Enable private services access
for the VPC you intend to use. You can also enable private services
access as part of the storage pool creation if you are using the
Google Cloud console.
If you want to use customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK),
create a CMEK policy
first.
You can only assign a CMEK policy during storage pool creation unless you
choose to use the EncryptVolumes function to encrypt all existing volumes with
CMEK policy after creation.
You can only change the description, capacity, and labels after creation.
Once an Active Directory policy is attached to a storage pool, it cannot be
detached.
Storage pool capacity is subject to a location-based quota. If you need more
capacity, request a quota increase for the Storage pool capacity (GiB) per
location quota. For more information, see
NetApp Volumes quotas.
Create a storage pool
Use the following instructions to create a storage pool using the
Google Cloud console or Google Cloud CLI.
Console
Go to the NetApp Volumes page in the Google Cloud console.
Under Storage pool details, complete the following actions:
Enter a name for the pool in the Name field. The name must be
unique for each project.
Optional: Enter a description for the pool in the Description field.
Select a location for the pool.
Select a service level:
Flex
For the Flex service level, you can choose between zonal or regional
availability. For zonal availability, you need to specify the zone to
use. For regional availability, you need to specify a primary zone and
a replica zone.
Standard
Premium
Extreme
Optional: for Flex zonal pools, you can customize performance in some
regions. The creation of non-custom performance Flex zonal pools aren't
available in these regions. However, you can still create Flex zonal pools
with default performance using Google Cloud CLI or the API. Under
Performance, complete the following steps to create a
custom-performance zonal pool:
Enter the throughput for the storage pool in the Throughput field.
Enter the IOPS for the storage pool in the IOPS field.
Enter the capacity for the storage pool in the Capacity field.
Under Set up connections, select the VPC you want to use. If you
haven't peered your VPC, click Set up connection and complete the
following steps:
Enable the Service networking API.
Click Use an automatically allocated IP range or to
choose a CIDR manually,
click Select one or more existing IP ranges or create a new one.
Review your selections.
Click Create connection.
After peering is complete, a notification appears that indicates
VPC peering is successful.
Under Active Directory policy, complete the following steps:
Select a policy from the Active Directory policy list.
If you plan to use NFS protocol combinations, select the Enable LDAP
checkbox. When you select this option, you can only create LDAP-enabled
NFS volumes in the pool. You need to configure Active Directory LDAP to provide UNIX user information.
If you want to create NFSv3 or NFSv4 volumes that use regular AUTH_SYS
authentication, don't select the Enable LDAP checkbox.
Under Encryption, complete the following steps:
Select Google-managed encryption key or
Customer-managed encryption key (CMEK).
If you select Customer-managed encryption key (CMEK), select a
CMEK policy.
To enable auto-tiering, select the Allow auto-tiering checkbox. Your
selection is permanent. This feature is generally available (GA) for
Premium and Extreme storage pools, and in Preview for custom-performance
Flex zonal pools.
For Premium and Extreme pools: you can enable auto-tiering on a
volume-by-volume basis, if it's already enabled at the storage pool
level.
For custom-performance Flex zonal pools: enabling auto-tiering for a
storage pool automatically enforces it to all new volumes created within
that pool and requires the following settings:
Specify the size of the hot tier in the Hot tier threshold field.
Note that the hot tier threshold can't be decreased. For more
information, see Performance and hot tier sizing.
Optional: under Auto-increase, select the Enable auto-increase
checkbox for the pools when the hot tier reaches its capacity. For more
information, see Performance and hot tier sizing.
Optional: click Add label to enter relevant labels for reporting and
querying purposes from the Labels section.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-25 UTC."],[],[],null,["# Create a storage pool\n\nThis page describes how to create a [storage pool](/netapp/volumes/docs/configure-and-use/storage-pools/overview#about_storage_pools).\n\nBefore you begin\n----------------\n\nConsider the following requirements before you create a storage pool:\n\n- You must complete the following steps before you can create a storage pool:\n\n 1. [Select or create a project in Google Cloud and enable billing](/netapp/volumes/docs/get-started/configure-access/initiate-console-settings).\n\n 2. [Enable private services access](/vpc/docs/configure-private-services-access)\n for the VPC you intend to use. You can also enable private services\n access as part of the storage pool creation if you are using the\n Google Cloud console.\n\n 3. If you want to use customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK),\n [create a CMEK policy](/netapp/volumes/docs/configure-and-use/cmek/create-cmek-policy)\n first.\n\n 4. If you want to use Active Directory, [create an Active Directory policy](/netapp/volumes/docs/configure-and-use/active-directory/create-ad-policy)\n first.\n\n- You can only assign a CMEK policy during storage pool creation unless you\n choose to use the EncryptVolumes function to encrypt all existing volumes with\n CMEK policy after creation.\n\n- You can only change the description, capacity, and labels after creation.\n\n- Once an Active Directory policy is attached to a storage pool, it cannot be\n detached.\n\n- Storage pool capacity is subject to a location-based quota. If you need more\n capacity, request a quota increase for the Storage pool capacity (GiB) per\n location quota. For more information, see\n [NetApp Volumes quotas](/netapp/volumes/docs/quotas).\n\nCreate a storage pool\n---------------------\n\nUse the following instructions to create a storage pool using the\nGoogle Cloud console or Google Cloud CLI. \n\n### Console\n\n1. Go to the **NetApp Volumes** page in the Google Cloud console.