In today’s data-centric landscape, the requirement for high-performance file and block storage - powering everything from AI/ML to enterprise applications - is non-negotiable. However, for developers and data scientists, managing the underlying storage infrastructure can often become a distraction from their primary focus: application development.
To address this, Google Cloud NetApp Volumes (GCNV) offers an AI-enabled, developer-centric approach. We are excited to showcase how the open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server for Google Cloud NetApp Volumes acts as a bridge, connecting the AI-native Gemini CLI directly to your NetApp cloud storage environment.
By installing the MCP server as a Gemini CLI extension, you empower Gemini with expert-level knowledge of NetApp Volumes, allowing for rapid provisioning and protection through simple natural language commands. Not just basic operations, the MCP server now supports complex ONTAP-mode operations making it an extremely powerful tool for all our users.
Pre-Requisites - Installing the GCNV MCP Server
The following must be present in your system for the MCP server to work:
- Node.js 18 or higher
- A Google Cloud project with the NetApp Volumes API enabled
- Google Cloud authentication credentials (see Authentication)
The command to run the published package without any local build is:
npx gcnv-mcp-server@latest --transport stdio
Alternatively, you can also install via the Gemini CLI extension workflow:
# 1. Authenticate
gcloud auth login
gcloud auth application-default login
# 2. Install the extension
gemini extension install <repository-url>
# 3. Verify
gemini mcp list
For more details on installation, authentication and transport modes, you can refer to the documentation on our official GitHub repository.
A Simple Example: Provision, Present, and Protect a NetApp Volume using the Gemini CLI
The MCP server enables a seamless end-to-end lifecycle for storage management. Here is how you can use the Gemini CLI to secure your critical application data.
Step 1: Provisioning the Storage Pool
The process begins with creating a storage pool. You can ask Gemini to create a pool by providing basic details such as desired capacity and region.
- Prompt: “Create a storage pool for me”
- Result: It first asks for details such as project ID, location, storage pool name, service level and capacity. Once the user presents these details, it asks for further clarifications if required. Once it gathers all the information, it goes ahead and creates the storage pool.
Step 2: Creating and Presenting the Volume
Once the pool is ready, you can command Gemini to carve out a specific volume and expose it to your clients.
- Prompt: "After the pool has been created, create a volume named mcp-demo-vol of size 200 GiB and add an NFS export rule to provide read and write access to my client IP 10.20.30.40".
- Result: The volume is provisioned within the storage pool, and an export rule with the necessary permissions is automatically applied for the specified IP.
Step 3: Protecting the Volume
The final, critical step is ensuring data durability.
- Prompt: “After the volume has been created, can you help me back it up daily?”
- Result:
- Dependency Management: In the backend, Gemini identifies necessary dependencies, such as the creation of a Backup Vault and a Backup Policy.
- Execution: Upon your approval, Gemini creates these resources and implements the data protection plan.
Verifying Your Infrastructure
One of the primary benefits of this integration is the transparency it maintains with standard Google Cloud Platform (GCP) tools. You can verify the entire setup within the GCP Console, where you will see the volume correctly mapped to the backup policy and vault created by Gemini through the MCP server.
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Action
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Outcome
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Provision Pool
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Creates a storage pool in a chosen region with specific network/replica settings.
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Provision Volume
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Carves out a volume and configures storage protocols (e.g., NFS) and export rules.
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Protect Volume
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Automatically configures backup vaults and policies to enable data protection.
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Getting Started
The MCP Server for Google Cloud NetApp Volumes transforms how you interact with cloud storage, delivering speed, simplicity, and powerful automation directly to your fingertips.
If you want to watch the MCP server live in action, head over to our demo video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xajPci4aJGE
For installation and other details, please visit our GitHub repository.
