{"id":29,"date":"2026-04-12T14:12:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T14:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/alibaba-cloud-elastic-block-storage-ebs-tutorial-architecture-pricing-use-cases-and-hands-on-guide-for-storage\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T14:12:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T14:12:11","slug":"alibaba-cloud-elastic-block-storage-ebs-tutorial-architecture-pricing-use-cases-and-hands-on-guide-for-storage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/alibaba-cloud-elastic-block-storage-ebs-tutorial-architecture-pricing-use-cases-and-hands-on-guide-for-storage\/","title":{"rendered":"Alibaba Cloud Elastic Block Storage (EBS) Tutorial: Architecture, Pricing, Use Cases, and Hands-On Guide for Storage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Category<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Storage<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alibaba Cloud <strong>Elastic Block Storage (EBS)<\/strong> is the block Storage service that provides <strong>cloud disks<\/strong> you attach to compute instances (primarily <strong>Elastic Compute Service (ECS)<\/strong>). You use it when you need <strong>low-latency, durable, random-access storage<\/strong> for operating systems, databases, containers, and application data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In simple terms: <strong>EBS is like a virtual hard drive\/SSD in the cloud<\/strong>. You create a disk with a specific size and performance class, attach it to an ECS instance, format it with a filesystem, and then read\/write data to it like you would on a physical server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Technically, Elastic Block Storage (EBS) exposes <strong>zonal block devices<\/strong> that integrate tightly with ECS. Disks can be used as <strong>system disks<\/strong> (boot volumes) or <strong>data disks<\/strong>. EBS also includes operational capabilities such as <strong>snapshots<\/strong>, <strong>encryption<\/strong>, and <strong>elastic capacity changes<\/strong> (features vary by disk category and region\u2014always verify in the official docs for your region).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What problem it solves:<\/strong> EBS separates <strong>compute<\/strong> from <strong>Storage<\/strong> so you can scale, replace, or recover servers without losing data, while getting predictable performance and strong operational controls (backup via snapshots, automation, and governance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>Naming note (important): In Alibaba Cloud, you will often see EBS referenced as <strong>cloud disks<\/strong> inside the ECS console and APIs. \u201cElastic Block Storage (EBS)\u201d is the product-level name; \u201cdisk\/cloud disk\u201d is the resource you create and attach.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. What is Elastic Block Storage (EBS)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Official purpose:<\/strong> Elastic Block Storage (EBS) provides <strong>persistent block Storage<\/strong> volumes (disks) for Alibaba Cloud compute workloads, primarily ECS. You attach disks to instances and use them as raw block devices for filesystems, databases, LVM, RAID, or direct block access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Core capabilities (high level):<\/strong>\n&#8211; Create and manage <strong>cloud disks<\/strong> with different performance tiers (for example, SSD-class and ESSD-class offerings\u2014exact names and tiers vary by region).\n&#8211; Attach\/detach disks to\/from ECS instances in the same zone.\n&#8211; Create <strong>snapshots<\/strong> for backup and point-in-time recovery.\n&#8211; <strong>Resize<\/strong> disks (capability and constraints vary by disk type and OS).\n&#8211; <strong>Encrypt<\/strong> disks using Alibaba Cloud key management capabilities (details depend on region and encryption model\u2014verify in official docs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Major components:<\/strong>\n&#8211; <strong>Disk (cloud disk \/ volume):<\/strong> The block Storage resource with a size, category (performance tier), billing mode, and zone.\n&#8211; <strong>Attachment:<\/strong> The relationship between a disk and an ECS instance. The disk appears as a block device in the guest OS.\n&#8211; <strong>Snapshot:<\/strong> A point-in-time copy of a disk used for backup\/restore and cloning.\n&#8211; <strong>Snapshot policy:<\/strong> Automation to create snapshots on a schedule (availability depends on account\/region features\u2014verify).\n&#8211; <strong>Monitoring &amp; audit:<\/strong> Performance and events via <strong>CloudMonitor<\/strong> and API\/console operations traceability via <strong>ActionTrail<\/strong> (service names may differ in localized consoles\u2014verify).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Service type:<\/strong> Managed <strong>block Storage<\/strong> service (infrastructure-level), used as persistent disks for compute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scope (typical model):<\/strong>\n&#8211; <strong>Disks are zonal resources<\/strong> (they must be created in the same zone as the ECS instance they attach to).\n&#8211; <strong>Snapshots are typically regional resources<\/strong> (often stored within a region; cross-region copy is commonly supported, but verify availability and limits for your region).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How it fits into the Alibaba Cloud ecosystem:<\/strong>\n&#8211; <strong>ECS:<\/strong> Primary consumer. System and data disks.\n&#8211; <strong>ACK (Alibaba Cloud Container Service for Kubernetes):<\/strong> Commonly uses cloud disks via CSI drivers for PersistentVolumes (verify the exact CSI plugin and supported disk categories in your ACK version\/region).\n&#8211; <strong>Auto Scaling:<\/strong> Instances can be rebuilt; persistent data should live on EBS data disks and\/or be rebuilt from snapshots\/images.\n&#8211; <strong>OSS (Object Storage Service):<\/strong> Not a direct replacement; commonly used for backups\/archives and application object data, while EBS holds live block data.\n&#8211; <strong>NAS:<\/strong> File-based shared storage alternative; EBS is block-based and usually attached to one host at a time (multi-attach\u2014if available\u2014has strict constraints; verify).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Official docs entry point (start here and select your region\/version):\n&#8211; https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/elastic-block-storage\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Why use Elastic Block Storage (EBS)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business reasons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Faster delivery:<\/strong> Teams can provision disks in minutes without hardware procurement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flexibility:<\/strong> Change disk sizes and performance tiers (within supported rules) as workloads evolve.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lower risk:<\/strong> Snapshots enable quick recovery from accidental deletion\/corruption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Technical reasons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Low-latency random I\/O:<\/strong> Suitable for databases, stateful services, and OS boot volumes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Durability:<\/strong> Managed replication and fault-handling are provided by the platform (implementation details are abstracted; rely on official SLAs\/specs).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Separation of compute and Storage:<\/strong> Replace\/upgrade ECS instances while keeping the data disk intact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Operational reasons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Snapshots for backup\/restore:<\/strong> Create scheduled snapshot policies for repeatable recovery points.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Automation:<\/strong> Integrate with ECS APIs, Terraform, Ansible, or Alibaba Cloud SDKs for provisioning and lifecycle operations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Standard OS tooling:<\/strong> Use normal Linux\/Windows disk management tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Security\/compliance reasons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Encryption at rest:<\/strong> Encrypt disks (and often snapshots) to meet internal or regulatory requirements (KMS integration details vary\u2014verify).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Access control:<\/strong> RAM policies can limit who can create\/attach\/delete disks and snapshots.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Auditability:<\/strong> Track operations via ActionTrail events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scalability\/performance reasons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose disk categories\/tier levels that match:<\/li>\n<li>High IOPS transactional databases<\/li>\n<li>Throughput-oriented analytics<\/li>\n<li>Cost-efficient dev\/test<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When teams should choose it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You need <strong>persistent block Storage<\/strong> for ECS or Kubernetes workloads.<\/li>\n<li>You need <strong>predictable performance<\/strong> and straightforward OS integration.<\/li>\n<li>You need <strong>snapshots<\/strong> and rapid restore\/clone workflows.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When teams should not choose it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You need <strong>shared POSIX file storage<\/strong> across many hosts simultaneously \u2192 consider <strong>Alibaba Cloud NAS<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>You need <strong>object-based storage<\/strong> for large unstructured blobs, static assets, logs, or data lakes \u2192 consider <strong>OSS<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>You need <strong>cross-region active-active block replication<\/strong> as a primitive \u2192 verify Alibaba Cloud DR services and database-native replication; EBS alone is typically zonal\/regional.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Where is Elastic Block Storage (EBS) used?