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NetApp Console setup and administration

Learn about NetApp Console agents

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A Console agent is a lightweight software component that you install in your network to connect your storage infrastructure to the NetApp Console. It enables advanced storage orchestration, data services, and secure cloud integration.

What a Console agent does

A Console agent bridges the connectivity gap between your storage systems and NetApp Console. It securely connects your infrastructure to the NetApp APIs and the Console, allowing you to:

  • Discover and monitor storage systems across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and on-premises environments from the NetApp Console.

  • Orchestrate storage provisioning and configuration tasks on storage systems from the NetApp Console.

  • Use intelligent data protection and management workflows.

  • Securely track cloud service usage and connect deployments to the correct subscription for accurate billing and cost management.

Console agent architecture

Agents operate with lightweight processes that:

  • Pull or push data to and from the Console SaaS application (standard and restricted modes)

  • Initiate all communication—the Console never initiates outbound calls to agents

  • Connect to your storage systems using standard management protocols

  • Use TLS 1.3 for secure communication with cloud providers and the NetApp Console APIs

Console agent availability and operational requirements

Console agents are critical for NetApp Console. Agents must stay operational and reachable for uninterrupted management and data services. You are responsible for ensuring:

  • Agents remain up and running

  • Agents have network connectivity to required endpoints

  • Infrastructure failures are resolved quickly

  • Agent VMs are maintained and upgraded according to NetApp recommendations

When you need a Console agent

You need to deploy at least one Console agent when you want to:

  • Use restricted or private deployment modes (Console installed in your own environment). Additional agents may be required to enable some services.

  • Access advanced data services (NetApp Backup and Recovery, NetApp Disaster Recovery, NetApp Ransomware Resilience, NetApp Data Classification and more).

  • Manage Cloud Volumes ONTAP systems.

  • Perform advanced management tasks on on-premises ONTAP clusters.

  • Track licenses, monitor storage health, and plan lifecycle upgrades.

Without an agent, you can perform basic storage discovery and access a limited set of monitoring and storage management features. However, most enterprise use cases require one or more operational agents.

The following table shows which storage systems and services are available with and without a Console agent.

Available with agent Available without agent

Supported storage systems:

Amazon FSx for ONTAP

Yes (discovery and management features)

Yes (discovery only)

Amazon S3 storage

Yes

No

Azure Blob storage

Yes

Yes

Azure NetApp Files

Yes

Yes

Cloud Volumes ONTAP

Yes

No

E-Series systems

Yes

No

Google Cloud NetApp Volumes

Yes

Yes

Google Cloud storage buckets

Yes

No

StorageGRID systems

Yes

No

On-premises ONTAP cluster

Yes (advanced management and discovery)

No (basic discovery only)

Storage management and health services:

Alerts

Yes

No

Automation hub

Yes

Yes

Digital Advisor (Active IQ)

Yes

Yes

License and subscription management

Yes

No

Economic efficiency

Yes

No

Home page dashboard metrics

Yes. Accurate home page metrics require appropriately sized and configured Console agents.

No

Lifecycle planning

Yes

No. You can view Lifecycle planning without a Console agent, but a Console agent is required to initiate actions.

Sustainability

Yes

No

Software updates

Yes

Yes

NetApp Workloads

Yes

Yes

Available data services:

NetApp Backup and Recovery

Yes

No

NetApp Data Classification

Yes

No

NetApp Cloud Tiering*

Yes

No

NetApp Copy and Sync

Yes

No

NetApp Disaster Recovery

Yes

No

NetApp Ransomware Resilience

Yes

No

NetApp Volume Caching

Yes

No
Note

NetApp Cloud Tiering is no longer available for purchase or license renewal as of April 26, 2026.

Existing customers can continue to use and receive support for NetApp Cloud Tiering until their subscription or license contract expires. After the subscription expires, customers will no longer have access to NetApp Cloud Tiering features or support.

NetApp recommends customers work with their NetApp representative to transition their existing tiering licenses to ONTAP FabricPool licenses, which provides the functionality for data tiering in ONTAP. See Install a FabricPool license on an ONTAP cluster for more information on how to set up data tiering in ONTAP using FabricPool.

Learn about NetApp Console deployment modes to understand when you need an agent and the capabilities agents enable.

Deployment options for Console agents

You can deploy Console agents in:

  • Amazon Web Services

  • Microsoft Azure

  • Google Cloud

    To manage Google Cloud resources, deploy your agent in Google Cloud. An on-premises agent cannot manage Google Cloud resources.

  • On your premises (standard or private modes only)

Your Console deployment mode, storage environment, and data sovereignty needs determine where you deploy agents. Deploy multiple agents across environments for organizational separation or business needs.

You can deploy agents directly from the Console, from your cloud marketplace, or manually in VCenter or on your premises. Compare deployment methods to choose the right one for your environment.

Agents for the NetApp Console SaaS application (standard mode)

Deploy agents in your cloud or on-premises to bridge connectivity to the cloud-hosted Console SaaS application. Agents enable advanced features while the Console UI remains accessible from anywhere.

You can install agents directly from the Console when using the SaaS application (standard mode). You can install in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, or manually on your premises on your own Linux host or in your VCenter environment.

Agents for NetApp Console in restricted mode

In restricted mode, users access the NetApp Console directly from an installed agent — not from the cloud-hosted SaaS application. You must install at least one agent to serve as the Console access point. Additional agents are needed to enable data services and manage storage systems.

Install agents from your cloud provider's marketplace or by manually installing the software on your own Linux host in the cloud, on your premises, or in your VCenter environment.

Agents for NetApp Console in private mode (on-premises or in the cloud with no outbound connectivity)

In private mode, users access the NetApp Console directly from an installed agent. You must install at least one agent to serve as the Console access point. Additional agents are needed to enable data services and manage storage systems.

Install agents in your data center or air-gapped environment. Agents have no connectivity to NetApp API endpoints, and all operations remain local, with full data sovereignty and control.

Use multiple agents when needed

Each agent operates independently and can manage multiple storage systems and data services. Deploy multiple agents when you need:

  • Isolation by storage type or organizational function

  • Geographic or network segmentation requirements

For example:

  • In a multicloud environment, you might deploy one agent in AWS and another in Azure. Each agent manages the Cloud Volumes ONTAP systems in its respective environment.

  • A service provider might use one Console organization to provide services for customers and another organization for disaster recovery for a business unit. Each organization needs its own agent.

Console agent upgrades

Agents in the cloud upgrade automatically when they have outbound internet access. For agents without internet access (private mode), see Manage Console agent upgrades for manual upgrade instructions.