Table of Contents
Introduction
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offers a variety of disk options to meet the needs of different workloads. Choosing the right disk option that suits your cloud computing needs can ensure that your data is stored securely and efficiently. The ability to choose from different disk options is an important feature of GCP, and this plays a critical role in data storage, retrieval, and overall performance.
In this blog post, we will explore the different disk options available in GCP and their respective use cases.
What You Should Know About Google Cloud Platform Disks
At this point, it is very pertinent that we establish a fundamental understanding of what GCP disks are and how they work. This will help you in making the right decision as you choose from a variety of disk options in the GCP.
In cloud computing, disks are virtual storage devices that can be attached to virtual machines (VMs) to store data. These disks can be categorized into two main types namely, the persistent disks and local disks.
Different Disk Options in GCP
The different disk options available in the Google Cloud Platform
1.1 Persistent Disks: Durable block storage that is attached to virtual machines (VMs). Every single VM comes with a single root persistent disk. They are network-attached, highly available storage devices that offer durability and reliability. They come with the following attributes;
- They are attached to a virtual Machine through the network interface
- They are durable and can survive VM terminate
- They are bootable. They can be attached to a VM and boot from it, and the image is loaded onto them during the first boot.
- They use snapshots for incremental backups
- They have high-performance capability and so can scale with size.
- They support disk resizing even while running and attached
- They can be attached in Read-only mode to multiple VMs
- They can survive VM deletion if “Delete boot disk when an instance is deleted” is disabled.
- They can either be zonal or regional. Zonal Persistent Disks are designed for high availability. They replicate data across multiple zones within a region, ensuring data durability even in the event of a zone failure.
- Encryption keys e.g. Google-managed, Customer-managed, Customer-supplied keys.
Persistent disks come in two basic disk options: Standard Persistent Disks and Solid-State Drives (SSD) Persistent Disks.
- 1 Standard Persistent Disks: Standard Persistent Disks provide a balance between performance and cost. They are ideal for workloads with moderate read and write demands. An example of a standard persistent disk is a Standard Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
They provide a balance between performance and cost, making them a versatile choice for various use cases including;
- Web Hosting: Standard Persistent Disks are suitable for hosting websites, content management systems, and web applications that require consistent, reliable storage.
- Database Servers: For databases that have moderate read and write workloads, Standard Persistent Disks offer a cost-effective solution without compromising on data integrity.
- File Storage: If you need a centralized file storage system for your organization, Standard Persistent Disks can handle the load efficiently.
- 2 SSD Persistent Disks: Solid State Drive (SSD) Persistent Disk is the ideal choice if you need high I/O (Input/Output) performance. This is because they offer low-latency access to data and are well-suited for applications that require fast data retrieval.
They are ideal for applications that demand rapid data access like;
- Big Data Analytics: When dealing with large datasets and complex analytical queries, SSD Persistent Disks can significantly reduce query execution times.
- Real-Time Data Processing: Applications like gaming servers, real-time analytics, and video streaming benefit from the low-latency access provided by SSD Persistent Disks.
- High-Traffic Websites: E-commerce platforms and news websites with high traffic volumes can rely on SSD Persistent Disks to serve content rapidly to users.
Local SSD Disks
Local disks, on the other hand, are physically attached to the VM host machine. They offer high-speed storage but come with a significant drawback – they are not persistent. Local disks are best used for temporary data storage or caching, where data durability is not a primary concern. They are a specialized storage option in GCP. Attributes of the local SSD disks include;
- Local SSD disks are physically attached to the Virtual Machine (VM)
- They are more ephemeral than they provide, meaning data stored on them is lost if the VM is terminated or undergoes a maintenance event.
- They have more IOPs, lower latency, and higher throughput than persistent disks.
- They have 375 GB capacity per disk and can be up to 8 disks with a total of 3TB.
- In Local SSD disk data can survive a reset, but not a ‘VM Stop’ or ‘terminate’
- Local SSD disk is VM-specific. They cannot be reattached to a different VM.
