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DCD How-Tos

Prerequisites: Prior to setting up a virtual machine, please make sure you have the appropriate privileges. Only contract owners, administrators, 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.

Set Up a Dedicated Core Server

August 18

This is solely for informational purpose and does not require any action 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 .

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 in the . For more information, see .

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 . 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 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.

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.
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

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.

Result: The Dedicated Core server stops and billing is suspended.

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 make changes to multiple VMs, select the data center and change the properties in the Settings tab.

2. Modify storage:

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.

Set Up a vCPU Server

A user with full root or administrator access rights can create a vCPU Server. A vCPU Server, once provisioned, retains all its settings, such as resources, drive allocation, password, etc., even after a restart at the operating system level. A vCPU Server is deleted from your Virtual Data Center (VDC) only when you delete it from the DCD. For more information, see vCPU Servers.

Create a vCPU Server

Prerequisites: Make sure you have the appropriate privileges. Only contract administrators, owners, and users with the Create Data Center privilege can set up a VDC. Other user types have read-only access and cannot provision changes.

1. Drag the vCPU Server element from the Palette onto the Workspace.

The created vCPU Server is automatically highlighted in turquoise. The Inspector pane allows you to configure the properties of this individual vCPU instance.

2. In the Inspector pane on the right, configure your vCPU Server in the Settings tab.

Name: Choose a name unique to this VDC.
Availability Zone: The zone where you wish to physically host the vCPU. Choosing A - Auto selects a zone automatically. This setting can be changed after provisioning.
Preset: Select an appropriate configuration from the drop-down list. The values S, M, L, XL, and XXL contain predefined vCPU-to-RAM ratios. You can always override the values to suit your needs and the Preset automatically changes to Custom when you edit the predefined ratio indicating that you are no longer using the predefined ratio.
vCPUs: Specify the number of vCPUs. You may change these after provisioning. The capabilities are limited to your customer contract limits. For more information about the contract resource limits in DCD, see Resource Overview.
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. For more information about how to create and add SSH Keys, see OpenSSH Instructions.
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 vCPU server in the Workspace to connect them together. The highlighted vCPU 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.

Authentication

Set the root or administrator password for your vCPU 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 vCPU 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, select the appropriate checkbox in the Add Storage dialog box. If you wish to boot from the network, set this on the vCPU: vCPU in the Workspace > Inspector > 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 vCPU Server to other elements, such as an internet access element or other vCPU Server through their NICs.
Provision your changes.

The vCPU Server is available according to your settings.

Stop, Start or Reset a vCPU Server

At IONOS, we maintain dedicated resources for each customer. Hence, you do not share your physical CPU with other IONOS clients. For this reason, the vCPU Server switched off at the operating system level, still incurs costs.

You can shut down a vCPU Server completely via the DCD and deallocate all its resources to avoid incurring costs. A vCPU Server deallocated this way remains in your infrastructure while the resources are released and can then be redistributed.

Shutting down a vCPU Server at the operating system level alone does not deallocate the resources or suspend the billing. Regardless of how you shut down the vCPU Server, you can restart it only via the DCD.

A reset forces the vCPU Server to shut down and reboot but may result in data loss.

Stop a vCPU Server

1. Choose a vCPU 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.

Result: The vCPU Server stops and billing is suspended.

Start a vCPU Server

1. Choose a vCPU 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 checkbox and clicking Apply START.

3. Provision your changes. Confirm the action by entering your password.

Result: The chosen vCPU Server is booted. A new public IP address is assigned to it depending on the configuration and billing is resumed.

Reset a vCPU Server

1. Choose a vCPU 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 vCPU Server at the operating system level to prevent data loss.

3. Confirm your action by selecting the appropriate checkbox and clicking Apply RESET.

4. Provision your changes. Confirm the action by entering your password.

Result: The vCPU Server shuts down and reboots.

Scale a vCPU Server

1. In the Workspace, select the required vCPU Server and use the Inspector pane on the right.

If you want to make changes to multiple vCPU Servers, 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 vCPUs, RAM, vCPU Server status, and storage size without having to manually update each vCPU Server 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 vCPU Server and increase the CPU size.