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Industries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>SaaS and web platforms (user databases, application state)<\/li>\n<li>Finance and payments (transactional stores with encryption\/audit)<\/li>\n<li>Gaming (stateful services, analytics staging)<\/li>\n<li>Media (metadata DBs, render farm scratch\u2014careful with cost)<\/li>\n<li>Manufacturing\/IoT (time-series databases, edge-to-cloud ingestion)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Team types<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Platform engineering teams building standardized ECS\/ACK platforms<\/li>\n<li>SRE\/DevOps teams operating stateful services<\/li>\n<li>Data engineering teams staging data for compute jobs<\/li>\n<li>Security teams enforcing encryption and least privilege<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Workloads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Boot\/system volumes for ECS<\/li>\n<li>Databases (MySQL\/PostgreSQL\/Redis persistence layers where appropriate)<\/li>\n<li>Message queues requiring local persistence<\/li>\n<li>Container persistent volumes (via CSI in ACK)<\/li>\n<li>CI\/CD runners and build caches (cost vs benefit tradeoff)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Architectures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Single-zone MVP deployments with snapshot backup<\/li>\n<li>Multi-zone deployments with app-level replication and per-zone EBS<\/li>\n<li>Immutable compute patterns: rebuild ECS from images, attach persistent data disks<\/li>\n<li>Blue\/green migrations using snapshot-based cloning<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Production vs dev\/test usage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dev\/test:<\/strong> Smaller disks, pay-as-you-go, short snapshot retention, aggressive cleanup.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Production:<\/strong> Right-sized performance tiers, defined snapshot policies, encrypted volumes, tagging, and runbooks for restore.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Top Use Cases and Scenarios<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are realistic scenarios where Alibaba Cloud Elastic Block Storage (EBS) is a good fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1) ECS system disk for reliable boot volumes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> You need a durable OS disk that persists across instance lifecycle operations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> EBS provides system disks with snapshot and image workflows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> Standardizing golden images for a fleet of ECS web servers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2) High-IOPS database data disk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> Transactional DB performance is limited by Storage latency and IOPS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> SSD\/ESSD tiers provide higher IOPS and lower latency than HDD-class.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> MySQL on ECS with separate data disk and tuned filesystem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3) Separating application logs from OS disk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> Logs fill the OS disk and cause outages.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Attach a dedicated data disk for logs and rotate independently.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> NGINX + application logs to <code>\/var\/log<\/code> mounted on a data disk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4) Snapshot-based backup for quick recovery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> You need point-in-time recovery from accidental deletion or corruption.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Snapshots provide restore points and cloning mechanisms.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> Daily snapshots retained for 14\u201330 days with an on-demand snapshot before upgrades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5) Environment cloning for staging\/testing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> You need production-like data in staging without complex exports\/imports.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Create a new disk from a snapshot, attach to staging instance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> Clone a database volume weekly for performance regression testing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6) Kubernetes persistent volumes (ACK)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> Containers need persistent Storage beyond pod lifecycle.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Cloud disks can back PersistentVolumes via CSI integration.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> StatefulSet for PostgreSQL in ACK using EBS-backed PVs (verify supported disk categories).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7) Build cache \/ artifact staging for CI runners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> Build pipelines are slow due to missing caches.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Attach fast disk to runners; use it as cache volume.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> Maven\/npm caches on a dedicated disk to reduce network downloads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8) Temporary high-performance scratch for batch jobs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> Batch processing needs fast intermediate Storage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Provision pay-as-you-go SSD\/ESSD, run jobs, then delete disk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> ETL job uses a fast disk for intermediate sorting; exports results to OSS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9) Application data isolation for safer maintenance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> OS upgrades risk application data.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Keep app data on separate disk; reimage OS disk safely.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> Rebuild ECS system disk from updated image while preserving <code>\/data<\/code>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10) Disaster recovery via snapshot copy (region DR)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> You need a basic DR posture for data volumes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Snapshots can often be copied across regions (verify) and used to recreate disks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> Weekly cross-region snapshot copy for critical volumes; restore in DR region during an incident.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11) Encrypted Storage for compliance-driven workloads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> Compliance requires encryption at rest and access control.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Disk encryption + RAM policies + audit trails.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> Store PII in encrypted volumes, restrict snapshot sharing and deletion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">12) Storage scaling without scaling compute<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> Storage capacity grows faster than CPU\/RAM needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS fits:<\/strong> Increase disk size or add additional disks without changing instance shape.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> A reporting service grows data from 200 GB to 2 TB while compute remains stable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Core Features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>Note: Exact feature availability depends on <strong>region<\/strong>, <strong>disk category<\/strong>, <strong>instance family<\/strong>, and sometimes <strong>billing mode<\/strong>. Always validate against the official EBS\/ECS documentation for your region.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1) Multiple disk categories (performance tiers)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Offers different disk types (commonly HDD-class, SSD-class, and ESSD-class variants).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Cost and performance must match workload needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Use cost-efficient disks for dev\/test and high-performance tiers for databases.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> Performance often scales with size and tier; some features only work with specific categories. <strong>Verify in official docs<\/strong> for current categories and region availability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2) System disks and data disks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Allows disks to be used as boot volumes (system) or attached as additional data volumes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Separating OS and data improves upgrade safety and recovery.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Rebuild servers without migrating application data.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> System disk constraints may differ from data disk constraints.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3) Elastic provisioning and lifecycle management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Create, attach, detach, delete disks on demand.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Enables automation and Infrastructure-as-Code workflows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Faster environment provisioning and standardized operations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> Disks must match <strong>zone<\/strong> requirements for attachment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4) Snapshots (backup and restore)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Create point-in-time backups of disks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Foundation for backup strategy and operational safety.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Restore quickly after data corruption or user error.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> Snapshot consistency is typically crash-consistent; application-consistent backups may require in-guest coordination. <strong>Verify in official docs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5) Snapshot policies \/ automated snapshots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Schedules snapshots using a policy and retention rules.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Reduces reliance on manual backups.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Reliable RPO for common workloads.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> Retention, frequency, and quotas apply; cross-region options may be separate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6) Encryption at rest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Encrypts disk data (and commonly snapshots) using Alibaba Cloud encryption mechanisms (often integrated with Key Management Service).