# Volume

Volumes are Docker-managed data storage used to persist container data. Compared to directly mounting host directories, volumes are managed by Docker, making them more secure and portable.

## Volume List

Go to **Container** > **Volume** tab to view the volume list.

![Volume List](/images/container/container-volume.png)

The list displays the following information:

- **Name**: Volume name
- **Driver**: Storage driver
- **Scope**: Volume scope
- **Mount Point**: Actual storage path of the volume on the host
- **Created Time**: Creation time
- **Actions**: Delete

## Create Volume

1. Click the **Create Volume** button
2. Enter volume name
3. Select driver (default local)
4. Click Create

## Using Volumes

### Mount Volume When Creating Container

When creating a container, add volume mounts in the **Volume** option:

- **volume_name:container_path** - Use named volume
- **host_path:container_path** - Directly mount host directory

For example:

- `mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql` - Mount mysql_data volume to container's /var/lib/mysql
- `/opt/ace/data:/data` - Mount host's /opt/ace/data directory to container's /data

### Volume vs Bind Mount

| Feature          | Volume                                     | Bind Mount                            |
|------------------|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Management       | Docker managed                             | User managed                          |
| Storage Location | Docker data directory                      | Any host path                         |
| Backup           | Requires Docker commands                   | Directly backup directory             |
| Portability      | High                                       | Depends on host path                  |
| Use Cases        | Data that needs persistence like databases | Configuration files, code directories |

## Delete Volume

Select a volume and click the **Delete** button to delete the volume.

::: danger Warning
Deleting a volume will permanently delete all data in the volume. This operation cannot be undone!
:::

::: warning Note
If the volume is being used by containers, you need to delete the related containers before deleting the volume.
:::

## Clean Volumes

Click **Clean Volumes** to delete all unused volumes and free up disk space.

::: tip Note
Please confirm that unused volumes do not contain important data before cleaning.
:::

## Data Backup

Volume data is stored in the Docker data directory (usually `/var/lib/docker/volumes/`). You can backup through the following methods:

1. Use `docker run` to create a temporary container that mounts the volume and exports data
2. Directly backup the Docker data directory (requires stopping Docker service)
3. (In development) Use AcePanel's [Backup Feature](../backup) for backup