| copyright | lastupdated | keywords | subcollection | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2020-07-29 |
block storage, IBM Cloud, VPC, virtual private cloud, boot volume, data volume, volume, data storage, virtual server instance, instance, expandable volume |
vpc |
{:shortdesc: .shortdesc} {:codeblock: .codeblock} {:screen: .screen} {:external: target="_blank" .external} {:pre: .pre} {:tip: .tip} {:note: .note} {:beta: .beta} {:table: .aria-labeledby="caption"} {:DomainName: data-hd-keyref="APPDomain"} {:DomainName: data-hd-keyref="DomainName"}
{: #expanding-block-storage-volumes}
For {{site.data.keyword.block_storage_is_short}} volumes you create and attach to a virtual server instance on Gen 2 Compute resources, you can expand the size of your data volumes. You indicate capacity in GB increments up to 16 TB capacity, depending on your volume profile. This process doesn't require you to perform manual steps; for example, you don't have to migrate your data to a larger volume. There's no outage or lack of access to the storage while the volume is being resized. {:shortdesc}
Billing for the volume is automatically updated to add the pro-rated difference of the new price to the current billing cycle. The new full amount is then billed in the next billing cycle.
Expandable volumes is a beta feature that is available for evaluation and testing purposes. This feature is available in the US South, US East, London, and France regions. Contact your IBM Sales representative if you are interested in getting access. {:beta}
{: #expandable-volume-concepts}
Volume capacity can be expanded for data volumes attached to a virtual server instance. The volume must be in an available state and the instance powered on. Your user authorization is verified prior to expanding the volume. You can use the UI, CLI, or API to expand volume capacity.
Expanded capacity is determined by the maximum allowed by the volume's profile. Volumes created from a Custom profile can be expanded within their custom IOPS range. Volumes created using an IOPS tier profile can be expanded to the maximum size for its IOPS tier:
- A general-purpose, 3 IOPS/GB profile can be expanded up to 16 TB
- A 5 IOPS/GB profile can be expanded up to 9.6 TB
- A 10 IOPS/GB profile can be expanded up to 4.8 TB
IOPS are automatically adjusted based on the size of the volume. For example, if you expand a volume created using a 5 IOPS/GB profile from the original size of 250 GB to the expanded size of 1 TB, it will have a max IOPS of 5,000 IOPS (1000 GB capacity x 5 IOPS). Because a 5 IOPS/GB volume can potentially expand to 9.6 TB, the max IOPS would automatically adjust to 48,000 IOPS.
Volume capacity is immediately changed. To realize increased IOPS, you must restart the instance.
If you want larger volumes up to 16 TB at higher IOPS performance than provided by a general-purpose profile, you can create a custom profile that allows expansion up to 16 TB with a higher IOPS range. Note that IOPS remain constant at the level you set when you created the custom volume.
You can monitor the progress of your volume expansion from the UI or CLI. You can also use the Activity Tracker to verify that the volume has been expanded. After a volume is expanded, you can't reduce capacity.
For the Beta release, volumes with a capacity of 10 GB to under 250 GB can be expanded to 250 GB. Volumes over 250 GB can potentially expand up to 16 TB, limited by the capacity range for an IOPS profile or custom range. For more information, see Limitations. {:note}
{: #expandable-volume-limitations}
The following limitations apply in this Beta release.
You can't expand volume capacity when:
- The volume is on a Gen1 Compute resource.
- The volume is an older volume on Gen2 Compute resources that was created before the expandable volume Beta release (July 2020).
- The volume is not attached to a virtual server instance.
- The volume is a boot volume.
- The volume is already at its maximum size for its IOPS tier profile or Custom volume IOPS range.
- Your account does not allow creating greater than 2 TB volumes. You must request Beta access first.
- Your account is in a region that does not support this feature. Regions supporting this Beta are US South, US East, London, and France.
In addition, these limitations apply:
- Volumes less than 250 GB can be expanded up to 250 GB only.
- Volumes over 250 GB can expand to 16 TB, with the following restrictions:
- If the volume was created using an IOPS tier profile that limits capacity to less than 16 TB, it can only expand to the allowed capacity for that tier.
- If the volume is a custom volume created in a lower IOPS range that doesn't allow expanding to 16 TB, it can only expand to its maximum capacity for that custom range.
- IOPS automatically expand to an IOPS value, depending upon the profile you're using. While volume resizing does not incur downtime (that is, you don't have to restart the instance and reattach the volume), for the increased IOPS to take effect, you must restart the virtual server instance.
- Maximum IOPS for a volume is capped at 48,000 IOPS.
- After a volume is expanded, you can't reduce the size of the volume.
- After you create a volume, can't change a volume's IOPS tier profile.
- You can't indpendently modify IOPS for a volume. IOPS are automatically adjusted when you expand a volume's capacity and restart the instance.
- When a volume is in transition, for example, the volume is detached while the volume expansion is in progress, the volume remains in an
updatingstate until you reattach it to an instance. The volume expansion will then resume and complete. - When you delete an instance, volumes marked for auto-deletion are not deleted when volume expansion is underway. For more information, see troubleshooting.
{: #expand-vpc-volumes-ui}
Follow these steps for expanding volume capacity in the UI:
-
Navigate to the list of block storage volumes. In {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} console
, go to Menu icon 
> VPC Infrastructure > Storage > Block storage volumes. By default, block storage volumes display for all resource groups in your region. -
In the list of all Block storage for VPC volumes, click on the name of the volume you want to expand to see the volume details.
