What Volumes Are For
Volumes are network-attached block devices that extend the storage available to an Instance. They behave like additional disks that you can format, mount, and grow over time. Use Volumes when you need:- Persistent application data outside the root disk.
- Dedicated storage for databases, queues, search indexes, or uploads.
- Independent storage growth without resizing compute.
Create and Attach
Recommended workflow:- Create the Volume in the same region as the target Instance.
- Attach it to the intended Instance.
- Format the disk with the filesystem your workload expects.
- Mount it to the correct application path.
- Persist the mount so it survives reboot.
Resizing
Resize a Volume when the workload is growing faster than the current disk plan allows. After resizing:- Confirm the block device is visible at the new size.
- Expand the partition if you use partitioning.
- Expand the filesystem so the OS can use the new capacity.
Operational Guidance
- Keep the root disk for OS and temporary system files.
- Put mutable data on Volumes.
- Monitor disk utilization and inode pressure.
- Snapshot before high-risk filesystem or schema changes.
- Avoid treating a single Volume as multi-writer shared storage unless the application is explicitly built for that pattern.
Backup and Recovery
Volumes should have a recovery plan before they become critical:- Use snapshots for fast point-in-time protection.
- Pair snapshots with application-aware backups for databases.
- Test restore and reattach procedures.
Troubleshooting
Check these first when a Volume does not behave as expected:- Region mismatch between the Volume and Instance.
- Missing filesystem or mount configuration.
- Application still writing to the root disk instead of the mounted path.
- Resized disk without filesystem expansion.