Managing Volumes - Create, Expand & Configure Storage | Nife Docs

This guide covers all operations for managing persistent storage volumes for your applications.

Viewing Volumes

Accessing Volumes Dashboard

Navigate to Volumes

1. From main dashboard, click Volumes in navigation
2. Dashboard loads with all applications and their volumes
3. Summary cards show volume statistics
4. Applications listed with volume counts

Volume List Organization

Volumes are organized by application:

• Each application shows as a collapsible card
• Displays application name, status, and regions
• Shows count of volumes for each app
• Expandable to see detailed volume information

Expanding Applications

View Volume Details

Expand Application

1. Locate application in the volumes list
2. Click on the application card row
3. Application expands to show volume table
4. Volume details become visible
5. Shows all volumes for this application

What Displays

• Volume name and purpose
• Storage size in GB
• Geographic region
• Creation date
• Snapshot action button

Collapse Application

Hide Volume Details

1. Click the expanded application row
2. Application collapses
3. Volume details hidden
4. Shows only summary information

Volume Information

Understanding Volume Details

Volume Name

• User-defined identifier
• Describes the volume's purpose
• Examples: database, logs, cache, uploads
• Must be unique within the application

Volume Size

• Storage capacity allocated
• Measured in GB (gigabytes)
• Affects monthly costs
• Can usually be expanded

Region

• Geographic location of storage
• Matches or near application region
• Affects latency and compliance
• Examples: us-east-1, eu-west-1, ap-south-1

Created At

• Date volume was created
• Formatted as readable date
• Helps track volume age
• Useful for lifecycle management

Creating Volumes

During Application Creation

Add Volumes

1. When creating new application
2. Specify persistent volumes needed
3. Define volume name
4. Set volume size
5. Choose region

Volume Configuration

• Volume name: Descriptive name
• Size: Initial storage capacity in GB
• Region: Geographic location
• Type: Storage type (if applicable)

Adding Volumes to Existing Applications

Attach New Volume

1. Navigate to application settings
2. Find Storage/Volumes section
3. Click "Add Volume"
4. Configure volume details
5. Apply changes
6. Application may need restart

Configuration Details

• Volume name
• Initial size
• Mount path (if required)
• Region selection

Volume Snapshots

Snapshot Overview

Snapshots provide point-in-time backups:

• Capture complete volume state
• Enable quick recovery
• Support disaster recovery
• Useful before major changes
• Can be used to create new volumes

Creating Snapshots

From Volume Row

1. Locate volume in expanded application
2. Click "Snapshots" button
3. Snapshots dialog opens
4. Click "Create Snapshot" button
5. Enter snapshot details

Snapshot Creation Dialog

Snapshot Name

• Required field
• Must be unique for the volume
• Descriptive name recommended
• Examples: backup-2024-12-29, pre-update

Snapshot Description (Optional)

• Additional details about snapshot
• Reason for snapshot
• Context about data state
• Helpful for future reference

Creating Snapshot

1. Enter snapshot name
2. Add description (optional)
3. Click "Create Snapshot"
4. Snapshot creation starts
5. Status shows in snapshots list

Snapshot Status

Snapshot States

Status	Meaning
Pending	Creation in progress
Completed	Ready to use
Failed	Creation unsuccessful
Restoring	Restore operation underway

Viewing Snapshots

1. Click Snapshots button on volume
2. Dialog shows all snapshots
3. See snapshot details
4. Perform snapshot operations

Snapshot Management

Snapshot List

Information Shown

• Snapshot name
• Description (if provided)
• Status (completed, pending, etc.)
• Size in GB
• Creation date and time

Snapshot Table Columns

Column	Description
Snapshot Name	User-defined identifier
Description	Optional notes about snapshot
Status	Current snapshot state
Size	Storage size of snapshot
Created	Date snapshot was created
Actions	Restore button

Restoring Snapshots

Before Restoring

warning

Restoring a snapshot will overwrite current volume data. Ensure you have a backup if needed.

