Browse Volumes

Learn how to browse and search through available volumes in the registry to find exactly what you need for your VMs.

Accessing the Volume Browser link

From Volumes Page link

Navigate to the Volumes page:

1. Click “Volumes” in the sidebar (under Networks)
2. View all available volumes in the table

Volume Table Layout link

The volume table displays key information:

Columns:

• Name - Volume display name
• Type - Data, Rootfs, or Scratch
• Size - File size in MB/GB
• Format - ext4, qcow2, or raw
• Attached VMs - Number of VMs using this volume
• Created - When volume was added
• Actions - Available operations

Searching Volumes link

Basic Search link

Use the search bar to find volumes:

Search by:

• Volume name
• VM name (finds volumes attached to that VM)
• Format type
• Keywords

Examples:

  Search: "postgres"
→ Finds: postgres-data-prod, postgres-backup

Search: "web-server"
→ Finds: Volumes attached to web-server VM

Search: "ext4"
→ Finds: All ext4 volumes

Search: "data"
→ Finds: postgres-data, webapp-data, logs-data
  

Search Tips link

Be specific:

  ❌ Too vague: "volume"
✅ Better: "postgres data"
✅ Best: "postgres-data-prod"
  

Search by VM name:

  "web-server" → shows volumes attached to web-server
"database-01" → shows volumes for database-01 VM
  

Search by purpose:

  "backup" → finds backup volumes
"logs" → finds log storage volumes
"temp" → finds temporary volumes
  

Filtering Volumes link

Filter by Type link

Use the type filter dropdown:

Filter options:

• All - Show all types
• ext4 - Only ext4 volumes
• qcow2 - Only qcow2 volumes
• raw - Only raw volumes

Filter by Status link

Filter volumes by attachment status:

Filter options:

• All - Show all volumes
• Attached - Only volumes attached to VMs
• Available - Only unattached volumes

Use cases:

• Find “Available” volumes for reuse
• Check “Attached” to see what’s in use
• Identify unused volumes for cleanup

Combined Filtering link

Combine search and filters:

Example 1: Find available data volumes

  1. Set type filter to "EXT4"
2. Set status filter to "Available"
Result: Only unattached data volumes
  

Example 2: Find postgres volumes

  1. Set type filter to "EXT4"
2. Search for "postgres"
Result: Only data volumes with "postgres" in name
  

Viewing Volume Details link

Volume Information link

Each volume row shows key details:

Displayed information:

• Name: Display name of the volume
• Type badge: Color-coded type indicator
  • Blue for Data
  • Green for Rootfs
  • Purple for Scratch
• Size: Human-readable file size
• Format badge: ext4, qcow2, or raw
• VM count: Number of VMs using this volume
• Date: When volume was created

Volume Size Display link

Sizes are formatted for readability:

  < 1 GB:     "512 MB"
< 10 GB:    "2.5 GB"
< 100 GB:   "45 GB"
>= 100 GB:  "250 GB"
  

Typical sizes:

• Rootfs: 2-20 GB
• Data volumes: 10-500 GB
• Scratch: 5-100 GB
• Database volumes: 50-1000 GB

Volume Categories link

Application Data Volumes link

Volumes for application storage:

  Database:
- postgres-data-prod
- mysql-data-staging
- redis-cache

Web Applications:
- webapp-uploads
- static-assets
- user-content

Logs:
- app-logs-2025
- nginx-logs
- system-logs
  

System Volumes link

Rootfs and system storage:

  Operating Systems:
- ubuntu-22.04-base
- alpine-3.18-minimal
- debian-12-server

Specialized:
- container-runtime
- development-env
- production-base
  

Temporary Volumes link

Scratch and temporary storage:

  Computation:
- temp-processing
- scratch-space
- build-cache

Testing:
- test-data-temp
- dev-workspace
- experiment-storage
  

Sorting Volumes link

Volumes can be sorted by clicking column headers:

Sort by Name (alphabetical):

  app-logs
database-backup
postgres-data
webapp-uploads
  

Sort by Size (largest first):

  postgres-data (500 GB)
webapp-uploads (100 GB)
logs-archive (50 GB)
scratch-temp (10 GB)
  

Sort by Usage (most used first):

  shared-assets (5 VMs)
postgres-data (3 VMs)
logs-archive (1 VM)
test-volume (0 VMs)
  

Sort by Date (newest first):

  new-data-volume (Today)
postgres-backup (Yesterday)
old-logs (Last month)
  

Empty States link

No Volumes Found link

When no volumes match your search:

Message: “No volumes found”

Actions:

1. Clear search query
2. Adjust filters
3. Try different keywords
4. Create new volumes if needed

Performance Tips link

Quick Navigation link

Keyboard shortcuts:

• Tab - Move between search and filters
• Enter - Select highlighted volume
• Escape - Close browser modal
• Arrow keys - Navigate volume list

Mouse shortcuts:

• Click volume name for quick select
• Double-click for instant selection
• Hover for quick info tooltip

Efficient Searching link

Start broad, then narrow:

  Step 1: Filter to type (e.g., "Data")
Step 2: Filter to status (e.g., "Available")
Step 3: Search for name (e.g., "postgres")
  

Use prefixes:

  "postgres" → finds PostgreSQL volumes
"web" → finds web application volumes
"log" → finds log storage volumes
  

Save common searches: Keep notes of frequently used volumes:

  Production database: postgres-data-prod
Upload storage: webapp-uploads-prod
Log archive: logs-archive-2025
  

Best Practices link

Finding the Right Volume link

✅ Check VM count:

• Zero count = Available for use
• High count = Heavily used (shared or rootfs)

✅ Verify size:

• Match your storage needs
• Consider growth
• Check available space

✅ Review format:

• ext4 for performance
• qcow2 for space saving
• raw for simplicity

Before Selecting link

✅ Confirm availability:

• Check if already attached
• Verify not in use by critical VM
• Consider attachment mode

✅ Check capacity:

• Sufficient size for needs
• Room for growth
• Performance requirements

✅ Verify purpose:

• Match volume to use case
• Production vs. development
• Temporary vs. persistent

Troubleshooting link

Issue: Can’t Find Expected Volume link

Symptoms:

• Volume not in list
• Search returns no results

Possible causes:

1. Volume not created yet
2. Filter hiding the volume
3. Typo in search query

Solution:

1. Clear all filters (set to “All”)
2. Clear search query
3. Check spelling
4. Verify volume was created
5. Ask administrator if it exists

Issue: Too Many Results link

Symptoms:

• Long list of volumes
• Hard to find specific volume

Solution:

1. Use specific search terms
2. Apply type and status filters
3. Sort by relevant column
4. Use VM name in search

Issue: Unclear Volume Purpose link

Symptoms:

• Multiple similar volumes
• Don’t know which to choose

Solution:

1. Check VM count (in-use volumes)
2. Look for descriptive names
3. Ask team about standard volumes
4. Check volume creation date
5. Review volume size (hints at purpose)

Quick Reference link

Search Operators link

Filter Options link

Column Sorting link

Next Steps link

• Create Volumes - Add new volumes to the registry
• Manage Volumes - Attach, detach, and organize volumes
• Users - Manage user accounts and access control
• Volumes Overview - Learn about volume types
• Create VM - Use volumes when creating VMs