Network volumes for Pods

Network volumes offer persistent storage that exists independently of the lifecycle of a Pod. This means your data is retained even if a Pod is terminated or a worker is stopped. They can be attached to multiple Pods (though not simultaneously to multiple running Pods), making them ideal for sharing data, transferring storage between machines, or maintaining datasets.

When attached to a Pod, a network volume replaces the Pod’s default disk volume and is typically mounted at /workspace.

For a comparison with other storage types, see Storage options.

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When to use a network volume

Consider using a network volume when you need:

• Persistent data that outlives individual Pods: Keep your data safe and accessible even after a Pod is terminated.
• Shareable storage: Use the same data across different Pods. While a network volume can be attached to multiple Pod configurations, it can only be actively used by one running Pod at a time to prevent data corruption. You should typically stop a Pod before attaching its network volume to a new Pod.
• Portable storage: Easily move your working environment and data to a different Pod, perhaps in a different GPU pool if your preferred option isn’t available.
• Efficient data management: Store frequently used models or large datasets to avoid re-downloading them for each new Pod, saving time and bandwidth.

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Create a network volume

To create a new network volume:

1. Navigate to the Storage page in the RunPod console.

2. Select New Network Volume.

3. Configure your volume:

   • Select a datacenter for your volume. Datacenter location does not affect pricing, but the datacenter location will determine which GPU types your network volume can be used with.
   • Provide a descriptive name for your volume (e.g., “project-alpha-data” or “stable-diffusion-models”).
   • Specify the desired size for the volume in gigabytes (GB).
   Network volume size can be increased later, but cannot be decreased.

4. Select Create Network Volume.

You can edit and delete your network volumes using the Storage page.

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Attach a network volume to a Pod

To deploy a Pod with a network volume attached:

1. Navigate to the Pods page.
2. Select Deploy.
3. Select Network Volume and select the network volume you want to attach to the Pod from the dropdown list.
4. Select a GPU type. The system will automatically tell you which Pods are available to use with the selected network volume.
5. Select a Pod Template.
6. If you wish to change where the volume mounts, select Edit Template and adjust the Volume Mount Path.
7. Configure any other fields as you normally would, then select Deploy On-Demand.

Data from the network volume will be accessible to the Pod from the volume mount path, which is set to /workspace by default. Use this directory to upload, download, and manipulate data, and share it with other Pods.

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Architecture details

Network volumes are backed by high-performance storage servers co-located with RunPod GPU servers. These are connected via high-speed networks and use NVMe SSDs for optimal performance, but data transfer speeds can vary widely based on location and network conditions (200-400MB/s, up to 10GB/s).

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Benefits

Using network volumes provides significant flexibility that can lead to cost savings, especially if you need to frequently switch between Pods or share large datasets.

Network volume storage space costs less than for disk volumes ($0.07/GB/month rather than $0.10/GB/month), and storing data on a network volume can save you money compared to provisioning separate disk space for multiple Pods (even with just two Pods sharing one volume).

For a deeper dive into potential benefits, read this blog article on network volumes.