NetApp Joins Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Always On Program; Membership Provides Maximized Data Availability and Simplified Data Management for Enterprise Data Center Customers With SQL Server 2005

Business Wire, June 13, 2006

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- In the latest relationship milestone between Network Appliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP) and Microsoft Corp., NetApp announced its membership in the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Always On program. As a founding member in this elite group, NetApp provides storage and data management solutions that have been thoroughly reviewed to meet storage solution requirements for Microsoft SQL Server. SQL Server Always On Technologies deployed on NetApp enterprise storage systems provide customers with highly available and reliable storage solutions for their SQL Server environments. NetApp data management solutions for SQL Server 2005 help customers reduce costs, simplify management, and increase the availability of their data.

Membership in the Always On program further demonstrates NetApp leadership in enterprise data center storage (http://netapp.com/news/press/news_rel_20060508). In the past, from a pure performance perspective, NetApp storage systems achieved record-high TPC-C performance benchmark in an IBM and SQL Server 2005 test environment (http://www.netapp.com/news/press/news_rel_20051207). Additionally, from an integration and innovation perspective, NetApp made SnapManager(R) 2.0 for SQL Server software available in November 2005 in support of SQL Server 2005 (http://www.netapp.com/news/press/news_rel_20051107). SnapManager 2.0 for SQL Server provides customers with a powerful data management solution that supports both NetApp Fibre Channel (FC) and IP SAN solutions. This unique software dramatically reduces administration overhead of database backups, while providing customers with the ability to instantly recover databases of any size. The software also enables customers to automate the process of migrating to SQL Server.

"NetApp is as a leader in Microsoft Windows application storage, particularly in the data management and protection markets," said Michael Raheem, senior product manager at Microsoft Corp. "We are pleased that NetApp is a founding member of the SQL Server Always On program. NetApp involvement in the Always On program means that our customers will be able to further simplify the management and protection of their data in SQL Server 2005."

"NetApp provides unique value and distinct advantages for customers to simplify data management in the enterprise data center. Our value in Windows applications environments, coupled with our history of innovation for SQL Server 2005, continues to help customers meet their most demanding SQL Server database needs," said Patrick Rogers, vice president marketing, Products and Alliances at Network Appliance. "As part of the Always On program, NetApp will continue to collaborate with Microsoft to provide our customers' powerful data management solutions such as SnapManager for SQL Server."

NetApp Fibre Channel and IP SAN storage arrays are listed in the Windows Server Catalog, which demonstrates their compatibility with Microsoft products. For more details visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/server/.> About Network Appliance

Network Appliance is a world leader in unified storage solutions for today's data-intensive enterprise. Since its inception in 1992, Network Appliance has delivered technology, product, and partner firsts to simplify data management. Information about Network Appliance(TM) solutions and services is available at www.netapp.com.

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