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Protects data confidentiality and supports compliance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Limits risk from unauthorized access to underlying Storage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> Encryption is usually chosen at creation time; changing encryption later may require migration. <strong>Verify behavior per region<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7) Resize\/expand capacity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Increase disk size as data grows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Prevent outages from full disks; scale without migrations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Expand online, then extend filesystem\/LVM inside OS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> Expansion may be supported only in certain states; shrinking is often not supported. Filesystem extension steps differ per OS\/filesystem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8) Performance monitoring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Exposes metrics (IOPS, throughput, latency) typically via CloudMonitor.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Helps diagnose performance bottlenecks and right-size disks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Alert on sustained high utilization or latency spikes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> Metric names and granularity vary\u2014verify CloudMonitor metrics for ECS disks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9) Integration with ECS images and instance operations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Use snapshots to create images (or use images to create system disks) and support operational flows like rebuilding instances.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Enables immutable infrastructure patterns.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Faster scaling and consistent deployments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> Image creation and cross-region distribution may have additional constraints.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10) Tagging and governance support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Tag disks and snapshots for cost allocation, automation, and ownership.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Essential for multi-team environments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Enforce policies like \u201cno untagged resources.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> Tag limits apply.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11) API\/CLI\/SDK control plane<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Manage disks programmatically through Alibaba Cloud APIs, the <code>aliyun<\/code> CLI, and SDKs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Enables repeatable automation and CI\/CD integration.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Infrastructure provisioning, scheduled snapshots, and cleanup scripts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> API versions and parameters change; always use current docs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">12) Shared\/multi-attach capabilities (if supported)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What it does:<\/strong> Some clouds support attaching a disk to multiple instances under strict conditions. Alibaba Cloud has had \u201cmulti-attach\/shared block\u201d concepts for certain disk types\/features.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Shared block storage is complex and easy to misuse.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical benefit:<\/strong> Niche clustering scenarios with cluster-aware filesystems.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caveats:<\/strong> <strong>Do not assume multi-attach is available<\/strong> for your disk type\/region. Validate in official EBS docs and test carefully; application-level replication is often safer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Architecture and How It Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High-level service architecture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Elastic Block Storage (EBS) is delivered as a managed Storage layer. You create a disk in a specific <strong>region + zone<\/strong> and attach it to an ECS instance in the same zone. Inside the OS, it appears as a block device (e.g., <code>\/dev\/vdb<\/code> on Linux or a new disk in Windows Disk Management).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conceptually there are two planes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Control plane:<\/strong> APIs\/console calls for create\/attach\/detach\/resize\/snapshot\/tagging, authenticated via RAM.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data plane:<\/strong> Actual reads\/writes from the ECS host to the block Storage system over Alibaba Cloud\u2019s internal network fabric.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Request\/data\/control flow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>User (or automation) calls <code>CreateDisk<\/code> (or equivalent console action).<\/li>\n<li>The disk resource is provisioned in a zone.<\/li>\n<li>User attaches disk to an ECS instance.<\/li>\n<li>OS detects new block device; you partition\/format\/mount it.<\/li>\n<li>Application performs reads\/writes; performance is governed by disk category and instance limits.<\/li>\n<li>Snapshots are created from the disk on schedule or on demand.<\/li>\n<li>Restore uses snapshot to create a new disk or roll back (depending on supported operations).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Integrations with related services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>ECS:<\/strong> Primary integration (system + data disks).<\/li>\n<li><strong>VPC:<\/strong> ECS runs in a VPC; EBS attachment is not \u201cVPC networking\u201d in the same way as NAS\/OSS, but your instance still needs VPC for app traffic.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ACK:<\/strong> Persistent volumes via CSI driver (verify version support and recommended disk categories).<\/li>\n<li><strong>CloudMonitor:<\/strong> Metrics\/alerts for ECS instance and disk performance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ActionTrail:<\/strong> Audit who created\/deleted\/attached disks\/snapshots.<\/li>\n<li><strong>KMS (if used):<\/strong> Customer-managed keys for encryption scenarios (verify supported key types and policies).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dependency services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>RAM (Resource Access Management):<\/strong> Identity and authorization for Storage operations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Billing system:<\/strong> Pay-as-you-go and subscription tracking.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ECS scheduling\/infrastructure:<\/strong> Attachment depends on instance and zone capacity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Security\/authentication model<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Primary access is via <strong>RAM users\/roles<\/strong> and policies.<\/li>\n<li>For automation on ECS, use <strong>RAM roles for ECS<\/strong> (instance roles) rather than embedding AccessKey secrets where possible (verify current Alibaba Cloud best practice for credential-less access from ECS).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Networking model<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>EBS is attached as block devices; data path is internal to the platform.<\/li>\n<li>You do not mount EBS over NFS\/SMB; for shared file mounts use NAS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Monitoring\/logging\/governance considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monitor:<\/li>\n<li>Disk IOPS\/throughput\/latency (CloudMonitor\/ECS metrics)<\/li>\n<li>OS-level metrics (iostat, vmstat, Windows PerfMon)<\/li>\n<li>Audit:<\/li>\n<li>Disk and snapshot lifecycle events (ActionTrail)<\/li>\n<li>Governance:<\/li>\n<li>Tagging standards (owner, environment, cost center, data classification)<\/li>\n<li>Quotas and budgets<\/li>\n<li>Backup policies and restore drills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Simple architecture diagram (Mermaid)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-mermaid\">flowchart LR\n  U[Engineer \/ Automation] --&gt;|API\/Console| CP[Alibaba Cloud Control Plane]\n  CP --&gt; D[EBS Disk (Zonal)]\n  D --&gt;|Attach| ECS[ECS Instance]\n  ECS --&gt;|Read\/Write| D\n  D --&gt;|Create Snapshot| S[Snapshot (Regional)]\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Production-style architecture diagram (Mermaid)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-mermaid\">flowchart TB\n  subgraph Region[Alibaba Cloud Region]\n    subgraph ZoneA[Zone A]\n      ECS1[ECS App Server 1] --- EBS1[EBS Data Disk]\n      ECS2[ECS App Server 2] --- EBS2[EBS Data Disk]\n      DB1[ECS Database Primary] --- EBSDB[(EBS High-Performance Disk)]\n    end\n\n    subgraph Services[Platform Services]\n      CM[CloudMonitor Alerts]\n      AT[ActionTrail Audit Logs]\n      RAM[RAM Users\/Roles\/Policies]\n      KMS[KMS Keys (if encryption enabled)]\n      SNAP[Snapshot Policies]\n    end\n\n    SNAP --&gt; EBS1\n    SNAP --&gt; EBS2\n    SNAP --&gt; EBSDB\n    EBSDB --&gt; SDB[(Snapshots)]\n    CM -.metrics.-&gt; ZoneA\n    AT -.events.-&gt; ZoneA\n    RAM -.authz.-&gt; Services\n    KMS -.encrypt.-&gt; ZoneA\n  end\n\n  DR[(Optional: Cross-Region Snapshot Copy - verify)] -.copy.-&gt; SDB\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Prerequisites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before starting the lab and using Elastic Block Storage (EBS) in production, ensure you have the following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Account and billing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An active <strong>Alibaba Cloud account<\/strong> with billing enabled.<\/li>\n<li>A funding method suitable for <strong>pay-as-you-go<\/strong> charges (recommended for the lab to minimize commitment).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Permissions \/ IAM (RAM)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You need permissions to:\n&#8211; Create\/attach\/detach\/delete disks\n&#8211; Create\/delete snapshots\n&#8211; Describe instances, disks, snapshots\n&#8211; (Optional) Create snapshot policies\n&#8211; (Optional) Use KMS if encryption is required<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For learning, many accounts use managed policies such as <code>AliyunECSFullAccess<\/code>. For production, create a least-privilege custom policy (examples in the Security section).