---
title: "About VAST Block CSI Driver"
slug: "about-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6"
updated: 2026-11-04T00:22:21Z
published: 2026-11-04T00:22:21Z
canonical: "docs.vastdata.com/about-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vastdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# About VAST Block CSI Driver

## Overview of VAST Block CSI Driver

VAST Block Storage CSI Driver allows container orchestration frameworks such as Kubernetes to dynamically provision NVMe-based block storage on a VAST cluster.

With VAST Block CSI Driver, you can:

- [Provision](/develop/docs/provision-block-storage-with-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#vast-block-csi-driver-workflow) block volumes based on multiple Kubernetes storage classes
- [Provision](/develop/docs/provision-block-storage-with-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#provision-ephemeral-block-volumes) ephemeral block volumes
- [Provision](/develop/docs/provision-block-storage-with-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#provision-static-volumes) static block volumes
- [Protect](/docs-5-5/docs/protect-block-storage-with-vast-snapshots-and-clones#overview-of-vast-snapshots-and-clones) the block volumes being provisioned with VAST snapshots and clones
- [Replicate](/develop/docs/replicate-block-volumes-with-vast-csi-replication-operator-2-6) block volumes to another VAST cluster

VAST Block CSI Driver capabilities include:

- [Support](/develop/docs/provision-block-storage-with-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#provision-block-volumes-on-multiple-vast-clusters) for multiple VAST clusters
- [Support](/develop/docs/about-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#support-of-vast-cluster-multitenancy-for-block-storage) for multiple VAST cluster tenants
- [DNS-based resolution](/develop/docs/provision-block-storage-with-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#set-up-dnsbased-virtual-ip-resolution-for-block-volumes) of virtual IPs

> **Note:** VAST Cluster 5.3 or later is required for block storage provisioning.

VAST Block CSI Driver can be deployed using one of the following methods:

- [Helm chart-based deployment](/develop/docs/deploy-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#steps-to-deploy-vast-block-csi-driver)
- [VAST CSI Operator for Kubernetes](/develop/docs/deploy-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#deploy-vast-block-csi-driver-with-vast-csi-operator-for-kubernetes)
- [VAST CSI Operator for OpenShift](/develop/docs/deploy-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#deploy-vast-block-csi-driver-on-openshift-with-vast-csi-operator)

## Support of VAST Cluster Multi-Tenancy for Block Storage

VAST Block CSI Driver can operate on multiple VAST cluster tenants.

When using VAST CSI Driver with VAST Cluster 5.3.3 or later, you can specify the VAST cluster tenant from which to provision storage for a claim. To do so:

- Supply the `tenant` parameter in the [Kubernetes secret](/develop/docs/deploy-vast-block-csi-driver-2-6#create-kubernetes-secret-for-vast-block-csi-driver) (that provides credentials used to connect to the VAST cluster).
- Use a VMS user that is a *Tenant Admin* for the desired tenant when connecting to the VAST cluster.

To check VMS user type in VAST Web UI, go to **Administrators** -> **Managers**, click a user and look at the **User type** field, which should be set to *Tenant Admin*.