> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ionos.com/cloud/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ionos.com/cloud/databases/in-memory-db/how-tos/v2/create-in-memory-db-cluster.md).
# Create an In-Memory DB Cluster
Using this guide, you can create an In-Memory DB cluster in the DCD using the new v2 infrastructure.
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**Prerequisites:** Before setting up a database, make sure you are working within a provisioned [VDC](https://docs.ionos.com/cloud/support/general-information/glossary-of-terms#vdc) that contains at least one [virtual machine](https://docs.ionos.com/cloud/support/general-information/glossary-of-terms#virtual-machine-vm) from which to access the database. The VM you create is counted against the quota allocated in your contract.
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**Note:** Database Manager is available only for contract administrators, owners, and users with **Access and manage DBaaS** privilege. You can set the privilege through the DCD group privileges.
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## Navigate to In-Memory DB cluster overview
1\. In the **DCD**, go to **Menu** > **Databases** > **In-Memory DB**.
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**Important:** In-Memory DB v2 is now available and v1 is scheduled for end of life. Migration from v1 to v2 is not automatic. You must migrate existing clusters manually through the API before v1 is decommissioned.
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2\. From the **In-Memory DB cluster overview** page, click **Create cluster**.
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## Define cluster properties
In the **Properties** section, specify the following:
1\. **Cluster name:** Enter a name for the cluster. It must be between 2 and 63 characters long, must start and end with an alphanumeric character, and may contain the following special characters: hyphen (-), underscore (\_), and period (.).
2\. **Location:** Select the region where the cluster is deployed, for example **Germany / Berlin (de/txl)**. In v2, each cluster is bound to a region-specific API endpoint, and the location you select determines which endpoint manages the cluster. This cannot be changed after the cluster is created.
3\. *(Optional)* **Description:** Enter a human-readable description for the cluster.
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## (Optional) Restore from a snapshot
To initialize the new cluster with data from an existing snapshot, go to the **Restore configuration** section and select **Restore cluster from snapshot**, then specify the following:
1\. **Source snapshot:** Select the snapshot to restore from. Only snapshots from clusters within the same region are eligible.
2\. **Recovery target datetime:** Select a date and time within the displayed recovery window. The cluster is restored from the most recent snapshot taken at or before that time. If left empty, the cluster is restored from the latest available snapshot.
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**Note:** In-Memory DB does not provide continuous point-in-time recovery — the nearest preceding snapshot is always used. A restored snapshot also includes its stored credentials; credentials you provide later in **User Creation** override those from the snapshot.
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## Configure the cluster
In the **Cluster configuration** section, enter the following details:
1\. **Version:** Select the In-Memory DB version for the cluster, for example **9.0**.
2\. **Instances:** Enter the number of instances in the cluster. A value of **1** creates a standalone instance; values **2–5** create a replicated setup with one primary and n-1 passive secondaries. You can create a maximum of five instances within a cluster.
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**Note:** Replication between the primary and secondary instances is always **asynchronous**.
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3\. **Replication Type:** Displayed as **Asynchronous**. The primary instance does not wait for a secondary to confirm the data has been written, so the cluster can lose some committed transactions to ensure availability.
4\. **CPU Type:** Displayed as **Dedicated Core**.
5\. **Persistence:** Select one of the following modes for how data is persisted to disk:
* **In-Memory:** Data is in-memory only and will not be persisted. Suitable for applications that primarily use In-Memory DB as a temporary data store.
* **AOF (Append Only File):** Every write operation is logged for full durability.
* **RDB (Redis Database File):** Periodic point-in-time snapshots of the in-memory state.
* **RDB and AOF:** Both mechanisms are active for maximum data safety.
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**Note:** Block storage is derived automatically from the configured RAM and persistence mode and cannot be set manually or downsized. For more information, see [Data Persistence](/cloud/databases/in-memory-db/overview/data-persistence.md).
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6\. **Eviction Policy:** Select the key eviction strategy applied when the memory limit is reached, for example **allkeys-lru**, which evicts the least recently used keys across all keys.
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## Configure instances
In the **Instance configuration** section, specify the following:
1\. **Number of CPUs (per instance):** Select the number of dedicated CPU cores using the slider.
2\. **RAM Size (per instance):** Select the amount of RAM using the slider. RAM cannot be downgraded after the cluster is created, since storage size is derived from it.
The **Current availability** panel on the right shows the CPU and RAM already used against your contract's quota.
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## Configure snapshot storage
In the **Snapshot** section, specify the following:
1\. **Location:** Select the Object Storage region where cluster snapshots are stored, for example **eu-central-4**. For added data safety, choose a location different from the cluster's own region.
2\. **Retention days:** Enter the number of days snapshots are retained before being automatically deleted. The default is **7** days; you can set a value between **1** and **365**.
3\. **Snapshot Hours:** Select one or more hours of the day (UTC) at which snapshots are taken. At least one hour must be specified.
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## Configure the network
In the **Network configuration** section, provide the following information to connect your cluster with the datacenter:
1\. **Virtual Data Center:** Select a datacenter from the available list.
2\. **VDC LAN:** Select a LAN for your datacenter.
3\. **Private IP address:** Enter the private IP address in CIDR notation. For more information, see [Private IP Address Ranges](https://www.ionos.com/help/server-cloud-infrastructure/private-network/private-ip-address-ranges/).
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**Note:** Make sure the selected private IP address is not already in use within the DCD. The following IP ranges cannot be used with In-Memory DB services:
* 10.208.0.0/12
* 10.233.0.0/18
* 192.168.230.0/24
* 10.233.64.0/18
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## Set the maintenance window
In the **Maintenance Period** section, you can set a maintenance day and time:
1\. **Day:** Select a day from the drop-down list, for example **Sunday**.
2\. **Start Time (UTC):** Enter a start time for the maintenance window.
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**Note:** The maintenance timeframe is your selected start time (UTC) plus 4 hours. If not specified, the timeframe for maintenance can be anytime Mon - Fri, 7 AM - 5 PM.
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## Configure Observability
In the **Observability** section, you can turn on the following:
1\. **Enable logs:** Turn on to forward cluster logs to your logging endpoint.
2\. **Enable metrics:** Turn on to forward cluster metrics to your monitoring endpoint.
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**Note:** Both settings are turned off by default. Observability services must be activated for your contract before logs and metrics can be collected; if not activated, these settings are accepted but have no effect until the service is activated.
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## Create the database user
In the **User Creation** section, provide the following details:
1\. **Username:** Enter a username to provide access to the In-Memory DB cluster. It must be between 2 and 16 characters long, must start and end with an alphanumeric character, and may only contain underscores (\_) as a special character. Restricted usernames (for example, `root`, `admin`, `standby`) are not allowed.
2\. **Password:** Enter a password for the respective user.
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**Warning:** If the user already exists in the restored backup, its credentials will be overwritten.
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**Note:** **Estimated costs** are calculated and displayed based on the configuration entered so far. This estimate is exclusive of certain variables, such as traffic, which are not considered.
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## Save the cluster
Click **Save** to create the In-Memory DB cluster.
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**Result:** Your In-Memory DB cluster is created. Its **STATE** is set to **Provisioning** while the cluster is being created. Once complete, the cluster returns to **Available**.
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## Next steps
* [View In-Memory DB Clusters](/cloud/databases/in-memory-db/how-tos/v2/view-in-memory-db-clusters.md): View the details and status of your newly created cluster.
* [Delete an In-Memory DB Cluster](/cloud/databases/in-memory-db/how-tos/v2/delete-in-memory-db-cluster.md): Remove a cluster that is no longer needed.
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