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose one:\n&#8211; <strong>Alibaba Cloud Console<\/strong> (browser)\n&#8211; <strong>Alibaba Cloud CLI<\/strong> (<code>aliyun<\/code>) for repeatable commands<br\/>\n  Install guide: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/alibaba-cloud-cli\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Optional but useful:\n&#8211; SSH client for Linux instances\n&#8211; RDP client for Windows instances<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Region availability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>EBS is available in most Alibaba Cloud regions, but <strong>disk categories and features vary by region<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Select a region close to users and compliant with data residency requirements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quotas\/limits (must verify)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Common limits you should check in your account\/region:\n&#8211; Max disks per ECS instance (varies by instance type)\n&#8211; Max disk size per category\n&#8211; Snapshot quotas (count\/size)\n&#8211; Snapshot policy quotas\n&#8211; Rate limits for API calls<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check quotas in the console for ECS\/EBS or in official docs:\n&#8211; https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/elastic-block-storage\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prerequisite services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>ECS<\/strong> instance in the same region\/zone where you will create the EBS disk.<\/li>\n<li>A VPC, vSwitch, and security group for the ECS instance (standard ECS setup).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Pricing \/ Cost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alibaba Cloud Elastic Block Storage (EBS) pricing depends on <strong>disk category<\/strong>, <strong>capacity<\/strong>, <strong>billing method<\/strong>, and related features like snapshots and encryption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>Do not rely on fixed numbers in tutorials. Prices change by region and commercial terms. Always confirm using the official pricing pages and calculator.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pricing dimensions (typical)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Disk capacity (GB)<\/strong>\n   &#8211; Charged per GB-month (subscription) or GB-hour\/month (pay-as-you-go).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disk category \/ performance tier<\/strong>\n   &#8211; Higher performance tiers (e.g., SSD\/ESSD) cost more than HDD-class.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Billing method<\/strong>\n   &#8211; <strong>Pay-as-you-go:<\/strong> Flexible, billed by usage duration.\n   &#8211; <strong>Subscription:<\/strong> Lower effective price for long-running workloads; upfront commitment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Snapshots<\/strong>\n   &#8211; Snapshots typically incur charges based on snapshot Storage consumption and retention time (exact billing model can be incremental\/delta-based\u2014<strong>verify in official docs<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Provisioned performance features (if applicable)<\/strong>\n   &#8211; Some platforms have add-ons like provisioned IOPS; if offered for your disk type, it affects cost. <strong>Verify<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cross-region snapshot copy (if used)<\/strong>\n   &#8211; Often billed for snapshot copy and Storage in the destination region (verify).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Free tier<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Alibaba Cloud may offer free trials\/credits for new accounts or campaigns. There is no universal \u201calways free\u201d tier for EBS across all regions. <strong>Verify current promotions<\/strong> in your account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Primary cost drivers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Disk size<\/strong> (biggest driver for always-on volumes)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disk performance tier<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Snapshot retention<\/strong> (many snapshots retained for long periods)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Orphaned disks<\/strong> (disks left behind after deleting ECS instances)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Overprovisioning<\/strong> (choosing high tiers and large sizes unnecessarily)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hidden or indirect costs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>ECS instance costs<\/strong> (you need compute to use the disk)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Backup and DR costs<\/strong> (extra snapshots, cross-region copies)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Operational overhead<\/strong> (monitoring, automation, compliance processes)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data transfer<\/strong>: EBS I\/O is internal to instance, but your app\u2019s network egress\/ingress is billed normally. Snapshot copy across regions may have transfer-like charges\u2014verify.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cost optimization strategies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use the <strong>lowest disk tier<\/strong> that meets latency\/IOPS needs.<\/li>\n<li>Right-size capacity; avoid paying for unused space.<\/li>\n<li>Prefer <strong>snapshot policies with sane retention<\/strong> (e.g., hourly 24h + daily 14d + weekly 8w), and prune aggressively.<\/li>\n<li>Detect and remove <strong>orphaned<\/strong> pay-as-you-go disks.<\/li>\n<li>Use <strong>subscription<\/strong> for long-running production databases when utilization is steady.<\/li>\n<li>Consider <strong>OSS<\/strong> for large archives\/logs instead of keeping everything on block disks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example low-cost starter estimate (no fabricated numbers)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A minimal lab typically includes:\n&#8211; 1 small ECS pay-as-you-go instance (lowest-cost family available in your region)\n&#8211; 1 small pay-as-you-go EBS data disk (e.g., tens of GB)\n&#8211; 1\u20132 snapshots<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To estimate:\n1. Open the <strong>Alibaba Cloud Pricing Calculator<\/strong>: https:\/\/calculator.alibabacloud.com\/\n2. Add:\n   &#8211; ECS instance (region + instance type + hours)\n   &#8211; EBS disk (category + size + hours)\n   &#8211; Snapshot Storage (estimated)\n3. Compare pay-as-you-go vs subscription only if you plan to keep the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example production cost considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For production, costs are dominated by:\n&#8211; Always-on, larger, higher-tier disks for databases\n&#8211; Snapshot retention (especially for compliance)\n&#8211; DR (cross-region snapshots or replicated databases)\n&#8211; Overhead from staging and pre-prod environments<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Official references:\n&#8211; Product page (often links to pricing): https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/product\/ebs\n&#8211; Documentation hub: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/elastic-block-storage\/\n&#8211; Pricing calculator: https:\/\/calculator.alibabacloud.com\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Step-by-Step Hands-On Tutorial<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This lab creates an ECS instance, provisions an Elastic Block Storage (EBS) data disk, attaches it, formats and mounts it on Linux, writes data, snapshots it, and then cleans up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Objective<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provision an <strong>EBS data disk<\/strong> in Alibaba Cloud<\/li>\n<li>Attach it to an <strong>ECS<\/strong> instance<\/li>\n<li>Format and mount it on Linux<\/li>\n<li>Create a <strong>snapshot<\/strong> as a recovery point<\/li>\n<li>Validate data persistence<\/li>\n<li>Clean up resources to avoid ongoing charges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lab Overview<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You will:\n1. Create (or use) a Linux ECS instance in a chosen zone.\n2. Create an EBS disk in the same zone.\n3. Attach the disk to ECS.\n4. Partition + format + mount the disk.\n5. Write test data.\n6. Create a snapshot.\n7. (Optional) Detach\/reattach to demonstrate persistence.\n8. Clean up disk and snapshots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Estimated time:<\/strong> 30\u201360 minutes<br\/>\n<strong>Cost:<\/strong> Low if you use small pay-as-you-go resources and clean up promptly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Choose region\/zone and create an ECS instance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Console steps (typical flow):<\/strong>\n1. Go to <strong>ECS Console<\/strong>: https:\/\/ecs.console.aliyun.com\/\n2. Click <strong>Create Instance<\/strong>\n3. Select:\n   &#8211; <strong>Region<\/strong> (closest \/ compliant)\n   &#8211; <strong>Zone<\/strong> (note it)\n   &#8211; <strong>Image:<\/strong> A mainstream Linux distro (e.g., Alibaba Cloud Linux \/ CentOS \/ Ubuntu). Choose one you\u2019re comfortable administering.\n   &#8211; <strong>Instance type:<\/strong> Smallest suitable pay-as-you-go type for lab\n   &#8211; <strong>Network:<\/strong> VPC + vSwitch\n   &#8211; <strong>Security group:<\/strong> Allow SSH (port 22) from your IP\n4. Create the instance and wait until <strong>Running<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expected outcome:<\/strong>\n&#8211; You have a running ECS instance with a public IP (or Elastic IP) and SSH access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Verify:<\/strong>\n&#8211; SSH into the instance:\n  <code>bash\n  ssh root@&lt;ECS_PUBLIC_IP&gt;<\/code>\n  If your image uses a different default user (e.g., <code>ubuntu<\/code>), use that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Create an Elastic Block Storage (EBS) disk (data disk)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Console steps:<\/strong>\n1. In ECS console, navigate to <strong>Storage &amp; Snapshots<\/strong> (wording varies) \u2192 <strong>Disks<\/strong>\n2. Click <strong>Create Disk<\/strong>\n3. Set:\n   &#8211; <strong>Region:<\/strong> same as ECS\n   &#8211; <strong>Zone:<\/strong> must match the ECS zone for attachment\n   &#8211; <strong>Disk category:<\/strong> choose a low-cost SSD-class or basic category available (do not select top tier unless needed)\n   &#8211; <strong>Size:<\/strong> small (e.g., 20\u201340 GB) for lab\n   &#8211; <strong>Encryption:<\/strong> optional; leave off for simplicity unless you want to test encryption\n   &#8211; <strong>Billing method:<\/strong> pay-as-you-go (recommended for lab)\n4. Create disk and wait until status shows <strong>Available<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expected outcome:<\/strong>\n&#8211; A new disk exists in the same zone with status Available (unattached).