Prerequisites: 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.
IONOS provides you with a number of ready-made that you can use immediately. You can also use your own images by uploading them via our access. Your IONOS account supports many types of images as well as ISO images from which you can install an operating system or software directly, using an emulated CD-ROM drive.
The following image types can be uploaded:
are images generated from storage that have already been provisioned. You can use these images for other storage. This feature is useful, for example, if you need to quickly roll out more that have the same or similar configuration. You can use snapshots on HDD and storage, regardless of the storage type for which the snapshot was created. To create snapshots, users who are not contract owners or administrators need to have the appropriate privileges.
You can create snapshots from provisioned SSD and HDD storage. Regardless of the underlying storage type (HDD or SSD), snapshots use up HDD storage space assigned to an IONOS account. Therefore, if you want to create a snapshot, you must have enough HDD memory available.
The VM can be switched on or off when creating a snapshot. To ensure that data still in the RAM of the VM is included in the snapshot. It is recommended that you synchronize the data (with sync under Linux) or shut down the guest operating system (with shutdown -h now under Linux) before creating the snapshot.
Prerequisites: Make sure you have the appropriate permissions. Only contract owners, administrators, or users with the Create Snapshot permission can create a snapshot. Beforehand, ensure that you have sufficient memory available.
Open the required data center.
(Optional) Shut down the server. Creating a snapshot while the server is running takes longer.
Open the context menu of the storage element and select Create Snapshot.
(Optional) Change the name and the description of the snapshot.
Click on Create Snapshot to start the process.
The snapshot is being created. It will be available in the Image Manager and in My own Images > Snapshots.
IONOS offers FTP access for each of our data center locations so that you can upload your own images. An image is only available at the location where it was uploaded.
To open the Image Manager, go to Menu Bar > Resource Manager > Image Manager.
If you want to upload an image, you must first set up a connection from your computer to the IONOS FTP server. This can be done using an FTP client such as FileZilla or tools from your operating system. Then copy the image to the FTP upload of the IONOS data center location where you wish to use the image. After uploading, the image will be converted to a RAW format. As a result, dynamic HDD images are always used at their maximum size. A dynamic image, for example, whose file size is 3 GB, but which comes from a 50 GB hard disk, will be a 50 GB image again after conversion to the IONOS format. The disk space required for an uploaded image will not affect the resources of your IONOS account and you will not be charged.
FTP addresses:
Frankfurt am Main (DE): ftps://ftp-fra.ionos.com; Karlsruhe (DE): ftps://ftp-fkb.ionos.com; Berlin (DE): ftps://ftp-txl.ionos.com; London (GB): ftps://ftp-lhr.ionos.com; Las Vegas (US): ftps://ftp-las.ionos.com; Newark (US): ftps://ftp-ewr.ionos.com; Logroño (ES): ftps://ftp-vit.ionos.com
In the DCD, FTP addresses are listed here: Menu Bar > Image Manager > FTP Image Upload
Characters allowed for file names of images: a-z A-Z 0-9 - . / _ ( ) # ~ + = blanks.
Note: Images created from UEFI boot machines cannot be uploaded. Only MBR boot images are supported.
Example: Windows 10
In Windows 10, you can upload an image, without additional software, as follows.
How to set up FTP access
Open Windows Explorer.
Select Add a network location from the context menu.
Enter the IONOS FTP address as the location of the website, e.g. ftps://ftps-fkb.ionos.com. An image is only available at the location where it was uploaded.
In the next dialog box, leave the Log on anonymously check box activated.
In the next dialog box, enter a name for the connection which will later be visible in Windows Explorer, e.g. upload_fkb.
Confirm your entries by clicking Finish.
The FTP connection is available in Windows Explorer.
How to copy an image to the FTP upload.
Open the FTP access on your PC.
In the login dialog box, enter the credentials of your IONOS account.
Copy the image you wish to upload to the folder matching the image type (HDD or iso).
