Persistent Disk
Durable, high-performance block storage for Google Cloud Compute Engine and Kubernetes Engine
What is Persistent Disk?
Persistent Disk is Google Cloud's fully-managed block storage solution, designed to provide reliable and high-performance storage for virtual machines (VMs) running on Compute Engine and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). Unlike local SSDs, Persistent Disks are network-attached, allowing them to persist independently of the VM lifecycle. This means data remains intact even if the VM is stopped, deleted, or restarted.
Persistent Disks are available in several types, including Standard (HDD), SSD, Balanced, and Extreme, each optimized for different performance and cost requirements. They support features such as automatic encryption, snapshots, resizing, and multi-reader access, making them suitable for a wide range of workloads, from databases to enterprise applications and analytics pipelines.
Architecture
Key Components
Persistent Disk Volumes
The core storage units that provide block-level storage to Compute Engine VMs and GKE pods. Volumes can be attached, detached, resized, and support multiple disk types for different workloads.
Snapshots & Backups
Point-in-time copies of Persistent Disks, enabling disaster recovery, backup, and migration. Snapshots are incremental and stored in Google Cloud Storage for cost efficiency.
Network Storage Layer
The managed infrastructure that connects Persistent Disks to VMs and containers over Google’s high-speed network, ensuring high availability and consistent performance.
Key Capabilities
High Performance & Scalability
Supports up to 120,000 IOPS and 2,000 MB/s throughput per disk (Extreme PD), with seamless scaling and resizing to meet demanding workloads.
Durability & Reliability
Data is automatically encrypted and replicated for high durability (99.999% annual durability), ensuring business continuity and data protection.
Snapshots & Backups
Create incremental snapshots for backup, disaster recovery, and migration. Snapshots can be scheduled and stored across regions for added resilience.
Flexible Attachment
Disks can be attached to multiple VMs in read-only mode or moved between instances, supporting a variety of deployment scenarios.
Common Use Cases
Related Topics
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