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Verify (console):<\/strong>\n&#8211; Disk appears in list with correct zone and size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Attach the disk to the ECS instance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Console steps:<\/strong>\n1. Select the new disk \u2192 <strong>Attach<\/strong>\n2. Choose your ECS instance\n3. Confirm attach<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expected outcome:<\/strong>\n&#8211; Disk status becomes <strong>In Use<\/strong> (or Attached).\n&#8211; The ECS OS sees a new block device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Verify (Linux):<\/strong>\nSSH into the instance and run:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">lsblk\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>You should see a new disk such as <code>\/dev\/vdb<\/code> (name varies).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t see it immediately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">sudo dmesg | tail -n 50\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Partition and format the disk (Linux)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>This step will erase any existing data on the target disk. Make sure you are using the correct device name.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Assume the new disk is <code>\/dev\/vdb<\/code>. If yours differs, replace accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1) Create a GPT partition table and a single partition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">sudo parted -s \/dev\/vdb mklabel gpt\nsudo parted -s \/dev\/vdb mkpart primary ext4 0% 100%\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>2) Format it as ext4:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">sudo mkfs.ext4 -F \/dev\/vdb1\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expected outcome:<\/strong>\n&#8211; A formatted filesystem exists on <code>\/dev\/vdb1<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Verify:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">sudo blkid \/dev\/vdb1\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Mount the filesystem and make it persistent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>1) Create a mount point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">sudo mkdir -p \/data\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>2) Mount the disk:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">sudo mount \/dev\/vdb1 \/data\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>3) Confirm mount:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">df -h \/data\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>4) Persist mount in <code>\/etc\/fstab<\/code> using UUID (recommended):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">DISK_UUID=$(sudo blkid -s UUID -o value \/dev\/vdb1)\necho \"UUID=${DISK_UUID} \/data ext4 defaults,nofail 0 2\" | sudo tee -a \/etc\/fstab\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>5) Validate <code>fstab<\/code> is correct (safe check):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">sudo umount \/data\nsudo mount -a\ndf -h \/data\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expected outcome:<\/strong>\n&#8211; <code>\/data<\/code> is mounted and will remount after reboot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 6: Write test data and validate persistence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Write a test file:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">echo \"EBS lab test: $(date -Is)\" | sudo tee \/data\/hello-ebs.txt\nsudo sync\ncat \/data\/hello-ebs.txt\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expected outcome:<\/strong>\n&#8211; File exists on the EBS data disk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 7: Create a snapshot for backup\/recovery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Console steps:<\/strong>\n1. ECS Console \u2192 Disks \u2192 select your attached disk\n2. Click <strong>Create Snapshot<\/strong>\n3. Name it <code>lab-snap-01<\/code> and confirm\n4. Wait until snapshot status is <strong>Succeeded\/Available<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expected outcome:<\/strong>\n&#8211; A snapshot recovery point is created for the disk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Verify:<\/strong>\n&#8211; In <strong>Snapshots<\/strong> list, confirm snapshot exists and is completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>Consistency note: For application-consistent backups, you usually need to quiesce the application or flush filesystem buffers. In this lab, we used <code>sync<\/code> for a simple file. For databases, follow DB-specific backup guidance. Verify Alibaba Cloud snapshot consistency guarantees in the official docs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 8 (Optional): Detach and reattach to demonstrate persistence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Console steps:<\/strong>\n1. Stop writing to <code>\/data<\/code> and unmount:\n   <code>bash\n   sudo umount \/data<\/code>\n2. In console, detach the disk from ECS.\n3. Reattach the same disk to the same ECS instance.\n4. Mount again:\n   <code>bash\n   sudo mount -a\n   cat \/data\/hello-ebs.txt<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expected outcome:<\/strong>\n&#8211; The file remains intact after detach\/reattach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Validation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Run these checks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">lsblk\ndf -h \/data\ncat \/data\/hello-ebs.txt\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>You should confirm:\n&#8211; Disk device is present\n&#8211; <code>\/data<\/code> is mounted\n&#8211; Test file exists and content is correct<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Troubleshooting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Problem: Disk not visible in <code>lsblk<\/code><\/strong>\n&#8211; Wait 1\u20132 minutes and re-check.\n&#8211; Confirm you attached the disk to the correct instance and same zone.\n&#8211; Check <code>dmesg<\/code> for attach events:\n  <code>bash\n  sudo dmesg | tail -n 100<\/code>\n&#8211; Reboot the instance (last resort for lab).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Problem: \u201cwrong fs type\u201d or mount fails<\/strong>\n&#8211; You may be mounting the wrong device (e.g., mounting <code>\/dev\/vdb<\/code> instead of <code>\/dev\/vdb1<\/code>).\n&#8211; Confirm filesystem exists:\n  <code>bash\n  sudo blkid<\/code>\n&#8211; Recreate filesystem if necessary (data destructive).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Problem: <code>mount -a<\/code> fails after editing <code>\/etc\/fstab<\/code><\/strong>\n&#8211; A typo in the <code>fstab<\/code> entry can break boot\/mount behavior.\n&#8211; Check:\n  <code>bash\n  tail -n 5 \/etc\/fstab<\/code>\n&#8211; Use UUID and verify it:\n  <code>bash\n  sudo blkid \/dev\/vdb1<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Problem: Snapshot stuck<\/strong>\n&#8211; Large disks take longer.\n&#8211; Check quotas and snapshot limits in your account.\n&#8211; Verify region health in Alibaba Cloud status pages (if available) and docs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cleanup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To avoid ongoing charges, remove resources you created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1) On ECS, unmount:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">sudo umount \/data || true\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>2) In console:\n&#8211; Delete the <strong>snapshot<\/strong> <code>lab-snap-01<\/code> (if not needed).\n&#8211; Detach and delete the <strong>EBS disk<\/strong>.\n&#8211; Stop and release the <strong>ECS instance<\/strong> if created only for lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>If you used subscription resources, releasing may differ. Confirm cleanup workflow in the ECS billing docs for your billing method.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11. Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Architecture best practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Separate system and data disks:<\/strong> Keep application\/data on EBS data disks; keep OS ephemeral.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Design for zonal failure:<\/strong> EBS is zonal\u2014use app-level replication across zones for critical state (DB replication, distributed systems).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use snapshots, but don\u2019t treat them as the only backup:<\/strong> For strict compliance, consider multi-layer backups (DB-native backups to OSS + snapshots).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IAM\/security best practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use <strong>least privilege<\/strong> RAM policies:<\/li>\n<li>Separate \u201cdisk operator\u201d vs \u201csnapshot operator\u201d vs \u201cadmin\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Prefer <strong>RAM roles<\/strong> for automation on ECS instead of long-lived AccessKeys (verify best-practice docs for your environment).<\/li>\n<li>Restrict who can <strong>delete snapshots<\/strong> and disks; require change approval for destructive actions in production.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cost best practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Standardize disk categories per environment:<\/li>\n<li>Dev\/test: cost-efficient tiers, small sizes<\/li>\n<li>Prod: tier based on measured IOPS\/latency<\/li>\n<li>Remove <strong>orphaned disks<\/strong> and stale snapshots.<\/li>\n<li>Use <strong>tagging<\/strong> to allocate costs and detect waste.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Performance best practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Right-size disk type and size (performance may scale with size).<\/li>\n<li>Understand instance limits: ECS instance families have caps on disk throughput\/IOPS\u2014validate before upgrading disk tiers.