Release Details

-- NetApp® NearStore® Virtual Tape Library Integration Efforts Will Simplify Data Backup, Recovery, and Protection --

Sunnyvale, CA — July 18, 2006 — Network Appliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP) today announced an industry first as it collaborates with leading backup application vendors to integrate their solutions with NetApp NearStore VTL Shadow Tape technology. The integration will significantly accelerate and streamline enterprise data recovery, while integrating seamlessly with users' current backup application catalog and tape off-siting policies to provide customers with unmatched simplicity and ease of management for their data backup, recovery, and protection processes.

NetApp NearStore VTL Shadow Tape technology will specifically integrate with Veritas NetBackup, the market leading backup solution from Symantec.

"NetApp and Symantec continue to deliver innovative and flexible data protection solutions that address customers' needs and demonstrate the value of a leading backup software provider collaborating with a leader in storage systems innovation," said Matt Kixmoeller, senior director of product management for the NetBackup product line at Symantec. "The new Shadow Tape feature extends the value of our customers' investments in NetBackup software by automating the rapid retrieval of backup data from disk."

In addition to NetBackup, NetApp Shadow Tape technology will also integrate with backup technologies from BakBone, CommVault, and Syncsort.

Enterprise storage users currently rank integration with backup software as the most important functionality in a VTL, based on the recent Storage Wave 7 study from TheInfoPro, Inc. (www.theinfopro.net). Backup application-VTL integration (from NetApp and its partners) will automate a recovery process that is currently manual, enabling customers to instantaneously restore backup data from disk that has already been written to physical tapes and shipped to off-site storage, all in a way that is fully compatible with the backup application catalog. The open approach NetApp is taking by working with leading backup application vendors will allow customers to benefit from disk-to-disk backup technology without changing their existing backup processes, dramatically simplifying customer adoption of D2D backup technology into their enterprise backup environments.

"As a result of tight integration between backup applications and VTL solutions, enterprise customers are realizing that integration is a key ingredient to streamlining the success of their backups," said Mike Karp, senior analyst, Enterprise Management Associates. "A cost-effective, efficient VTL solution means faster and more complete operations while at the same time protecting the customer's preexisting investment in scripts, procedures, and policies. IT sites can continue to utilize their backup applications as the control point for backup and recovery operations."

"We continue our tradition of openness and proven history of working closely with partners to provide customers with flexibility by supporting whatever backup application they use," said Patrick Rogers, vice president of Products and Alliances Marketing at Network Appliance. "NetApp will continue to aggressively add value to the NearStore VTL platform to improve the economics of backup and recovery for traditional tape environments. Once integration is complete, customers will benefit from simpler management, faster access to backup data, and improved service levels for corporate IT users."

About NetApp Shadow Tape Technology on NearStore VTL
NetApp NearStore VTL is a dedicated, enterprise-class storage appliance that emulates physical tape libraries, stores large capacities of backup data on disk, and automatically copies data to physical tape under backup application control within any open systems storage environment. NearStore VTL is a disk-to-disk backup solution for all open systems enterprise primary storage, including EMC, Hitachi, and IBM storage environments.

NetApp Shadow Tape technology on NearStore VTL automatically caches backups onto disk, helping to achieve fast restores for backups that have already been off-sited on physical tape while seamlessly integrating within the management framework of integrated backup applications. Shadow Tape increases the value of disk-to-disk backup by improving recovery service levels and reducing management costs. Shadow Tape technology is available today on the NearStore VTL600 and VTL1200. For more details on NearStore VTL, including how the solution achieves flagship performance and tape economies, go to www.netapp.com/products/ nearstore/nearstore-vtl.html.

Technical Information
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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™ solutions and services is available at www.netapp.com.

NetApp and NearStore are registered trademarks and Network Appliance is a trademark of Network Appliance, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statement regarding future integration with the partners cited and future availability of integrated solutions is a forward looking statement within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include any statement regarding future events or the future financial performance of Network Appliance, Inc. that involves risks or uncertainties. In evaluating these statements, readers should specifically consider various factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated, including without limitation: customer demand for products and services, customer acceptance of product architectures, increased competition, and other important factors as described in Network Appliance, Inc. reports and documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its mostly recently submitted 10-K and 10-Q.