As soon as the upload begins, you will receive a confirmation e-mail from IONOS.
After the upload has been completed, the image will be available in the Image Manager and in Own Images.
If you no longer need a snapshot or image and want to save resources, you can delete it.
Open the Image Manager: Menu Bar > Resource Manager > Image Manager.
To delete a snapshot, open the Snapshots tab and select the snapshot you would like to delete.
To delete an image, open the Images tab and select the image you would like to delete.
Click Delete.
In the dialog that appears, confirm your action by entering your password and clicking OK. The selected item is deleted and cannot be restored.
Block storage is a type of IT architecture in which data is stored as a file system. Block storage provides endless possibilities for storing large amounts of information. It guarantees the safety of resource planning systems and provides instant access to the required amount of data without delay.
The virtual storage devices you create in the are provisioned and hosted in one of the IONOS physical data centers. Virtual storage devices are used in the same way as physical devices and can be configured and managed within the server's operating system.
A virtual storage device is equivalent to an iSCSI block device and behaves exactly like direct-attached storage. IONOS block storage is managed independently of servers. It is therefore easily scalable. You can assign a hard disk image to each storage device via DCD (or ). You can use one of the IONOS images, your own image, or a snapshot created with DCD (or API). You have a choice of hard disk drive () and solid-state drive () storage technologies while SSD is available in two different performance classes. Information on setting up the storage can be found .
Up to 24 storage volumes can be connected to a Dedicated Core Server or a Cloud Cube (while the Cloud Cube already has one virtual storage device attached per default). You can use any mix of volume types if necessary.
IONOS Cloud provides HDD as well a SSD block storage in a double-redundant setup. Each virtual storage volume is replicated four times and stored on distributed physical devices within the selected data center location.
The following performance and configuration limits apply per HDD volume. The performance of HDD storage is static and independent of its volume size.
Performance HDD storage:
Read/write speed, sequential: 200 Mb/s at 1 MB block size
Read/write speed, full random:
Regular: 1,100 IOPS at 4 kB block size
Burst: 2,500 IOPS at 4 kB block size
Limits HDD storage:
Minimum Size per Volume: 1 GB
Maximum Size per Volume: 4 TB
SSD storage volumes are available in two performance classes - SSD Premium and SSD Standard. The performance of SSD storage depends on the volume size. Please find the respective performance and configuration limits listed below.
Performance SSD Premium storage:
Read/write speed, sequential: 1 Mb/s pro GB at 1 MB block size
Read speed, full random: 75 IOPS per GB at 4 KB block size
Write speed, full random: 50 IOPS per GB at 4 KB block size
Limits SSD Premium storage:
Minimum Size per Volume: 1 GB
Maximum Size per Volume: 4 TB
Maximum Read/write speed, sequential: 600 Mb/s per volume at 1 MB block size
Maximum Read speed, full random: 45,000 IOPS at 4 KB block size and min. 4 Cores, 4 GB RAM per volume
Maximum Write speed, full random: 30,000 IOPS at 4 KB block size and min. 4 Cores, 4 GB RAM per volume
Performance SSD Standard storage:
Read/write speed, sequential: 0,5 Mb/s pro GB at 1 MB block size
Read speed, full random: 40 IOPS per GB at 4 KB block size
Write speed, full random: 30 IOPS per GB at 4 KB block size
Limits SSD Premium storage:
Minimum Size per Volume: 1 GB
Maximum Size per Volume: 4 TB
Maximum Read/write speed, sequential: 300 Mb/s per volume at 1 MB block size
Maximum Read speed, full random: 24,000 IOPS at 4 KB block size and min. 2 Cores, 2 GB RAM per volume
Maximum Write speed, full random: 18,000 IOPS at 4 KB block size and min. 2 Cores, 2 GB RAM per volume
Assigning different Availability Zones ensures that redundant modules reside on separate physical resources at IONOS. For example, a server or a storage device assigned to Availability Zone 1 resides on a different resource than a server or storage device assigned to Availability Zone 2.