4. Provision your changes. You must set the new size at the operating system level of your vCPU Server.

Result: The size of the CPU is adjusted in the DCD.

Delete a vCPU Server

When you no longer need a particular vCPU 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 vCPU Server before you delete it.

1. Select the vCPU Server in the Workspace.

2. Right-click and open the context menu of the element. Select Delete Server.

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 vCPU Server.

4. Provision your changes.

Result: The vCPU Server and its storage devices are deleted.

When you delete a vCPU 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 a deleted vCPU Server, delete them manually from the Backup Unit Manager to avoid unnecessary costs.

Connect via Remote Console

The Remote Console is used to connect to a server when, for example, no SSH is available. You must have the root or administrator password for this type of log-in to the server.

Prerequisites: Make sure you have the appropriate permissions. Only contract owners, administrators, or users with access rights to the data center can connect to a server. Other user types have read-only access and can't provision changes.

Procedure

Start the Remote Console from the server.
Open the data center containing the required server.
In the Workspace, select the server.
In the Inspector, choose Remote Console or select Remote Console from the context menu of the server.
Start the Remote Console from the Start Center (contract owners and administrators only).
Open the Start Center: Menu Bar > Data Center Designer > Open Start Center
Open the Details of the required data center. A list of servers in this data center is displayed.
Select the server and click Open Remote Console.

Remote Console version matching your browser opens; you can now log on to the server with root or administrator password.

Use the Send Key Combo button on the top right of the Remote Console window to send shortcut key combinations (such as CTRL+ALT+DEL).

Launch this Remote Console window again with one click by bookmarking its URL address in your browser.

For security reasons, once your session is over, always close the browser used to connect to VM with this bookmark.

Connect via SSH

When creating based on IONOS Linux images, you can insert into your . This lets you access your VM safely and allows for secure communication. SSH keys that you intend to use more often can be saved in the SSH Key Manager.

Types of SSH keys

Default SSH keys: SSH keys that you intend to use often and mark them as such in the SSH Key Manager. Default SSH keys are preselected when you configure storage devices. You can specify which SSH keys are actually to be used before and deselecting the preselected standard keys in favor of another SSH key.

Ad-hoc SSH keys: SSH keys that you only use once and don't intend to save in the SSH Key Manager for later re-use.

Generating an SSH key

SSH keys can be generated and used on macOS or Linux if both OpenSSH and the ssh-keygen command-line tools are installed. OpenSSH is a collection of tools for establishing SSH connections to remote servers, while ssh-keygen is a utility for generating SSH keys.

Manually generate SSH keys when working with OpenSSH via the Terminal application by following the steps below.

1. Enter the following command below into the Terminal window and press ENTER.

The key generation process is initiated by the command above. When you run this command, the ssh-keygen utility prompts you for a location to save the key.

2. Accept the default location by pressing the ENTER key, or enter the path to the file where you want to save the key /home/username/.ssh/id_rsa.

If you have previously generated a key pair, you may see the following prompt below. If you choose to overwrite the key, you will no longer authenticate with the previous key that was generated.

3. Enter the passphrase that will be used to encrypt the private key file on the disk. You can also press ENTER to accept the default (no passphrase). However, we recommend that you use a passphrase.

4. Enter your passphrase once more.

After you confirm the passphrase, the public and private keys are generated and saved in the specified location. Thus, the confirmation will look like this:

The public key is saved to the file id_rsa.pub which will be the key you upload to your DCD account. Your private key is saved to the id_rsa file in the .ssh directory and is used to verify that the public key you use belongs to the same DCD account.

You can copy the public key to your clipboard by running the following command:

Storing SSH keys

In the SSH Key Manager of the DCD, you can save and manage up to 100 public SSH keys for the setup of SSH accesses. This saves you from having to repeatedly copy and paste the public part of an SSH key from an external source.