The volume you select must be attached to a virtual server instance. In the list of volumes, its attachment type is data. {:note}
-
Alternatively, navigate to a virtual server instance with an attached volume you want to expand and select it from the list of attached volumes.
-
On the volume details page, locate Size. The current IOPS profile and volume size are displayed.
-
Click the pencil icon.
-
In the side panel, increase the volume size in GB up to 16 TB.
The maximum size you can expand to is based on the selected IOPS profile or custom volume settings. The UI indicates the maximum capacity for the selected profile. For a custom profile, you can expand the volume based on sizing limits. When you increase the size of the volume, max IOPS and throughput are calculated for the expanded volume.
-
Review the estimated monthly order summary for your geography and new pricing.
-
If you're satisfied, click Save and continue.
Your new block storage allocation is available in a few minutes.
Note: You can't change the volume to a smaller size after you expand its capacity. If your requirements change, you can expand the same volume again.
{: #expand-vpc-volumes-cli}
From the CLI, use the volume-update command with the --capacity parameter to indicate the new size of the volume in GBs.
ibmcloud is volume-update VOLUME_ID --capacity CAPACITY_GB
{:pre}
This example expands the capacity of a volume created from a 5 IOPS/GB tier profile to the maximum size for that profile.
$ ibmcloud is volume-update 933c8781-f7f5-4a8f-8a2d-3bfc711788ee --capacity 9600
Updating volume 933c8781-f7f5-4a8f-8a2d-3bfc711788ee under account MyAccount 01 as user [email protected]...
ID 0738-933c8781-f7f5-4a8f-8a2d-3bfc711788ee
Name demo-volume-update
Capacity 9600
IOPS 1000
Profile 5iops-tier
Encryption Key -
Encryption provider managed
Status available
Created 2020-07-14 10:09:28
Resource Group Default(c16d1edde3fd4a71a0130aed371405a0)
Zone us-south-2
Resource Group Default(c16d1edde3fd4a71a0130aed371405a0)
Volume Attachment Instance Reference Vdisk Name Vdisk ID Vdisk Type Auto Delete
Vdisk-data1 0738-fd146b1f-e1bb-4eab-ba78-3109e6bc3a2d data true
Instance Name Instance ID
vsi-test1 0738-8b56da93-7990-4ccf-9dc5-5aee6a5f08f9{:screen}
{: #expand-vpc-volumes-api}
You can expand existing data volumes by calling the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) API.
Make a PATCH/volumes request to increase the capacity of a volume attached to an instance.
You can't update the name of the volume and expand capacity in the same PATCH/volumes request. Make two separate PATCH/volumes requests.
{:note}
This example call expands a volume with a capacity of 50 GB to 250GB.
curl -X PATCH \
"$vpc_api_endpoint/v1/volumes/$volume_id?version=2020-07-14&generation=2" \
-H "Authorization: $iam_token" \
-d '{
"capacity": 250
}'
{: codeblock}
The volume status will show updating while the volume is being expanded. The current capacity is shown.
{
"capacity": 50,
"created_at": "2020-07-14T09:46:43.000Z",
"crn": "crn:v1:staging:public:is:us-south-1:a/<Acc id>::volume:<Volume ID>",
.
.
.
"status": "updating",
.
.
.
{
{:codeblock}
When the volume expansion completes, the new value displays and the volume status is available.
{
"capacity": 250,
"created_at": "2020-07-14T09:46:43.000Z",
"crn": "crn:[...]",
"encryption": "provider_managed",
"href": "https://us-south.iaas.cloud.ibm.com/v1/volumes/2d1bb5a8-40a8-447a-acf7-0eadc8aeb054",
"id": "2d1bb5a8-40a8-447a-acf7-0eadc8aeb054",
"iops": 100,
"name": "my-volume-1",
"profile": {
"href": "https://us-south.iaas.cloud.ibm.com/v1/volume/profiles/general-purpose",
"name": "general-purpose"
},
"resource_group": {
"href": "https://resource-manager.bluemix.net/v1/resource_groups/83daf012-5920-4ba9-9689-cc0d2d2281fb",
"id": "83daf012-5920-4ba9-9689-cc0d2d2281fb",
"name": "Default"
},
"status": "available",
"volume_attachments": [{
"delete_volume_on_instance_delete": true,
"device": {
"id": "4cbb38bc-57d5-4121-a796-d5b10cf0810a"
},
"href": "https://us-south.iaas.cloud.ibm.com/v1/instances/8f06378c-ed0e-481e-b98c-9a6dfbee1ed5/volume_attachments/4cbb38bc-57d5-4121-a796-d5b10cf0810a",
"id": "<4cbb38bc-57d5-4121-a796-d5b10cf0810aAttachment ID>",
"instance": {
"crn": "crn:[...]",
"href": "https://us-south.iaas.cloud.ibm.com/v1/instances/8f06378c-ed0e-481e-b98c-9a6dfbee1ed5,
"id": "8f06378c-ed0e-481e-b98c-9a6dfbee1ed5",
"name": "my-instance-1"
},
"name": "my-volume-attachment-1",
"type": "data"
}],
"zone": {
"href": "https://us-south.iaas.cloud.ibm.com/v1/regions/us-south/zones/us-south-2",
"name": "us-south-2"
}
}
{:codeblock}
{: #next-step-expandable-volumes}
Create more volumes or manage your existing block storage volumes.