How-tos
Getting Started with IBM Block Storage for Bluemix
February 15, 2016 | Written by: Jillian F Tempelmeyer
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Recently, we announced that our robust IBM® Bluemix™ cloud platform grew even more powerful with the addition of our new Block Storage for Bluemix beta service.
IBM Block Storage for Bluemix enables developers to provision and manage persistent, on-demand storage for their IBM Virtual Servers and applications that require high performing, low-latency storage. The service helps developers manage storage volumes independent of runtimes. We created a digital innovation platform to make developers’ lives easier, and are confident that managing your block storage volumes has never been more simple or scalable.
The IBM Block Storage for Bluemix beta is available under the service catalog in the Storage category. If you don’t yet have a Bluemix account, you’re just a few clicks away and signing up is free!
To use this service, you must add it to your organization’s space. Once added, you can use the service to:
- Provision and manage the lifecycle of your block storage volumes
- Attach volumes to your IBM Virtual Servers
- Create and manage snapshots of your block volumes
This post showcases the first option to highlight our new interface.
Adding a Block Storage Service Instance
To add a Block Storage service instance to your space in Bluemix, simply navigate to the Bluemix Catalog, click on “Storage,” then select “Block Storage.”
Next, Select your space, service name, then click CREATE.
Within seconds, you will automatically be redirected to the IBM Block Storage for Bluemix service dashboard.
Introduction to the Block Storage Instance
At the top are usage statistics, including your volume count, total volume size, total number of created snapshots, total snapshot size, and if there are any errors that require attention.
Directly below the interface, a search icon aids users with quickly finding a volume or snapshot and viewing its properties. There is also an “Actions” drop-down menu that you can leverage to easily attach, detach, clone, and extend volumes to their Virtual Server. Similarly, by selecting a snapshot, users can manage snapshots and expand their volume sizes as their storage capacity requirements grow.
For more information on key functions such as attaching volumes to IBM Virtual Servers, be sure to check out these simple instructions as well as the video below, which demonstrates Block Storage for IBM Bluemix using the dashboard UI.
Give the service a try and let us know what you think!
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