Introduction
In the modern enterprise, the friction between Agility and Governance is a constant struggle. Developers want resources now, but IT needs to ensure those resources don’t break the bank—or the security policy. Nutanix Cloud Manager is the bridge across that gap. It helps build the static, traditional infrastructure into a responsive, automated private cloud. Enterprise self-service automation breaks down when infrastructure teams cannot tailor the experience to the users consuming it.
Key features that help build your private cloud include:
- Unified Self-Service Provisioning: Automate infrastructure delivery across hybrid multicloud environments with a "one-click," enterprise-grade app store.
- Flexible Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Define standardized application and infrastructure blueprints using either a low-code visual designer or Python-based DSL.
- Built-in Governance: Enforce compliance automatically with integrated RBAC, quotas, and approval policies, abstracting underlying complexity for end-users.
- Seamless Ecosystem Integration: "Define once, deploy anywhere" by integrating seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines, ServiceNow, and other IaC tools.
NCM 2.0 and the future NCM 2.1 release will deliver two new capabilities designed to expand the developer and consumer experience in automation.
Global Variables
A centralized variable library designed to be shared across all Blueprints and Runbooks. This library standardizes and consistently applies various configuration values across all Blueprints and Runbooks. A major advantage is that variables are referenced by pointer, meaning any update to a value-like a DNS IP or policy name is instantly and automatically updated in every single automation workflow that uses it, preventing configuration drift. The feature will support diverse data types, including strings, integers, secrets, dates, and multiline text, all designed to offer a powerful capability to accomplish a better and more consistent build experience.
Custom Forms
The launch forms for Blueprints and Runbooks will be fully customizable, leveraging a mix of static and dynamic input fields. This emphasis on customizability significantly simplifies the end-user experience when requesting the execution of automation. For instance, a developer requesting a dev environment sees a simplified form with only necessary fields, while a production deployment surfaces additional, critical fields for governance, cost center attribution, and compliance attestations. By allowing administrators to hide backend complexity and tailor inputs, NCM allows administrators to ensure that end users interact with intuitive, persona-specific forms, which is a critical feature for enterprises adopting NCM to build and provision applications.
Who benefits:
Platform administrators get a single source of truth for shared configuration and fine-grained control over how automation is consumed. Fewer variables to maintain. Fewer support requests about confusing forms. More time to focus on building great automation — not babysitting it.
Developers and line-of-business users get a launch experience that respects their time. They see only what's relevant, interact with clear and intuitive forms, and never worry about whether a configuration value is current. The platform handles that.
Organizations scaling their private cloud gain two capabilities that directly improve automation adoption. The best orchestration engine in the world doesn't matter if teams stop using it because forms are confusing or values are stale. Global Variables and Custom Forms are designed to remove those barriers.
Looking Ahead
These two capabilities reflect a broader principle guiding NCM Self-Service: the best automation is the automation people actually use. Powerful orchestration engines are necessary, but not sufficient. What matters just as much is how easily administrators can maintain consistency, and how confidently end users can consume what's been built for them.
With Global Variables and Custom Forms, NCM Self-Service will take a meaningful step forward on both fronts — making your private cloud not just automated, but genuinely self-service.
Ready to get started? NCM is available through the Nutanix Marketplace in Prism Central. To explore Global Variables, Custom Forms, and the full NCM capability set, visit nutanix.com/ncm or reach out to your Nutanix account team.
©2026 Nutanix, Inc. All rights reserved. Nutanix, the Nutanix logo and all Nutanix product and service names mentioned are registered trademarks or trademarks of Nutanix, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brand names mentioned are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s). This content may contain express and implied forward-looking statements, including concerning the future NCM 2.1 release, which are not historical facts and are instead based on our current expectations, estimates, and beliefs. The accuracy of such statements involves risks and uncertainties and depends upon future events, including those that may be beyond our control, and actual results may differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied by such statements. Any forward-looking statements included speak only as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or otherwise revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
