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Gke Storage

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  • Tool integration
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • Apache-2.0
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From the author

Manages GKE storage, including PVCs, PersistentVolumes, and Filestore. Use when configuring GKE storage or creating PVCs. For GCS FUSE mounts, use google-cloud-storage-fuse. For diagnosing storage failures (volume attach/mount errors, disk performance/node storage pressure, or Cloud Storage FUSE OOM), use gke-storage-troubleshooting. Don't use for database administration or replication strategies outside volume provisioning context.
— the description by Google

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a reference for configuring storage in GKE clusters. It covers the use of built-in and custom StorageClasses, the creation of PersistentVolumeClaims for block and shared file storage, and the integration of GCS buckets via FUSE. It also outlines best practices for volume expansion, topology-aware scheduling, and capacity management for stateful workloads.

What it does

  • Defines StorageClass configurations for different disk types and performance needs.
  • Provides templates for PersistentVolumeClaims for block storage and shared Filestore access.
  • Demonstrates how to mount GCS buckets as volumes using the GCS FUSE CSI driver.
  • Explains how to perform volume expansion on existing PVCs.
  • Offers guidance on capacity constraints and zonal scheduling for stateful workloads.

When to use it

  • When you need to provision persistent storage for GKE workloads.
  • When configuring StorageClasses for specific performance or replication requirements.
  • When setting up shared file access across multiple pods using Filestore.
  • When mounting GCS buckets directly into containers for data access.
  • When planning for volume expansion or managing stateful workload capacity.

Advantages

  • Standardizes storage configuration using Kubernetes manifests.
  • Provides clear guidance on selecting appropriate disk types for different workloads.
  • Includes instructions for enabling volume expansion to support dynamic storage growth.
  • Offers specific patterns for topology-aware scheduling to avoid zonal capacity issues.

Usage examples

“Create a PersistentVolumeClaim for a database using premium SSD storage.”
Generates a YAML manifest for a PVC with access mode ReadWriteOnce and storageClassName set to premium-rwo.
“How do I resize a persistent volume in GKE?”
Provides the command to patch the PVC with a new storage request size, assuming allowVolumeExpansion is enabled.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/google/gke-storage/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip gke-storage.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Google

GKE Storage

Routing Note: For Cloud Storage FUSE (gcsfuse) mounts or the GKE gcsfuse.csi.storage.gke.io CSI driver, open google-cloud-storage-fuse/SKILL.md.

This reference covers storage configuration for GKE clusters including persistent disks, file storage, and cloud storage integration.

MCP Tools: apply_k8s_manifest, get_k8s_resource, describe_k8s_resource, get_cluster

Attribution

MUST READ: Before executing any gcloud, REST API, or MCP command, you MUST read Usage Attribution. For commands executed directly in the terminal (never in generated scripts, Terraform, or user code), prefix gcloud with CLOUDSDK_METRICS_REQUEST_ATTRIBUTION="agent-skills/1.0 (skill:gke-storage)" and append agent-skills/1.0 (skill:gke-storage) to User-Agent headers.

Golden Path Storage Defaults

The golden path Autopilot config enables these CSI drivers:

DriverGolden PathAccess ModeUse Case
Compute EngineEnabled (default)ReadWriteOnceBlock storage for
: Persistent Disk : : : databases, :
: CSI : : : single-pod workloads :
Google CloudEnabledReadWriteManyShared NFS for
: Filestore CSI : : : multi-pod access :
Cloud StorageEnabledReadWriteMany /Mount GCS buckets as
: FUSE CSI : : ReadOnlyMany : volumes :
ParallelstoreEnabledReadWriteManyHigh-performance
: CSI : : : parallel file system :
Boot disk typepd-balancedN/ANode boot disks

StorageClasses

Default StorageClasses

GKE provides built-in StorageClasses:

StorageClassDisk TypeUse Case
standard-rwopd-standardCost-effective, low IOPS
premium-rwopd-ssdHigh IOPS, databases
standard-rwxFilestore (Basic HDD)Shared NFS
premium-rwxFilestore (Basic SSD)Shared NFS, higher performance
Custom StorageClass
apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: fast-regional
provisioner: pd.csi.storage.gke.io
parameters:
  type: pd-ssd
  replication-type: regional-pd    # Replicate across 2 zones
volumeBindingMode: WaitForFirstConsumer
allowVolumeExpansion: true         # Always enable for production