1. To open the SSH Key Manager, go to Menu > MANAGER resources > SSH Key Manager.

2. In the SSH Key Manager, select + Add Key.

3. Enter a Name and click Add.

4. Copy and paste the public key to the SSH key field. Alternatively, you may upload it via Select key file. Please ensure the SSH keys you enter are valid. The DCD does not validate syntax or format.

5. (Optional) Activate the Default checkbox to have the SSH key automatically pre-selected when SSH access is configured.

6. Click Save to store the key.

The SSH key is stored in the SSH Key Manager and can be used for the configuration of SSH accesses.

Deleting an SSH key in the SSH Key Manager

To delete an existing SSH key, select the SSH key from the list and click Delete Key.

The SSH key is removed from the SSH Key Manager.

Connecting via OpenSSH

You can connect to your virtual instance via OpenSSH. Still, you will need the terminal application, which varies depending on your operating system. For:

Linux: Search Terminal or press CTRL+ALT+T
macOS: Search Terminal
Windows: Search Bash. If you don’t have Bash installed, use PuTTY instead.

The steps below will show you how to connect to your VM.

1. Open the Terminal application and enter the SSH connection command below. After the @, add the IP address of your VM instance. Then press ENTER.

When you log in for the first time, the server isn't recognized on your local machine, so you'll be asked if you're sure you want to keep connecting. You can type yes and then press ENTER.

2. Authentication is the next step in the connection process. If you've added the SSH keys, you'll be able to connect to the VM immediately or after entering your key pair's passphrase.

If you haven't already added SSH keys, you'll be asked for your password:

3. Once you’ve entered the password, press ENTER.

If the SSH key is configured correctly, this will log you into VM.

OpenSSH Instructions

Generating an SSH key

An SSH key is composed of two files. The first is the private key, which should never be shared. The other is a public key that enables you to access your provisioned Cubes. When you generate the keys, you will use ssh-keygen to store them in a secure location so that you can connect to your instances without encountering the login prompt.

Manually generate SSH keys when working with OpenSSH via the Terminal application by following the steps below.

Enter the following command below into the Terminal window and press ENTER.

ssh-keygen

The key generation process is initiated by the command above. When you run this command, the ssh-keygen utility prompts you for a location to save the key.

Accept the default location by pressing the ENTER key, or enter the path to the file where you want to save the key /home/username/.ssh/id_rsa.

Enter file in which to save the key (/home/username/.ssh/id_rsa):

If you have previously generated a key pair, you may see the following prompt below. If you choose to overwrite the key, you will no longer authenticate with the previous key that was generated.

/home/username/.ssh/id_rsa already exists.
Overwrite (y/n)?

Enter the passphrase that will be used to encrypt the private key file on the disk. You can also press ENTER to accept the default (no passphrase). However, we recommend that you use a passphrase.

Enter your passphrase once more.

After you confirm the passphrase, the public and private keys are generated and saved in the specified location. Thus, the confirmation will look like this:

Your identification has been saved in /home/username/.ssh/id_rsa.
Your public key has been saved in /home/username/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.
The key fingerprint is:
SHA256:AcP/ieiAOoD7MjrKepXks/qHAhrRasGOysiaIR94Quk username@mb01739.local
The key's randomart image is:
+---[RSA 3072]----+
|     .o          |
|      .o         |
|..     ..        |
|.oo .   ..       |
|+=.+ . .So .     |
|X+. * . . o      |
|&Eo. *           |
|&Oo.o o          |
|@O++..           |
+----[SHA256]-----+

The public key is saved to the fileid_rsa.pubwhich will be the key you upload to your DCD account. Your private key is saved to the id_rsa file in the .ssh directory and is used to verify that the public key you use belongs to the same DCD account.

You can copy the public key to your clipboard by running the following command:

 pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Adding the SSH key to the DCD Resource Manager

In addition to the SSH Keys stored in the SSH Key Manager, the IONOS Cloud Cubes SSH key concept includes:

Default keys
Ad-hoc SSH Keys.

