# create_instance

Create a new instance in the specified project. The request requires project_id, instance_id, display_name, and at least one cluster. The instance_id must be RFC 1035 compliant. Each cluster must specify its zone (e.g. us-central1-a). Example: { "project_id": "my-project", "instance_id": "my-instance", "display_name": "This is my instance", "clusters": [ { "zone": "us-central1-a", "serve_nodes": 3, "default_storage_type": "SSD" } ] }

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `create_instance`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/create-instance

## Facts

- Tool: `create_instance`
- Server: Mcp (`https://bigtableadmin.googleapis.com/mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/https://bigtableadmin.googleapis.com/mcp
- Risk category: Write (Medium risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 4 (4 required)
- Recommended policy verdict: Rate-limited

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `clusters` | array | yes | Required. Clusters to be created within the instance. At least one cluster must be specified. |
| `projectId` | string | yes | Required. The project ID (e.g., "my-project"). If not known from the context, the Agent should attempt to get the current project ID from the gcloud config by r |
| `instanceId` | string | yes | Required. The ID to be used when referring to the new instance within its project, e.g., just `myinstance` rather than `projects/myproject/instances/myinstance` |
| `displayName` | string | yes | Required. The descriptive name for this instance as it appears in UIs. |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "create_instance",
    "arguments": {
      "clusters": [],
      "projectId": "<projectId>",
      "instanceId": "<instanceId>",
      "displayName": "<displayName>"
    }
  }
}
```

## Why create_instance is rated Medium

Creating a new Bigtable instance is a write operation that establishes new infrastructure and incurs cloud resource costs. It is reversible (instances can be deleted via delete_instance), so it falls under Write rather than Destructive.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool creates a new instance in the specified project with cluster configuration, which is a reversible data/resource creation operation. Description states 'Create a new instance' and requires project_id, instance_id, display_name, and cluster specifications."

## Use case

AI agents use create_instance to create or update resources in Mcp, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Mcp environment.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Rate-limited**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Mcp:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "create_instance": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "create_instance_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Mcp (13)

- `delete_instance` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/delete-instance.md
- `delete_logical_view` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/delete-logical-view.md
- `delete_table` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/delete-table.md
- `get_instance` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/get-instance.md
- `get_logical_view` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/get-logical-view.md
- `get_table` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/get-table.md
- `list_hot_tablets` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/list-hot-tablets.md
- `list_instances` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/list-instances.md
- `list_logical_views` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/list-logical-views.md
- `list_tables` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/list-tables.md
- `create_logical_view` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/create-logical-view.md
- `create_table` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/create-table.md
- `update_logical_view` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp/update-logical-view.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/com-googleapis-bigtableadmin-mcp