NetApp uncovers the platform that transforms tin to full stack in a few minutes

 Netapp uncovers

(1-2 minute read) 

NetApp is rolling out the first third-party integration tool, Fluid, on Cloud Manager which begs the question, what is Fluid?

Fluid is an automation and orchestration system that allows businesses to accelerate the journey from bare-metal hardware (or tin) out of the cardboard box to a full-stack running in under an hour. 

Here’s NetApp’s Newsworthy Minute exploring the optimizing cloud environments with Fluid and Cloud Manager:

Key takeaways from the Newsworthy Minute are:  

  1. Fluid eliminates a series of manual steps that traditionally comes with setting up infrastructure. With Fluid, all the infrastructure complexity is absolved from the user and becomes a really simple process, taking the usual weeks or months to build up bare metal infrastructure, into a quick click of a button.  
  1. Fluid allows you to automatically stand-up connectivity between NetApp Data Fabric elements, cloud-based offerings like Azure NetApp Files (ANF), AWS FSx for NetApp OnTap, or Google Cloud Volume Services and storage systems in a matter of minutes.  
  1. Fluid eliminates the complexity of managing multiple interfaces, including the training to administer and manage those interfaces, by providing an easy user experience and single environment.  

Imagine one interface to manage all compute, network, and storage needs, no matter what preexisting vendors and systems they use.  


The inspiration behind this platform is to transfer engineering efforts placed on building complex infrastructure, into time and effort back into enhancing applications.  

Fluid is the first system to solve for an automated bare-metal hardware transformation. The first self-assembling smart infrastructure taking businesses into their own unique centralized portal for greater control and autonomy. 

Enjoy a cloud-like infrastructure with Fluid’s easy buttons

easy buttons

(3-4 minute read)  

Fluid brings the magic of cloud that we’ve all come to know and love, to infrastructure, at the touch of a button. Here are the top three easy button functionalities and the Fluid Team has plans for more… 

What is Fluid?  

Fluid is an orchestration and automation platform that enables businesses to deploy cloud-like infrastructure, anywhere. It deploys cloud-like networks and compute stacks on bare-metal hardware in a matter of minutes, whether that’s on-premise, at the edge, or in a co-located facility.  


The platform’s goal is to make infrastructure easy. This collection of easy buttons mean the complexity that exists with standing up compute, network, and storage disappear. All various configuration complexities that exist within data centers now become cloud-like for any business no matter where their information resides and with no restrictions on region or location.  

Fluid comes out of the box with the following easy buttons:   

AWS Easy Button
  1. Easy button for connecting to AWS

The entire process, start to finish, of; 

  • connecting your networking stack to on-premise hardware  
  • then to the server hardware  
  • through AWS network switching hardware  
  • across an elastic cloud connect provider or a VPN tunnel 
  • to the AWS stack 
  • with all networking elements configured 
    It’s literally achieved with a click of a button.  

A process that requires a dozen steps from different teams within an organisation, and approximately a months’ timeline, is now turned around in under an hour with Fluid.  

AWS easy button = instant AWS stack set up and project cost-efficiency   


Kube Easy Button
  1. Easy button for downloading KubeConfig files

Fluid marries any tool of choice that manages your Kubernetes infrastructure, whether that’s OpenShift, Rancher, Kubectl, or any other in the marketplace, for an easy kubeconfig file button for all clusters.  

Kubeconfig button = a universal cluster management system 


Spot Easy Button
  1. Easy button for NetApp Spot Controller

The easy button to deploy NetApp Spot Controller is realized on-premises inside of Fluid, running in a co-located facility allowing for a truly hybrid multi-cloud story to form. This means the infrastructure location and complexity fade away, building features and enhancements that will really serve the client.  

NetApp Spot button = visibility and automation for all your cloud operations  


Keep a lookout for new Fluid features like an easy NetApp Astra Data Store button.  

Fluid has created the easy button for infrastructure that lives outside of the cloud. The agility of the application allows development teams to accelerate the journey from bare-metal hardware out of the cardboard box to a full-stack running in under an hour. Fluid makes it easy.