Default keys are SSH keys that you intend to use frequently and have marked as such in the SSH Key Manager. When you configure storage devices, the default SSH keys are pre-selected. You can, however, specify which SSH keys are to be used before provisioning and deselect the preselected standard keys in favor of another SSH key.

Ad-hoc SSH keys, on the other hand, are SSH keys that you only use once and do not intend to save in the SSH Key Manager for future use.

The DCD's SSH Key Manager allows you to save and manage up to 100 public SSH keys for SSH access setup. This saves you from having to copy and paste the public part of an SSH key from an external source multiple times.

1. Open the SSH Key Manager: Menu > Management > SSH Keys

2. Select the + Add Key in the top left corner.

3. Paste the SSH key from the clipboard into the SSH Key field. If you have saved your SSH Key in a file, you can upload it by selecting the Choose file button in the Select Key file field.

Make sure the SSH keys you enter are valid. The DCD does not validate the syntax or format of the keys.

Optional: Select the Default checkbox to have the SSH key pre-selected when configuring SSH access.

4. Click Save to save the key. The SSH key has now been saved in the SSH Key Manager and is visible in the SSH Key Manager's table of keys.

Connecting via OpenSSH

You can connect to your Cubes instance via OpenSSH. Still, you will need the terminal application, which varies depending on your operating system. For:

Linux: Search Terminal or press CTRL+ALT+T
macOS: Search Terminal
Windows: Search Bash. If you don’t have Bash installed, use PuTTY instead.

The steps below will show you how to connect to your Cubes.

Open the Terminal application and enter the SSH connection command below. After the @, add the IP address of your Cubes instance. Then press ENTER.

ssh root@85.215.230.154

When you log in for the first time, the server isn't recognized on your local machine, so you'll be asked if you're sure you want to keep connecting. You can type yes and then press ENTER.

Authentication is the next step in the connection process. If you've added the SSH keys, you'll be able to connect to the Cubes immediately or after entering your key pair's passphrase.

If you haven't already added SSH keys, you'll be asked for your password:

root@85.215.230.154's password:

Nothing is displayed in the terminal when you enter your password, making it easier to paste in the initial password. Pasting into text-based terminals is different from other desktop applications. It is also different from one window manager to another:

For Linux Gnome Terminal, use CTRL+SHIFT+V.
For macOS, use the SHIFT-CMD-V or a middle mouse button.
For Bash on Windows, right-click on the window bar, choose Edit, then Paste. You can also right-click to paste if you enable QuickEdit mode.

Once you’ve entered the password, press ENTER.

If the SSH key is configured correctly, this will log you into the Cloud Cubes.

Boot with cloud-init

Overview

Cloud-init is a software package that automates the initialization of servers during system boot. When you deploy a new Linux server from an image, cloud-init gives you the option to set default user data. User data must be written in shell scripts or cloud-config directives using YAML syntax. This method is highly compatible across platforms and fully secure.

Compatibility: This service is supported on all public IONOS Cloud Linux distributions (Debian, CentOS, and Ubuntu). You may submit user data through the DCD or via Cloud API. Existing cloud-init configurations from other providers are compatible with IONOS Cloud.

Limitations: Cloud-init is available on all public images supplied by IONOS Cloud. If you wish to use your own Linux image, please make sure that it is cloud-init supported first. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that the package will function as intended. Windows images are currently out of scope; adding them may be considered at a later stage.

Provisioning: Cloud-init can only be set at initial provisioning. It cannot be applied to instances that have already been provisioned. Settings can't be changed once provisioned.

Laptops: When using a laptop, please scroll down the properties panel, as additional fields are not immediately visible on a small screen.

Supported user data formats

This tutorial demonstrates the use of cloud-config and user-data scripts. However, the cloud-init package supports a variety of formats.

