Volumes are block storage devices that you attach to instances to enable persistent storage. You can attach a volume to a running instance or detach a volume and attach it to another instance at any time. You can also create a snapshot from or delete a volume. Only administrative users can create volume types.

Log in to the dashboard, choose a project, and click Volumes. Click Create Volume. In the dialog box that opens, enter or select the following values. Volume Name Specify a name for the volume. Description Optionally, provide a brief description for the volume. Type Leave this field blank. Size (GB) The size of the volume in gigabytes. Volume Source Select one of the following options: No source, empty volume Creates an empty volume. An empty volume does not contain a file system or a partition table. Snapshot If you choose this option, a new field for Use snapshot as a source displays. You can select the snapshot from the list. Image If you choose this option, a new field for Use image as a source displays. You can select the image from the list. Select the Availability Zone from the list. By default, this value is set to the availability zone given by the cloud provider (for example, us-west or apac-south). For some cases, it could be nova. Volume If you choose this option, a new field for Use volume as a source displays. You can select the volume from the list. Options to use a snapshot or a volume as the source for a volume are displayed only if there are existing snapshots or volumes. Click Create Volume. The dashboard shows the volume on the Volumes tab.

After you create one or more volumes, you can attach them to instances. You can attach a volume to one instance at a time. Log in to the dashboard, choose a project, and click Volumes. Select the volume to add to an instance and click Edit Attachments. In the Manage Volume Attachments dialog box, select an instance. Enter the name of the device from which the volume is accessible by the instance. The actual device name might differ from the volume name because of hypervisor settings. Click Attach Volume. The dashboard shows the instance to which the volume is now attached and the device name. You can view the status of a volume in the Volumes tab of the dashboard. The volume is either Available or In-Use. Now you can log in to the instance and mount, format, and use the disk.

Log in to the dashboard, choose a project, and click Volumes. Select the volume and click Edit Attachments. Click Detach Volume and confirm your changes. A message indicates whether the action was successful.

Log in to the dashboard, choose a project, and click Volumes. Select a volume from which to create a snapshot. From the More list, select Create Snapshot. In the dialog box that opens, enter a snapshot name and a brief description. Confirm your changes. The dashboard shows the new volume snapshot in Volume Snapshots tab.

Log in to the dashboard, choose a project, and click Volumes. From the CURRENT PROJECT on the Project tab, select the appropriate project. On the Project tab, click Volumes. Select the image that you want to edit. In the Actions column, click Edit Volume. In the Edit Volume dialog box, update the name and description of the image. Click Edit Volume. You can extend a volume by using the Extend Volume option available in the More dropdown list and entering the new value for volume size.

When you delete an instance, the data in its attached volumes is not destroyed. Log in to the dashboard, choose a project, and click Volumes. Select the check boxes for the volumes that you want to delete. Click Delete Volumes and confirm your choice. A message indicates whether the action was successful.