NetApp unveils Novus architecture to support AI factory throughput

NetApp has unveiled Novus, a new storage architecture designed to eliminate data bottlenecks in AI factories. The system aims to support aggregate throughput of up to 100 TB/s and zettabyte-scale capacity, addressing the issue where insufficient data delivery causes expensive GPU clusters to sit idle.

Novus functions by decoupling metadata management from the data path, allowing performance and capacity to scale independently under a single Network File System namespace. The initial implementation combines Novus Data Director software on Supermicro hardware with NetApp ONTAP data services on AFF A90 systems.

In addition to the Novus architecture, NetApp announced enhanced hybrid multi-cloud capabilities and autonomous controls. These updates include NetApp Keystone Sovereign, designed to provide data residency and jurisdictional control for customers in the European Economic Area, and new AI-assisted operations within the NetApp Console to automate storage management and predictive problem-solving.