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

# XSDS User Guide

> Access and manage block volumes, object buckets, and shared file systems using Xloud Software-Defined Storage (XSDS).

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Overview</p>

Xloud Software-Defined Storage (XSDS) provides three storage interfaces from a single
distributed platform — block storage for virtual machine disks, object storage for
unstructured data and application assets, and shared file storage for collaborative
workloads. This guide covers how to consume each interface, configure data protection
policies, and apply performance features to meet workload requirements.

<Note>
  **Prerequisites**

  * An active Xloud account with appropriate permissions
  * Access to the **Xloud Dashboard** or CLI configured with credentials
  * API credentials sourced (`source openrc.sh`)
</Note>

***

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Topics</p>

<CardGroup cols={4}>
  <Card title="Storage Types" icon="layers" href="/services/sds/user-guide/storage-types" color="#197560">
    Block, object, and shared file storage — when to use each interface and what
    capabilities each provides.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Access Methods" icon="plug" href="/services/sds/user-guide/access-methods" color="#197560">
    Dashboard, CLI, S3-compatible API, NFS/SMB mounts, and block-level access protocols.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Data Protection" icon="shield" href="/services/sds/user-guide/data-protection" color="#197560">
    Replication and erasure coding — choose the right durability strategy for your workload.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Performance" icon="zap" href="/services/sds/user-guide/performance" color="#197560">
    Storage tiering, deduplication, compression, and read caching for I/O-intensive workloads.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Snapshots" icon="copy" href="/services/sds/user-guide/snapshots" color="#197560">
    Create, manage, and restore volume and bucket snapshots for point-in-time recovery.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/services/sds/user-guide/troubleshooting" color="#197560">
    Diagnose common issues — stuck volumes, snapshot failures, and object storage performance.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

<p style={{ fontSize: '1.25rem', fontWeight: 700, marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>Next Steps</p>

<CardGroup cols={4}>
  <Card title="XSDS Admin Guide" icon="database" href="/services/sds/admin-guide" color="#197560">
    Deploy and operate the distributed storage cluster — pools, CRUSH maps, and capacity planning
  </Card>

  <Card title="Disaster Recovery" icon="rotate-ccw" href="/services/disaster-recovery/user-guide" color="#197560">
    Protect volumes and workloads with XDR replication and recovery plans
  </Card>

  <Card title="Block Storage" icon="hard-drive" href="/services/storage/user-guide" color="#197560">
    Persistent block volumes for Xloud Compute instances — powered by the XSDS backend
  </Card>

  <Card title="Xloud Key Management" icon="lock" href="/services/key-manager/user-guide" color="#197560">
    Manage encryption keys used for volume and object storage at-rest encryption
  </Card>
</CardGroup>