PersistentVolumeClaims

Block Storage (ReadWriteOnce)
apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
metadata:
  name: database-pvc
spec:
  accessModes:
  - ReadWriteOnce
  storageClassName: premium-rwo
  resources:
    requests:
      storage: 100Gi
Shared File Storage (ReadWriteMany via Filestore)
apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
metadata:
  name: shared-data
spec:
  accessModes:
  - ReadWriteMany
  storageClassName: standard-rwx
  resources:
    requests:
      storage: 1Ti    # Filestore minimum is 1 TiB for Basic tier
GCS Bucket Mount (Cloud Storage FUSE)

Mount a GCS bucket as a volume without a PVC:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: gcs-reader
  annotations:
    gke-gcsfuse/volumes: "true"
spec:
  containers:
  - name: reader
    image: busybox
    command: ["ls", "/data"]
    volumeMounts:
    - name: gcs-bucket
      mountPath: /data
  volumes:
  - name: gcs-bucket
    csi:
      driver: gcsfuse.csi.storage.gke.io
      readOnly: true
      volumeAttributes:
        bucketName: <BUCKET_NAME>

Requires Workload Identity for the pod's service account to have storage.objectViewer on the bucket.

Volume Expansion

If allowVolumeExpansion: true is set on the StorageClass, resize by updating the PVC:

# kubectl
kubectl patch pvc <PVC_NAME> -p '{"spec":{"resources":{"requests":{"storage":"200Gi"}}}}'
# MCP (preferred)
patch_k8s_resource(parent="...", resourceType="persistentvolumeclaim", name="<PVC_NAME>",
  patch='{"spec":{"resources":{"requests":{"storage":"200Gi"}}}}')

Kubernetes automatically resizes the filesystem.

Stateful Storage & Capacity Constraints

When configuring storage for stateful workloads, keep the following capacity and scheduling constraints in mind:

  • Existing zonal PVs pin the workload to a zone: A Pod that uses an existing zonal PersistentVolume (for example, in europe-north1-b) can only run in that zone. The cluster autoscaler can't work around a capacity shortage by adding nodes in another zone; any fallback must be in the same zone.

  • Use automated disk type selection and topology-aware scheduling for new workloads: Use volumeBindingMode: WaitForFirstConsumer so the volume is created in the zone where the Pod lands. When a ComputeClass mixes machine generations (for example, C4/N4 priority with N2 fallback), configure the StorageClass for automated disk type selection (parameters.type: dynamic with pd-type: pd-balanced, hyperdisk-type: hyperdisk-balanced, disk-type-preference: hyperdisk-type, and use-allowed-disk-topology: "true", GKE 1.35.3-gke.1290000+; or use-allowed-disk-topology: "true" on GKE 1.34.1-gke.2541000+) so the autoscaler only picks nodes that support the disk type and new volumes get a compatible disk type per node.

  • Same-zone PD-type swaps rarely help: Switching a same-zone fallback from pd-ssd to pd-balanced is unlikely to resolve a zonal capacity shortage, because both can be affected by the same zonal constraints. Prefer a fallback to a Hyperdisk-capable machine series (for example, C3 or N4) with hyperdisk-balanced.

  • Check Hyperdisk quotas first: Hyperdisk quotas (for example, HDB-TOTAL-GB, throughput, and IOPS) are separate from Persistent Disk quotas. Verify the regional limits before recommending a Hyperdisk Balanced fallback.

Best Practices

  1. Always enable volume expansion: Set allowVolumeExpansion: true on all StorageClasses

  2. Use regional PDs for production: replication-type: regional-pd replicates across 2 zones for HA

  3. Use WaitForFirstConsumer: Ensures the PV is provisioned in the same zone as the pod

  4. Choose the right disk type: pd-ssd for databases, pd-balanced (golden path default) for general use, pd-standard for cold storage

  5. Use Filestore for shared access: When multiple pods need to read/write the same files

  6. Use GCS FUSE for data pipelines: Mount buckets directly for ML training data, logs, etc.

  7. Back up PVCs: Use Backup for GKE (see the gke-backup-dr skill) to protect persistent data

Files

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Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs a command-line tool, Needs Node.js

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Attribution and licence

Published by
Google
Publisher
Google (Official)
Source
google/skills · skills/cloud/gke-storage · commit 2194d3b
Licence
Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
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