products and solutions. The NetApp Innovation Awards program is in its fifth year, and what better place to recognize our most innovative customers than at a users’ conference in front of more than 2,000 peers!

Award recipients are honored for achieving positive business results using NetApp, demonstrating creativity and thought leadership in storage best practices, and embodying the NetApp "can do" and "create a model company" spirit. In the Humanitarian category, NetApp customers are honored for their community service efforts. NetApp Innovation Award Categories include:

• Enterprise Business Applications
• Enterprise Infrastructure
• Public Sector
• Green
• Individual
• Humanitarian

NetApp Innovation Award winners will receive the following:

• Two round-trip tickets to San Francisco, California, and accommodations for three nights' stay to attend the awards ceremony at NetApp Accelerate 2009, February 23–26, 2009
• Complimentary conference pass to NetApp Accelerate 2009
• Prestigious award presented during an awards ceremony at NetApp Accelerate 2009
• An exclusive Innovation Awards Winner dinner with NetApp executives
• VIP access to a special concert event at NetApp Accelerate 2009
• Public recognition and visibility in the industry

Nominations for NetApp Innovation Awards are being accepted until midnight Pacific Time on Friday, October 10, 2008, to be eligible for consideration.

Companies can nominate themselves or be nominated by NetApp sales, channel, or technology partners; other companies; or colleagues through the online submission forms.

For more information on the NetApp Innovation Awards visit the Web site or email innovationawards@netapp.com.

Tweet Tweet...

NetApp recently launched its official Twitter account – NetApp.

Do you have a Twitter account? Do you want to receive updates (tweets) and get the scoop on the latest news coming out of NetApp? If you answered yes to both then you should become a follower of NetApp. This Twitter account will be used to alert its followers about upcoming activities and events like Accelerate, plus you will find out about new products, partnerships, and more.

During NetApp Accelerate, NetAppUpdates will be used as an up-to-the-minute communication tool. We will be leveraging it to let you know what is happening at the event and where you should be or what you might be missing. Additionally, we hope those at the event leverage it to communicate with their fellow attendees.

follow NetApp at http://twitter.com

If you don't have a Twitter account and wish you did, then go to twitter.com and sign up. Once you are signed up, visit the NetAppUpdates twitter page and click follow . Still confused what a “tweet” is and why you should be a “twitter.” Check out the BusinessWeek article “Why Twitter Matters” for more insight and details.

Twitter is just one of the many ways you can get updates on what is happening around NetApp Accelerate and NetApp in general. We recommend you also check out our Accelerate communities where you can share opinions and ideas that could help shape and define NetApp Accelerate 2009. Plus it will be your opportunity to engage with NetApp technology experts and your peers who will be attending the event.

Jaime Leigh Le
Senior Strategist, Corporate Relations

The Results Are In...

As you may or may not know NetApp asked members of our VIP program for storage users, Tech OnTap, and our communities to vote on what session topics they would most like to hear about at NetApp Accelerate. The results are in and we would like to thank all those who participated. We heard you and now you will hear us when we deliver more information around these topics at NetApp Accelerate.

Here is a list of the initial topics we asked for feedback on:

• NetApp's Technical Vision for Backup and Recovery
• Backup with Various NetApp Snap Solutions 
• Virtualization
• Data ONTAP
• SAN performance
• iSCSI
• FC SAN
• Storage Management and Administration
• Microsoft Exchange Solutions
• Database Environments
• Platform Specific Discussions (Windows, Unix, VMware, etc.)

After tallying the results there were some that clearly stood out:

• Backup & Recovery
• Compliance
• Data ONTAP
• Virtualization

Of course we expected backup & recovery to be one of the top picks. But the survey results overwhelmingly confirmed the interest in protecting data with over 70% of the participants selecting it among their top three choices. Other topics besides compliance, Data ONTAP and virtualization, that generated some of the highest levels of interest were VMware/NetApp best practices, iSCSI, NetApp storage systems, FC SAN, and storage management.

At this point we've narrowed the total number of potential Accelerate breakout sessions down to just over 100, and our final decisions were definitely influenced by the feedback and suggested topics we received.

Again ... thank you to all our Tech OnTap and communities members who participated.  We're excited about designing a NetApp user conference tailored to providing the information, education, training and insights that YOU care about.

Not a Tech OnTap member but would like to provide feedback, feel free to comment here. Or join our NetApp Accelerate community, where you can share opinions and ideas that could continue to help shape and define NetApp Accelerate 2009.

Want more details on Tech OnTap and how to join? Just visit Tech OnTap

 

Greg Woloszczuk
Director of Professional Services Development

Pitch Hitting...