<\/li>\n<li>Use OS best practices:<\/li>\n<li>Enable TRIM\/discard where recommended for SSDs (verify distro guidance)<\/li>\n<li>Use appropriate filesystem mount options for your workload<\/li>\n<li>Consider LVM for flexible resizing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reliability best practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Automate snapshots with retention policies.<\/li>\n<li>Perform <strong>restore drills<\/strong>: create a disk from a snapshot and mount it to verify data.<\/li>\n<li>Keep runbooks:<\/li>\n<li>\u201cRestore disk from snapshot\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cReplace failed instance and reattach data disk\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Avoid storing the only copy of critical data on a single volume without replication strategy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Operations best practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monitor disk usage and I\/O:<\/li>\n<li>OS: <code>iostat<\/code>, <code>iotop<\/code>, <code>df -h<\/code><\/li>\n<li>Cloud: CloudMonitor metrics and alarms<\/li>\n<li>Use consistent naming and tags:<\/li>\n<li><code>env=prod<\/code>, <code>app=billing<\/code>, <code>owner=team-x<\/code>, <code>data_class=pii<\/code><\/li>\n<li>Define lifecycle:<\/li>\n<li>When disks are created<\/li>\n<li>How they are backed up<\/li>\n<li>When they are deleted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Governance\/tagging\/naming best practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Naming convention example:<\/li>\n<li><code>ebs-&lt;env&gt;-&lt;app&gt;-&lt;role&gt;-&lt;zone&gt;-&lt;nn&gt;<\/code><\/li>\n<li><code>snap-&lt;env&gt;-&lt;app&gt;-&lt;disk&gt;-&lt;yyyymmdd&gt;<\/code><\/li>\n<li>Enforce tags via policy\/as-code (where supported) or CI checks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">12. Security Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Identity and access model (RAM)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Who can create\/attach\/detach\/delete disks<\/strong> is controlled by RAM.<\/li>\n<li>Recommended pattern:<\/li>\n<li>Admin role: full EBS\/ECS permissions<\/li>\n<li>Ops role: attach\/detach\/resize\/snapshot but restricted deletion<\/li>\n<li>Backup role: snapshot create\/copy but no disk delete<\/li>\n<li>Use <strong>MFA<\/strong> for privileged users.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Least privilege guidance (example approach):<\/strong>\n&#8211; Allow <code>Describe*<\/code> actions broadly for visibility.\n&#8211; Scope destructive actions (DeleteDisk\/DeleteSnapshot) to:\n  &#8211; Specific resource ARNs (if supported), or\n  &#8211; Tagged resources only (if tag-based conditions are supported in RAM policies\u2014verify).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Encryption<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enable disk encryption for sensitive data.<\/li>\n<li>Prefer customer-managed keys when policy requires it (KMS integration specifics depend on region).<\/li>\n<li>Ensure snapshot encryption behavior meets your compliance needs (some platforms encrypt snapshots derived from encrypted volumes automatically; <strong>verify Alibaba Cloud\u2019s behavior<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Network exposure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>EBS is not directly internet-exposed. Risk primarily comes from:<\/li>\n<li>Compromised ECS access (SSH\/RDP)<\/li>\n<li>Weak RAM credentials<\/li>\n<li>Mismanaged snapshots (sharing\/export features\u2014verify availability)<\/li>\n<li>Secure ECS network:<\/li>\n<li>Restrict inbound SSH\/RDP to trusted IPs<\/li>\n<li>Use bastions and private subnets where possible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Secrets handling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don\u2019t store cloud AccessKeys on disks in plaintext.<\/li>\n<li>Use instance roles or a secret manager approach (Alibaba Cloud has secrets-related services; verify current recommended product and integration).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Audit\/logging<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enable <strong>ActionTrail<\/strong> for auditability of disk and snapshot operations.<\/li>\n<li>Centralize logs and protect them from tampering (separate account\/project if your org uses multi-account patterns).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Compliance considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Validate:<\/li>\n<li>Data residency (region selection)<\/li>\n<li>Encryption requirements<\/li>\n<li>Backup retention policies<\/li>\n<li>Audit log retention<\/li>\n<li>Document restore procedures and evidence (restore drill logs).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common security mistakes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Allowing too many users to delete snapshots\/disks.<\/li>\n<li>Not encrypting disks with regulated data.<\/li>\n<li>Taking snapshots but never verifying restores.<\/li>\n<li>Leaving old snapshots indefinitely (increases exposure and cost).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Secure deployment recommendations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encrypt production disks by default.<\/li>\n<li>Use snapshot policies with retention aligned to RPO\/RTO and compliance.<\/li>\n<li>Limit snapshot visibility and sharing.<\/li>\n<li>Apply tags and access controls consistently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">13. Limitations and Gotchas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>Exact limits vary by region, disk category, and ECS instance family. Treat the list below as a checklist to validate in official docs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Zonal attachment constraint<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Disks must be in the <strong>same zone<\/strong> as the ECS instance to attach.<\/li>\n<li>Migration between zones typically requires snapshots\/images and recreation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Instance family throughput caps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Upgrading disk tier may not improve performance if ECS instance caps are lower.<\/li>\n<li>Always validate the <strong>instance\u2019s max disk IOPS\/throughput<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Online resize constraints<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Disk expansion may be allowed while attached, but OS\/filesystem steps are still required.<\/li>\n<li>Shrinking disks is often not supported; plan for growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Snapshot costs and sprawl<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Snapshots accumulate quickly and can become a major cost driver.<\/li>\n<li>Snapshot retention policies and cleanup automation are essential.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Snapshot consistency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Snapshots are often crash-consistent from the Storage perspective.<\/li>\n<li>Databases require proper backup procedures (flush, freeze, or DB-native backups).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Orphaned disks after instance deletion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Depending on settings, deleting ECS might not delete attached data disks.<\/li>\n<li>This is a safety feature, but it can lead to unexpected charges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Encryption immutability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encryption settings may be immutable after disk creation; migration might be needed to change encryption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Multi-attach\/shared disk complexity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If multi-attach exists for your disk type, it requires cluster-aware software.<\/li>\n<li>Misuse can cause data corruption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Regional feature differences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Disk categories, snapshot features, and performance modes may differ by region.<\/li>\n<li>Always check the <strong>region-specific<\/strong> docs and console options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">14. Comparison with Alternatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Elastic Block Storage (EBS) is one part of Alibaba Cloud Storage. Choose based on access pattern: block vs file vs object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comparison table<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Option<\/th>\n<th>Best For<\/th>\n<th>Strengths<\/th>\n<th>Weaknesses<\/th>\n<th>When to Choose<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Alibaba Cloud Elastic Block Storage (EBS)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>ECS boot\/data disks, databases, low-latency block workloads<\/td>\n<td>Low latency, OS-native block device, snapshots, encryption<\/td>\n<td>Zonal attachment, not a shared filesystem by default<\/td>\n<td>You need persistent block Storage for ECS\/ACK<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Alibaba Cloud NAS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Shared file Storage across many instances<\/td>\n<td>POSIX-like file access, multi-client mounts<\/td>\n<td>Higher latency than local block; throughput depends on NAS type<\/td>\n<td>Multiple ECS instances need shared files (web assets, shared configs)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Alibaba Cloud OSS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Object Storage (blobs, archives, static assets, logs)<\/td>\n<td>Massive scale, durable, cost-effective for large data<\/td>\n<td>Not a filesystem, object API semantics<\/td>\n<td>Static assets, backups, archives, data lake patterns<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>ECS Local Disks (instance storage)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>High-speed temporary data, caches<\/td>\n<td>Very fast, low cost per performance<\/td>\n<td>Data loss if instance is replaced; not durable<\/td>\n<td>Caches, scratch space, ephemeral data<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>AWS EBS (other cloud)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Similar block Storage concept<\/td>\n<td>Mature ecosystem, many features<\/td>\n<td>Different APIs, not Alibaba Cloud<\/td>\n<td>Multi-cloud design comparisons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Azure Managed Disks (other cloud)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Similar block Storage concept<\/td>\n<td>Tight Azure integration<\/td>\n<td>Different performance model<\/td>\n<td>If you are on