Data Format Description

Data Format	Description
Base64	If user-data is base64-encoded, cloud-init determines if it can understand the decoded data as one of the supported types. If it understands the decoded data, it decodes the data and handles it appropriately. If not, it returns the base64 data intact.
User-Data Script	Begins with `#!`or `Content-Type: text/x-shellscript`. The script is run by /etc/init.d/cloud-init-user-scripts during the first boot cycle. This occurs late in the boot process (after the initial configuration actions are performed).
Include File	Begins with `#include` or `Content-Type: text/x-include-url`. The file contains a list of URLs, one per line. Each of the URLs is read, and their content is passed through this same set of rules. The content read from the URL can be MIME-multi-part or plaintext.
Cloud Config data	Begins with `#cloud-config` or `Content-Type: text/cloud-config`. For a commented example of supported configuration formats, see the examples.
Upstart Job	Begins with `#upstart-job` or `Content-Type: text/upstart-job`. This content is stored in a file in `/etc/init`, and upstart consumes the content as per other upstart jobs.
Cloud Boothook	Begins with `#cloud-boothook` or `Content-Type: text/cloud-boothook`. This content is `boothook` data. It is stored in a file under `/var/lib/cloud` and then runs immediately. This is the earliest `hook` available. There is no mechanism provided for running it only one time. The boothook must take care of this itself. It is provided with the instance ID in the environment variable `INSTANCE_ID.` Use this variable to provide a once-per-instance set of boothook data

Base64

If user-data is base64-encoded, cloud-init determines if it can understand the decoded data as one of the supported types. If it understands the decoded data, it decodes the data and handles it appropriately. If not, it returns the base64 data intact.

User-Data Script

Begins with #!or Content-Type: text/x-shellscript.

The script is run by /etc/init.d/cloud-init-user-scripts during the first boot cycle. This occurs late in the boot process (after the initial configuration actions are performed).

Include File

Begins with #include or Content-Type: text/x-include-url.

The file contains a list of URLs, one per line. Each of the URLs is read, and their content is passed through this same set of rules. The content read from the URL can be MIME-multi-part or plaintext.

Cloud Config data

Begins with #cloud-config or Content-Type: text/cloud-config.

For a commented example of supported configuration formats, see the examples.

Upstart Job

Begins with #upstart-job or Content-Type: text/upstart-job.

This content is stored in a file in /etc/init, and upstart consumes the content as per other upstart jobs.

Cloud Boothook

Begins with #cloud-boothook or Content-Type: text/cloud-boothook.

This content is boothook data. It is stored in a file under /var/lib/cloud and then runs immediately.

This is the earliest hook available. There is no mechanism provided for running it only one time. The boothook must take care of this itself. It is provided with the instance ID in the environment variable INSTANCE_ID. Use this variable to provide a once-per-instance set of boothook data

Configuring user data via DCD

1. In the DCD, create a new virtual instance and attach any storage device to it.

2. Ensure the storage device is selected. Its Inspector pane should be visible on the right.

3. When choosing the Image, you may either use your own or pick one that is supplied by IONOS.

For IONOS supplied images, select No image selected > IONOS Images.

Alternatively, for private images select No image selected > Own Images.

4. Once you choose an image, additional fields will appear in the Inspector pane.

5. A Root password is required for Remote Console access. You may change it later.

6. SSH keys are optional. You may upload a new key or use an existing file. SSH keys can also be injected as user data utilizing cloud-init.

7. You may add a specific key to the Ad-hoc SSH Key field.

8. Under Cloud-init user data, select No configuration and a window will appear.

9. Input your cloud-init data. Either use a bash script or a cloud-config file with YAML syntax. Sample scripts are provided below.

10. To complete setup, return to the Inspector and click Provision Changes. Cloud-init automatically runs at boot, applying the changes requested.

‌When the DCD returns the message that provisioning has been successfully completed this means the infrastructure is virtually set up. However, bootstrapping, which includes the execution of cloud-init data, may take additional time. This execution time is not included in the success message. Please allow extra time for the tasks to complete before testing.

Using shell scripts

Using shell scripts is an easy way to bootstrap a server. In the example script below, the code creates and configures our CentOS web server.

#!/bin/bash
# Use this for your user data (script from top to bottom)
# install httpd (Linux 2 version)
yum update -y
yum install -y httpd
systemctl start httpd
systemctl enable httpd
echo "<h1>Hello World from $(hostname -f)</h1>" > /var/www/html/index.html

Allow enough time for the instance to launch and run the commands in your script, and then check to see that your script has completed the tasks that you intended.

