Incus clustering does not automatically replicate every kind of storage. For S3-compatible buckets that must be reachable through any cluster member, Incus documents a separate Ceph object-storage cluster used through an Incus cephobject pool. A bucket on local Incus storage belongs to the member that stores it, is not replicated across Incus members, and must be accessed through that member’s S3 endpoint.
The configuration therefore has two distinct jobs: establish reliable networking between Incus members, then choose storage according to whether the data is S3 object data or a filesystem mounted by an instance. Incus’s cluster database, Incus’s local bucket endpoint, and a separately operated Ceph cluster are different systems; configuring one does not configure the others.
What does “Incus object storage” mean?
The phrase can refer to either Incus’s built-in S3-compatible bucket feature or an S3 service—such as Ceph object storage—running in Incus instances. These choices have different availability and access characteristics.
| Choice | S3 access | Replication and availability | Setup boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incus bucket on local storage | Use the endpoint on the member that stores the bucket. | The bucket data is not replicated across Incus members. | Use a local Incus storage pool and configure core.storage_buckets_address for the bucket endpoint. |
Incus cephobject pool |
Incus documents the S3 API as usable through any cluster member. | Incus recommends this option for highly available cluster object storage. | Provision a separate Ceph object-storage cluster, then configure Incus to use it through a cephobject pool. |
Ceph’s availability does not come from Incus cluster membership alone: the Ceph cluster is separately set up and operated. The Incus documentation establishes the integration choice, but does not provide a Ceph release recommendation, network topology, firewall matrix, bandwidth target, or application load-balancer design. Determine those from a Ceph-specific deployment plan and the actual network topology.
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What must the Incus cluster network provide?
For a cluster intended to remain highly available after losing one member, Incus requires at least three members so its distributed database can retain quorum. Incus also sets a maximum of 10 ms network latency between members; its database and heartbeats are not supported over higher-latency links. Keep clocks synchronized across members as well.
Those are Incus cluster requirements, not Ceph network specifications or guarantees about application failover. Ceph’s own network design and any route or load balancer used by S3 clients need separate planning.
Separate cluster traffic from API access where useful
Incus provides cluster.https_address for internal cluster traffic and core.https_address for the REST API used by clients. This lets an administrator plan cluster communication separately from API access; the Incus documentation also describes using a virtual or wildcard API address after members have joined.
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These settings do not create an application-facing S3 endpoint, configure a Ceph network, or provide an S3 load balancer. A local Incus bucket’s S3 endpoint is configured separately, and its requests must reach the member holding that bucket.
Create a managed network in two stages
Incus network definitions in a cluster are shared, but some settings depend on an individual member—for example, the host parent interface. Define the pending network on each member first, using the same network name and the relevant member-specific values, then create the network without targeting a member to instantiate the common object across the cluster.
- For each member, create the pending network definition with Incus’s
--targetoption. Use the same network name on every member and supply that member’s hardware-specific settings, such as its parent interface where required. - After the per-member definitions are in place, issue the network creation command without
--targetto instantiate the shared network configuration. - Check that the definitions match where they are meant to be common and that member-specific values match the local hardware.
Cluster members need matching network definitions; skipping the per-member pending definitions can leave Incus without the member-specific information needed to create the shared network correctly.
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Keep failure-detection timers in perspective
Incus documents a 20-second default offline threshold and a 10-second minimum. These are cluster configuration values, not a promise that an application or S3 client will fail over within that time. Do not use them as a substitute for designing the client endpoint, storage availability, or recovery behavior.
How should persistent storage be configured?
Choose the storage interface from the application’s access pattern. An S3 bucket is accessed directly by an application using an S3 URL and credentials; a custom filesystem volume is attached to an instance and mounted as files. They are not interchangeable ways of exposing the same data.
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Provision Ceph object storage independently, then configure an Incus cephobject storage pool for the Incus bucket integration. Incus identifies this as the choice for highly available object storage whose S3 API can be used through any cluster member. The details of Ceph provisioning, networking, monitoring, and recovery remain part of the separate Ceph deployment.
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For a local Incus bucket
Incus local buckets can use dir, btrfs, lvm, or zfs storage. Each bucket belongs to its creating member; its data is not replicated to the other Incus members. Configure core.storage_buckets_address for the S3 endpoint, and direct bucket requests to the member that stores the bucket. This option can be appropriate when member locality is acceptable and is handled by the application or the surrounding infrastructure.
For application filesystems
Custom filesystem volumes are for files that instances mount. They can be shared between containers and VMs. Custom block volumes are for VMs; do not attach one for simultaneous use as a shared filesystem by multiple instances. Incus warns that concurrent access to a custom block volume can corrupt its data.
Create a cluster storage pool in two stages
Incus storage-pool configuration follows the same pending-then-shared pattern as managed networks. Pool names and common configuration must match across members, while settings tied to local hardware are specified per member.
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- On every member, define the pending pool using
--target. Provide the member-specific settings, such as the source disk or a local ZFS or LVM name where applicable. - Once each member has a pending definition with the same pool name, create the pool without
--targetto instantiate its common configuration across the cluster. - Verify that each member’s local settings point to the intended local resource and that the shared pool configuration is consistent.
A cluster-wide pool definition does not by itself mean that every storage driver replicates every volume or bucket across members. Select the driver and storage architecture based on the data’s actual availability requirement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should bucket credentials be handled?
Incus bucket access uses access and secret keys, and a bucket can have multiple key sets. The documented roles are admin and read-only; if no role is specified, read-only is the default.
- Give each application the least privilege it needs; use a read-only key when it only needs to retrieve objects.
- Protect secret keys as credentials, and avoid embedding them in broadly accessible configuration or logs.
- Use a separate key set when an application or integration needs distinct access, so its credentials can be managed independently.
Least-privilege assignment and careful secret handling are operational recommendations; the documented role names and default are Incus behavior.
Quick Recap
Configuration checklist
- Plan at least three Incus members for high availability after one member is lost, keep member-to-member latency at or below 10 ms, and synchronize clocks.
- Decide whether the REST API and internal cluster traffic should use separate addresses; do not mistake either address for an S3 endpoint.
- For managed networks and storage pools, define each member’s pending configuration with
--targetbefore creating the shared object without that option. - Choose local buckets only when member-specific placement and endpoint routing are acceptable; choose a separately provisioned Ceph object-storage cluster with a
cephobjectpool when buckets must be available through any Incus member. - Use custom filesystem volumes for mounted files, and do not concurrently share custom block volumes between instances.
- Plan Ceph networking, client routing, firewall rules, and recovery against the selected Ceph deployment and topology rather than inferring them from Incus cluster settings.
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