A method and system for generating and configuring a data storage object, such as a volume, are described. According to one aspect of the invention, utilizing a graphical user interface, an administrator selects or otherwise identifies an existing data storage object on a data storage system. Next, one or more configuration parameter values associated with one or more configuration parameters of the existing data storage object are extracted from the existing data storage object on the storage system. Finally, a new data storage object is automatically generated and configured according the configuration parameter values extracted from the existing data storage object.