We're excited to announce the launch of our comprehensive Infrastructure as Code (IaC) repository for Azure NetApp Files deployments. Whether you're a seasoned cloud architect or just getting started with enterprise storage solutions, this repository provides everything you need to deploy, configure, and manage Azure NetApp Files at scale.
Why We Built This
Deploying Azure NetApp Files infrastructure can be complex, especially when integrating with virtual machines, networks, and enterprise workloads. Teams often face challenges such as:
- Inconsistent deployments across environments
- Manual configuration errors
- Lack of standardized templates
- Time-consuming setup processes
- Limited examples for common use cases
We created this repository to address these pain points and provide the cloud community with battle-tested, production-ready templates that follow Azure best practices.
What's Inside the Repository
Three Deployment Options
We understand that every team has its preferred tools. That's why we've built templates for all three major IaC approaches:
- ARM Templates - Native Azure Resource Manager templates for teams working exclusively in Azure
- Terraform - Cross-platform IaC for multi-cloud environments
- PowerShell - Automation scripts for Windows-centric teams and existing PowerShell workflows
Ready-to-Deploy Scenarios
The repository includes three primary deployment scenarios, each available in all three formats:
1. NFS Volume Deployment
The foundational building block for Azure NetApp Files:
- NetApp account configuration
- Capacity pool setup
- NFS volume with customizable size and service level
- Virtual network with delegated subnet
Perfect for teams who want to integrate ANF into existing infrastructure.
Deploy Now:
2. Linux VM with NFS Volume
A complete end-to-end solution:
- Ubuntu 22.04 LTS virtual machine
- Automatically mounted NFS volume
- Network security group configuration
- Public IP for SSH access
- Production-ready networking setup
Ideal for development environments, testing, or single-server applications.
Deploy Now:
3. Multi-VM with Shared NFS Storage
Enterprise-grade high availability setup:
- Multiple Linux VMs (configurable count)
- Shared NFS volume across all instances
- Azure Load Balancer for traffic distribution
- Network security groups for each tier
- High availability configuration
Designed for production workloads requiring scalability and redundancy.
Deploy Now:
Deploy to Azure in Minutes
One of the standout features is our "Deploy to Azure" buttons. With a single click, you can:
- Launch the Azure Portal with pre-configured templates
- Sign in with your Azure credentials
- Fill in environment-specific parameters
- Review and deploy
No need to clone repositories or set up local development environments for quick testing and proof-of-concepts.
Security Built-In
Security isn't an afterthought—it's baked into every template:
- Network Security Groups with least-privilege access rules
- Subnet delegation for Azure NetApp Files
- Encryption in transit and at rest
- Managed identities for secure authentication
- Azure Key Vault integration for secrets management
- RBAC controls for access management
All templates follow the Azure Well-Architected Framework security principles.
Comprehensive Documentation
We've included extensive documentation to help you succeed:
- Deployment Guides - Step-by-step instructions for each scenario
- Architecture Diagrams - Visual representations of deployed infrastructure
- Troubleshooting Guides - Solutions to common issues
- Parameter Files - Example configurations for different environments
- Best Practices - Security, performance, and operational recommendations
Getting Started
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:
- An active Azure subscription
- Contributor or Owner permissions on your target resource group
- Azure NetApp Files enabled in your subscription
- Your preferred IaC tool installed (Azure CLI, Terraform, or PowerShell)
Quick Start
# Clone the repositorygit clone https://github.com/NetApp/azure-netapp-files-storage.gitcd azure-netapp-files-storage # Choose your toolcd arm-templates/ # or terraform/ or powershell/ # Start with the basic scenariocd nfs-volume/ # Follow the README for deployment instructions
Or simply click one of the "Deploy to Azure" buttons above for instant deployment.
Real-World Use Cases
This repository supports a variety of enterprise scenarios:
- Development and Testing - Quickly spin up isolated environments with shared storage for development teams
- High-Performance Computing - Deploy scalable NFS storage for compute-intensive workloads
- Database Workloads - Host database files on high-performance NFS volumes with enterprise features
- Web and Application Servers - Share configuration files, logs, and content across multiple Linux servers with load balancing
- Content Management - Share media files and documents across multiple application servers
- Backup and Recovery - Leverage snapshot capabilities for data protection
Community and Support
This is an open-source project, and we welcome community contributions:
- Report Issues - Found a bug? Let us know through GitHub Issues
- Request Features - Have an idea? Submit a feature request
- Ask Questions - Use GitHub Discussions for community support
- Contribute - Submit pull requests to improve templates and documentation
What's Next
We're continuously improving this repository based on community feedback. Our roadmap includes:
- Additional workload-specific templates (SAP, Oracle, SQL Server)
- Cross-region replication scenarios
- Disaster recovery configurations
- Performance optimization guides
- Cost optimization templates
- Integration with Azure Monitor and Log Analytics
Try It Today
Ready to simplify your Azure NetApp Files deployments? Visit the repository and start deploying:
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/NetApp/azure-netapp-files-storage
Whether you're deploying your first NFS volume or architecting enterprise-scale solutions, this repository provides the tools and guidance you need to succeed.
Have questions or feedback? Open an issue on GitHub or join the discussion. We'd love to hear how you're using these templates in your environment!
