--- title: "Getting started with managing volumes in the OpenStack API" url: https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/public-cloud/compute/starting-with-managing-volumes-openstack-api lang: en lastUpdated: 2021-05-19 --- # Getting started with managing volumes in the OpenStack API ## Objective You can use the OpenStack API to generate various scripts in order to automate your actions on the Public Cloud. For example, you can create a new high-performance volume to attach to a Public Cloud instance. **This guide will help you manage your volumes using the OpenStack API and the Python client.** ## Requirements - Preparing the environment to [use the OpenStack API](/en/guides/public-cloud/cross-functional/compute-prepare-openstack-api-environment.md) by installing _python-cinderclient_ and _python-novaclient_ - Setting the [OpenStack environment variables](/en/guides/public-cloud/cross-functional/compute-set-openstack-environment-variables.md) ## Instructions ### Cinder documentation You can get a list of possible commands by reading the OpenStack client documentation: ```bash admin@server-1:~$ openstack help ``` Here is the list of the main commands: | Command | Description | | ---------------------- | ----------------------------- | | volume create | Create a new volume | | volume delete | Delete a volume | | list volume | List volumes | | volume snapshot create | Create a snapshot of a volume | You can also get information about a specific command by adding `help` to it: ```bash admin@server-1:~$ openstack help volume snapshot create usage: openstack volume snapshot create [-h] [-f {json,shell,table,value,yaml}] [-c COLUMN] [------noindent] [------prefix PREFIX] [------max-width ``] [------fit-width] [------print-empty] [------volume ] [------description ``] [------force] [------property ] `` Create new volume snapshot positional arguments: `` Name of the new snapshot optional arguments: -h, ------help show this help message and exit --volume `` Volume to snapshot (name or ID) (default is ``) ------description `` Description of the snapshot ------force Create a snapshot attached to an instance. Default is False ``` :::info You can also consult the OpenStack documentation available on the [OpenStack website](https://docs.openstack.org/python-openstackclient/latest/). ::: ### Basic operations #### Creating a high-performance volume - List the volume types: ```bash admin@server-1:~$ openstack volume type list +--------------------------------------+------------+-----------+ | ID | Name | Is Public | +--------------------------------------+------------+-----------+ | e9551830-6362-4bf8-92e5-391829456b03 | classic | True | | 6fc8e512-3cac-4f39-b9a8-af098d710506 | high-speed | True | +--------------------------------------+------------+-----------+ ``` - Create the 10GB high-speed volume named **volume1**: ```bash admin@server-1:~$ openstack volume create --type high-speed --size 10 volume1 +---------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Field | Value | +---------------------+--------------------------------------+ | attachments | [] | | availability_zone | nova | | bootable | false | | consistencygroup_id | None | | created_at | 2021-05-18T14:16:28.658308 | | description | None | | encrypted | False | | id | f75d60b3-4179-4ca9-8bc7-8e5f7a1682f8 | | multiattach | False | | name | volume1 | | properties | | | replication_status | disabled | | size | 10 | | snapshot_id | None | | source_volid | None | | status | creating | | type | high-speed | | updated_at | None | | user_id | ... | +---------------------+--------------------------------------+ ``` You can install an image on a volume using the `--image` argument: ```bash admin@server-1:~$ openstack volume create --type high-speed --image be66762f-b849-43e1-b57c-005d9fe28088 --size 20 volume_debian +---------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Field | Value | +---------------------+--------------------------------------+ | attachments | [] | | availability_zone | nova | | bootable | false | | consistencygroup_id | None | | created_at | 2021-05-18T14:26:38.887508 | | description | None | | encrypted | False | | id | 442d9dff-7df5-41b2-95e9-fa8ac5f4784a | | multiattach | False | | name | volume_debian | | properties | | | replication_status | disabled | | size | 20 | | snapshot_id | None | | source_volid | None | | status | creating | | type | high-speed | | updated_at | None | | user_id | ... | +---------------------+--------------------------------------+ ``` In this command, **be66762f-b849-43e1-b57c-005d9fe28088** is the Debian 10 image ID. #### Attaching a volume to an instance - List the additional volumes: ```bash admin@server-1:~$ openstack volume list +--------------------------------------+---------------+-----------+------+-------------+ | ID | Name | Status | Size | Attached to | +--------------------------------------+---------------+-----------+------+-------------+ | 442d9dff-7df5-41b2-95e9-fa8ac5f4784a | volume_debian | available | 20 | | | f75d60b3-4179-4ca9-8bc7-8e5f7a1682f8 | volume1 | available | 10 | | +--------------------------------------+---------------+-----------+------+-------------+ ``` :::info The majority of subsequent commands will require the volume ID rather than the name. ::: - Mount the volume on an instance with the OpenStack client: ```bash admin@server-1:~$ openstack server add volume 46aec29f-fe50-4562-b3f9-2e6665a7270d f75d60b3-4179-4ca9-8bc7-8e5f7a166 82f8 ``` - Check that the volume has been properly attached to the instance with the OpenStack client: ```bash admin@serveur-1:~$ openstack volume list +--------------------------------------+---------------+-----------+------+-----------------------------------------+ | ID | Name | Status | Size | Attached to | +--------------------------------------+---------------+-----------+------+-----------------------------------------+ | 442d9dff-7df5-41b2-95e9-fa8ac5f4784a | volume_debian | available | 20 | | | f75d60b3-4179-4ca9-8bc7-8e5f7a1682f8 | volume1 | in-use | 10 | Attached to cli-playground on /dev/sdb | +--------------------------------------+---------------+-----------+------+-----------------------------------------+ ``` #### Deleting a volume - Detach volume from instance: ```bash admin@server-1:~$ openstack server remove volume 46aec29f-fe50-4562-b3f9-2e6665a7270d f75d60b3-4179-4ca9-8bc7-8e5f7a1682f8 ``` - Delete volume: ```bash admin@server-1:~$ openstack volume delete f75d60b3-4179-4ca9-8bc7-8e5f7a1682f8 ``` ## Go further Join our [community of users](https://community.ovhcloud.com/).