The above example will install a web server and rewrite the default index.html file. To test if cloud-init bootstrapped your VM successfully, you can open the corresponding IP address in your browser. You should be greeted with a “Hello World” message from your web server.

Using cloud-config directives

Cloud-init images can also be bootstrapped using cloud-config directives. The cloud-init website outlines all supported modules and gives examples of basic directives.

Modules

Modules — cloud-init 21.4 documentation

Examples

Cloud config examples — cloud-init 21.4 documentation

Example 1: Creating a swap partition

The following script is an example of how to create a swap partition with second block storage, using a YAML script:

#cloud-config
fs_setup:
  - label: mylabel
    device: /dev/vda
    filesystem: ext4
  - label: swap
    device: /dev/vdb
    filesystem: swap
mounts:
- [ /dev/vda, /, ext4, defaults, 0, 0 ]
- [ /dev/vdb, none, swap, sw, 0, 0 ]

Example 2: Resizing the file system

The following script is an example of how to resize your file system according to the chosen size of the block storage. It will also create a user with an SSH key, using a cloud-config YAML script:

#cloud-config
resize_rootfs: True
users:
  - name: pb-user
    gecos: Demo User
    sudo: ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
    groups: users, admin
    ssh_import_id: None
    lock_passwd: true
    ssh_authorized_keys:
      - ssh-rsa AAAA...

Output log files

The cloud-init output log file (/var/log/cloud-init-output.log) captures console output. Depending on the default configuration for logging, a second log file exists under /var/log/cloud-init.log. **** This provides a comprehensive record based on user data.

Configuring user data via API

Cloud API provides enhanced convenience if you want to automate the provisioning and configuration of cloud instances. Cloud-init is configured on the volume resource in Cloud API V6 (or later). Please find the link to the documentation below:

CLOUD API (6.0-SDK.2)

Name: userData

Type: string

Description: The cloud-init configuration for the volume as base64 encoded string. The property is immutable and is only allowed to be set on a new volume creation. It is mandatory to provide either public image or imageAliasthat has cloud-init compatibility in conjunction with this property.

Curl example

curl --include \
     --request POST \
     --user '<user:password>' \
     --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
     --data-binary '{
         "properties": {
             "name": "Server-01",
             "ram": 2048,
             "cores": 1,
             "availabilityZone": "ZONE_1",
             "cpuFamily": "INTEL_SKYLAKE"
         },
         "entities": {
             "volumes": {
                 "items": [ {
                    "properties": {
                      "size": 10,
                      "type": "HDD",
                      "name": "Server-01_HDD",
                      "image": "bf4d1400-b48d-11eb-b9b3-d2869b2d44d9",
                      "imagePassword": "<pAsSW0rD>",
                      "sshKeys": ["<ssh_key>"],
                      "userData": "I2Nsb3VkLWNvbmZpZwoKcGFja2FnZXM6CiAgLSBodHRwZAogIC0gZmlyZXdhbGxkCgpydW5jbWQ6CiAgLSAvYmluL3N5c3RlbWN0bCBlbmFibGUgaHR0cGQKICAtIC9iaW4vc3lzdGVtY3RsIHN0YXJ0IGh0dHBkCiAgLSAvYmluL2ZpcmV3YWxsLW9mZmxpbmUtY21kIC0tYWRkLXBvcnQ9ODAvdGNwCiAgLSAvYmluL3N5c3RlbWN0bCBlbmFibGUgZmlyZXdhbGxkCiAgLSAvYmluL3N5c3RlbWN0bCBzdGFydCBmaXJld2FsbGQKICAtIGxvYWRrZXlzIGRlCgp3cml0ZV9maWxlczoKLSBjb250ZW50OiB8CiAgICA8IURPQ1RZUEUgaHRtbD4KICAgIDxodG1sPgogICAgICA8aGVhZD4KICAgICAgPC9oZWFkPgogICAgICA8Ym9keT4KICAgICAgICA8cD5XZWxjb21lIHRvIHlvdXIgbmV3IHdlYiBzZXJ2ZXIuPC9wPgogICAgICA8L2JvZHk+CiAgICA8L2h0bWw+CiAgcGF0aDogL3Zhci93d3cvaHRtbC9pbmRleC5odG1sCgpmaW5hbF9tZXNzYWdlOiAiVGhlIHN5c3RlbSBpcyBmaW5hbGx5IHVwLCBhZnRlciAkVVBUSU1FIHNlY29uZHMiCg=="
                    }
                 } ]
             },
             "nics": {
                 "items": [ {
                    "properties": {
                      "name": "NIC001",
                      "dhcp": true,
                      "lan": 1
                      }
                    } ]
             }
        }
        }' \
 https://api.ionos.com/cloudapi/v6/datacenters/<datacenter_id>/servers

