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Cloud (AWS) Day 05: Create GP3 Volume

This document explains how to create a standalone Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store) volume using the GP3 volume type. The volume behaves like a virtual hard disk that can later be attached to an EC2 instance for persistent storage.





Objective

Provision an EBS volume with the following configuration:

  • Name Tag: devops-volume
  • Volume Type: gp3
  • Size: 2 GiB
  • Region: us-east-1 (N. Virginia)



Understanding the Concept

An EBS volume provides block-level storage. Unlike S3 (which is object storage), EBS works like a disk attached to a virtual machine.

Key characteristics:

  • It exists inside a specific Availability Zone (AZ).
  • It must be attached to an EC2 instance in the same AZ.
  • Data persists independently of instance lifecycle.

The gp3 volume type is a general-purpose SSD option. It allows baseline performance (3000 IOPS and 125 MiB/s throughput) without tying performance strictly to storage size.



Method 1: Using AWS Management Console

Step 1: Access EC2 Service

  1. Log in to the AWS Management Console.
  2. Ensure region is set to us-east-1 (N. Virginia).
  3. Navigate to EC2 service.



Step 2: Navigate to Volumes

  1. In the left menu under Elastic Block Store, select Volumes.
  2. Click Create volume.



Step 3: Configure Volume Settings

  • Volume Type: General Purpose SSD (gp3)
  • Size: 2 GiB
  • IOPS: Leave default (3000)
  • Throughput: Leave default (125)
  • Availability Zone: Select one (e.g., us-east-1a)

The Availability Zone selection is mandatory. The volume physically resides inside that AZ.



Step 4: Add Name Tag

Under the Tags section:

  • Key → Name
  • Value → devops-volume

Tagging ensures easier identification and management.



Step 5: Create Volume

Click Create volume.

After creation:

  • State should show: Available
  • Volume is ready to be attached to an EC2 instance



Method 2: Using AWS CLI

Step 1: Create Volume

aws ec2 create-volume \
    --volume-type gp3 \
    --size 2 \
    --availability-zone us-east-1a \
    --tag-specifications 'ResourceType=volume,Tags=[{Key=Name,Value=devops-volume}]' \
    --region us-east-1

# OUTPUT

{
    "Iops": 3000,
    "Tags": [
        {
            "Key": "Name",
            "Value": "devops-volume"
        }
    ],
    "VolumeType": "gp3",
    "MultiAttachEnabled": false,
    "Throughput": 125,
    "VolumeId": "vol-060f74f55a4d65caa",
    "Size": 2,
    "SnapshotId": "",
    "AvailabilityZone": "us-east-1a",
    "State": "creating",
    "CreateTime": "2026-02-17T00:35:11.000Z",
    "Encrypted": false
}



Command Explanation

  • create-volume → API action to create EBS volume
  • --volume-type gp3 → Selects performance tier
  • --size 2 → Sets capacity in GiB
  • --availability-zone us-east-1a → Specifies physical placement
  • --tag-specifications → Adds Name tag at creation
  • --region us-east-1 → Targets correct AWS region

If successful, AWS returns a JSON response containing:

  • VolumeId
  • Size
  • State
  • VolumeType



Step 2: Verify Volume

aws ec2 describe-volumes \
    --filters Name=tag:Name,Values=devops-volume \
    --region us-east-1

# OUTPUT

{
    "Volumes": [
        {
            "Iops": 3000,
            "Tags": [
                {
                    "Key": "Name",
                    "Value": "devops-volume"
                }
            ],
            "VolumeType": "gp3",
            "MultiAttachEnabled": false,
            "Throughput": 125,
            "Operator": {
                "Managed": false
            },
            "VolumeId": "vol-060f74f55a4d65caa",
            "Size": 2,
            "SnapshotId": "",
            "AvailabilityZone": "us-east-1a",
            "State": "available",
            "CreateTime": "2026-02-17T00:35:11.897Z",
            "Attachments": [],
            "Encrypted": false
        }
    ]
}

Expected output should include:

  • "State": "available"
  • "Size": 2
  • "VolumeType": "gp3"



Internal Lifecycle of an EBS Volume

  1. Volume is created inside a specific AZ.
  2. State becomes available.
  3. It can be attached to a running EC2 instance.
  4. Once attached, it appears as a block device (e.g., /dev/xvdf).
  5. The instance must format and mount the volume before use.

If detached, the volume returns to available state but retains data.



Key Outcome

A standalone EBS volume named devops-volume has been created in us-east-1 using the gp3 type with 2 GiB of storage. The volume is now ready to be attached to an EC2 instance for persistent storage use.