Case Study: WhiteWater West Industries achieves high-performance, scalable 24/7 access and 75% faster CAD workflows with NetApp storage solutions

WhiteWater West Stays on the Fast Track with Integrated NetApp, Citrix, and Microsoft Solutions

WhiteWater West, a 30‑plus‑year global leader in waterpark attractions with more than 4,000 projects and extensive technical innovation, was rapidly expanding—opening 36 offices and growing to 600+ staff between 2011 and 2014. To support global engineering, CAD workflows, Microsoft applications (Hyper‑V, Exchange, SQL, SharePoint, Dynamics) and a Citrix XenDesktop virtual desktop environment, the company needed high performance, 24/7 availability, anywhere access, and on‑demand scalability to absorb acquisitions and new manufacturing technologies.

WhiteWater West implemented a NetApp refresh—FAS2240HA and FAS8020HA systems running clustered Data ONTAP with NetApp Flash Cache and the 7‑Mode transition tool—integrated with its Microsoft and Citrix platforms. Deployed quickly with >110TB capacity and 2TB Flash Cache, the solution delivered nondisruptive scale‑up/scale‑out, reclaimed ~18TB via deduplication, served 80% of reads from Flash Cache, and made 3D CAD vault access and downloads about 75% faster, boosting productivity and supporting continued global growth.

WhiteWater West Industries

Dan Morris

Infrastructure Team Lead