Enable IPv6

You can enable IPv6 on Dedicated Core servers and vCPU Servers when you create them or after you create them.

Set up IPv6

You can set up IPv6 to improve the network connectivity for your virtualized environment. By setting up IPv6 for your Dedicated Core servers and vCPU Servers, you can ensure that they are accessible to IPv6-enabled networks and clients.

Prerequisites: Prior to enabling IPv6, make sure you have the appropriate privileges. New VDC can be created by the contract owners, admins, or users with create VDC privilege. The number of bits in the fixed address is the prefix length. For Data Center IPv6 CIDR, the prefix length is /56.

To enable IPv6 for Dedicated Core servers, connect the server to an IPv6-enabled Local Area Network (LAN). Select the Network option on the right pane and fill in the following fields:

Name: It is recommended to enter a unique name for this Network Interface Controller (NIC).
MAC: This field is automatically populated.
LAN: Select an IPv6 enabled LAN.
Firewall: Specify whether you want to enable or disable the firewall. For enabling the firewall, choose Ingress to create flow logs for incoming traffic, Egress for outgoing traffic, or Bidirectional to create flow logs for all traffic.
Flow Log: Select + to add a new flow log. Enter name, direction, action, target S3 bucket, and select + Flow Log to complete the configuration of the flow log. It becomes applied once you provision your changes.
IPv4 Configuration: This field is automatically populated. If Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is enabled, the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address is dynamic, meaning it can change while the Dedicated Core server is operational or in the case of a restart. Add additional public or private IP addresses in Add IP. It is an optional field.
IPv6 Configuration: You can populate a NIC IPv6 CIDR block with prefix length /80 or allow it to be automatically assigned from the VDCs allocated range, as seen in the screenshot below. Add additional public or private IP addresses in Add IP. It is an optional field.

To enable IPv6 for vCPU Servers, connect the server to an IPv6-enabled Local Area Network (LAN). Select the Network option on the right pane and fill in the following fields:

Name: It is recommended to enter a unique name for this Network Interface Controller (NIC).
MAC: This field is automatically populated.
LAN: Select an IPv6 enabled LAN.
Firewall: Specify whether you want to enable or disable the firewall. For enabling the firewall, choose Ingress to create Flow Logs for incoming traffic, Egress for outgoing traffic, or Bidirectional to create Flow Logs for all traffic.
Flow Log: Select + to add a new Flow Log. Enter name, direction, action, target S3 bucket, and select + Flow Log to complete the configuration of the flow log. It becomes applied once you provision your changes.
IPv4 Configuration: This field is automatically populated. If Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is enabled, the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address is dynamic, meaning it can change while the vCPU Server is operational or in the case of a restart. Add additional public or private IP addresses in Add IP. It is an optional field.
IPv6 Configuration: You can populate a NIC IPv6 CIDR block with prefix length /80 or allow it to be automatically assigned from the VDCs allocated range, as seen in the screenshot below. Add additional public or private IP addresses in Add IP. It is an optional field.

Note:

IPv6 CIDR assigned to LANs(/64) and NICs(/80 and /128) must be unique.
You can create a maximum of 256 IPv6-enabled LANs per VDC.

