Create and attach
Pick a location, type and size. If you also select a Seed, the volume is attached as soon as it is created.
Block Storage for your Seeds
Block Storage gives your cloud server, which we call a Seed, extra disks. You can grow these volumes at any time, regardless of your Seed's size. If you reinstall or delete the Seed, everything on its volumes is kept.
Volume
Up to 15,000 IOPS and 500 MB/s
10 to 10,000 GB on NVMe, replicated three times
From setup to a new Seed
Set up a volume once and grow it as your data grows. When you need to, attach it to another Seed in the same location.
Set up
A new volume is ready within seconds.
Mount
The console shows the commands for each volume. Run them once on your Seed, and the volume is mounted automatically at every boot.
Fixed device path
Each volume appears on your Seed under a fixed path, so your configuration and scripts always find it, even after a reboot or a move.
Public API
Every action in the console is also available in our Public API.
Use
For data that grows or needs to outlive a Seed.
Databases
Keep the data directory of PostgreSQL, MySQL or MongoDB on a volume. When the database grows, resize the volume while it keeps running.
3×
Three copies
Every block is stored three times on NVMe SSDs in our Ceph cluster. If an SSD or an entire storage server fails, your data stays available.
Uploads and media
Store images, videos and uploads, for example from your Nextcloud, on a volume instead of the system disk. When space runs low, you grow the volume, not the whole Seed.
Monitoring
Have Checkmk or Prometheus write their metrics to a volume. To keep a longer history, grow the volume.
Game servers
Put your game server's worlds, saves and mods on a volume. When the world needs more space, grow the volume.
Datasets and artifacts
Keep datasets for analysis or build artifacts on a volume of their own. When you need the data on another Seed in the same location, attach the volume there.
Container data
Use a volume for your containers' data instead of the system disk. If you reinstall the Seed or switch to a new one, the data is kept.
Grow and move
Your data stays where it is when you resize the volume or switch Seeds.
Resize while in use
The volume grows to its new size without a reboot. Then extend the file system with one command from the console.
Moving to a new Seed
When you switch to a new Seed, detach the volume from the old one and attach it to the new one. Mount it there with the commands from the console, and your data is just as you left it.
Reinstalling a Seed
When you reinstall the Seed, the volume stays attached and unchanged. Mount it again in the new system with the same commands.
Delete the Seed, keep the volume
When you delete a Seed, the volume and all its data are kept. You can attach it to another Seed at any time.
Pricing
Billed by the hour
You pay for the size you book, not the space you use.
Delete at any time
Billing stops as soon as you delete the volume.
Reads and writes included
Volume I/O is included in the price and does not count towards your Seed's traffic.
Manage volumes through the Public API
With our Public API, your scripts or CI pipeline can create volumes, attach them to Seeds and resize them.
API="https://api.dataforest.net/api/v1/public"
curl -X POST "$API/volumes" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name": "data-01",
"location": "fra01",
"type": "standard",
"size_gb": 100
}'Questions about Block Storage
What is Block Storage?
Block Storage is storage you add to your Seed as an extra disk, much like a second drive in a computer. We call each of these disks a volume. You format and mount it once on the Seed. Unlike the system disk, a volume is not tied to one Seed. You can attach it to another Seed, and when you delete the Seed, your data stays on the volume.
When do I need a volume instead of a larger Seed?
A volume makes sense when you are running out of storage but have enough vCPUs and RAM. You only pay for the extra space, and your data stays on the volume when you switch Seeds later. If your application needs more compute or memory, a larger Seed is the right choice.
How is a volume billed?
We bill by the hour for the size you book, however much of it you use. Billing starts when you create the volume and stops when you delete it, so it also runs while the volume is detached. Reads and writes are included and do not count towards your Seed's traffic.
How safe is my data on a volume?
Every block is stored three times in our Ceph cluster, so your data stays available if an SSD or an entire storage server fails. The copies do not protect against accidental deletes or overwrites, though, because every change reaches all three at once. For that you need a backup of your own.
Are volumes included in my Seed's backups and snapshots?
No. Seed backups and snapshots cover only the Seed's system disk, so your volumes need a backup of their own. You can take snapshots of a Seed or clone it only while no volume is attached. If you restore the Seed from a backup, the volume stays attached and unchanged.
Can I attach a volume to another Seed?
Yes, to any Seed in the same location, one Seed at a time. Unmount the volume on the old Seed first. The console shows you the commands for this. Then detach it in the console and attach it to the new Seed. Your data stays intact.
What happens to a volume when I delete the Seed?
The volume is detached and keeps all its data. We keep billing it until you delete it, and you can attach it to another Seed at any time.
Can I shrink a volume?
No, volumes can only grow. If you need less space, create a smaller volume, copy your data over and delete the old one.
How many volumes can I create?
Your team has a quota for the number of volumes and their total size, which you can find in the console under Volumes. If you need more, write to our support team, available every day from 9 am to midnight German time. A single Seed takes up to 16 volumes.
Create your first volume
Your volume is ready in seconds. And if you have questions, our support team is there for you every day from 9 am to midnight German time.
