# Storage Providers

Storage providers contribute and maintain their own CSI drivers that allow their specific storage products to work with Kubernetes clusters. Below is a list of some of the most popular Kubernetes [CSI drivers](https://kubernetes-csi.github.io/docs/drivers.html) that provide multiple storage options.

| Name                                                                               | CSI Driver Name           |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- |
| [AWS Elastic Block Storage](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/aws-ebs-csi-driver) | ebs.csi.aws.com           |
| [Azure disk](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/azuredisk-csi-driver)              | disk.csi.azure.com        |
| [CephFS](https://github.com/ceph/ceph-csi)                                         | cephfs.csi.ceph.com       |
| [Google Cloud Storage](https://github.com/ofek/csi-gcs)                            | gcs.csi.ofek.dev          |
| [Portworx](https://github.com/libopenstorage/openstorage/tree/master/csi)          | pxd.portworx.com          |
| [Vault](https://github.com/kubevault/csi-driver)                                   | secrets.csi.kubevault.com |
| [vSphere](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/vsphere-csi-driver)                   | csi.vsphere.vmware.com    |

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Warning**

Internal provisioners are being deprecated as of Kubernetes v1.23
{% endhint %}

To install one of these storage objects, see the Management of Storage Classes page.

## Preferred Storage Providers

Platform9 works with multiple partners in the industry to test and validate cloud native storage options on the PMK platform. Below are a few suppliers that we work with:

* [Portworx](https://platform9.com/learn/tutorials/portworx-csi-storage-class)
* [Rook Ceph](https://platform9.com/learn/tutorials/rook-using-ceph-csi)
* [OpenEBS](https://platform9.com/learn/tutorials/openebs)
* PureStorage
* [StateHub](https://statehub.io/)

Providers will dispense specific documentation related to their product.

## What is CSI?

<figure><img src="https://351724846-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHSO0ts94Xucvw1aQnUua%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-3da86f3df94e201606daf6cc8840f277a1f8e0ea%2Fcg6fkoo00cw8wr6s91kwimryvsw90jypyp4oke9o7ifgvogu8j780ax0z9yv2c7l.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Container Storage Interface (or CSI) is an open standard interface used to add support for various block and file storage systems not normally supported by Kubernetes. It serves as a bridge between the platform and the storage driver. These storage volumes are managed by vendor-specific third-party storage drivers used to expose the systems via CSI without affecting the underlying Kubernetes code. This allows vendors to easily share their systems with as many users as possible.