A company is planning to consolidate Microsoft Windows file servers iinto the cloud at one of their branch offices, with the objective to centralize…

NetApp Cloud Volumes Edge Cache, now known as NetApp Global File Cache, is specifically designed for this use case. It centralizes unstructured data from branch offices into a public or private cloud on a Cloud Volumes ONTAP instance. A software-based cache is deployed at the branch office on a Windows Server, providing users with transparent, LAN-speed access to their files. This solution intelligently caches only the active data set locally, which preserves the original NTFS permissions and file-locking semantics, meeting all the requirements of the scenario.

A. BlueXP replication is a disaster recovery solution used to replicate ONTAP volumes between sites. It does not provide an active, cached file access layer for branch office users.

C. FlexCache is an ONTAP feature for caching volumes, but Cloud Volumes Edge Cache is the specific, packaged solution designed for consolidating Windows file servers from remote offices.

D. BlueXP copy and sync is a data migration and synchronization service. It is used for moving data between systems, not for providing ongoing, performant access to centralized data.

1. NetApp Global File Cache Documentation: "Global File Cache is a software-based solution that provides remote offices with fast and secure access to your centralized data. The solution consists of the Global File Cache Core (running on a Cloud Volumes ONTAP or on-premises ONTAP system) and the Global File Cache Edge (a software instance installed on a Windows Server at your remote offices)."

Source: NetApp Product Documentation, "Global File Cache overview".

2. NetApp Solution Brief: "NetApp Global File Cache addresses the needs of a distributed workforce by centralizing unstructured data into a single repository in the public cloud... It provides transparent data access and preserves the user experience by maintaining file-locking semantics and permissions."

Source: NetApp SB-4021, "NetApp Global File Cache Solution Brief", Page 2.

3. NetApp BlueXP Documentation (for differentiation): "You can use the BlueXP copy and sync service to quickly and securely copy and sync your data between different on-premises and cloud storage systems." This highlights its purpose as a data mover, distinct from a caching access solution.

Source: NetApp BlueXP Documentation, "Copy and sync data between different storage systems".