Block Storage

Yes. Leafcloud block storage supports online volume expansion without detaching from your instance:

# 1. Extend the volume (e.g., from 100GB to 200GB)
openstack volume set --size 200 my-volume

# 2. Resize the filesystem (on your VM, while mounted)
sudo resize2fs /dev/vdb  # for ext4
# or
sudo xfs_growfs /mnt/data  # for XFS

Your application continues running throughout the resize process with zero downtime.

Important notes:

• You can only increase volume size, not decrease it
• Filesystem resize commands vary by filesystem type (ext4, XFS, etc.)
• The operation is immediate—you're billed for the new size starting from the resize timestamp

This makes it easy to scale storage as your data grows without complex migration procedures or service interruptions.

Yes. Leafcloud block storage integrates natively with Kubernetes via the Cinder CSI driver for persistent volumes:

# StorageClass for dynamic provisioning
apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: leafcloud-ssd
provisioner: cinder.csi.openstack.org
parameters:
  type: ssd
volumeBindingMode: WaitForFirstConsumer

---
# PersistentVolumeClaim
apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
metadata:
  name: mysql-pvc
spec:
  accessModes:
    - ReadWriteOnce
  storageClassName: leafcloud-ssd
  resources:
    requests:
      storage: 100Gi

Key Benefits:

• Dynamic provisioning: Kubernetes creates volumes automatically when pods request them
• Volume expansion: Resize PVCs without recreating pods (online resize supported)
• Snapshots: Create VolumeSnapshots for backups or cloning
• High IOPS: SSD volumes deliver up to 10,000 IOPS for database workloads

Perfect for stateful applications like databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB), caches (Redis), message queues (RabbitMQ, Kafka), and any workload requiring persistent storage.

See our Managed Kubernetes documentation for CSI driver setup and examples.

Snapshots create point-in-time copies of your volumes for backups or cloning:

# Create a snapshot
openstack volume snapshot create --volume my-volume backup-snapshot

# Restore from snapshot (create new volume)
openstack volume create --snapshot backup-snapshot restored-volume

# Clone for dev/staging
openstack volume create --source backup-snapshot dev-clone

Pricing:

• Volume snapshots: €0.10/GB/month (same as volume storage)
• Volume backups: €0.10/GB/month (full backups with incremental support)
• You only pay for the actual space consumed

Snapshot vs Backup:

• Snapshots: Fast, lightweight, stored alongside volumes. Best for quick clones and short-term recovery points.
• Backups: Full copies with incremental support, stored separately. Best for disaster recovery and long-term retention.

Both are stored on the same Ceph infrastructure with 3x replication for durability. See the pricing page for current rates.

Creating and attaching a volume takes three simple steps using the OpenStack CLI:

# 1. Create a volume (100GB SSD example)
openstack volume create --size 100 my-volume

# 2. Attach it to your instance
openstack server add volume my-instance my-volume

# 3. Format and mount (on your VM)
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/vdb
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/data
sudo mount /dev/vdb /mnt/data

You can also create and attach volumes through the OpenStack Horizon dashboard with a point-and-click interface.

See our Quick Start guide for complete setup instructions including making mounts persistent across reboots.

Yes. Leafcloud block storage supports encryption both at rest and in transit:

Encryption at Rest (LUKS): All volumes support Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) encryption, with cryptographic keys under your control:

# Format volume with LUKS encryption
sudo cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/vdb

# Open encrypted volume
sudo cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/vdb my-encrypted-volume

# Mount as usual
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/my-encrypted-volume
sudo mount /dev/mapper/my-encrypted-volume /mnt/secure

Encryption in Transit (TLS): All data transfer between instances and the Ceph storage cluster uses TLS encryption, protecting data as it moves across the network.

Key Management:

• You control the encryption keys (LUKS passphrases)
• Keys never leave your instance
• Leafcloud has no access to your encrypted data content

For compliance requirements (GDPR, ISO 27001), encrypted volumes ensure data remains secure even if physical disks are compromised. Performance impact is minimal on modern CPUs with AES-NI acceleration.

SSD volumes deliver up to 10,000 IOPS with sub-10ms latency, ideal for:

• Database servers (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB)
• High-traffic web applications
• Kubernetes persistent volumes for stateful apps
• Boot volumes for fast instance startup

HDD volumes provide up to 500 IOPS, suitable for:

• File storage and archives
• Backup targets with infrequent access
• Log storage and data warehousing
• Development environments with relaxed performance needs

Both volume types cost €0.10/GB/month with the same durability guarantee (Ceph 3x replication). The choice depends on your IOPS requirements, not pricing.

All volumes support snapshots, clones, encryption, and online resizing regardless of type.