Create a Data Center

IONOS Cloud offers two different data center creation modes to match your infrastructure needs. Select the approach that best fits your workflow:

• DCXpress mode: Provides a streamlined, guided workflow for rapid configuration of IaaS workloads. This mode walks you through the configuration of Virtual Machines, storage, and networking components step-by-step, making it ideal for quickly provisioning standard infrastructure setups.

• Canvas mode: Offers enhanced flexibility and control for designing and managing sophisticated infrastructure architectures. This mode is recommended when working with advanced configurations or complex, multi-component environments.

Begin creating your data center

You can create your data center using either DCXpress mode or Canvas mode, accessible from the left navigation panel or the DCD home page.

Note: Your mode selection becomes your default for future data center creation, but you can change it anytime from the drop-down list.

Prerequisites:

• Make sure you have the corresponding permissions to create and manage data centers. By default, contract administrators and owners can create a data center.

• Only users with Create Data Center privilege can create a data center. For more information, see Set User Privileges for Data Center.

Use the Canvas Mode

Create a data center using the Canvas mode.

Use the Xpress Mode

Create a data center using the Xpress mode.

Which creation mode do I choose?

Select the mode that best fits your workflow and experience level:

Aspect	DCXpress Mode	Canvas Mode
Best for	Quick deployment, getting started, production-ready setups	Custom architectures, complex designs, iterative development
Workflow	Single-guided form with all configurations	Visual press-and-drag into the Workspace with incremental setup
Configuration	All-at-once: VMs, storage, networking configured together	Step-by-step: Add and configure resources as needed
Time to deploy	Fastest: Configure once, deploy immediately	Flexible: Build at your own pace
Flexibility	Structured wizard with pre-defined options	Full creative control over resource placement
Learning curve	Beginner-friendly with guided messages in the DCD	Requires familiarity with cloud infrastructure concepts
Ideal use cases	• Standard web servers • Application hosting • Quick testing environments • Template-based deployments	• Multi-tier applications • Complex network topologies • Custom infrastructure designs • Experimental architectures
When to choose	You know exactly what you need and want it running quickly	You need to plan, visualize, and refine your infrastructure layout
Can modify later?	Not with Xpress mode, but you can add more elements using the Workspace after provisioning.	Yes
Provisioning	Maintain an active browser session during data center provisioning. The browser tab must remain open, and you must stay online until provisioning completes. A notification also prompts you to maintain your connection during this process.	Provisioning occurs asynchronously in the background. You can close the browser or navigate away from the page without interrupting the provisioning process.