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Creating a custom image from volume and provisioning an instance in the UI

Creating a custom image from volume and provisioning an instance in the UI

This tutorial demonstrates how to create a custom image from the boot volume of a virtual server instance, and then use that image to create a new instance.

Before you begin

This tutorial requires the following prerequisites.

Objectives

  • Create a resource group, Image resources.
  • Create a custom image from an instances' boot volume.
  • Create a new virtual server instance by using the custom image.

Creating a resource group

You can use resource groups to organize images.

  1. Log in to the IBM Cloud console.
  2. Click Manage > Account.
  3. From the Account page, click Resource groups > Create.
  4. Give the resource group a unique name such as Image resources.
  5. Click Add.

Creating an image from a volume in the UI

You can use the UI to create an image from a volume that is attached to an available virtual server instance as the primary boot volume.

Choose the source for your custom image

Complete the following actions to import your custom image in the UI.

  1. In IBM Cloud console, go to Navigation Menu iconmenu icon > VPC Infrastructure VPC icon > Compute > Images.
  2. On the Custom images tab, click Create. The Custom image provision page is displayed.
  3. Complete the following required fields on the Custom image provision page.
Table 1. Custom image provision user interface fields
Field Value
Name Custom OS
Resource group Image resources
Tags Custom image
Region Dallas 2
Source Virtual server instance boot volume (default)

Create an image from a virtual server instance boot volume

When you select Virtual server instance boot volume as the source of your custom image, a list of instances is displayed. Complete the following actions to create an image from the instance's boot volume.

  1. On the Custom image provision page, select Virtual server instance boot volume (default).
  2. Select an instance from the list. You're selecting the boot volume of the instance.
  3. Make sure that the instance is not running. You can stop a running instance by clicking the overflow menu (ellipsis) and click Stop.
  4. Select IBM-managed encryption as the encryption type.
  5. On the side panel, click Create custom image.

Creating virtual server instances in the UI

You can create virtual server instances in your IBM Cloud VPC in the IBM Cloud console. Complete the following actions to create a virtual server instance.

  1. In the IBM Cloud console, go to Navigation Menu iconmenu icon > VPC Infrastructure VPC icon > Compute > Virtual server instances.

  2. Click Create and enter the required information.

    Table 2. Instance provisioning selections
    Field Value
    Name Server Instance
    Resource group Image resources
    Tags OS
    Location Dallas 2
    Type of virtual server Public
    Operating system Select Custom image > (custom image).
    SSH key An existing SSH key
    For more information, see SSH keys.
    Data volumes You can add one or more secondary data volumes to be included when you provision the instance. To add volumes, click Create in the Data volumes section of the page.
    For more information about provisioning the volume, see Create and attach a Block Storage volume when you create a new instance.
    Networking Select your pre-existing VPC

  3. Click Create virtual server instance when you are ready to provision.

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