Cloudways Platform offers one-click integration of DigitalOcean Block Storage with your DigitalOcean server. If you are running out of your disk space and if all you require is more storage space, then block storage is the option you are looking at. Wondering why?
Let’s dive in deep to understand what Block Storage is, why do you need it, and how you can attach it to your server.
What is Block Storage?
Block storage is also referred to as block-level storage and block device in the Linux terminology.
Block storage volumes are network-based block devices used to power the server with additional storage volumes.
It is the hardware providing space to store data and perform read/write operations, just like traditional storage solutions such as Solid State Drive (SSD), Hard Disk Drive (HDD), etc.
Why Use DigitalOcean Block Storage?
Let’s see in which cases DigitalOcean Block Storage can be used effectively:
DigitalOcean Block Storage is helpful when you need more disk space but not the additional memory and processing power with your server. For instance, if you are running out of your allotted disk space as your site serves large files such as software, audio-video files, games, documents, or any other downloadable content, then attaching Block Storage is a great option to increase the storage space.
It is SSD-based Block Storage, which means it offers faster read/write speed. It is highly available as DigitalOcean claims to replicate your data from the hardware multiple times across different racks to reduce the chances of data loss in case of hardware failure.
DigitalOcean Infrastructure is also reliable and secure as your data is kept encrypted when transmitted and at rest, which ensures no outside interventions.
DigitalOcean Block Storage is as cheap as starting from $0.10/GB per month, which means just $1 for 10GB of volume.
You can easily scale Block Storage volumes from 10GB up to 1 TB using the Cloudways Platform.
Important Items to Remeber:
Before seeing the process of adding the Block Storage, there are few important things to consider such as:
Block Storage is currently available for the servers based in London, San Francisco, Singapore, New York, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Toronto, Bangalore.
For San Francisco and New York-based servers, Block storage is available only if your server was created after December 22nd, 2017. If your server was launched before this date, then you can clone your current server and follow the instructions below to enable Block Storage.
If you are unable to access the Block Storage section or if you are notified about the Block Storage unavailability on the Cloudways Platform, then most likely, the DigitalOcean may have some restriction due to any maintenance activity, etc. You can also check the DigitalOcean status page for the status of their services.
Please note that once the block storage is attached, all of your website/application’s web files and the database will move to the block storage volumes, and your previous disk will become unavailable to use or access.
Block Storage can not be downscaled and detached directly; you need to clone your server to detach it.
Performance Considerations for DigitalOcean Block Storage
DigitalOcean Block Storage is network-attached storage, not local disk storage. This means it behaves differently from the default storage that comes with your Cloudways server.
While Block Storage is reliable and scalable, it is not optimized for low-latency or I/O-intensive application workloads.
Expected Behavior After Attaching Block Storage
When you attach DigitalOcean Block Storage to your Cloudways server, your application files and database are moved to the Block Storage volume.
Block Storage is network-attached storage, which means it communicates with your server over the network. Because of this, it may have higher latency compared to the server’s local disk. Slower disk response times can therefore be expected in some cases and should not be considered a defect.
Important:
Once Block Storage is attached, the previous local server disk becomes unavailable to use or access. You cannot move selected files or directories back to the previous local disk on the same server after Block Storage is attached.
When Block Storage Is Not Recommended
Block Storage may negatively impact performance if you use it for:
Application code (public_html, wp-content, core files)
Databases (MySQL, MariaDB)
Session files or cache directories
High-traffic or performance-critical workloads
For these use cases, local server storage provides better performance.
Recommended Use Cases for Block Storage
Block Storage is best suited for:
Media files (images, videos, backups)
Logs and archives
Large static assets
Storage expansion where performance is not latency-critical
If your website speed is a priority, Cloudways recommends keeping application and database files on the default server disk, and using Block Storage only for supplemental storage.
Storage Type and Performance Clarification
DigitalOcean Block Storage uses SSD or NVMe, depending on the cluster and creation time.
However, even with NVMe, Block Storage is slower than the server’s built-in disk because it is accessed over the network.
This performance difference is expected and documented by DigitalOcean.
What to Do If You Experience Slower Website Performance
If your website becomes slower after attaching Block Storage, review whether your application workload is suitable for network-attached storage.
Websites or applications with high database activity, frequent file read/write operations, or latency-sensitive workloads may perform better on local server storage.
If you need to use local server storage again, you should launch a new server without Block Storage and migrate or clone your application to that server. This allows the application to run on the new server’s local disk instead of the Block Storage volume.
Note:
On DigitalOcean Block Storage at Cloudways, Block Storage and the previous local disk cannot be used side by side on the same server after Block Storage is attached. If local storage is required again, provision a new server and migrate or clone the application there.
To learn how to clone your application to another server, you can refer to ‘How to Clone Your Application’.
To find out more about DigitalOcean Block Storage performance limitations, click here.
How to Attach DigitalOcean Block Storage
Just to reiterate that adding the DigitalOcean Block Storage is as simple as calculating 2+2=4. The following steps will demonstrate the process of adding one.
Tip:
It is advised to attach the Block Storage during the off-peak hours when your website encounters the minimum traffic as your site will become inaccessible for a few minutes.
Step #1:
First of all, sign in to your Cloudways Platform using your login credentials.
Once you have signed in, navigate to the Servers tab from the top menu bar.
Then, choose your target server.
Step #2:
Once you are in the server management section:
Select the Vertical Scaling from the left navigation bar.
Then, switch to the Block Storage tab.
Step #3:
Once you are in the Block Storage tab:
Tick Attach Block Storage.
Now, either drag the slider or enter your desired Block Storage volume in GBs. In this example, we are attaching a 40GB volume.
Here, you will see a summed up amount of your server plan charges and Block Storage charge, which is $0.10/GB per month. In this example, the server plan costs $10 per month with $4 Block Storage cost ($0.10 x 40GB = $4).
Finally, click Attach Now.
Important:
To reiterate that once the block storage is attached, all of your website/application’s web files and the database will move to the block storage volumes, and your previous disk will become unavailable to use or access.
You will be prompted about adding Block Storage with a few important notes. After reading it, hit Proceed to move forward.
You have added the DigitalOcean Block Storage successfully. If you wish to scale your Block Storage volume in the future, you can easily do it using this method.
That’s it! We hope this article was helpful.
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