For HDD and SSD Storages you have the following Availability Zone options:
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
A - Auto (default; the system automatically assigns an Availability Zone upon provisioning)
The first time you create a storage unit based on a public image, you must select at least one authentication method. Without authentication, the image on the storage unit cannot be provisioned. The authentication methods available depend on the IONOS operating system image you select.
Authentication methods depend on the operating system.
Passwords: Provisioning a storage device with a Windows image is not possible without specifying a password. It must be between 8 and 50 characters long and may only consist of numbers (0 - 9) and letters (a-z, A - Z). For IONOS Linux images, you can specify a password along with SSH keys, so that you can also log in without the SSH, such as with the Remote Console. The password is set as the root or administrator password with corresponding permissions.
SSH (Secure Shell): To use SSH, you must have an SSH key pair consisting of public and private keys. The private key is installed on the client (the computer you use to access the server), and the public key is installed on the (virtual) instance (the server you wish to access). The IONOS SSH feature requires that you have a valid SSH public/private key pair and that the private key is installed as appropriate for your local operating system.
If you set an invalid or incorrect SSH key, it must be corrected on the side of the virtual machine.
IONOS is focused on ensuring the uninterrupted and cost-efficient operation of your services. This is why we offer a selection of tested operating systems for immediate use in your virtual cloud instances. To ensure uninterrupted, secure, and stable performance, all operating systems, regardless of their source, should meet the following requirements:
The following are the recommended drivers for the operation of virtual storage:
VirtIO (maximum performance)
IDE (for vStorage, an alternative connection by IDE is available, but it will not deliver the potential performance offered by IONOS).
QXL drivers are required to use the Remote Console.
We guarantee operation for the selected operating system as long as vendor or upstream support is available.
In general, all current Linux distributions and their derivatives are supported.
Microsoft Windows Server versions are also supported as long as vendor support is available.
The older an OS version, the greater the risk of performance and stability losses. It is recommended that you always switch to the current versions well before the manufacturer's support for your old version expires. This will greatly improve your operating system's security and functionality.
When operating software appliances, it is recommended that you use the images that have been specially prepared for the KVM hypervisor.
Storage space is added to your by using storage elements in your . Storage name, availability zone, size, OS image, and boot options are configurable for each element.
Drag a storage element ( or ) from the Palette onto a Server or a Cube 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. You can now see new options in the Inspector on the right.
Storage type cannot be changed after provisioning.
Enter a name that is unique within your VDC.
Authentication
Set the root or administrator password for your server according to the guidelines. This is recommended for both operating system types
Copy and paste the public part of your SSH key into this field.
Select the storage volume from which the server is to boot by clicking on BOOT or Make Boot Device.
When adding a storage element using the Inspector, select the appropriate check box in the Add Storage dialog box. If you wish to boot from the network, set this on the server: Server in the Workspace > Inspector > Storage.
(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.
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 server to other elements, such as an internet access element or other servers through their NICs.
Provision your changes.
The server is available according to your settings.
When you no longer need snapshots or images, you should remove them from your cloud infrastructure to avoid unnecessary costs. For backup purposes, you can create a snapshot before deleting it.
In the Workspace, select the storage device you wish to delete.
Open the context menu of the element and select Delete.
(alternative) Select the element and press the DEL key.
Provision your changes result: The storage device is deleted and will no longer be available.
If you delete a server and its storage devices, or the entire data center, their backups are not deleted automatically. Only when you delete a Backup Unit will the backups it contains actually be deleted.
VirtIO provides an efficient abstraction for hypervisors and a common set of IO virtualization drivers. It was chosen to be the main platform for IO virtualization in KVM. There are four drivers available:
Balloon - The balloon driver affects the memory management of the guest OS.
VIOSERIAL - The serial driver affects single serial device limitation within KVM.
NetKVM - The network driver affects Ethernet network adapters.
VIOSTOR - The block driver affects SCSI based controllers.
