# Toggle the NIC Multi-Queue Property

You can turn the NIC Multi-Queue feature on or off for your Virtual Machines (VMs). This topic explains how to perform the operation using the [<mark style="color:blue;">Data Center Designer (DCD)</mark>](https://docs.ionos.com/sections-test/guides/set-up-ionos-cloud/data-center-designer). You can also manage NIC Multi-Queue using the [<mark style="color:blue;">IONOS Cloud API</mark>](https://docs.ionos.com/sections-test/guides/network-services/vdc-networking/nic-multi-queue/api-how-tos/toggle-nic-multi-queue).

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:**

* **Automatic VM Restart:** Setting NIC Multi-Queue on triggers an automatic VM restart to apply the configuration changes.
* **Hot-Plug NIC Support:** You can add network interfaces to a running VM without system restart or downtime. For optimal performance, new NICs automatically default to number queues that match the number of provisioned CPU threads.
* **Scaling Queue Count:** When adding CPU threads to leverage increased parallelism, the queue count must be updated through a VM restart:
  * Restart the VM using the [<mark style="color:blue;">Cloud API</mark>](https://api.ionos.com/docs/cloud/v6/#tag/Servers) or the [<mark style="color:blue;">Data Center Designer (DCD)</mark>](https://docs.ionos.com/sections-test/guides/set-up-ionos-cloud/data-center-designer).
  * An Operating System (OS)-level restart is insufficient and will not update the queue configuration. Queue count changes require a platform-initiated restart to reload the NIC driver with the updated configuration.
    {% endhint %}

To toggle the feature status of a VM, follow these steps:

1\. In the **DCD**, go to **Menu** > **Virtual Data Centers**.

2\. Select the data center that contains the VM.

3\. Select the VM and click **Settings** in the Inspector pane.

4\. Select or clear **NIC Multi-Queue** to turn the feature on or off.

![Select or clear NIC Multi-Queue on a VM](https://1737632334-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MifAzdGvKLDTtvJP8sm%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-8cf79ae8c674cb08a5b2713e1bac4abbbbc8803c%2Fenable-nic-multi-queue.png?alt=media)

5\. Select **PROVISION CHANGES** to apply the changes.

{% hint style="success" %}
**Result:** The status of the NIC Multi-Queue feature is updated. The server will automatically restart to apply the configuration changes.
{% endhint %}