GeertVanTeylingen and co-authors detail how Azure NetApp Files cache volumes improve data movement and workflow efficiency for global EDA teams working in the Azure cloud.

Boosting Hybrid Cloud Data Efficiency for EDA: The Power of Azure NetApp Files cache volumes

Introduction

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) drives semiconductor innovation, but distributed teams face huge challenges: surging data volumes, bottlenecks in mobility, and latency across geographic locations. A single SoC project can generate multiple petabytes of data, complicating access and collaboration. Azure NetApp Files (ANF) cache volumes are engineered to solve these problems by accelerating data movement and enabling high-speed access to massive datasets—mitigating data gravity and allowing flexible, cloud-scale compute.

How Azure NetApp Files Cache Volumes Work

Built on NetApp FlexCache® technology, ANF cache volumes:

  • Accelerate hybrid and burst workflows: Quickly cache hot datasets in Azure without duplicating entire volumes, enabling low-latency access for remote users and workloads.
  • Reduce bandwidth and infrastructure cost: Only required data is synchronized, cutting unnecessary traffic and Azure ingestion costs.
  • Seamless NFS cloud integration: Embeds into existing EDA workflows without disrupting established tools or practices.
  • Enhance collaboration: Multiple caches can be fanned out from one origin, supporting contention-free real-time access to shared files globally.
  • Lower total cost of ownership: Streamlines storage needs and data transfers for distributed engineering teams.

EDA Workflow Readiness

Key challenges in cloud EDA workflows include identifying all required files, libraries, and IP; efficiently synchronizing design data across sites; and preventing errors from missing dependencies or unsynced datasets. Cache volumes in ANF bypass these hurdles by:

  • Allowing targeted syncing of only essential design volumes from on-premises ONTAP to Azure
  • Fast, secure setup: Creates a direct cache relationship with origin volumes, preserving permissions and data integrity
  • Supporting typical read-heavy data structures of EDA flows, maximally leveraging cache performance
  • Using proven ONTAP mechanisms (Snapshot, SnapMirror, ACLs) for consistency and reliability

Conclusion

Azure NetApp Files cache volumes enable scalable, cost-effective, and high-performance global EDA collaboration. By solving data gravity issues and minimizing manual infrastructure overhead, teams accelerate design cycles, boost productivity, and reduce network strain when handling large-scale semiconductor projects in Azure.

Next Steps

The cache volume feature is in Public Preview:

  • Minimum pool size is 1TiB; cache volumes can share pools with other volumes
  • Individual cache volumes range from 50GiB up to 1PiB
  • Used by leading EDA companies and ISVs to streamline cloud design workflows

Learn More

Co-authors:

  • Andy Chan, Principal Product Manager – Azure NetApp Files HPC/EDA
  • Ranga Sankar, Azure NetApp Files Technical Marketing Engineer
  • Chad Morgenstern, Director of Engineering (Performance), NetApp

For further updates, visit the Azure Architecture Blog.

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