NetApp has finalized the acquisition of JetStream Software, a software developer specializing in disaster recovery (DR) and the migration of VMware environments.
With this move, the storage specialist aims to strengthen its cyber-resilience and data protection capabilities in the AI era. The goal is notably to extend NetApp’s reach beyond its own storage arrays, enabling protection of VMware workloads running on “almost any storage platform” and restoring them to NetApp cloud services, including Azure NetApp Files.
Companies continue to rely heavily on VMware for mission-critical applications, while seeking to migrate to the cloud gradually without operational disruption or spiraling costs. For many, disaster recovery constitutes a first concrete step before a broader migration of production workloads.
A layer of orchestration for VMware environments
NetApp thus positions JetStream as an accelerator of this trajectory: enterprises can start by moving their DR setup to the cloud, then progressively evolve a portion of their production based on strategy and maturity.
JetStream goes beyond simple volume replication. Its technology orchestrates the reconstruction and orderly restart of virtual machines at a DR site.
The solution continuously protects VMware workloads via I/O filters installed at the host, before mirroring data to an object storage, such as Azure Blob. It also enables grouping interdependent virtual machines into “protected domains,” which define both the recovery scope and restart priorities.
When an incident occurs, JetStream coordinates failover, rollback, and DR testing by leveraging runbooks. These runbooks help order the startup of virtual machines, adjust CPU and memory resources, modify IP addressing, and account for application dependencies.
The solution also supports point-in-time recovery. This capability can be used in ransomware-type incidents, enabling the reconstruction of applications in an isolated network before reintegrating them into the production environment.
JetStream in addition to SnapMirror
In the architecture documented by JetStream, the DR site can rely on Azure VMware Solution (AVS) as well as on vSAN datastores or Azure NetApp Files. The replicated data, for its part, can be stored in Azure Blob. This architecture thus separates the storage used for replication from the compute resources required for the DR recovery.
NetApp notes that JetStream does not replace SnapMirror, which remains its preferred replication solution for environments based on NetApp storage infrastructure.
Both technologies address different perimeters. SnapMirror handles data replication within NetApp environments, while JetStream extends protection to VMware infrastructures that also rely on third-party storage systems. More importantly, the technology adds an orchestration layer designed to coordinate the service restoration of applications, beyond mere data replication.
NetApp strengthens its position in cyber-resilience
JetStream Software is based in San Jose, California, and also operates a subsidiary in Bangalore, India. According to Axios, the company had previously raised around $13 million.
NetApp did not disclose the acquisition price. The exact timetable for integrating the technology into NetApp’s offerings has not been publicly detailed.
The value of the deal lies primarily in widening NetApp’s scope. Until now closely associated with storage, the group adds an orchestration layer to manage the DR of VMware environments independent of the underlying storage platform. This approach brings NetApp closer to the capabilities offered by DRaaS providers and application-protection specialists.
The coming months will mainly show how NetApp plans to integrate JetStream into its product portfolio. Licensing terms, potential bundling with existing offerings, and the positioning of future products will be closely watched.
The roadmap for JetStream’s current customers will also be a focus, as will the possible extension of the technology to other hyperscalers beyond Azure.
Finally, how JetStream aligns with NetApp’s recent acquisitions and AI-data initiatives will determine whether it remains primarily a resilience module for VMware environments or gradually becomes a broader element of the group’s workload protection and mobility strategy.
