AI-assisted coding with GitHub Copilot has transformed how millions of developers write code. Yet, when provisioning the infrastructure their applications depend on, developers still face time-consuming manual workflows that break focus and slow delivery.
That’s because, while infrastructure-as-code (IaC) automates many tasks, it still demands researching configurations, writing complex templates, and switching between tools. What if developers could instead ask for the infrastructure they need, and let an AI handle the rest?
There’s a new way for Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP (FSx for ONTAP) users to do just that: The FSx for ONTAP Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extension. Now available in the Visual Studio Marketplace, this extension brings enterprise-grade storage provisioning directly into VS Code.
In this post, we introduce the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension. We see how application developers, DevOps engineers, and platform engineers can use it to generate optimized infrastructure templates to deploy and manage FSx for ONTAP file systems and volumes—all with the help of an AI assistant that’s built directly into the developer interface, where the code lives.
Here’s what we cover:
- The efficiency gap between development and provisioning in cloud storage
- What is the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension?
- Core capabilities of the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension
- Key benefits of the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension
- Common operations using the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension
- Getting started
- Deploy or modify FSx for ONTAP infrastructure
- Launch ONTAP CLI or AWS CLI terminal sessions
- Get AI-powered insights through @fsx-ontap
- Try out the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension today
The efficiency gap between development and provisioning in cloud storage
Modern software development often spans multiple layers, from writing code to provisioning infrastructure and managing data. To manage these effectively, developers and DevOps engineers must frequently move across integrated development environments (IDEs), the AWS Console, and documentation. This fragmented workflow creates four key challenges:
- Constant context switching disrupts productivity: Moving between tools forces mental reloading, turning simple tasks into time-consuming exercises.
- Manual processes introduce configuration risk: Handcrafting IaC templates and copying connection strings or credentials can lead to deployment errors that require hours of debugging.
- Provisioning cycles stretch from hours to days: Manual configuration and coordination between tools and teams delay deployments and slow delivery velocity.
- Teams lack visibility into costs and best practices: There are no embedded insights or recommendations for costs and optimizations in this process, so tracking spending and governance becomes another manual task.
The result: Developers lose momentum, platform engineers have more tickets to manage, and innovation slows before code even reaches production.
What is the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension?
The FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension brings FSx for ONTAP operations directly into VS Code, connecting GitHub Copilot with your AWS environment through a unified, AI-assisted experience.
The extension provides full visibility and insights into your FSx for ONTAP infrastructure using a conversational AI interface directly in your developer environment. It integrates with the ONTAP® CLI, FSx APIs, and Amazon CloudWatch APIs.
At the heart of the extension is the @fsx-ontap chat participant. By simply typing @fsx-ontap in the GitHub Copilot Chat, you can use natural language prompts to ask context-based questions about your file systems, retrieve metrics, check backups, or request intelligent recommendations—all powered by real-time data from FSx for ONTAP and CloudWatch APIs.
Together, these capabilities support IaC automation, resource management, and AI-driven operations within a single, developer-first interface.
Core capabilities of the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension
The FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension simplifies how developers and platform engineers use and manage FSx for ONTAP, unlocking more automation, visibility, and control.
- Seamless onboarding and resource navigation: After installation, you can authenticate with existing AWS credentials or select an AWS profile configured through the AWS CLI. The extension automatically discovers all FSx for ONTAP resources—file systems, storage virtual machines (SVMs), and volumes—and presents them in a structured navigation panel for immediate visibility.
- IaC generation and deployment: Generate AWS CloudFormation or Terraform templates from your prompts or selections. Parameters such as capacity, throughput, and deployment type are pre-populated according to AWS and NetApp® best practices to streamline configurations. You can also review and customize templates for your specific requirements before deployment.
- Direct CLI access for advanced customization: For hands-on control, you can open a terminal session directly from the extension to access the ONTAP CLI or AWS CLI. The extension supports connections through Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) Instance Connect or standard SSH for more secure, in-context access to the underlying file system. With this capability, you can perform advanced configurations and troubleshooting without leaving VS Code.
- AI-powered Q&A with @fsx-ontap : The integrated @fsx-ontap chat participant brings conversational AI into the IDE. You can type questions such as:
- List all volumes in my development Region.
