---
title: "Get started with SFS"
description: "Create an SFS from MyAccount, then mount it on a node over NFS."
content_type: "get-started"
product: "sfs"
platform: "MyAccount"
url: "/myaccount/sfs/get-started/"
---

# Get started with SFS

Create an SFS and mount it on a node, ready for files your nodes share. You need a node already running to mount it on; see
[Create a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/create-a-node/) first if you need one.

## Create an SFS

In MyAccount, open **Scalable File System** and click **Get Started**, or the **+** button labelled **Create SFS** if you already have an SFS. Enter a **Name**, and
under **Select VPC** choose the VPC your node is attached to. Move the **SFS Size** slider to
the size you need, and choose **Hourly** billing to start.
(Optional) To encrypt the SFS's disk, check **Enable Encryption**. Encryption stays on for as long
as the SFS exists; see [SFS encryption](/myaccount/sfs/concepts/sfs-encryption/). Then click
**Launch SFS**.

The SFS is ready once it reads **Available**.

## Give your node access

Next, choose who can reach the SFS. Pick one of two ways:

- To give every resource in the SFS's VPC read and write access, open the SFS's **Actions**
  menu, click **Grant all access**, and click **Grant**. This is the quickest way to start.
- To choose nodes one at a time, first make sure your node reads **Running** and is attached to
  the SFS's VPC. Then open the SFS's **ACL** tab and click **Configure ACL**. Pick **Read/Write** so the node can save files (**Read Only** lets it read them), and click **Allow**.

Either way, the SFS reads **Configuring** while access is applied, then **Available** again. Mount it once it reads **Available**.

An SFS uses one of these at a time. To switch later, see
[Grant a VPC access to an SFS](/myaccount/sfs/how-to/grant-vpc-access-to-an-sfs/) and
[Configure per-node access to an SFS](/myaccount/sfs/how-to/configure-per-node-access-to-an-sfs/).

## Mount it on a node

On the SFS's **Info** tab, copy the **Endpoint**. Then connect to your node and run these
commands as root, or put `sudo` in front of each. SFS uses the Network File System
(NFS), and on Ubuntu the first two commands install its client. For other
systems, see [Mount an SFS](/myaccount/sfs/how-to/mount-an-sfs/).

```bash frame="none"
apt update
apt install nfs-common
mkdir -p /mnt/sfs
mount -t nfs -o soft,timeo=600,retrans=2,retry=2 <endpoint>:/data /mnt/sfs
```

Replace `<endpoint>` with the endpoint you copied. `/mnt/sfs` is the folder the SFS appears in,
and you can name it anything you like. Use this command rather than the **Mount Command** on the
**Info** tab: this one has the option values filled in.

To check it worked, run `df -h /mnt/sfs`. The first column reads `<endpoint>:/data` when the SFS
is mounted. Everything you save in `/mnt/sfs` now lives on the SFS, and every node you give
access to sees the same files. If the mount reports `access denied by server`, see
[Troubleshooting SFS](/myaccount/sfs/troubleshooting/sfs/#mountnfs-access-denied-by-server). If it seems to hang, see
[Troubleshooting SFS](/myaccount/sfs/troubleshooting/sfs/#the-mount-command-waits-and-prints-nothing).

## What to do next

- [Mount an SFS](/myaccount/sfs/how-to/mount-an-sfs/): what each mount option does, and the NFS
  client for other systems.
- [Back up an SFS](/myaccount/sfs/how-to/back-up-an-sfs/): turn on continuous, file-level
  protection.