Windows-based systems require VirtIO drivers primarily to recognize the VirtIO (SCSI) controller and network adapter presented by the IONOS KVM-based hypervisor. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways depending on the state of the virtual machine.
IONOS provides pre-configured Windows Server images that already contain the required VirtIO drivers and the optimal network adapter configuration. We also offer a VirtIO ISO to simplify the driver installation process for Windows 2008 R2, Windows 2012 & Windows 2012 R2 systems. This ISO can be found in the CD-ROM drop-down menu under IONOS Images which can be used for new Windows installations (only required for customer-provided images), as well as Windows images that have been migrated from other environments (e.g. via VMDK upload).\
Always use the latest Windows VirtIO driver from IONOS.
Add a CD-ROM drive and open the installation menu:
In the Workspace, select the required server.
In the Inspector, open the Storage.
Click on CD-ROM to add a CD-ROM drive.
In the dialog box, choose an IONOS image with drivers (windows-VirtIO-driver-<version>.iso) and select the Boot from Device check box.
Confirm the action by clicking the Create CD-ROM Drive.
Provision your changes.
Connect to the server using Remote Console. The installation menu opens.
Follow the options provided by the installation menu.
Remove the CD-ROM drive as soon as the menu asks you to do so, and shut down the VM.
In DCD, specify from which storage to boot.
Restart the server using the DCD.
Provision your changes.
Connect to the server again using the Remote Console to make further changes.
2. Set optimal values: For an optimal configuration, apply the following settings:
MTU:
Internal network interface: 1500 MTU
External network interface: 1500 MTU
Offloading for Receive (RX) and Transmit (TX):
Offload Tx IP checksum: Enabled
Offload Tx LSO: Enabled
Offload Tx TCP checksum: Enabled
Fix IP checksum on LSO: Enabled
Hardware checksum: Enabled
3. Disable TCP Offloading/Chimney:
Default:
netsh int tcp set global chimney=disabled
Everything:
Alternatively, modify the Windows registry:
The installation will be active after a restart. The following command can be used to verify the status of the configuration above.
4. Set correct values for any network adapter automatically: You can apply the correct settings for any network adapter automatically by executing the following commands in PowerShell:
Request network adapter information Get-NetAdapter
The following output is displayed:
In the Name field, use the output value instead of "Ethernet".
Create a new file using PowerShell ISE (File > New).
Copy and paste the following code and make sure to change $name ="Ethernet" properly:
Click File > Execute.
Check the settings.
Restart the VM. The correct settings are applied automatically.
5. Activate TCP/IP auto-tuning:
TCP/IP auto-tuning ensures optimal data transfer between client and server by monitoring network traffic and automatically adjusting the "Receive Window Size". You should always activate this option to ensure the best performance.
Activate:
Check:
You can manage your uploaded images and the snapshots you created with the 's Image Manager. You can specify who can access and use them. Only images and snapshots to which you have access are displayed.
Larger volumes can be made available on request. Please contact our
Larger volumes can be made available on request. Please contact our
Larger volumes can be made available on request. Please contact our
SSD performance: The performance of SSD storage is directly related to the volume size. To get the full benefits of high-speed SSDs, we recommend that you book SSD storage units of at least 100 GB. You can use smaller volumes for your , but performance will be suboptimal, compared to that of the larger units. When storage units are configured in DCD, expected performance is predicted based on the volume size (Inspector > Settings). For storage volumes of more than 600 GB the performance is capped at the maximum as specified in the documentation above.
Secure your data, enhance reliability, and set up high-availability scenarios by deploying your Dedicated Core Servers and storage devices across multiple .
