You can launch an instance from the following sources:

  • Images uploaded to the Image service.

  • Image that you have copied to a persistent volume.

  • Instance snapshot.

  1. Log in to the Nobus Management Dashboard and set up your root account.
  2. On the Project tab, open the Compute tab and click Instances

    The dashboard shows the instances with its name, its private and floating IP addresses, size, status, task, power state, and so on.

  3. Click Launch Instance.

  4. In the Launch Instance dialog box, specify the following values:

    Details tab

    Instance Name

    Assign a name to the virtual machine.

    The name you assign here becomes the initial host name of the server.

    Description

    You can assign a brief description of the virtual machine.

    Availability Zone

    By default nova.

    Count

    To launch several instances, enter a value greater than 1. The default is 1.

    Source tab

    Instance Boot Source

    Your options are:

    Boot from image

    If you choose this option, a new field for Image Name displays. You can select the image from the list.

    Boot from snapshot

    If you choose this option, a new field for Instance Snapshot displays. You can select the snapshot from the list.

    Boot from volume

    If you choose this option, a new field for Volume displays. You can select the volume from the list.

    Boot from image (creates a new volume)

    With this option, you can boot from an image and create a volume by entering the Device Size and Device Name for your volume. Click the Delete Volume on Instance Delete option to delete the volume on deleting the instance.

    Boot from volume snapshot (creates a new volume)

    Using this option, you can boot from a volume snapshot and create a new volume by choosing Volume Snapshot from a list and adding a Device Name for your volume. Click the Delete Volume on Instance Delete option to delete the volume on deleting the instance.

    Image Name

    This field changes based on your previous selection. If you have chosen to launch an instance using an image, the Image Name field displays. Select the image name from the dropdown list.

    Instance Snapshot

    This field changes based on your previous selection. If you have chosen to launch an instance using a snapshot, the Instance Snapshot field displays. Select the snapshot name from the dropdown list.

    Volume

    This field changes based on your previous selection. If you have chosen to launch an instance using a volume, the Volume field displays. Select the volume name from the dropdown list. If you want to delete the volume on instance delete, check the Delete Volume on Instance Delete option.

    Flavor tab

    Flavor

    Specify the size of the instance to launch.

    The flavor is selected based on the size of the image selected for launching an instance.

    Networks tab

    Selected Networks

    To add an existing network to the instance, click the + in the Available field.

    Network Ports tab

    Ports

    Activate the ports that you want to assign to the instance.

    Security Groups tab

    Security Groups

    Activate the security groups that you want to assign to the instance.

    Security groups are a kind of cloud firewall that define which incoming network traffic is forwarded to instances.

    If you have not created any security groups, you can assign only the default security group to the instance.

    Key Pair tab

    Key Pair

    Specify a key pair.

    When prompted for a key pair, select Choose an existing key pair, then select the key pair that you created when setting up.

    Alternatively, you can create a new key pair. Select Create a new key pair, enter a name for the key pair, and then choose Download Key Pair. This is the only chance for you to save the private key file, so be sure to download it. Save the private key file in a safe place. You'll need to provide the name of your key pair when you launch an instance and the corresponding private key each time you connect to the instance.

    If the image uses a static root password or a static key set although none is recommended by NCS, you do not need to provide a key pair to launch the instance.

    Configuration tab

    Customization Script Source

    Specify a customization script that runs after your instance launches.

    Metadata tab

    Available Metadata

    Add Metadata items to your instance.

  5. Click Launch Instance.

    To launch your instance

If you did not provide a key pair, security groups, or rules, users can access the instance only from inside the cloud through VNC. Even pinging the instance is not possible without an ICMP rule configured.

You can also launch an instance from the Images or Volumes when you launch an instance from an image or a volume respectively.

When you launch an instance from an image, a local copy of the image on the compute node where the instance starts.

When you launch an instance from a volume, note the following steps:

  • To select the volume from which to launch, launch an instance from an arbitrary image on the volume. The arbitrary image that you select does not boot. Instead, it is replaced by the image on the volume that you choose in the next steps.

    To boot a linux image from a volume, the image you launch in must be the same type, fully virtualized or paravirtualized, as the one on the volume.

  • Select the volume or volume snapshot from which to boot. Enter a device name. Enter vda for KVM images or xvda for Xen images.

Connect to your instance by using SSH

To use SSH to connect to your instance, use the downloaded keypair file.

Note

You can't connect to your instance unless you launched it with a key pair for which you have the .pem file and you launched it with a security group that allows SSH access from your computer.

  1. Copy the IP address for your instance.

  2. Use the ssh command to make a secure connection to the instance. For example:

    $ ssh -i MyKey.pem ubuntu@10.0.0.2
              
  3. At the prompt, type yes.

See connecting to Your Linux or MacOS Instance for more information.

It is also possible to SSH into an instance without a SSH keypair, with your root password.

Please note that initializing your instance may take several minutes.