Azure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Google Persistent Disk (other cloud)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Similar block Storage concept<\/td>\n<td>Strong integration with GCE\/GKE<\/td>\n<td>Different tiers\/semantics<\/td>\n<td>If you are on GCP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Self-managed Ceph (open source)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Custom block\/file\/object on your infra<\/td>\n<td>Control, portability<\/td>\n<td>Operational complexity, staffing cost<\/td>\n<td>When you must self-host Storage and accept ops burden<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">15. Real-World Example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enterprise example: Regulated financial services platform<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> A payments platform runs on ECS with strict requirements: encryption at rest, audit trails, controlled access, and reliable backups for database volumes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Proposed architecture:<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>ECS for application tier across multiple zones (stateless)<\/li>\n<li>Database tier on ECS with high-performance EBS data disks per zone<\/li>\n<li>DB replication across zones (application\/database-native)<\/li>\n<li>Encrypted EBS volumes (KMS-managed keys where required)<\/li>\n<li>Snapshot policies for point-in-time recovery + periodic DB-native backups to OSS<\/li>\n<li>CloudMonitor alerts and ActionTrail auditing<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS was chosen:<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Block-level performance and OS compatibility for DB workloads<\/li>\n<li>Snapshot workflows for operational recovery<\/li>\n<li>Integration with RAM\/KMS governance controls<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expected outcomes:<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Clear RPO\/RTO backed by snapshot + replication strategy<\/li>\n<li>Auditability of all Storage operations<\/li>\n<li>Reduced operational risk during instance maintenance and upgrades<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Startup\/small-team example: SaaS MVP with fast iteration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> A small team needs a simple, low-cost way to persist application data and logs while frequently rebuilding servers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Proposed architecture:<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Single-zone ECS running app + small database<\/li>\n<li>Separate EBS data disk mounted at <code>\/data<\/code><\/li>\n<li>Daily snapshots and pre-deploy snapshots<\/li>\n<li>Object uploads stored in OSS (not on the disk)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why EBS was chosen:<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Simple \u201cattach disk + mount\u201d workflow<\/li>\n<li>Allows rebuilding ECS instances without losing app data<\/li>\n<li>Low operational overhead compared to running a distributed Storage system<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expected outcomes:<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Faster deployments with less fear of data loss<\/li>\n<li>Easy migration from small disk to larger disk as usage grows<\/li>\n<li>Clear path to multi-zone design later (replication + DR)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">16. FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>1) <strong>Is Elastic Block Storage (EBS) the same as \u201ccloud disks\u201d in Alibaba Cloud?<\/strong><br\/>\nYes. \u201cEBS\u201d is the product name, while \u201cdisks\/cloud disks\u201d are the actual resources you create and attach (most commonly through the ECS console and APIs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2) <strong>Can I attach an EBS disk to an ECS instance in a different zone?<\/strong><br\/>\nTypically no\u2014EBS disks are zonal and must be attached within the same zone. Use snapshots\/images to migrate across zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3) <strong>Can I use EBS with Alibaba Cloud Kubernetes (ACK)?<\/strong><br\/>\nCommonly yes, via CSI drivers that provision cloud disks as PersistentVolumes. Verify supported disk categories and your ACK version\/region in official docs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4) <strong>Do EBS snapshots replace database backups?<\/strong><br\/>\nNot always. Snapshots are usually crash-consistent at the block layer. For databases, combine snapshots with DB-native backups and consistency steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5) <strong>How do I restore from a snapshot?<\/strong><br\/>\nTypically you create a new disk from the snapshot, attach it to an instance, and mount it. Some environments also support rollback-type workflows\u2014verify Alibaba Cloud\u2019s supported restore operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6) <strong>Are snapshots incremental?<\/strong><br\/>\nMany cloud snapshot systems are incremental under the hood, but billing and mechanics can vary. Verify the snapshot billing model in Alibaba Cloud pricing docs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7) <strong>Do I pay for an EBS disk even when the ECS instance is stopped?<\/strong><br\/>\nUsually yes\u2014Storage is billed while the disk exists. The compute billing may stop, but Storage persists. Confirm for your billing mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8) <strong>What happens to data disks when I delete an ECS instance?<\/strong><br\/>\nIt depends on deletion settings and disk attributes. Often data disks can be retained to prevent accidental data loss. Always review the deletion policy before terminating instances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>9) <strong>How do I move data from one disk category to another?<\/strong><br\/>\nCommon approach: snapshot \u2192 create new disk with desired category \u2192 attach \u2192 copy\/migrate data (or rebuild from image\/snapshot). Some platforms support changing category in place; verify if Alibaba Cloud supports it for your disk type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>10) <strong>Can I resize an EBS disk without downtime?<\/strong><br\/>\nDisk expansion may be possible online, but you must also extend the partition\/filesystem inside the OS. Some workloads may require maintenance windows. Verify for your disk category and OS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>11) <strong>What filesystem should I use on Linux?<\/strong><br\/>\nExt4 and XFS are common choices. Pick based on workload, tooling, and team experience. Ensure you know how to grow it safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>12) <strong>Is EBS encrypted by default?<\/strong><br\/>\nNot universally. You usually choose encryption at disk creation time. Many organizations enforce encryption-by-default through policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13) <strong>How do I monitor EBS performance?<\/strong><br\/>\nUse CloudMonitor metrics for disk IOPS\/throughput\/latency and correlate with OS-level tools (<code>iostat<\/code>, <code>sar<\/code>, <code>iotop<\/code>). Set alerts for sustained saturation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>14) <strong>Can multiple ECS instances share the same EBS disk?<\/strong><br\/>\nBy default, block disks are typically single-attached. If Alibaba Cloud offers multi-attach\/shared disk for specific categories, it has strict constraints\u2014verify and use only with cluster-aware filesystems\/applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>15) <strong>What\u2019s the simplest backup strategy for a small workload?<\/strong><br\/>\nDaily snapshots with a retention window, plus an on-demand snapshot before changes. For production data, add periodic exports\/backups to OSS and test restores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>16) <strong>Should I store application uploads on EBS?<\/strong><br\/>\nFor a single-instance app it may work, but it complicates scaling. OSS is usually a better fit for user uploads and static files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>17) <strong>How do I prevent accidental deletion of disks\/snapshots?<\/strong><br\/>\nUse RAM least privilege, approval workflows, tagging policies, and (if available) resource protection features. Also keep restore runbooks and periodic restore drills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">17. Top Online Resources to Learn Elastic Block Storage (EBS)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Resource Type<\/th>\n<th>Name<\/th>\n<th>Why It Is Useful<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Official documentation<\/td>\n<td>Alibaba Cloud Elastic Block Storage documentation<\/td>\n<td>Primary source for features, limits, and procedures per region: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/elastic-block-storage\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Official product page<\/td>\n<td>Elastic Block Storage (EBS) product page<\/td>\n<td>High-level capabilities and entry points to pricing: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/product\/ebs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Pricing calculator<\/td>\n<td>Alibaba Cloud Pricing Calculator<\/td>\n<td>Build region-specific estimates without guessing: https:\/\/calculator.alibabacloud.com\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Related docs<\/td>\n<td>ECS documentation<\/td>\n<td>Disk attachment, instance limits, and OS operations are often covered under ECS: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/ecs\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Monitoring docs<\/td>\n<td>CloudMonitor documentation<\/td>\n<td>How to find and alert on disk metrics: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/cloudmonitor\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Audit docs<\/td>\n<td>ActionTrail documentation<\/td>\n<td>Audit disk\/snapshot operations and governance: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/actiontrail\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Security docs<\/td>\n<td>RAM documentation<\/td>\n<td>Least privilege policies and role-based access: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/ram\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Encryption docs<\/td>\n<td>Key Management Service (KMS) documentation<\/td>\n<td>Key management and encryption integration patterns: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/kms\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kubernetes storage<\/td>\n<td>ACK documentation (Storage\/CSI)<\/td>\n<td>How to provision cloud disks as PVs (verify exact