NetApp to Foster Data-driven Cloud Solutions with TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team

NetApp and TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team have announced a multi-year partnership. NetApp will provide the sports car maker with innovative hybrid cloud solutions that will help them continue to write car racing history.

In 2015, Porsche AG, a global automotive brand owned by Volkswagen Group, began shifting production toward electric or e-fuel powered vehicles. Porsche AG plans for 80 percent of all vehicles sold to be electric by 2030. TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team uses NetApp’s real-time data services to help deliver on the promise of sustainable mobility while enabling the real-time adjustments that deliver superior race performance – and help drive the next generation of Porsche electric automobiles.

Real-time data collaboration service for the racetrack

TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team may access their data trackside using NetApp’s hybrid cloud solutions to boost driver and team performance. This enables them to make data-driven decisions in real time, such as whether to use the Formula E Attack Mode, which unlocks an additional 30 kilowatts of engine power. The rules for engaging Attack Mode are set by the FIA shortly before each ePrix, therefore it has a great impact on race strategy.

With data at the core of racing, business, and engineering decisions, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team requires cutting-edge data management technology:

Data and systems have to be accessible at the racetrack while meeting stringent performance requirements.
While the event is still in progress, all digital data acquired during the ePrix must be transferred to the cloud for analysis.
For R&D, the team at Porsche Motorsport’s headquarters in Weissach, Germany, must process cloud data.

Data must be transferred to the cloud after the race in order to be utilized in the future and to support crucial data services such as backup and archiving.

The hybrid cloud data solution designed by NetApp and Porsche in response combines cloud network-attached (NAS) storage services with Global File Cache to ensure data can flow seamlessly and quickly between different widely dispersed locations. It also integrates powerful NetApp data services to ensure version consistency, manage and monitor cloud resources, and protect Porsche’s intellectual property:

Cloud Volumes TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team uses ONTAP as their primary storage platform. The multicloud solution hosted on Azure serves as a hub for all of the team’s data.
Global File Cache, the cloud volume edge capability, provides local edge instances, enabling low-latency access to a common dataset at both the on-premises development center in Weissach and the racetrack.
Cloud Manager provides centralized orchestration across hybrid cloud storage infrastructure and all data management services, allowing TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team to manage, monitor, and automate all of their data software and hardware consumption.
Cloud Backup integrates as a backup and archive layer for consolidated cloud data.