NetApp Keystone is NetApp’s storage-as-a-service (STaaS) subscription. The customer pays for storage capacity at a chosen performance level, while NetApp supplies and owns the hardware and software. NetApp calls it “a pay-as-you-go, subscription-based service model” for organisations that prefer operating expense to capital expenditure or leasing. The storage can be deployed on premises and operated by NetApp, a partner or the customer, and can be combined with Cloud Volumes ONTAP in a public cloud.[9] The Keystone StaaS Terms describe the service as access and use rights to NetApp’s proprietary storage capacity, “paid for by the End User on a consumption basis”.[1] For a licence manager the important point is that Keystone is not a software licence. The entitlement record is the Order, and the usage record is NetApp’s Capacity Report.
Editions
Keystone sells capacity by data storage type and performance service level (PSL). A subscription may combine several PSLs across one or more storage types. Each PSL has a committed capacity, which is the minimum billed for that level during the term.[5]
| Storage type | PSLs | Platform | Minimum committed capacity | Metered as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unified (file, block, S3) | Extreme, Premium, Standard, Value | AFF A-Series, AFF C-Series, FAS | 50, 50, 100, 100 TiB per PSLI; increments of 25 TiB | Logical or physical |
| Block-optimized | Extreme, Premium, Standard | ASA A-Series, ASA C-Series | 50, 50, 100 TiB per PSLI | Logical or physical |
| AFX | Extreme | AFX | 200 TiB per AFX cluster; increments of 100 TiB | Physical |
| Object | Standard, Value | StorageGRID SGF6112, SG6160 | 200, 500 TiB per order | Physical |
| Cloud | Cloud Volumes ONTAP | Cloud Volumes ONTAP | 4 TiB per order; increments of 1 TiB | Logical |
Source: Keystone performance service levels.[5] For unified and block-optimized storage, a performance service level instance (PSLI) is one HA pair of controllers, and committed capacity is measured per PSLI. For AFX, capacity is measured at cluster level across all drive shelves.[5] Unified storage supports all ONTAP One features, and block-optimized storage supports all ONTAP One for SAN features.[8] An AFX subscription is standalone and cannot be combined with other storage types in the same subscription.[8] Catalog SKUs: unified storage; Cloud Volumes ONTAP service level.
Add-on services are optional and charged separately. Standard services are included in the base subscription.[8] Examples include the burst capacity add-on and the data tiering add-on. Tiering to Keystone Value, the Keystone StorageGRID object tier or customer-owned StorageGRID has no additional charge. Tiering to public cloud or third-party object storage is charged for the capacity tiered, for the whole term.[7]
Metrics
The Keystone StaaS Terms define three capacities, all in TiB per performance level per Order:[1]
| Term | Definition (Keystone StaaS Terms, Appendix A) | Catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Committed Capacity | The capacity the End User “is minimally invoiced for during each billing period” | Committed Capacity |
| Consumed Capacity | The capacity “used and metered to store End User data” | Consumed Capacity |
| Burst Capacity | Consumed Capacity “that exceeds the Committed Capacity during a billing period” | Burst Capacity |
Capacity is measured in powers of 1024, so 1 TiB is 10244 bytes.[6]
Counting / floors
Committed capacity is billed in full. Committed capacity is fixed on the Order and billed in full each period, whatever the actual use. NetApp’s example is a 100 TiB Premium commitment billed as 100 TiB when 80 TiB is used.[2] Fees per billing period are the Minimum Payments plus usage-based or fixed-rate charges for Burst Capacity.[1] Catalog: Keystone committed capacity is billed in full every period.
Consumption is measured every five minutes. A consumption record is generated at least every five minutes and aggregated over the billing period. Burst is calculated for each record, so it reflects both the amount and the duration of over-consumption.[2] Catalog: Keystone measures consumption at least every five minutes.
Burst limit. The default burst limit is 20% above committed capacity. For unified and block-optimized storage, an add-on can raise it to 40% or 60%. Burst is measured and billed per performance service level.[4] Usage above the limit is flagged “Above burst limit”.[2] Catalog: Keystone burst limit defaults to 20% above commitment.
