---
title: "Create a Helm Chart Configuration File for VAST CSI Driver"
slug: "create-a-helm-chart-configuration-file-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5"
updated: 2026-11-06T00:53:09Z
published: 2026-11-06T00:53:09Z
canonical: "docs.vastdata.com/create-a-helm-chart-configuration-file-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5"
---

> ## 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.

# Create a Helm Chart Configuration File for VAST CSI Driver

In Helm-based deployments, VAST CSI Driver's Helm chart configuration file lets you override default installation settings provided in the chart with parameters that are specific to your environment.

The configuration file is a YAML file typically named `values.yaml`, although you can use any arbitrary name for it.

- [Create a Configuration File](/develop/docs/create-a-helm-chart-configuration-file-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5#create-a-configuration-file)
- [Verify the Configuration File](/develop/docs/create-a-helm-chart-configuration-file-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5#verify-the-configuration-file)

## Create a Configuration File

Create a YAML file as follows (see also the example below).

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**
> 
> For a detailed reference for parameters and values, refer to [https://github.com/vast-data/vast-csi/blob/v2.5/charts/vastcsi/values.yaml](https://github.com/vast-data/vast-csi/blob/v2.5/charts/vastcsi/values.yaml).

```plaintext
secretName: "<secret>"
endpoint: "<endpoint>"
verifySsl: true|false
sslCertsSecretName: "<SSL secret>"
deletionVipPool: "<deletion virtual IP pool>"
deletionViewPolicy: "<deletion view policy>"

StorageClassDefaults:
  <option 1>
  <option 2>
  ...
  <option n>

storageClasses:
  <storage class name 1>:
    <option 1>
    <option 2>
    ...
    <option n>
  <storage class name 2>:
    <option 1>
    <option 2>
    ...
    <option n>
 ...
  <storage class name n>:
    <option 1>
    <option 2>
    ...
    <option n>
```

In the YAML file:

1. Set global or storage class-specific session options:

  - Global session options are specified in the beginning of the configuration file. They apply to all storage classes:

    - `secretName: "&lt;secret&gt;"`: Specify the Kubernetes secret with VMS user credentials to be used by VAST CSI Driver. The secret must include the VMS user's username and password. For more information, see [Create a Kubernetes Secret with VMS User Credentials for VAST CSI Driver](/develop/docs/create-a-kubernetes-secret-with-vms-user-credentials-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5).

The `secretName` global session option is required unless the secret name is provided, together with `secretNamespace`, under `StorageClassDefaults` or under a specific storage class. If you supply the secret name under a specific storage class, you must specify the endpoint within the secret.
    - `endpoint: "&lt;endpoint&gt;"` (required): Enter the VAST Cluster management hostname.
    - `verifySsl: true|false` (optional): Specify `true` to enable [SSL encryption](/develop/docs/configuring-ssl-encryption-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5) for the connection to the VAST cluster. If set to `false` or not specified, SSL encryption is disabled.

> [!TIP]
> **Tip**
> 
> When enabling SSL encryption, either upload a CA-signed SSL certificate to the VAST cluster, or [supply](/develop/docs/configuring-ssl-encryption-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5) a self-signed SSL certificate to the driver. The latter can be done either via the `sslCertsSecretName` option, or using `--set-file sslCert` on the Helm chart installation command.
    - `sslCertsSecretName: "&lt;SSL secret&gt;"` (optional): Specify the Kubernetes secret that contains the self-signed SSL certificate to be used to secure communications between VAST CSI Driver and the VAST cluster. For more information, see [Configuring SSL Encryption for VAST CSI Driver](/develop/docs/configuring-ssl-encryption-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5).
  - Storage class-specific session options are specified under a certain storage class (in [step 3](/develop/docs/create-a-helm-chart-configuration-file-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5)). They apply to that particular storage class only, taking precedence over global session options.
2. If you are going to use a VAST cluster that has its Trash Folder Access feature disabled or not used, set options to [handle deletions](/develop/docs/leveraging-trash-folder-access-to-handle-deletions-2-5). When running against a VAST Cluster version prior to 4.7.0-SP6, these options are required.

  - `deletionVipPool: "&lt;deletion virtual IP pool&gt;"`: Specify the name of the VAST Cluster's virtual IP pool to be used when deleting volumes. It can match a virtual IP pool specified in the `vipPool` property of a storage class, or you can specify a different virtual IP pool. For more guidance, see [Extra Configuration Steps for Legacy CSI Local-Mount Deletions](/develop/docs/configure-vast-cluster-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5#extra-configuration-steps-for-legacy-csi-local-mount-deletions).
  - `deletionViewPolicy: "&lt;deletion virtual IP pool&gt;"`: Specify the name of the VAST Cluster view policy to be used when deleting volumes. It can match a view policy specified in the `viewPolicy` property of a storage class, or you can specify a different view policy. For more guidance, see [Extra Configuration Steps for Legacy CSI Local-Mount Deletions](/develop/docs/configure-vast-cluster-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5#extra-configuration-steps-for-legacy-csi-local-mount-deletions).
3. Set storage class options:

  - `&lt;storage class name&gt;` (required): Provide a name to identify the storage class. For more information about Kubernetes storage classes, see [Using Storage Classes](/develop/docs/using-storage-classes-2-5).

