Set Up a Dedicated Core Server
August 18
This is solely for informational purposes and does not require anything from you. IONOS has renamed Virtual Server(s) to Dedicated Core Server(s). This change does not impact the functionality of the product in any manner. As a result, the documentation portal now reflects the product name changes. For more information, see Product Renaming FAQs.
The user who creates the Dedicated Core server has full root or administrator access rights. A server, once provisioned, retains all its settings (resources, drive allocation, password, etc.), even after a restart at the operating system level. The server will only be removed from your Virtual Data Center once you delete a server in the DCD. For more information, see Dedicated Core Servers.
Create a Dedicated Core Server
Prerequisites: Make sure you have the appropriate privileges. Only contract administrators, owners, or users with the Create Data Center privilege can set up a VDC. Other user types have read-only access and can't provision changes.
1. Drag the Dedicated Core server element from the Palette onto the Workspace.
The created Dedicated Core server is automatically highlighted in turquoise. The Inspector pane allows you to configure the properties of this individual server instance.
2. In the Inspector pane on the right, configure your server in the Settings tab.
Name: Choose a name unique to this VDC.
Availability Zone: The zone where you wish to physically host the server. Choosing A - Auto selects a zone automatically. This setting can be changed after provisioning.
CPU Architecture: Choose between AMD or Intel cores. You can later change the CPU type for a Dedicated Core server that is already running, though you will have to restart it first.
Cores: Specify the number of CPU cores. You may change these after provisioning. Note that there are configuration limits.
RAM: Specify RAM size; you may choose any size between 0.25 GB to 240 GB in steps of 0.25 GB. This setting can be increased after provisioning.
SSH Keys: Select premade SSH Key. You must first have a key stored in the SSH Key Manager. Learn how to create and add SSH Keys.
Ad-hoc Key: Copy and paste the public part of your SSH key into this field.
Add a bootable drive
Drag a storage element (HDD or SSD) from the Palette onto a Dedicated Core server in the Workspace to connect them together. The highlighted VM will expand with a storage section.
Click the Unnamed HDD Storage to highlight the storage section. Now you can see new options in the Inspector pane on the right.
Storage type cannot be changed after provisioning.
Configure Storage
Enter a name that is unique within your VDC.
Select a zone in which you want the storage device to be maintained. When you select A (Auto), our system assigns the optimal Zone. The Availability Zone cannot be changed after provisioning.
Specify the required storage capacity. You can increase the size after provisioning, even while the vCPU Server is running, as long as its operating system supports it. It is not possible to reduce the storage size after provisioning.
You can select one of IONOS images or snapshots, or use your own. Only images and snapshots that you have access to are available for selection. Since provisioning does not require you to specify an image, you can also create empty storage volumes.
Authentication
Set the root or administrator password for your Dedicated Core server according to the guidelines. This is recommended for both operating system types.
Select an SSH key stored in the SSH Key Manager.
Copy and paste the public part of your SSH key into this field.
Select the storage volume from which the Dedicated Core server is to boot by clicking on BOOT or Make Boot Device.
Provision your changes. The storage device is now provisioned and configured according to your settings.
Alternative Mode
When adding a storage element using the Inspector pane, select the appropriate check box in the Add Storage dialog box. If you wish to boot from the network, set this on the Dedicated Core server: Dedicated Core server in the Workspace > Inspector pane > Storage.
It is recommended to always use VirtIO to benefit from the full performance of InfiniBand. IDE is intended for troubleshooting if, for instance, the operating system has no VirtIO drivers installed. In this case, Windows usually displays a "blue screen" when booting.
After provisioning, the Live Vertical Scaling properties of the selected image are displayed. You can make changes to these properties later, which will require a reboot. You can set the properties of your uploaded images before you apply them to storage volumes in the Image Manager.
(Optional) Add and configure further storage elements.
(Optional) Make further changes to your data center.