Billing schedule. Monthly billing invoices committed capacity and burst together in the following month. Quarterly, semi-annual and annual billing invoices committed capacity in advance and burst at the end of each quarter. When committed capacity changes mid-term, a prorated invoice is issued on the same day for the rest of the subscription year.[2]
Monitoring and Capacity Reports. The service requires the Monitoring Tool to be fully installed and continuously enabled on virtual machines provided by the customer. The Monitoring Tool communicates only with the management plane, not with customer data.[1] The customer may not disable, block or interfere with it at any point in the term, including holdover.[1] Invoices are calculated from NetApp’s Capacity Reports. These are deemed the final and conclusive summary of Consumed Capacity unless the customer establishes an error “within a reasonable time”.[1] A customer who wants to dispute an invoice therefore needs its own capacity records. Catalog: Keystone requires the Monitoring Tool to stay fully operational; Keystone Capacity Reports are final unless an error is shown.
Changing committed capacity
| Change | Rule |
|---|---|
| Increase | Allowed at any time in set increments, except in the final 90 days of the term unless a renewal is agreed. The increase applies for the rest of the term and co-terms with the subscription.[1][3] |
| Higher PSL | Allowed during the term. Moving to a lower PSL is not permitted.[3] |
| Reduction (on-premises) | Annual in Advance only, with a minimum 24-month term. One reduction in a 2- or 3-year term, two in a 4- or 5-year term. Each reduction is at most 25%, requested in writing 60 days before the next annual period, and annual on-premises payments must stay at or above USD 200K.[3] |
| Reduction (cloud) | Not allowed at any point in the term.[3] |
| Spend reallocation | Quarterly, from on-premises to cloud only. Up to 25% of annual contract value, with a 90-day lock between requests, none in the last 90 days unless renewing, and an on-premises monthly minimum of USD 16,667.[3] |
The terms themselves allow decreases only “in certain circumstances explicitly set forth in the Service Description”.[1] In NetApp’s worked example, a 300 TiB commitment is cut to 225 TiB in year 1. A second request in year 2 is declined because it exceeds 25% and the term’s single reduction has been used.[3] Changes to Cloud Volumes ONTAP commitments can be requested from the NetApp Console, which raises a ticket with NetApp.[10] Catalog: Keystone capacity cannot be increased in the last 90 days unless renewing; Keystone capacity reductions: once per 2-3 year term, at most 25%; Keystone spend can move from on-premises to cloud quarterly, up to 25% of ACV.
Virtualization & partitioning
Keystone does not count processors, VMs or software features. Capacity is committed per PSLI (an HA pair), per AFX cluster or per order. For AFX this does not depend on the number of controllers.[3] The StaaS Products may not be combined, physically or logically, with other storage hardware, including NetApp hardware bought separately, unless the Service Description or Order permits it. They may not be relocated or reconfigured without consent.[1]
Cloud / BYOL
Keystone can include Cloud Volumes ONTAP in AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. The cloud-provider compute, storage and network that Cloud Volumes ONTAP requires are not part of the subscription and must be bought from the cloud provider.[8] Cloud services share the term of the storage subscription. A cloud service cannot be added in the last 90 days of a subscription that will not be renewed.[8] Before Keystone subscriptions can be linked as a charging method for Cloud Volumes ONTAP in the NetApp Console, NetApp must authorise the Console account.[10]
Programs
Right to use, not a licence. The service gives the right to use StaaS Products and “do[es] not transfer any ownership or title, or grant any license”. Use is for internal business purposes and not for resale.[1] The restrictions include no benchmarking, no service bureau or hosting use without written agreement, and no assignment.[1] Catalog: Keystone grants a right to use, not a licence or title.
Termination and return. NetApp may terminate for cause in three cases: non-payment for 10 days after notice, insolvency, or a material change of control, unless the successor meets NetApp’s credit and non-competitor conditions and accepts the terms. Termination for cause makes the remaining term’s fees payable as liquidated damages.[1] At the end of the term the customer must delete its data and return the equipment. Use after expiry is billed until the equipment is returned. If it is not returned within 15 days, NetApp may invoice the replacement cost, or continuing fees no lower than the last Minimum Payment.[1] Catalog: Late return of Keystone equipment keeps fees running.
Out of scope
- The Keystone Service Description and service level credits, which the StaaS Terms incorporate but which were not analysed here.
- Rates and pricing, which are set per Order.
- Keystone partner and service-provider programs (Certified Services).