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**
> 
> Define at least one storage class.
  - `&lt;option 1&gt;`...`&lt;option n&gt;`: Specify parameters to be used when provisioning storage for PVCs with this storage class. For information on each option, see [Storage Class Option Reference](/develop/docs/using-storage-classes-2-5#storage-class-option-reference).

The required options are as follows:

```plaintext
storageClasses:
  <storage class name>:
    vipPoolFQDN: "<pool FQDN>" | vipPool: "<pool name>"
    storagePath: "<path>"
    viewPolicy: "<policy name>"
```

If you want to configure storage class-specific session options, add the following parameters:

    - `secretName` (required if no global session options are set): The name of the Kubernetes [secret](/develop/docs/create-a-kubernetes-secret-with-vms-user-credentials-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5) that contains information about the VAST cluster on which to provision volumes for this particular storage class, the corresponding VMS user credentials and, optionally, the SSL certificate. For more information, see [Provisioning Volumes on Multiple VAST Clusters](/develop/docs/provisioning-volumes-on-multiple-vast-clusters-2-5).
    - `secretNamespace` (optional): If the storage class Kubernetes secret (specified on `secretName`) was created in a namespace that is different from that used to install the VAST CSI Driver's Helm chart, add this parameter to specify the namespace of the Kubernetes secret.
4. (Optional) Configure registration of VAST CSI Driver with `kubelet`:

  - `kubeletPath: "&lt;your kubelet root directory&gt;"` (optional): Add this option if you are going to run VAST CSI Driver on a Kubernetes cluster where the kubelet root directory is not `/var/lib/kubelet`.

The following snippet shows a sample configuration file for VAST CSI Driver:

```plaintext
secretName: "vast-mgmt"
endpoint: "vms.example.com"
deletionVipPool: "vippool-1"
deletionViewPolicy: "default"
verifySsl: true

StorageClassDefaults:
  volumeNameFormat: "csi:{namespace}:{name}:{id}"
  ephemeralVolumeNameFormat: "eph:{namespace}:{name}:{id}"
  vipPool: "main"

storageClasses:
  vastdata-filesystem:
    vipPool: "vippool-1"
    storagePath: "/k8s"
    viewPolicy: "default"
    mountOptions:
      - proto=tcp
      - port=2049
      - vers=3
  vastdata-filesystem2:
    secretName: "session-options-for-fs2"
    secretNamespace: "nm"
    vipPool: "vippool-2"
    storagePath: "/fs2/path"
    viewPolicy: "policy-for-fs2"
      mountOptions:
        - proto=rdma
        - port=20049
  my-custom-storage-class:
    secretName: "custom-tenant"
    secretNamespace: "tenant2"
    storagePath: "/data" 
    vipPool: "vip-tenant2"
```

## Verify the Configuration File

Verify the newly created chart configuration file:

```plaintext
helm template <release name> <repo>/<chart> -f <filename>.yaml -n <namespace>
```

Where:

- `&lt;release name&gt;` identifies the release being deployed.
- `&lt;repo&gt;` is the name of the VAST CSI Driver [Helm repository](/develop/docs/add-the-helm-repository-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5).
- `&lt;chart&gt;` is the name of the VAST CSI Driver [Helm chart](/develop/docs/install-the-vast-csi-driver-helm-chart-2-5) (`vastcsi`).
- `&lt;filename&gt;.yaml` is the VAST driver chart configuration file.
- `&lt;namespace&gt;` Determines the Kubernetes namespace to which the release is deployed. If this parameter is not specified, the `default` namespace is used. Otherwise, [create](/develop/docs/create-a-kubernetes-namespace-for-vast-csi-driver-2-5) a custom namespace prior to installing the VAST driver chart.

For example:

```plaintext
helm template csi-driver vastcsi/vastcsi -f values.yaml
```

The output is similar to the following:

```plaintext
---
# Source: vastcsi/templates/serviceaccount.yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: ServiceAccount
metadata:
  name: csi-vast-controller-sa
  namespace: "default"
  labels:
    helm.sh/chart: vastcsi-0.1.0
    app.kubernetes.io/name: vastcsi
    app.kubernetes.io/instance: csi-driver
    app.kubernetes.io/version: "2.5.0"
    app.kubernetes.io/managed-by: Helm
---
# Source: vastcsi/templates/serviceaccount.yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: ServiceAccount
metadata:
<...>
```