- Show Snapshot copies for fsx-prod.
- How much storage is available on fsx-west?
The chat participant retrieves live data from FSx for ONTAP and Amazon CloudWatch APIs, providing actionable insights in real time. Include /filesystem in your question to access ONTAP commands for deeper insights beyond the AWS Console.
- Built-in best practices and smart recommendations: The extension surfaces guidance aligned with AWS Well-Architected Framework principles and NetApp best practice recommendations for cost, performance, reliability, and security. It highlights configuration options, flags potential missteps, and suggests optimizations that you can apply before deployment.
Note: Always review and validate AI-generated templates, recommendations, and responses against your specific environment and requirements.
Key benefits of the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension
The capabilities of the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension deliver value at every level, from individual developers accelerating daily workflows to organizations standardizing infrastructure operations at scale.
For developers and DevOps engineers managing FSx for ONTAP, the extension supports:
- Faster provisioning: Generate and deploy infrastructure directly from your IDE with AI-guided templates.
- Unified workflow: Manage file systems, volumes, and configurations from a single workspace without switching between the AWS Console, command-line tools, and documentation.
- Improved quality: Real-time visibility into system metrics and configurations combined with built-in guidance and instant access to troubleshooting commands through @fsx-ontap helps maintain best practices.
These individual improvements compound at the organizational level, supporting:
- Cost optimization: AI-driven insights recommend optimal storage configurations, data tiering, and performance settings to help control spending and improve efficiency.
- Standardization and repeatability: Consistent templates and embedded validation align every deployment with AWS and NetApp best practices for security, reliability, and governance.
- Operational reliability: On-demand reporting through Amazon CloudWatch supports proactive health management and minimizes downtime.
Whether you're provisioning a single volume or managing FSx for ONTAP across multiple teams and accounts, the extension brings speed, consistency, and intelligence to every interaction, making storage operations a seamless part of the development workflow.
Common operations using the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension
Let’s take a look at installation and some of the common operations that you can carry out using the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension.
Getting started
In the VS Code Marketplace, search for “NetApp FSx ONTAP” and then install the extension. Select the NetApp icon in the activity bar to begin.
The following screen shows the welcome page for the NetApp FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension.
From the welcome page, select Connect to AWS to choose your AWS credential profile (from those configured through aws configure) and select your preferred Region(s) using the globe icon.
Once configured, the extension automatically displays a hierarchical view of the entire FSx for ONTAP environment in the sidebar.
You can now view and manage your FSx for ONTAP file systems directly from your IDE.
Deploy or modify FSx for ONTAP infrastructure
You can select from pre-built Terraform or CloudFormation templates that embed AWS and NetApp best practices. You can review, customize, and deploy directly from your IDE with full visibility into the process.
Here you can see the process of selecting the pre-built Terraform template to quickly deploy FSx for ONTAP infrastructure.
Launch ONTAP CLI or AWS CLI terminal sessions
You can open terminal sessions from the extension to access the ONTAP CLI or AWS CLI for advanced management operations.
The following screen shows the in-IDE terminal session connecting directly to your file system for advanced configuration. You can connect using SSH or through Amazon EC2 Instance Connect for more secure, in-context access to your file systems.
Get AI-powered insights through @fsx-ontap
You can access the @fsx-ontap chat participant in the Copilot Chat to get AI-based insights using natural language.
The following screen shows how @fsx-ontap provides real-time, contextual resource information. With the chat participant, you can use natural language to query resources, retrieve metrics, and perform operational tasks and get responses you can understand.
For more advanced use cases, explore the source code and documentation in the fsx-ontap-vscode GitHub repository to learn about extensibility, issue reporting, and contribution guidelines.
Try out the FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension today
The FSx for ONTAP VS Code extension simplifies how developers and platform teams interact with storage on AWS. Combining automation, AI assistance, and best practices within VS Code turns complex infrastructure tasks into intuitive, conversational operations.
For teams managing FSx for ONTAP on AWS, this isn't just added convenience, it's a productivity enhancer that supports faster deployment while maintaining quality, security, and cost efficiency.
Ready to explore the difference?
- Install from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace.
- Explore the open-source project on GitHub.
- Learn more about Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP.