Section 1.1: Creating Your First EBS Volume

To initiate the creation of a volume, navigate to the "Volumes" section in the compute dashboard and select the option to create a new volume.

In the "Volume Settings" page, choose the appropriate volume type and specify the size. For instance, if you need a 2GB volume in the ap-south-1a region, ensure to select the correct region. Remember that EBS volumes are region-specific, meaning you can only attach them to instances in the same region where they were created. However, using snapshots can provide some flexibility.

Encryption is a critical factor when creating a volume. Encrypting your volume upon creation ensures that your data remains secure, both at rest and in transit. You can opt for a default key or create a KMS key, which AWS will use for decryption when the volume is attached to an instance. Finally, assign a unique tag name to the volume before clicking "Create."

After successfully creating the volume, it will initially be in an "available" state since it hasn't been linked to any instance yet. Notably, each volume can only be attached to a single instance at a time, although the Multi-Connect feature allows for some specific volume types and Nitro instances.

Section 1.2: Attaching the Volume to an Instance

To attach your newly created volume, click on "Actions" and select "Attach Volume." You will be redirected to a page where you can choose a running or stopped instance to link the volume to, while keeping the other settings as default.

The instance attachment page provides you with the necessary options to finalize this process.

Now that the volume is attached, there's still more to do to maximize its use. Unlike ephemeral root storage, the external EBS volume acts like a permanent storage solution, similar to a USB drive that can be connected to various devices. With EBS, you have granular control over your storage blocks, enhancing your overall efficiency.

Subsection 1.2.1: Managing Your Volume

Step 1: Create a Partition

Utilize the command fdisk -l to view the details of the attached volume, which should be labeled as /dev/xvdf.

To create a partition, use the command fdisk <device_name>. For example, you can create a 1GB default type partition. Use 'n' to add a new volume and 'w' to save your changes. For further assistance, type 'm' to view help options. After completing this, run fdisk -l again to confirm the new partition is created.

Step 2: Formatting the Partition

Formatting prepares your disk for the operating system to manage a file system. One common method in Linux is to use the command mkfs.ext4 <partition_device_name>, such as mkfs.ext4 /dev/xvdf1.

Step 3: Mounting the Partition

The final step is straightforward: create a directory using the command mkdir, and mount the partition to it:

mkdir /drive_folder

mount /dev/xvdf1 /drive_folder