This page explains how to install a Container Storage Interface (CSI) storage driver on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) Standard clusters. This page doesn't apply to GKE Autopilot clusters, which automatically use the Compute Engine persistent disk CSI driver.
If you are using the Compute Engine persistent disk CSI driver in your Standard cluster, we recommend automatically deploying the driver to reduce your management overhead.
Overview
CSI is an open standard API that enables Kubernetes to expose arbitrary storage systems to containerized workloads. Kubernetes volumes are managed by vendor-specific storage drivers, which have historically been compiled into Kubernetes binaries. Previously, you could not use a storage driver that was not included with Kubernetes. Installing a CSI driver adds support for a storage system that is not natively supported by Kubernetes. Also, CSI enables the use of modern storage features, such as snapshots and resizing.