Hot-plugging virtual disks

Hot-plug and hot-unplug virtual disks when you want to add or remove them without stopping your virtual machine or virtual machine instance. This capability is helpful when you need to add storage to a running virtual machine without incurring down-time.

When you hot-plug a virtual disk, you attach a virtual disk to a virtual machine instance while the virtual machine is running.

When you hot-unplug a virtual disk, you detach a virtual disk from a virtual machine instance while the virtual machine is running.

Only data volumes and persistent volume claims (PVCs) can be hot-plugged and hot-unplugged. You cannot hot-plug or hot-unplug container disks.

After you hot-plug a virtual disk, it remains hot-plugged until you detach (unplug) it, even if you restart the virtual machine.

Hot-plugging a virtual disk using the CLI

Hot-plug virtual disks that you want to attach to a virtual machine instance (VMI) while a virtual machine is running.

Prerequisites

• You must have a running virtual machine to hot-plug a virtual disk.

• You must have at least one data volume or persistent volume claim (PVC) available for hot-plugging.

Procedure

• Hot-plug a virtual disk by running the following command:

  $ virtctl addvolume <virtual-machine|virtual-machine-instance> --volume-name=<datavolume|PVC> \
  [--persist] [--serial=<label-name>]

  • Use the optional --persist flag to add the hot-plugged disk to the virtual machine specification as a permanently mounted virtual disk. Stop, restart, or reboot the virtual machine to permanently mount the virtual disk. After specifying the --persist flag, you can no longer hot-plug or hot-unplug the virtual disk. The --persist flag applies to virtual machines, not virtual machine instances.

  • The optional --serial flag allows you to add an alphanumeric string label of your choice. This helps you to identify the hot-plugged disk in a guest virtual machine. If you do not specify this option, the label defaults to the name of the hot-plugged data volume or PVC.

Hot-unplugging a virtual disk using the CLI

Hot-unplug virtual disks that you want to detach from a virtual machine instance (VMI) while a virtual machine is running.

Prerequisites

• Your virtual machine must be running.

• You must have at least one data volume or persistent volume claim (PVC) available and hot-plugged.

Procedure

• Hot-unplug a virtual disk by running the following command:

  $ virtctl removevolume <virtual-machine|virtual-machine-instance> --volume-name=<datavolume|PVC>

Hot-plugging a virtual disk using the web console

Hot-plug virtual disks that you want to attach to a virtual machine instance (VMI) while a virtual machine is running. When you hot-plug a virtual disk, it remains attached to the VMI until you hot-unplug it.

Prerequisites

• You must have a running virtual machine to hot-plug a virtual disk.

Procedure

1. Click Virtualization → VirtualMachines from the side menu.

2. Select the running virtual machine to which you want to hot-plug a virtual disk.

3. On the VirtualMachine details page, click the Disks tab.

4. Click Add disk.

5. In the Add disk (hot plugged) window, fill in the information for the virtual disk that you want to hot-plug.

6. Click Save.

Hot-unplugging a virtual disk using the web console

Hot-unplug virtual disks that you want to detach from a virtual machine instance (VMI) while a virtual machine is running.

Prerequisites

• Your virtual machine must be running with a hot-plugged disk attached.

Procedure

1. Click Virtualization → VirtualMachines from the side menu.

2. Select the running virtual machine with the disk you want to hot-unplug to open the VirtualMachine details page.

3. On the Disks tab, click the Options menu of the virtual disk that you want to hot-unplug.

4. Click Detach.