Provision your changes. The storage device is now provisioned and configured according to your settings.
Add a CD-ROM drive
To assign an image and specify a boot device, you need to add and configure a storage element.
Click on CD-ROM to add a CD-ROM drive so that you can use ISO images to install and configure an operating system from scratch.
Set up a network by connecting the Dedicated Core server to other elements, such as an internet access element or other servers through their NICs.
Provision your changes.
The Dedicated Core server is available according to your settings.
Stop, Start, or Reset a Dedicated Core Server
We maintain dedicated resources available for each customer. You do not share your physical CPUs with other IONOS clients. For this reason, the servers switched off at the operating system level, still incur costs.
You should use the DCD to shut down virtual machines so that resources are completely deallocated, and no costs are incurred. Dedicated Core servers deallocated this way remain in your infrastructure while the resources are released and can then be redistributed.
This can only be done in the DCD. Shutting down a VM at the operating system level alone does not deallocate the resources or suspend the billing. Regardless of how the VM is shut down, it can only be restarted using the DCD.
A reset forces the Dedicated Core server to shut down and reboot but may result in data loss.
Stop a Dedicated Core Server
Stopping a VM will:
Suspend billing
Cut power to your VM
De-allocate any dynamically assigned IP address
1. Choose a Dedicated Core server. From the Settings tab in the Inspector pane, select Power > Stop.
2. In the dialog box that appears, confirm your action by selecting the appropriate checkbox and clicking Apply STOP.
3. Provision your changes. Confirm the action by entering your password.
Start a Dedicated Core Server
1. Choose a Dedicated Core server. From the Settings tab in the Inspector pane, select Power > Start.
2. In the dialog box that appears, confirm your action by selecting the appropriate box and clicking Apply START.
3. Provision your changes. Confirm the action by entering your password.
Result: The Dedicated Core server is booted. A new public IP address is assigned depending on the configuration, and billing is resumed.
Reset a Dedicated Core Server
1. Choose a Dedicated Core server. From the Settings tab in the Inspector pane, select Power > Reset.
2. (Optional) In the dialog box that appears, connect using the Remote Console and shut down the VM at the operating system level to prevent data loss.
3. Confirm your action by selecting the appropriate box and clicking Apply RESET.
4. Provision your changes. Confirm the action by entering your password.
Result: The Dedicated Core server shuts down and reboots.
Scale a Dedicated Core Server
1. In the Workspace, select the required Dedicated Core server and use the Inspector pane on the right.
If you want to change multiple VMs, select the data center and change the properties in the Settings tab.
In this tab, you will find an overview of all assets belonging to the selected VDC. You can change cores, RAM, server status, and storage size without having to manually update each VM in the Workspace.
2. Modify storage:
(Optional) Create a snapshot of the system for recovery in the event of problems.
3. In the Workspace, select the required Dedicated Core server and increase the CPU size.
4. Provision your changes. You must set the new size at the operating system level of your VM.
Result: The size of the CPU is adjusted in the DCD.
Delete a Dedicated Core Server
When you no longer need a particular Dedicated Core server, with or without the associated storage devices, in your cloud infrastructure, you can remove it with a single mouse click or via the keyboard.
To ensure that no processes are interrupted and no data is lost, we recommend you turn off the Dedicated Core server before you delete it.
1. Select the Dedicated Core server in the Workspace.
2. Right-click and open the context menu of the element. Select Delete.
2. You may also select the element icon and press the DEL key.
3. In the dialog box that appears, choose whether you also want to delete storage devices that belong to the server.
4. Provision your changes.
Result: The Dedicated Core server and its storage devices are deleted.
When you delete a Dedicated Core server and its storage devices, or the entire data center, their backups are not deleted automatically. When you delete a Backup Unit, the associated backups are also deleted.
When you no longer need the backups of deleted VMs, delete them manually from the Backup Unit Manager to avoid unnecessary costs.
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