The server Availability Zone can also be changed after provisioning. The storage device's Availability Zone is set on first provisioning and cannot be changed subsequently. However, you can take a and then use it to provide a storage device with a new Availability Zone.
| Authentication methods | SSH key | Password |
|---|
We recommend using both SSH and a password with IONOS Linux images. This will allow you to log in with the . It is not possible to provision a storage unit with a Linux image without specifying a password or an SSH key.
are essential for the operation of virtual network cards
If you are using special software appliances or operating systems that are not listed here, Please contact our . We would be happy to explore the possibility of using such systems within the IONOS Enterprise Cloud and advise you on the best possible implementation.
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 cannot be changed after .
Specify the required storage capacity. The size can be increased after provisioning, even while the is running, as long as this is supported by its operating system. It is not possible to reduce the storage size after provisioning.
You can select one of the IONOS images or , 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.
Select an stored in the SSH Key Manager.
It is recommended to always use 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 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.
If you no longer need the backups of deleted , you should delete them manually in the Backup Unit Manager to avoid unnecessary costs.
Set Up Storage
Learn how to set up additional block storage for your virtual instances.
Images and Snapshots
Upload your own images or use those supplied by IONOS Cloud.
Manage User Access to various storage elements.
IONOS Linux images | + | + |
IONOS Windows images | - | + |
HDD images: |
VMWare disk image | Microsoft disk image | RAW disk image |
QEMU QCOW image | UDF file system | Parallels disk image |
ISO images: |
ISO 9660 CD-ROM |
Users who are not contract owners or administrators need access rights to view, use, or edit resources in a VDC. These access rights are assigned to groups and are inherited by group members.
Users can access a resource with the following access rights:
Read: Users can see and use the resource, but they cannot modify it. Read access is automatically granted as soon as a user is assigned to a group that has this access right.
Edit: Users can modify and delete the resource.
Share: Users can share a resource, including their access rights, with the groups to which they belong.
A user who created a resource is the owner of that resource and can specify its access rights.
The owner is shown in the Security tab of a resource.
In addition to enabling access to resource, for users of authorized groups only, data centers and snapshots can be protected even further by restricting access to users who have 2-factor authentication activated. Other users cannot see or select these resources - even if they belong to an authorized group.
Depending on their role, users can set access rights at the resource level and in the User Manager.
Prerequisites: Make sure that you have the appropriate permissions. Only contract owners, administrators, or users with access rights permission can share the required resource. Other user types have read-only access and cannot provision changes.
Select the required resource
Open the data center:
Images: Menu Bar > Resource Manager > Image Manager > Image.
Snapshots: Menu Bar > Resource Manager > Image Manager > Snapshot.
IP addresses: Menu Bar > Resource Manager > IP Manager.
Kubernetes Cluster: Menu Bar > Resource Manager > Kubernetes Manager.
3. Select the required resource
4. Open Security > Visible to Groups
5. Enable access:
From the + Add Group menu, select the required groups. Read access is granted. Users can see and use, but not modify the resource.
(Optional) Select further permissions (Edit, Share). You may only share permissions that you have yourself.
6. Restrict or disable access:
Select the required group
Deactivate the checkbox of the permission
Read access is retained.
Alternatively, you can click Remove Group. Access will be disabled for all members of the selected group.
Optional: To protect the resource (data center, snapshots) more thoroughly by only allowing access to users whose login is secured with 2-factor authentication, activate the 2-Factor Protected check box.
Contract owners and administrators can also define in the User Manager who may access a resource to what extent.
Prerequisites: Make sure you have the appropriate permissions. Only contract owners and administrators can set the access rights.
Set the access rights in the User Manager
Go to Menu Bar > Management > Users & Groups. That is when the User Manager is displayed.
In the Resources, select the required resource.
Open the Visible to Groups.
Enable access
From the + Add Group list, add the required groups.
(Optional) To enable write access or sharing of a resource, activate the relevant check box.
5. Disable access: deactivate the checkbox of the permission or click Remove Group.
Optional: To protect the resource (data center, snapshots) more thoroughly by only allowing access to users whose login is secured with 2-factor authentication, activate the 2-Factor Protected check box.
Assigning resources to a group
In the Groups, select the required group.
