---
name: vpc-vsi_is_getting_started_vpc_catalog_images
title: Getting started with Catalog images on VPC
description: When you provision IBM Cloud® Virtual Servers for Virtual Private Cloud on x86 architecture, you can select from the supported virtual server operating system stock images, the virtual server operating system bundle stock image, or a custom image, such as one that you have imported from IBM Cloud Object Storage. The image that you select determines the operating system that is provisioned for your instance. If the image you select is a virtual server operating system bundle stock image, the software that is part of that bundle is also included in your instance.
last-updated: 2026-06-23
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Getting started with Catalog images on VPC
{: #getting-started-images-on-vpc-catalog}

When you provision IBM Cloud® Virtual Servers for Virtual Private Cloud on x86 architecture, you can select from the supported virtual server operating system stock images, the virtual server operating system bundle stock image, or a custom image, such as one that you have imported from IBM Cloud Object Storage. The image that you select determines the operating system that is provisioned for your instance. If the image you select is a virtual server operating system bundle stock image, the software that is part of that bundle is also included in your instance.
{: shortdesc}

In [IBM Cloud console](https://cloud.ibm.com/login){: external}, go to **Navigation Menu** icon ![menu icon](../../icons/icon_hamburger.svg) **> Infrastructure** ![VPC icon](../../icons/vpc.svg) **> Compute > Images**.

There are 3 different types of images for VPC.
* [Custom images](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-planning-custom-images&format=markdown) (includes [Image from volume](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-image-from-volume-vpc&format=markdown))
* [Stock images](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-getting-started-images-on-vpc-stock&interface=api&format=markdown)
* Catalog images

## Images on VPC - Catalog images
{: #images-on-vpc-catalog-images}

If you plan to share or publish a custom image to other accounts within your enterprise, you need to create a private catalog. A private catalog provides a way for you to manage access to products for multiple accounts while those accounts are within the same enterprise. You can share any existing x86 virtual server custom image with a private catalog, except for an encrypted image. For more information about these limitations, see [VPC considerations when using custom images in a private catalog](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-custom-image-cloud-private-catalog&interface=api&format=markdown).

When using a catalog image to provision a virtual server instance, you must be aware of any software billing plans associated with that catalog image.

Catalog images are billed in one of the following ways.

* Free trial
* Usage-based
* BYOL

Images that are shared through a private catalog are still offered without billing.
{: note}

Some usage-based software billing plans can include software licensing. In such cases, software running on the virtual server instance must be licensed to function correctly. If such a license is associated with the billing plan you choose, you don't need to take any specific action related to the license. A license key is provided for you automatically by the system, and billing takes that license use into account.

When multiple billing plans exist, you must choose the appropriate one for your use.

After you create your virtual server instance from a catalog image, you can either [View the software attachments of a virtual server instance using the CLI](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-managing-virtual-server-instances&interface=cli&format=markdown#view-software-attachments-virtual-server-instances-cli) or [View the software attachments of a virtual server instance using the API](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-managing-virtual-server-instances&interface=api&format=markdown#view-software-attachments-virtual-server-instances-api) in order to view the software attachment that represents the software instance created from the software billing plan and which is now a part of the virtual server instance. If a license is associated with the plan, information about the license is included in the software attachment.

Any private catalog images available to your VPC can be found in **Navigation Menu** icon ![menu icon](../icons/icon_hamburger.svg) **> Infrastructure** ![VPC icon](../../icons/vpc.svg) **> Compute > Images > Catalog images**

To create a virtual server using a private catalog image, see one of the following:
* [Creating a virtual server instance with the UI](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-virtual-servers&interface=ui&format=markdown#creating-virtual-servers-ui)
* [Creating a virtual server instance with the CLI - provision with a private catalog image](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-virtual-servers&interface=cli&format=markdown#instance-create-from-private-catalog-image-cli)
* [Creating a virtual server instance with the API - provision with a private catalog image](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-virtual-servers&interface=api&format=markdown#create-instance-private-catalog-image-api)
* [Creating an instance using Terraform](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-virtual-servers&interface=terraform&format=markdown#create-instance-using-terraform)