NetApp and Cisco said on June 4 they had launched new validated FlexPod solutions designed to support enterprise AI deployments.

The companies also introduced a Splunk security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) playbook to help organisations respond to ransomware attacks.

FlexPod is a converged infrastructure platform that combines compute, storage, networking, and management.

Cisco said it is used by thousands of customers, so the launch expanded an existing joint platform rather than starting a new partnership.

The AI offerings build on Cisco’s existing Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA, which Cisco described as a modular reference design that combines AI infrastructure with security and observability.

For security teams, the SOAR playbook automates response actions on NetApp ONTAP storage, including blocking suspicious users, taking snapshots, and taking volumes offline during an attack.

The move aligns with Cisco’s broader strategy of using Splunk to strengthen security automation capabilities.

It also comes as Dell Technologies and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) already offer NVIDIA-endorsed reference architectures for enterprise AI deployments.

🔗 Source: NetApp

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