> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.novita.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Volume Overview

A volume is a persistent storage resource that can be mounted into sandboxes to share and preserve data across sandbox lifecycles. Data written to a volume outlives any single sandbox: it persists after the sandbox is killed and can be mounted again into other sandboxes.

<Note>
  **Note:** Volume is currently in **beta**. The API and behavior may change as we continue to develop the feature. Feedback is welcome.
</Note>

<Note>
  **Note:** Volume is only supported in [v2 regions](/guides/sandbox-overview#regions).
</Note>

Use volumes when you want to:

* Persist data that should survive sandbox restarts or deletion.
* Share data between multiple sandboxes.
* Keep large datasets or caches outside the sandbox filesystem.
* Control storage with capacity and inode quotas.

***

**Volumes vs Sandboxes**

A sandbox is ephemeral — its filesystem is destroyed when the sandbox is killed. A volume is independent: it exists on its own, and only lives inside a sandbox while mounted. You can attach the same volume to different sandboxes over time.

Volumes are managed through the `novita.volume` methods, and created with `novita.volume.create()`. Mounting is done via a running sandbox's `mount_volume` / `unmount_volume` methods, or by passing `volume_mounts` when creating the sandbox.

## Terminology

| Term       | Description                                                                             |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Volume** | A persistent storage resource independent of any sandbox.                               |
| **Quota**  | The capacity (in GiB) and inode limits configured on a volume.                          |
| **Mount**  | Attaching a volume to a sandbox at a path so its data is accessible inside the sandbox. |