\n\n [Go to NetApp Volumes](https://console.cloud.google.com/netapp/volumes)\n2. Click **Storage pools**.\n\n3. Click **Create**.\n\n4. Under **Storage pool details**, complete the following actions:\n\n 1. Enter a name for the pool in the **Name** field. The name must be\n unique for each project.\n\n 2. Optional: Enter a description for the pool in the **Description** field.\n\n5. Select a location for the pool.\n\n6. Select a service level:\n\n - **Flex**\n\n For the Flex service level, you can choose between zonal or regional\n availability. For zonal availability, you need to specify the zone to\n use. For regional availability, you need to specify a primary zone and\n a replica zone.\n - **Standard**\n\n - **Premium**\n\n - **Extreme**\n\n7. Optional: for Flex zonal pools, you can customize performance in some\n regions. The creation of non-custom performance Flex zonal pools aren't\n available in these regions. However, you can still create Flex zonal pools\n with default performance using Google Cloud CLI or the API. Under\n **Performance**, complete the following steps to create a\n custom-performance zonal pool:\n\n 1. Enter the throughput for the storage pool in the **Throughput** field.\n\n 2. Enter the IOPS for the storage pool in the **IOPS** field.\n\n8. Enter the capacity for the storage pool in the **Capacity** field.\n\n9. Under **Set up connections** , select the **VPC** you want to use. If you\n haven't peered your VPC, click **Set up connection** and complete the\n following steps:\n\n 1. Enable the **Service networking API**.\n\n 2. Click **Use an automatically allocated IP range** or to\n [choose a CIDR manually](/netapp/volumes/docs/get-started/configure-access/networking#choose_a_cidr),\n click **Select one or more existing IP ranges or create a new one**.\n\n 3. Review your selections.\n\n 4. Click **Create connection**.\n\n After peering is complete, a notification appears that indicates\n VPC peering is successful.\n10. Under **Active Directory policy**, complete the following steps:\n\n 1. Select the **Assign an Active Directory policy to the storage pool**\n checkbox to provision a storage pool for [volumes that use LDAP, Kerberos, or any SMB protocol variations](/netapp/volumes/docs/configure-and-use/active-directory/about-ad#use_cases_for_active_directory).\n\n 2. Select a policy from the **Active Directory policy** list.\n\n11. If you plan to use NFS protocol combinations, select the **Enable LDAP**\n checkbox. When you select this option, you can only create LDAP-enabled\n NFS volumes in the pool. You need to [configure Active Directory LDAP to provide UNIX user information](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-netapp-files/configure-ldap-extended-groups).\n If you want to create NFSv3 or NFSv4 volumes that use regular `AUTH_SYS`\n authentication, don't select the **Enable LDAP** checkbox.\n\n | **Important:** Your selection is permanent.\n12. Under **Encryption**, complete the following steps:\n\n 1. Select **Google-managed encryption key** or\n **Customer-managed encryption key (CMEK)**.\n\n 2. If you select **Customer-managed encryption key (CMEK)**, select a\n CMEK policy.\n\n13. To enable auto-tiering, select the **Allow auto-tiering** checkbox. Your\n selection is permanent. This feature is generally available (GA) for\n Premium and Extreme storage pools, and in Preview for custom-performance\n Flex zonal pools.\n\n - For Premium and Extreme pools: you can enable auto-tiering on a\n volume-by-volume basis, if it's already enabled at the storage pool\n level.\n\n - For custom-performance Flex zonal pools: enabling auto-tiering for a\n storage pool automatically enforces it to all new volumes created within\n that pool and requires the following settings:\n\n - Specify the size of the hot tier in the **Hot tier threshold** field. Note that the hot tier threshold can't be decreased. For more information, see [Performance and hot tier sizing](/netapp/volumes/docs/configure-and-use/volumes/manage-auto-tiering#performance-and-hot-tier-sizing).\n14. Optional: under **Auto-increase** , select the **Enable auto-increase**\n checkbox for the pools when the hot tier reaches its capacity. For more\n information, see [Performance and hot tier sizing](/netapp/volumes/docs/configure-and-use/volumes/manage-auto-tiering#performance-and-hot-tier-sizing).\n\n15. Optional: click **Add label** to enter relevant labels for reporting and\n querying purposes from the **Labels** section.\n\n16. Click **Create**.\n\n### gcloud\n\nCreate a storage pool: \n\n```bash\n gcloud netapp storage-pools create POOL_NAME \\\n --project=PROJECT_ID \\\n --location=LOCATION \\\n --capacity=CAPACITY \\\n --service-level=SERVICE_LEVEL \\\n --network=name=NETWORK_NAME,psa-range=PSA_RANGE\n```\n\nReplace the following information:\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003ePOOL_NAME\u003c/var\u003e: the name of the pool you want to create.\n Your pool name must be unique per location.\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003ePROJECT_ID\u003c/var\u003e: the name of the project you want to\n create the storage pool in.\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eLOCATION\u003c/var\u003e: the location of the pool you want to\n create.\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eCAPACITY\u003c/var\u003e: the capacity of the pool in GiB.\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eSERVICE_LEVEL\u003c/var\u003e: the service level for your storage\n pool: Flex, Standard, Premium, or Extreme.\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eNETWORK\u003c/var\u003e: the VPC for your pool.\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eNAME\u003c/var\u003e: the name of the VPC.\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003ePSA_RANGE\u003c/var\u003e: the name of the allocated range of\n the Private Services Access connection.\n\n For more information on additional optional flags, see\n [Google Cloud SDK documentation on volume creation](/sdk/gcloud/reference/netapp/storage-pools).\n\nWhat's next\n-----------\n\n[Manage storage pools](/netapp/volumes/docs/configure-and-use/storage-pools/manage-storage-pool)."]]