Restore Process

1. Open Snapshots dialog for volume
2. Locate snapshot to restore
3. Click "Restore" button
4. Confirmation dialog appears
5. Confirm restoration
6. Restoration begins
7. Wait for completion

Restoration Steps

1. Snapshot data is copied
2. Current volume data is overwritten
3. Application may experience downtime
4. Services restart after restoration
5. Check application functionality

Restoring Confirmation

Confirmation Dialog

• Warns about data overwrite
• Shows snapshot being restored
• Asks for confirmation
• Cannot be undone after confirmation

After Restoration

• Volume data returns to snapshot point
• Any changes after snapshot are lost
• Application continues with restored data
• May need service restart

Snapshot Best Practices

When to Create Snapshots

Before Major Changes

• Configuration updates
• Application upgrades
• Database migrations
• System patches
• Security updates

Regular Backups

• Daily snapshots for critical data
• Weekly snapshots for non-critical
• Monthly archives for compliance
• Before any risky operation

Recovery Scenarios

• Accidental data deletion
• Data corruption
• Application crash
• Failed update rollback
• Disaster recovery

Snapshot Naming Convention

Recommended Format

purpose-date-time

backup-2024-12-29-morning

before-upgrade-v2.1.0

daily-backup-week-52

Useful Information

• Date of snapshot
• Purpose of backup
• Related application version
• Recovery priority

Snapshot Retention

Keep Snapshots For

• Production: 30+ days
• Staging: 14+ days
• Development: 7+ days
• Archive critical: 90+ days

Delete Old Snapshots

• Review quarterly
• Remove unnecessary snapshots
• Free storage space
• Reduce storage costs

Monitoring Volumes

Volume Growth

Track Size Changes

• Monitor volume size over time
• Identify growth trends
• Plan capacity upgrades
• Prevent running out of space

When to Expand

• Usage approaching 80% capacity
• Frequent storage warnings
• Growth trend indicates need
• Application requires more space

Application with Volumes

View Volume Count

• Check badge on application card
• Shows number of volumes
• Updates in real-time
• Helps understand storage needs

Volume Distribution

• See how many volumes per app
• Identify storage-heavy apps
• Plan allocation strategies
• Optimize resource distribution

Volume Deletion

Removing Volumes

danger

Deleting a volume is permanent. Ensure all important data is backed up.

Before Deleting

1. Create snapshot if data needed
2. Export important data
3. Notify team members
4. Check for dependencies
5. Get approvals if needed

Delete Volume

1. Navigate to application settings
2. Find Storage/Volumes section
3. Select volume to delete
4. Click "Delete" button
5. Confirm deletion
6. Volume is removed

After Deletion

• Volume data is permanently lost
• Cannot be recovered without snapshot
• Storage costs cease
• Application behavior changes

Troubleshooting

Volume Issues

Volume Not Appearing

1. Refresh the dashboard
2. Check application status
3. Verify application has volumes
4. Try different browser
5. Contact support if issue persists

Snapshot Creation Failed

1. Check available storage
2. Verify sufficient disk space
3. Confirm volume accessibility
4. Review error message
5. Try creating snapshot again

Restore Failed

1. Check volume status
2. Verify snapshot is valid
3. Ensure sufficient space
4. Check application status
5. Review error details

Cannot Access Volume

1. Verify application is running
2. Check network connectivity
3. Confirm proper permissions
4. Review security settings
5. Check cloud provider status

Volume Operations Summary

Operation	Purpose	Prerequisites
Create Volume	Add persistent storage	Application created
View Details	See volume information	Volume exists
Create Snapshot	Backup volume data	Volume exists
Restore Snapshot	Recover volume data	Snapshot exists
Expand Volume	Increase capacity	Volume created
Delete Volume	Remove persistent storage	Data backed up

Best Practices

1. Naming: Use clear, descriptive volume names
2. Sizing: Allocate appropriate size for workload
3. Snapshots: Create before major changes
4. Monitoring: Track volume growth and usage
5. Cleanup: Delete unused volumes regularly
6. Backup: Maintain snapshot retention policy
7. Documentation: Keep records of critical volumes
8. Testing: Test snapshot restoration regularly

Summary: Volume Management Workflow

Managing volumes effectively involves:

1. Planning: Determine storage needs based on application requirements
2. Creation: Create volumes during application deployment or later
3. Configuration: Set appropriate size, region, and naming conventions
4. Monitoring: Track usage and plan for growth
5. Maintenance: Expand, optimize, or delete volumes as needed
6. Documentation: Keep records of all volume configurations

Regular reviews of your volume allocation ensure optimal performance and cost efficiency.

Next Steps

• Snapshot Management - Backup volumes and implement disaster recovery
• Volume Details - View detailed storage information and properties
• Export and Analysis - Export and analyze volume data for reporting
• Volumes Overview - Return to volumes dashboard guide