Instance Images
Overview
Instance Images let you create a snapshot of your instance's primary disk and save it as a reusable image. You can then deploy new instances from that image -- complete with all your installed software, configurations, and data.
Key characteristics:
- Create from any instance -- Capture a running or stopped instance's primary disk as a new image.
- Deploy anywhere -- Use your custom images when creating new instances, just like base OS images.
- Per-GB billing -- Charged monthly based on the image's storage size. Billing is hourly, calculated from the per-GB rate set by your provider.
- Account-level ownership -- Images belong to your account and are available across all your deployments in the same location.
Creating an Image
- Navigate to the instance you want to capture
- In the instance management header, click the Image button (camera icon)
- Enter a name for your image (e.g., "production-web-server-v2")
- Click Create
The image creation process runs in the background. You can monitor progress via the tasks system.
Image creation works on both running and stopped instances. For running instances, the system uses disk snapshots to ensure consistency without downtime.
Only the primary disk is captured. Additional attached volumes or block storage are not included in the image.
Image Statuses
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Creating | Image is being generated from the instance disk |
| Available | Image is ready to use for deployments |
| Error | Image creation failed -- check tasks for details |
| Deleting | Image is being removed |
Managing Images
Navigate to My Images in the sidebar (under the Compute section) to view all your custom images.
The images table shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The name you gave the image |
| Source Instance | The instance it was created from |
| Size | Disk size of the image |
| Status | Current status (see above) |
| Created | When the image was created |
Deleting an Image
- Navigate to My Images
- Click the Delete button next to the image
- Confirm the deletion
Deletion is permanent. The image file is removed and cannot be recovered. Instances previously deployed from this image are not affected.
Deploying from a Custom Image
When creating a new instance (via Cloud Service or Self-Provisioning):
- On the OS/Image selection page, switch to the My Images tab
- Select your custom image
- Continue with the rest of the deployment as normal
Your custom images appear alongside the standard OS images, separated into their own tab for easy access.
Custom images are also available when configuring Scaling Groups -- select them from the "My Images" group in the image dropdown.
Billing
How Billing Works
- Billing begins when the image is successfully created (status changes to Available)
- Charges are hourly, based on the image size in GB multiplied by the location's per-GB storage rate
- Billing stops when the image is deleted
- Final partial-hour charges are applied at deletion
Cost Calculation
Monthly cost = Image size (GB) x Per-GB storage rate
Hourly cost = Monthly cost / Hours per month
Usage Reports
Image storage charges appear in the Cloud Usage report under a dedicated Images section, showing each image's name, size, and charges for the billing period.
Limits
Your provider may set a maximum number of images per account. If you reach the limit, delete unused images before creating new ones. Contact your provider to request a higher limit.
Troubleshooting
"Image feature is not enabled"
Your provider has not enabled instance images for this location. Contact your provider.
"Maximum image limit reached"
You have reached your account's image limit. Delete unused images to free up a slot, or contact your provider to increase your limit.
Image creation stuck in "Creating"
Check the tasks page for the image creation task. If it shows as failed, retry from the instance management page. Common causes include insufficient storage space on the image storage backend.
Image shows 0 bytes
The image size is updated after creation completes. If the status is Available but size shows 0, the callback from the hypervisor may not have been received. Contact support.