betterNAS Part 4: Web Control Plane and Optional Cloud Layer

This document describes the browser UI that users interact with, plus the optional cloud adapter layer that may exist later.

What it is

The web control plane is part of the core product.

It should provide:

onboarding
node and export management
mount instructions
sharing and browser file access later

An optional cloud adapter may later provide:

Nextcloud-backed browser file UI
mobile-friendly access
share and link workflows

What it does

gives users a browser-based entry point into betterNAS
talks only to control-server
exposes the mount flow cleanly
optionally layers on cloud/mobile/share behavior later

What it should not do

own product state separately from control-server
become the only way users access their storage
make the optional cloud adapter part of the core mount path

Diagram

                         self-hosted betterNAS stack

      node-service <--------> control-server <--------> [THIS DOC] web control plane
           ^                               |
           |                               |
           +----------- Finder mount flow -+

      optional later:
      Nextcloud adapter / cloud/mobile/share surface

Core decisions

The web control plane is part of the core product now.
Nextcloud is optional and secondary.
The first user value is managing exports and getting a mount URL, not a full browser file manager.

Likely near-term role of the web control plane

sign in
see available NAS nodes
see available exports
request mount instructions
copy or launch the WebDAV mount flow

TODO

Define the first user-facing screens for nodes, exports, and mount actions.
Define how auth/session works in the web UI.
Decide whether browser file viewing is part of V1 or follows later.
Decide whether Nextcloud remains an internal adapter or becomes user-facing.
Define what sharing means before adding any cloud/mobile layer.

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