Set Up a Dedicated Core Server

August 18

Create a Dedicated Core Server

1. Drag the Dedicated Core server element from the Palette onto the Workspace.

The created Dedicated Core server is automatically highlighted in turquoise. The 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 .
: 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 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 . You must first have a key stored in the SSH Key Manager. Learn how to .
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.

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

A reset forces the Dedicated Core server to shut down and reboot, but may result in data loss.

Stop a Dedicated Core Server

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.

Result: The Dedicated Core server stops and billing is suspended.

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 make changes to 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 size without having to manually update each VM in the Workspace.

2. Modify storage:

(Optional) Create a 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

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 no longer need the backups of deleted VMs, delete them manually from the to avoid unnecessary costs.

Set Up a vCPU Server

Create a vCPU Server

1. Drag the vCPU Server element from the Palette onto the Workspace.

The created vCPU Server is automatically highlighted in turquoise. The Inspector pane allows you to configure the properties of this individual vCPU instance.

2. In the Inspector pane on the right, configure your vCPU Server in the Settings tab.

Name: Choose a name unique to this VDC.
Availability Zone: The zone where you wish to physically host the vCPU. Choosing A - Auto selects a zone automatically. This setting can be changed after provisioning.
Preset: Select an appropriate configuration from the drop-down list. The values S, M, L, XL, and XXL contain predefined vCPU-to-RAM ratios. You can always override the values to suit your needs and the Preset automatically changes to Custom when you edit the predefined ratio indicating that you are no longer using the predefined ratio.
vCPUs: Specify the number of vCPUs. You may change these after provisioning. The capabilities are limited to your customer contract limits. For more information about the contract resource limits in DCD, see Resource Overview.
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. For more information about how to create and add SSH Keys, see OpenSSH Instructions.
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 vCPU server in the Workspace to connect them together. The highlighted vCPU 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.

Authentication

Set the root or administrator password for your vCPU 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 vCPU 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, select the appropriate checkbox in the Add Storage dialog box. If you wish to boot from the network, set this on the vCPU: vCPU in the Workspace > Inspector > 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 vCPU Server to other elements, such as an internet access element or other vCPU Server through their NICs.
Provision your changes.

The vCPU Server is available according to your settings.

Stop, Start or Reset a vCPU Server

A reset forces the vCPU Server to shut down and reboot but may result in data loss.

Stop a vCPU Server

1. Choose a vCPU 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.

Result: The vCPU Server stops and billing is suspended.

Start a vCPU Server

1. Choose a vCPU 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 checkbox and clicking Apply START.

3. Provision your changes. Confirm the action by entering your password.

Result: The chosen vCPU Server is booted. A new public IP address is assigned to it depending on the configuration and billing is resumed.

Reset a vCPU Server

1. Choose a vCPU 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 vCPU Server at the operating system level to prevent data loss.

3. Confirm your action by selecting the appropriate checkbox and clicking Apply RESET.

4. Provision your changes. Confirm the action by entering your password.

Result: The vCPU Server shuts down and reboots.

Scale a vCPU Server

1. In the Workspace, select the required vCPU Server and use the Inspector pane on the right.

If you want to make changes to multiple vCPU Servers, select the data center and change the properties in the Settings tab.

2. Modify storage:

(Optional) Create a snapshot of the system for recovery in the event of problems.

3. In the Workspace, select the required vCPU Server and increase the CPU size.

4. Provision your changes. You must set the new size at the operating system level of your vCPU Server.

Result: The size of the CPU is adjusted in the DCD.

Delete a vCPU Server

When you no longer need a particular vCPU 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 vCPU Server before you delete it.

1. Select the vCPU Server in the Workspace.

2. Right-click and open the context menu of the element. Select Delete Server.

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 vCPU Server.

4. Provision your changes.

Result: The vCPU Server and its storage devices are deleted.

When you delete a vCPU 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 a deleted vCPU Server, delete them manually from the Backup Unit Manager to avoid unnecessary costs.