adminLinux Disk Layout and Mount Point Planning Checklist
Disk problems are not only about free space. A VPS can fail because logs fill /var, Docker data grows, backups are stored on the same disk, inodes are exhausted or a mounted volume is missing.
Core principle
Every workload writes somewhere. Website files, databases, logs, Docker volumes, backups and uploads should have predictable locations and safe growth limits.
Checklist
- List block devices and mounted file systems.
- Check total disk usage.
- Check inode usage.
- Identify where website files live.
- Identify where database files live.
- Identify where logs are written.
- Identify where Docker stores data.
- Identify where backups are stored.
- Move or rotate growing data if needed.
- Document storage paths and growth risks.
Reusable lesson
Disk planning applies to WordPress, Docker, MySQL, n8n, crawlers, video generation, log-heavy apps and backup systems.
When to Use This Checklist
Use this checklist when planning VPS storage, debugging full disk, organizing website data or separating backup and application storage.
Required Tools
SSH access, lsblk, df, du, findmnt, Docker if used, database path, backup path
Before You Start
Do not delete large files until you know what service created them and whether they are needed for recovery.
Structured Checklist Steps
- List disks.
- Check filesystem usage.
- Check inode usage.
- Find website path.
- Find database path.
- Find log path.
- Find Docker path.
- Find backup path.
- Control growth.
- Document storage map.
Verification Steps
- Disk usage is understood.
- Inode usage is safe.
- Growth-heavy directories are identified.
- Backups are not the only copy on the same disk.
- Critical paths are documented.
Rollback Plan
If moving data causes service failure, restore the previous path or mount configuration and restart only the affected service.
Common Mistakes
- Only checking df -h and ignoring inodes.
- Keeping backups on the same full disk.
- Deleting Docker volumes blindly.
- Not knowing database storage path.
- Ignoring log growth.
Related Commands
lsblk
df -h
df -i
findmnt
sudo du -sh /var/* 2>/dev/null
docker system df
sudo du -sh /var/lib/docker 2>/dev/null