page for your ACK version): https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/ack\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CLI tooling<\/td>\n<td>Alibaba Cloud CLI documentation<\/td>\n<td>Automate EBS\/ECS operations via CLI: https:\/\/www.alibabacloud.com\/help\/en\/alibaba-cloud-cli\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">18. Training and Certification Providers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Institute<\/th>\n<th>Suitable Audience<\/th>\n<th>Likely Learning Focus<\/th>\n<th>Mode<\/th>\n<th>Website URL<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>DevOpsSchool.com<\/td>\n<td>DevOps engineers, SREs, cloud engineers<\/td>\n<td>DevOps practices, cloud operations, hands-on labs around infrastructure<\/td>\n<td>Check website<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ScmGalaxy.com<\/td>\n<td>Beginners to intermediate engineers<\/td>\n<td>DevOps, SCM, CI\/CD, and foundational cloud concepts<\/td>\n<td>Check website<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.scmgalaxy.com\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CLoudOpsNow.in<\/td>\n<td>Cloud operations teams<\/td>\n<td>Cloud operations, monitoring, reliability, automation<\/td>\n<td>Check website<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.cloudopsnow.in\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>SreSchool.com<\/td>\n<td>SREs and platform teams<\/td>\n<td>SRE principles, observability, incident response, reliability engineering<\/td>\n<td>Check website<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.sreschool.com\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>AiOpsSchool.com<\/td>\n<td>Ops and SRE teams exploring AIOps<\/td>\n<td>AIOps concepts, automation, event correlation, operational intelligence<\/td>\n<td>Check website<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.aiopsschool.com\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">19. Top Trainers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Platform\/Site<\/th>\n<th>Likely Specialization<\/th>\n<th>Suitable Audience<\/th>\n<th>Website URL<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>RajeshKumar.xyz<\/td>\n<td>Cloud\/DevOps training content (verify offerings)<\/td>\n<td>Students, engineers seeking guided learning<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/rajeshkumar.xyz\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>devopstrainer.in<\/td>\n<td>DevOps and cloud training (verify syllabus)<\/td>\n<td>DevOps engineers, sysadmins transitioning to cloud<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.devopstrainer.in\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>devopsfreelancer.com<\/td>\n<td>Freelance DevOps help\/training platform (verify services)<\/td>\n<td>Teams needing short-term mentoring\/implementation guidance<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.devopsfreelancer.com\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>devopssupport.in<\/td>\n<td>DevOps support and training resources (verify services)<\/td>\n<td>Ops teams needing practical troubleshooting and support<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.devopssupport.in\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">20. Top Consulting Companies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Company Name<\/th>\n<th>Likely Service Area<\/th>\n<th>Where They May Help<\/th>\n<th>Consulting Use Case Examples<\/th>\n<th>Website URL<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>cotocus.com<\/td>\n<td>Cloud\/DevOps consulting (verify exact scope)<\/td>\n<td>Architecture, automation, migrations, operations<\/td>\n<td>EBS backup design, ECS storage standardization, cost reviews<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/cotocus.com\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>DevOpsSchool.com<\/td>\n<td>DevOps consulting and enablement (verify exact scope)<\/td>\n<td>Training + implementation, DevOps process setup<\/td>\n<td>Infrastructure-as-Code for ECS\/EBS, observability setup, runbooks<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>DEVOPSCONSULTING.IN<\/td>\n<td>DevOps consulting (verify exact scope)<\/td>\n<td>CI\/CD, cloud operations, reliability practices<\/td>\n<td>Storage governance, snapshot automation, security hardening<\/td>\n<td>https:\/\/www.devopsconsulting.in\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">21. Career and Learning Roadmap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to learn before this service<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Linux fundamentals:<\/li>\n<li>Filesystems, partitions, mounting, <code>fstab<\/code>, permissions<\/li>\n<li>Tools: <code>lsblk<\/code>, <code>blkid<\/code>, <code>df<\/code>, <code>iostat<\/code><\/li>\n<li>Networking basics:<\/li>\n<li>VPC, subnets\/vSwitches, security groups<\/li>\n<li>Cloud basics:<\/li>\n<li>Regions vs zones, IAM (RAM), billing models<\/li>\n<li>ECS fundamentals:<\/li>\n<li>Creating instances, connecting via SSH\/RDP, images<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to learn after this service<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Backup and DR design:<\/li>\n<li>Snapshot policies, retention, restore drills<\/li>\n<li>Cross-region DR patterns (verify Alibaba Cloud options)<\/li>\n<li>Performance engineering:<\/li>\n<li>Disk benchmarking methodology and interpreting latency\/IOPS<\/li>\n<li>Kubernetes Storage (ACK):<\/li>\n<li>CSI, PV\/PVC, StatefulSets, StorageClasses<\/li>\n<li>Security deep dive:<\/li>\n<li>KMS key lifecycle, audit trails, policy-as-code, compliance mapping<\/li>\n<li>Automation:<\/li>\n<li>Terraform for Alibaba Cloud, <code>aliyun<\/code> CLI scripting, CI pipelines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Job roles that use it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cloud Engineer \/ DevOps Engineer<\/li>\n<li>Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)<\/li>\n<li>Platform Engineer<\/li>\n<li>Solutions Architect<\/li>\n<li>Security Engineer (cloud governance)<\/li>\n<li>Systems Administrator transitioning to cloud<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Certification path (if available)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Alibaba Cloud offers role-based certifications (associate\/professional tracks) that often include ECS and Storage concepts. Certification names and availability change\u2014<strong>verify current Alibaba Cloud certification roadmap<\/strong> on official channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Project ideas for practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Build a two-tier ECS app with separate EBS data\/log disks and snapshot policies.<\/li>\n<li>Implement a \u201crestore from snapshot\u201d runbook and test it monthly.<\/li>\n<li>Create an ACK StatefulSet using EBS-backed PVs (verify CSI).<\/li>\n<li>Write a cleanup script that finds unattached disks and old snapshots (dry-run first).<\/li>\n<li>Run a cost review: tags + snapshot retention + orphan disk detection.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">22. Glossary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Block Storage:<\/strong> Storage presented as a raw device (like a disk) that a server formats and mounts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>EBS Disk \/ Cloud Disk:<\/strong> The EBS volume resource you create in Alibaba Cloud.<\/li>\n<li><strong>System Disk:<\/strong> Boot volume that holds the OS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data Disk:<\/strong> Additional disk used for application data.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Region:<\/strong> Geographic area containing multiple zones.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Zone:<\/strong> An isolated location within a region; many resources (disks) are zonal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Snapshot:<\/strong> Point-in-time backup of a disk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>RPO (Recovery Point Objective):<\/strong> Maximum acceptable data loss measured in time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>RTO (Recovery Time Objective):<\/strong> Target time to restore service after an outage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>IOPS:<\/strong> Input\/Output Operations Per Second (random read\/write operations).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Throughput:<\/strong> Data transfer rate, usually MB\/s.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Latency:<\/strong> Time per I\/O operation (lower is better for databases).<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAM:<\/strong> Resource Access Management (Alibaba Cloud IAM).<\/li>\n<li><strong>KMS:<\/strong> Key Management Service for cryptographic keys.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CloudMonitor:<\/strong> Alibaba Cloud monitoring service for metrics\/alarms.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ActionTrail:<\/strong> Alibaba Cloud audit logging for API actions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CSI:<\/strong> Container Storage Interface used by Kubernetes for storage plugins.<\/li>\n<li><strong>fstab:<\/strong> Linux config file defining filesystems to mount at boot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">23. Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alibaba Cloud <strong>Elastic Block Storage (EBS)<\/strong> is the core <strong>block Storage<\/strong> service used to provide persistent disks (cloud disks) for <strong>ECS<\/strong> and many stateful workloads. It matters because it gives teams a practical way to run databases and persistent applications with cloud-native lifecycle management, snapshots for recovery, and governance controls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>EBS fits best when you need <strong>low-latency, OS-native Storage<\/strong> that is easy to attach\/detach and protect with snapshots. Key cost drivers are disk size\/tier and snapshot retention, while key security considerations include RAM least privilege, encryption choices, and auditable operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use EBS for ECS system\/data disks, databases, and Kubernetes persistent volumes (with verified CSI support). Prefer NAS for shared files and OSS for object data, archives, and backups. Next, deepen your skills by implementing snapshot policies, performing restore drills, and validating performance\/limits for your specific ECS instance families and regions using the official Alibaba Cloud documentation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Storage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alibaba-cloud","category-storage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}