Open the Resources of Group.
To enable access:
Select the required resource by clicking on + Grant Access. This enables read access to the selected resource.
(Optional) To enable write access or sharing of a resource, activate the respective check box.
4. To disable access:
Select the required resource.
Deactivate the check box of the appropriate permission or click on Revoke Access.
You can find more information about managing the Groups here.
IONOS systems are built on Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisor and libvirt virtualization management. We have adapted both of these components to our requirements and optimized them for the delivery of diverse cloud services, with a special focus on security and guest isolation.
Some software images are only designed for certain virtualization systems. Without VirtlO drivers, VM will not work properly with the hypervisor. You can set the storage bus type to IDE temporarily to install the VirtlO drivers.
For a Windows VM to work properly with our hypervisor, VirtI/O drivers are required.
Install Windows using the original IDE driver
You can now install the VirtIO drivers from the ISO provided by IONOS.
Add a CD-ROM drive to your server
Select the windows-virtio-driver.iso ISO
Boot from the selected ISO to start the automatic installation tool
You can now switch to VirtIO.
For more information, see Install Windows VirtIO drivers.
Our hypervisor informs the guest operating system that it is located in a virtualized environment. Some virtualized systems do not support virtualized environments and cannot be executed on an IONOS Dedicated Core Server. We generally do not recommend using your own virtualization technology in virtual hosts.
You can upload your own images to the FTP server in your region. The available regions are:
Frankfurt am Main (DE):
Karlsruhe (DE):
Berlin (DE):
London (GB):
Las Vegas (US):
Newark (US):
Logroño (ES):
FTP addresses are listed in the DCD:
Menu Bar > ? (Help) > FTP Upload Image
or
Menu Bar > Image Manager > FTP Upload Image
For more information, see Upload an image.
Your own images are only available in the region where you uploaded them. Accordingly, only images located in the same region as the virtual data center are available for selection in a virtual data center. For example, if you upload an image to the FTP server in Frankfurt, you can only use that image in a virtual data center in Frankfurt.
We strongly recommend that you select FTPS (File Transfer Protocol with Transport Layer Security) as the transfer protocol. This can easily be done using "FileZilla", for example. Simple FTP works as well, but your access data is transmitted in plain text.
After a file has been uploaded to the FTP server, it is protected from deletion, converted, and then made available as an image. When this process is finished, the file size is reduced to 0 bytes to save space but left on the FTP server. This is to prevent a file with the same name from being uploaded again and interfering with the processing of existing images. If an image is no longer needed, contact IONOS Cloud Suppport.
Snapshots that you no longer need can be deleted in the Image Manager.
For more information, see Delete a snapshot.
Live Vertical Scaling is supported by all our images. Please note that the Windows OS only allows CPU core scaling.
It is not possible to connect multiple servers to one storage device, but you can connect multiple servers in a network without performance loss.
IONOS Cloud allows the customer to upload their own images to the infrastructure via upload servers. This procedure is to be completed individually for each data center location. IONOS Cloud optionally offers transmission with secure transport (TLS). The uploading of HDD and CD-ROM/DVD-ROM images is supported. Specifically, the uploading of images in the following formats is supported:
CD-ROM / DVD-ROM:
*.iso ISO 9660 image file
HDD Images:
*.vmdk vmware HDD images
*.vhd, *.vhdx HyperV HDD images
*.cow, *.qcow, *.qcow2 Qemu HDD images
*.raw binary HDD image
*.vpc VirtualPC HDD image
*.vdi VirtualBox HDD image
Note: Images created from UEFI boot machines cannot be uploaded. Only MBR boot images are supported.
Once a storage device is provisioned, it is not possible to change its Availability Zone. You could, however, create a snapshot and then use it to provision a storage device with a new Availability Zone.
For more information, see Availability Zones.
Learn how to set up additional block storage for your virtual instances. |
Upload your own images or use those supplied by IONOS Cloud. |
Manage User Access to various storage elements. |