8.2.3.3 Cloud Volume Integration
A focused guide to Cloud Volume Integration, connecting core concepts with practical Docker and container operations.
Cloud volume integration refers to using a volume driver specifically designed to back Docker volumes with a cloud provider's own storage service — such as block storage or object storage — extending volume persistence and portability into cloud-native infrastructure.
Using a Cloud-Backed Volume Driver
A cloud-specific volume plugin allows Docker volumes to be backed directly by a cloud provider's managed storage service.
docker plugin install rexray/ebs
docker volume create --driver rexray/ebs --opt size=20 cloud-data
This creates a volume backed by a cloud block storage service, rather than the local host's own disk.
Why Cloud Integration Matters for Cloud-Native Deployments
For applications deployed on cloud infrastructure, integrating directly with the cloud provider's own storage offers benefits like independent durability guarantees, easier snapshotting, and the ability for a volume to follow a workload as it's rescheduled across different underlying virtual machines.
docker run -d -v cloud-data:/app/data myapp:1.0
If the underlying virtual machine this container runs on is replaced, the cloud-backed volume's data remains available, attachable to a replacement instance, in a way that a purely local volume could not provide.
Considering Cost and Performance Trade-offs
Cloud-backed storage typically introduces its own cost structure and performance characteristics distinct from local disk, both of which are worth understanding and accounting for when choosing this approach over simpler local volume storage.
docker volume inspect cloud-data
Reviewing the volume's actual configuration helps confirm exactly what cloud resources are being provisioned and consumed on its behalf.
Why Cloud Volume Integration Matters
For applications genuinely deployed within cloud infrastructure, integrating Docker's volume abstraction directly with the cloud provider's own storage services provides durability and flexibility benefits well-suited to that environment, extending volumes beyond what local-only storage could offer in a cloud-native deployment context.