How to migrate existing volumes and snapshots to Scaleway's new Block Storage management
To enhance performance and reliability, Scaleway is transitioning the management of Block Storage volumes and snapshots from Compute to Storage.
To facilitate the transition to Scaleway's new Block Storage management, two main approaches for migrating your volumes exist, each with its unique benefits and drawbacks:
-
Using the Instance API/CLI migration endpoint (Plan and Apply):
- Advantage: Migration can occur without service interruption, as the volume remains attached to the running Instance and fully accessible.
- Drawback: Only the volume's representation is migrated to the SBS API; the data itself does not move. This means the migrated volume will not benefit from low latency or higher IOPS, as it retains the original
b_ssdcharacteristics.
-
Using the snapshot export/import features:
- Advantage: The migrated volume will fully support low latency, and it is possible to modify the IOPS up to 15k. All existing data of the old volume will be copied to the new Block Storage Low Latency volume.
- Drawback: A snapshot must be manually created, exported, and imported. After importing, the snapshot must be converted into a volume, which must then be attached to the Instance. This process may require downtime.
Each method caters to different needs, balancing uninterrupted service against achieving maximum performance benefits. After migration, these resources will be managed under Storage instead of Compute.
Learn more about the advantages of migrating from the Instance API to the Block Storage API for managing block volumes and snapshots.
Comparison of migration methods
| Migration Method | Advantage | Drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Instance API/CLI migration | No service interruption, volume remains accessible | Data characteristics remain the same; no performance boost |
| Snapshot export/import | Full support for low latency and customizable IOPS | Requires downtime; manual snapshot handling |
This guide offers step-by-step instructions to migrate your volumes and snapshots using either the Scaleway Command Line Interface (CLI) tool (recommended) or the Instances API. Alternatively, you can use the snapshot export/import feature to migrate your unified volumes and snapshots to Block Storage Low Latency volumes.
Comparison of Block Storage volume types
| Volume type | IOPS | Underlying hardware | Latency | Max volume size | Recommended use cases | Availability & resilience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
b_ssd (Block Storage 5K legacy) | 5,000 | Legacy SSDs | Higher | Up to 10 TB | General-purpose workloads that do not demand high IOPS or low latency | Data is replicated three times across multiple disks for high availability and integrity |
sbs_5k (Block Low Latency 5K) | 5,000 | Modern NVMe disks | Low | 5 GB to 10 TB | Development environments, web servers, and applications needing consistent performance | 99.99% SLA, triple-replicated data to safeguard against hardware failures |
sbs_15k (Block Low Latency 15K) | 15,000 | Modern NVMe disks | Very low | 5 GB to 10 TB | High-performance databases, transactional applications, and I/O-intensive workloads | 99.99% SLA, triple-replicated data to safeguard against hardware failures |
You can attach a maximum of 16 volumes (including the mandatory boot volume) to a single Instance.
Additional details:
b_ssd: These volumes are based on older SSD technology, providing reliable performance but with limitations in terms of speed and latency.sbs_5k: These volumes use NVMe technology, offering better performance and lower latency. They allow flexibility to adjust storage based on your needs.sbs_15k: These volumes offer even higher performance, with up to 15,000 IOPS, making them ideal for workloads requiring fast and reliable data access.
Before you start
To complete the actions presented below, you must have:
- A Scaleway account logged into the console
- An Instance using Block Storage volumes
Migrating using the Instance API/CLI migration endpoint (Plan and Apply):
Migrating an existing Block Storage volume to Scaleway Block Storage management
Migrating an existing Block Storage snapshot to Scaleway Block Storage management
Migrating using the snapshot export/import features
To convert your unified volumes and snapshots, you can use the snapshot export/import features as an alternative solution for transitioning a Block Storage legacy volume into a Block Storage Low Latency volume.
Follow the procedure below:
- Create a snapshot of your Block Storage legacy volume.
- Export the snapshot.
- Import the snapshot into a new Low Latency volume.
Going further
To learn more about managing your migrated Block Storage volumes and snapshots from the Scaleway console, refer to the Block Storage Quickstart Guide. Additionally, you can explore advanced features using the Scaleway Block Storage API.
If you encounter any issues during migration, contact Scaleway's support team for assistance.