[Yandex Cloud documentation](../../index.md) > [Yandex DataSphere](../index.md) > [Concepts](index.md) > Project

# DataSphere projects

A _project_ is a user's main workspace that serves as a single entry point for all DataSphere features. A project allows you to perform computations on Yandex Cloud VMs with standard [configurations](configurations.md) and stores [DataSphere user resources](resources.md).

A _notebook_ is an `*.ipynb` file that you work with in the [JupyterLab](https://jupyter.org/) development environment. In a notebook, you write code in _cells_ and can add [Markdown](https://jupyter-notebook.readthedocs.io/en/stable/examples/Notebook/Working%20With%20Markdown%20Cells.html) comments between them. The code is run for each cell separately. Cells can be run in any order.

## Project storage {#storage}

{% note warning %}

After April 20, 2026, you will not be able to create new [datasets](dataset.md). Use [file storages](filestores.md) to store your data. Datasets created before April 20, 2026 will continue to work without any changes.

{% endnote %}

DataSphere provides 10 GB of free storage for each project. You can increase the storage size, but this will result in additional charges. See the cost of expanding the main storage in [DataSphere pricing policy](../pricing.md).

You can upload small amounts of data (up to 100 MB) to your DataSphere project through the UI. If you want to upload larger amounts of data, use your network storage or databases. You can also use [datasets](dataset.md) to handle large data volumes.

## Configuring a project runtime environment {#environment}

Projects you create will have a pre-configured development environment and [pre-installed packages](preinstalled-packages.md). DataSphere provides several [Docker images](docker.md) of the environment with a choice of Python versions and libraries. The **DS Default (Python 3.10)** image is used by default, but you can [select](../operations/projects/python-version.md) another standard image. For a list of all pre-installed packages, see [List of pre-installed software](preinstalled-packages.md). If you are missing a package, you can [install it](../operations/projects/install-dependencies.md) directly from the notebook cell or [build a Docker image](../operations/user-images.md).

## DataSphere Notebook {#mode}

DataSphere Notebook allows you to run computations on a VM as if you were running them on a local JupyterLab notebook. DataSphere Notebook provides the selected configuration for long-term use and assigns the VM to the project notebook until you forcibly return it to the pool of available VMs or until the timeout expires. By default, the VM is released if no computations are run in the project within three hours. You can change this value in the project settings.

Cell code changes will be saved automatically. You can disable notebook autosaves in the JupyterLab settings by selecting **Settings ⟶ Autosave Documents** in the top menu. If you want to save an interpreter state or output, you will need to do that yourself.

You can link multiple VM configurations to a single project. When running computations in your notebook for the first time, select a configuration to use for them.

The DataSphere Notebook billing will start once the first computations are run in a notebook and will continue as long as the VM is assigned to the project. You can learn more about DataSphere usage cost [here](../pricing.md).

### JupyterLab console {#console}

In DataSphere Notebook, you can use the JupyterLab console with an interactive Python interpreter. The console is run on a separate VM instance with the c1.4 configuration. To open the console, on the JupyterLab home page, select **DataSphere Kernel** under **Console**. You enter commands in the console input line and run them using the **Shift** + **Enter** keyboard shortcut.

If you just close the console, the VM instance will keep running. To shut down the console VM and stop paying for it, use the widget in the top-right corner of the screen or on the project home page and shut down the console VM.

#### JupyterLab extensions {#extensions}

The following JupyterLab extensions are available:

* JupyterLab-latex
* JupyterLab-widgets ipywidgets
* JupyterLab-code-formatter black isort
* JupyterLab-execute-time
* JupyterLab-limit-output
* JupyterLab-spellchecker
* [JupyterLab-templates](../operations/projects/templates.md)