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Calcrivo

Docker Volume Size Calculator

Size persistent Docker volumes correctly based on data growth and retention needs.

Inputs

MB

Current amount of data stored.

MB/day

Expected data growth per day.

days

How long data is retained before cleanup.

%

Extra capacity buffer for safety.

Recommended Volume Size

6.1GB

Projected Data at Retention End

5,000MB

Recommended Size

6,250MB

Step by step

  1. Projected data at retention end

    500MB + 50MB/d × 90d

    = 5000MB

  2. With headroom

    5000MB × (1 + 25%)

    = 6.1GB

How it works

Volume sizing must account for current data plus projected growth over the retention window, plus headroom for safety. Formula: size = (currentData + dailyGrowth × retentionDays) × (1 + headroom%).

Formula

Volume Size

size = (currentData + dailyGrowth × retention) × (1 + headroom%)

currentData
Current data in MB
dailyGrowth
Daily growth in MB
retention
Retention period in days

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if a Docker volume fills up?

The container's writes will fail with ENOSPC errors, potentially crashing the application. Monitoring volume usage and having headroom prevents this.

Should I use named volumes or bind mounts?

Named volumes are managed by Docker and portable; bind mounts expose host paths directly. For production data, named volumes with a proper storage driver are recommended.

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