Local SSD disk Use Cases include:
- High-Performance Computing (HPC): Local SSDs shine in HPC scenarios where extremely fast data processing is required. These workloads typically involve simulations, scientific computing, and modeling.
- Temporary Data Caching: Applications that need to cache data temporarily for faster access can leverage local SSDs.
Managing Persistent Disk
1. Cloud persistent Disk
- A single-file system is best
- Resize or grow disks
- Resize file system
- Built-in Snapshot Service
- Automatic encryption
2. Computer Hardware Disk
- Partitioning
- Repartitioning disk
- Reformat
- Redundant disk arrays
- Subvolume management and snapshots
- Encrypt files before writing to disk
Maximum Persistent Disks attached to a VM:
Machine Type Disk Number
Shared-core 16
Standard 128
High Memory 128
High CPU 128
(Memory optimized, compute optimized)
RAM Disks
A RAM disk in GCP is a temporary storage device that uses the memory of the Compute Engine instance. RAM disks are much faster than traditional hard drives or solid-state drives because they do not have to access physical media. This makes them ideal for applications that require high performance, such as caching, databases, and logging. RAM disks can be a trusted disk option for improving the performance of your GCP applications.
Attributes of RAM Disks
- RAM disk is created using the tmpfs filesystem
- They are faster than local disk, slower than memory
- It is used when your application expects a filesystem structure and cannot directly store its data in memory.
- Fast scratch disk, or fast cache
- They are very volatile, so their contents are lost or erased when the instance is restarted or fails
- RAM disks share memory with your applications, so you need to make sure that you have enough memory, You may need a larger machine type if RAM was sized for the application
- RAM disks are not backed up automatically, so consider using a persistent disk to back up RAM disk data
Beyond the basic Disk Options
There are other disk options in the GCP that are beyond the scope of this article but worth mentioning. Options like Google Cloud Storage Which though it is not a traditional disk attached to a VM, is a highly scalable, durable, and cost-effective object storage solution. It’s designed for storing massive amounts of unstructured data.
The Cloud Filestore is a shared file storage option that can be used for file sharing and collaboration. It is a good choice for workloads that require high performance and availability, such as media editing, content management systems, and collaboration platforms. I shall treat cloud storage and cloud filestore in subsequent posts.
How to Choose the Right Disk Option
Choosing the best disk option for your needs depends on your specific workload requirements. We will also look at some of the criteria that you must take into consideration as you choose the right disk option for your needs. Criteria like
- Performance: How much performance do you need? Assess the I/O and latency needs of your application. If high-speed access is critical, SSD Persistent Disks or local SSDs may be the best option.
- Availability: How much availability do you need? You must consider Geographic locations: If you have specific geographic or compliance requirements, choose the appropriate disk option and data center location.
- Scalable solution: Think about your future scalability needs. Some workloads may require rapid scaling, which some scalable disk options can accommodate.
- Durable storage: Consider the importance of data durability. If data loss is unacceptable, opt for solutions like Zonal Persistent Disks or Google Cloud Storage, which provide data redundancy.
- Capacity: How much capacity do you need?
- Cost: How much are you willing to spend? Evaluate your budget constraints. Standard Persistent Disks are cost-effective, while SSD options come at a higher price point.
Considering these factors will help you can choose the disk option that best meets your needs.
Conclusion
The rationale for choosing the best out of a variety of disk options in the Google Cloud Platform is to optimize performance, ensure data durability, and manage costs effectively. From Standard Persistent Disks to high-speed SSDs and advanced options like Zonal Persistent Disks, GCP provides a wide array of choices to meet diverse cloud computing needs. By understanding the characteristics and use cases of each disk option and carefully considering your application’s requirements, you can make informed decisions that drive the success of your projects in the GCP.
In addition, remember that to make the right choice among different disk options you can use the GCP pricing calculator to estimate the cost of the different disk options. You can also monitor your workload performance to ensure that you are using the right disk option.
I believe you are now more informed about a variety of disk options in GCP. Watch out for more exciting posts from me. But till then keep following the Cloud. Should you have questions, feedback, or comments please feel free to use the comment box. It will help us to serve you better.