Greg Woloszczuk Reveals the Results of the Speaker Topics Survey

 

This week I would like to introduce a valuable member of the Accelerate team who will officially be our first guest blogger.

Greg Woloszczuk will join us here occasionally to provide updates on the various breakout tracks and sessions planned for NetApp Accelerate. He will also be doing Q&A’s with the various track owners so you get an idea on what to expect when attending the event, and possibly determine what sessions you want to make sure not to miss. He’ll also be telling us what demos we’ll see on the show floor and what’s happening behind the scenes as the speakers prepare for Accelerate.

In his first post, Greg chats about the Tech OnTap survey results and gives us all a glimpse into what our Tech OnTap members were most interested in NetApp highlighting at the event.

Jaime Leigh Le
Senior Strategist, Corporate Relations

The Early Bird Gets the Worm...

Don’t miss out … If you are planning to attend NetApp Accelerate but have not registered yet, make sure you do before Wednesday, October 15th. By registering before that time you are eligible to receive either a Nike sports watch valued at $100 or an Amazon gift card valued at $100. These gifts and other cool stuff will be given to you when you check-in to the NetApp Accelerate conference at Moscone West in San Francisco.

During this time period we are also offering a group incentive. If you purchase four Full Conference passes for Accelerate at the Early Bird Plus, Early Bird, Full Conference, or Onsite rates, you get one additional pass for FREE! Note, to qualify for a free pass, all attendees must belong to the same company.

 

Yes, October 15th may seem really far away and you’re probably thinking “I have got plenty of time.” But we all know it will creep up on you faster than you think. Plus, registering now means you get first dibs on pre-conference training courses and certification exams. So why not register now, and take advantage of this offer.

If you are a Tech OnTap member, you have even more incentive to register before October 15th. By being a member you are eligible to receive BOTH the Nike watch and the Amazon gift card.

Want more details on Tech OnTap and how to join? Visit http://communications.netapp.com/p/Network_Appliance/techontap_reg

 

ABC & 1-2-3 with Us

Wanting to brush up on your skills or learn the fundamentals around NetApp’s Data ONTAP operating system and other key solutions like virtualization and data protection? Then join us prior to NetApp Accelerate to take part in some of our most popular training courses.

We recognize how valuable (and limited!) your time is, so we have taken what are normally 3-5 day courses and distilled them down to 2-days. Now, those who are already planning to attend NetApp Accelerate can simply arrive in San Francisco a few days earlier and complete a needed course.

Classes start Sunday, February 22 and conclude on Monday, February 23. The training sessions include:

• Data ONTAP 7.3 CIFS Administration and Data ONTAP 7.3 NFS Administration
• Data ONTAP 7.3 SAN Administration Basics
• NetApp Protection Software Administration
• NearStore Virtual Tape Library Administration
• Virtualization Workshop

Just think within two days you’ll have finished the coursework and will be ready to experience and enjoy NetApp Accelerate.

Plus, by registering for NetApp Accelerate you are eligible to receive a 30% discount off the regular training price.

Seats are filling-up so don’t hesitate. This could be the perfect opportunity to give your technical skills a boost. Check out full details at Accelerate training and certification.

 

Jaime Leigh Le
Senior Strategist, Corporate Relations

Pinch Me...One Week...Brian Wilson

Try to figure out what all this is for…It’s the perfect time of year…

If you are a fan of The Barenaked Ladies (and we know you are), then you know those were the titles and lyrics from some of their most popular hits.

In May of this year we reached out to our Tech OnTap and community members and asked them which band they would most like to see at Accelerate. “It’s All Been Done”…and calculated, Barenaked Ladies (BNL) it is.

Confused. Can’t place the band. Well check out some of their free downloads at www.rhapsody.com/barenakedladies. I think we have all heard the song “One Week” at least once before. If not then where have you been?

Over the last decade and a half, BNL have amassed an impressive catalogue, from their precocious debut Gordon and career making live album Rock Spectacle to their multi-platinum breakthrough Stunt and its follow-up Maroon. Mixing socially conscious observations with crafty lyrics, BNL have racked up memorable hits like “Pinch Me,” “If I Had A Million Dollars,” “Brian Wilson,” “The Old Apartment,” “Too Little Too Late,” “Falling For The First Time” and the Billboard Number One Hit, “One Week.”

 

 

So “Get In Line” and don’t miss the Barenaked Ladies performing live at NetApp Accelerate on Wednesday, February 25.

Haven’t registered yet? Well register now at www.netapp.com. And if you register before October 15 you will receive a free gift.

 

Jaime Leigh Le
Senior Strategist, Corporate Relations