# Upload an Image via the FTP

IONOS Cloud offers you FTP access to each data center location so you can upload your own images. You can set access rights to only allow authorized users to access and use them. Only images and snapshots to which you have access are displayed.

To upload an image, follow these steps:

1\. In the **DCD**, go to **Menu** > **Storage & Backup** > **Images & Snapshots**.

2\. Go to **FTP Upload Image** tab in the **Manage images and Snapshots** window.

Alternatively, go to **Menu** > **Storage & Backup** > **FTP Image Upload**.

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**Result:** You will find the list of FTP server addresses for corresponding data centers. We recommend that you copy the address because it must be specified as the **Host** in step 3.
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![FTP Upload Image](https://1737632334-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MifAzdGvKLDTtvJP8sm%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-5d1c0edf8b94fc33d884f12b1ef494faaf430dc3%2Fftp-upload-image.png?alt=media)

3\. Set up a connection from your computer to the IONOS Cloud FTP server. You can use an FTP client such as **FileZilla** or tools from your operating system to establish a connection. Enter the following details:

* **Protocol:** Select **FTP - File Transfer Protocol** from the drop-down list.
* **Host:** Paste the appropriate FTP server address to the corresponding IONOS Cloud data center location. For example, `ftp-txl.ionos.com` for Berlin.
* **Encryption:** Select **Require explicit FTP over TLS** to establish a connection. Upon selecting this option, the FTP client connects securely to the data center location using port 21, which is the default.
* **Port:** By default, the client-to-server connection is established over port 21 for the specified encryption.
* **User:** Enter your IONOS Cloud username to establish a secure client-to-server connection.
* **Password:** Enter your IONOS Cloud password to authenticate your credentials in order to establish a client-to-server connection.

4\. Upload the image.

5\. The image is changed to a RAW format after upload. As a result, dynamic HDD images are always used at their maximum size.

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**Note:** 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 Cloud format. The conversion process generally takes a few minutes based on the size of your image.
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Alternatively, you can also use the [<mark style="color:blue;">IonosCTL CLI</mark>](https://docs.ionos.com/cli-ionosctl/subcommands/compute-engine/image/upload) to upload images directly from the command line to the FTP server using the **FTP over TLS (FTPS)** setting. Note that the option can be used only if 2-Factor Authentication is disabled for your IONOS Cloud account.

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**Note:**

* The disk space required for an uploaded image will not affect the resources of your IONOS Cloud account, and you will not be charged.
* Image file names can includes letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), and the following characters: - . / \_ ( ) # \~ + = blanks.
* Images created from **Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)** boot machines cannot be uploaded. Only **Master Boot Record (MBR)** boot images are supported.
  {% endhint %}

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**Result:** You will be notified by an email when your image is available. Only images and snapshots to which you have access are displayed.
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## Establish an FTP connection to upload images via the Windows Explorer

In Windows 10, you can upload an image, without additional software. To establish an FTP connection, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Select **Add a network location** from the context menu.
3. Enter the IONOS Cloud FTP address as the website's location. Example: `ftps://ftps-fkb.ionos.com`. An image is only available at the location where it was uploaded.
4. Select **Log on anonymously** in the next dialog box that appears.
5. Enter a name for the connection in the following dialog box. The name will later be visible in Windows Explorer. Example: `upload_fkb`.
6. Click **Finish** to confirm your action.

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**Result:** The FTP connection is available in Windows Explorer.
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## Upload your image through the established FTP connection

1\. Open the FTP access on your local computer. 2. In the login dialog box, enter the credentials of your IONOS Cloud account. 3. Copy the image from your local computer and paste it to a folder in the data center. The image type must be, either HDD or ISO image.

{% hint style="success" %}
**Result:** You will receive a confirmation email from IONOS Cloud as soon as the image upload begins. After the upload has been completed, the image can be accessed through the **Manage Images and Snapshots** window, and when you choose a private image from the **Own Images** drop-down list when associating a Storage.
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![Private Image Uploaded](https://1737632334-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MifAzdGvKLDTtvJP8sm%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f8d2d45e21a4ad703007f6c38d394e489c328c97%2Fupload-private-image.png?alt=media)