How to use the command `linode-cli volumes` (with examples)

The linode-cli volumes command is used to manage Linode Volumes, which are block storage devices that can be attached to Linodes. This command allows users to perform various operations on their volumes, such as creating, attaching, detaching, resizing, and deleting them.

Use case 1: List current Volumes

Code:

linode-cli volumes list

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to get a list of all the volumes currently associated with your Linodes. It helps you to easily view and manage your volumes.

Explanation:

• linode-cli: The Linode CLI command.
• volumes: The sub-command to manage Linode Volumes.
• list: The action to list all the current volumes.

Example output:

ID     Label       Linode ID  Size (GB)  Status            Created
12345  volume-1    6789       20         ready             2021-01-01T00:00:00Z
67890  volume-2    1234       50         ready             2021-01-02T00:00:00Z

Use case 2: Create a new Volume and attach it to a specific Linode

Code:

linode-cli volumes create --label volume_label --size size_in_GB --linode-id linode_id

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to create a new volume and attach it to a specific Linode. It allows you to expand your Linode’s storage capacity by adding volumes as needed.

Explanation:

• linode-cli: The Linode CLI command.
• volumes: The sub-command to manage Linode Volumes.
• create: The action to create a new volume.
• --label volume_label: The label for the new volume.
• --size size_in_GB: The size of the new volume in gigabytes.
• --linode-id linode_id: The ID of the Linode to which the volume should be attached.

Example output:

ID       Label       Linode ID  Size (GB)  Status
123456   new-volume  7890       100        ready

Use case 3: Attach a Volume to a specific Linode

Code:

linode-cli volumes attach volume_id --linode-id linode_id

Motivation: This use case is useful when you have an existing volume and want to attach it to a specific Linode. It allows you to associate volumes with Linodes and make them available for use.

Explanation:

• linode-cli: The Linode CLI command.
• volumes: The sub-command to manage Linode Volumes.
• attach: The action to attach a volume.
• volume_id: The ID of the volume to be attached.
• --linode-id linode_id: The ID of the Linode to which the volume should be attached.

Example output:

Volume with ID 123456 attached to Linode with ID 7890 successfully.

Use case 4: Detach a Volume from a Linode

Code:

linode-cli volumes detach volume_id

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to detach a volume from a Linode. It allows you to remove a volume from a Linode without deleting it, making it available for attachment to another Linode or for general management.

Explanation:

• linode-cli: The Linode CLI command.
• volumes: The sub-command to manage Linode Volumes.
• detach: The action to detach a volume.
• volume_id: The ID of the volume to be detached.

Example output:

Volume with ID 123456 detached successfully.

Use case 5: Resize a Volume (Note: size can only be increased)

Code:

linode-cli volumes resize volume_id --size new_size_in_GB

Motivation: This use case is useful when you need to increase the size of a volume to accommodate more data. It allows you to expand the storage capacity of a volume without losing any existing data.

Explanation:

• linode-cli: The Linode CLI command.
• volumes: The sub-command to manage Linode Volumes.
• resize: The action to resize a volume.
• volume_id: The ID of the volume to be resized.
• --size new_size_in_GB: The new size of the volume in gigabytes.

Example output:

Volume with ID 123456 resized successfully to 200 GB.

Use case 6: Delete a Volume

Code:

linode-cli volumes delete volume_id

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to permanently remove a volume from your Linode account. It allows you to clean up unused volumes and free up storage space.

Explanation:

• linode-cli: The Linode CLI command.
• volumes: The sub-command to manage Linode Volumes.
• delete: The action to delete a volume.
• volume_id: The ID of the volume to be deleted.

Example output:

Volume with ID 123456 deleted successfully.

Conclusion:

In this article, we explored various use cases of the linode-cli volumes command. We learned how to list current volumes, create and attach a new volume to a Linode, attach and detach volumes, resize a volume, and delete a volume. With these examples, you should now have a better understanding of how to manage Linode Volumes using the Linode CLI.