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How to create an Instance

Reviewed on 09 December 2024Published on 26 May 2021

This page shows how to create your first Scaleway Instance. An Instance is a virtual machine in the cloud. Just like a physical machine, it has resources - virtualized CPU, RAM, storage etc. - which vary depending on the Instance type you choose. After you have created your Instance you can connect to it and use it for a wide range of computing use cases depending on the Instance type you chose, from running small-scale tests and personal projects to hosting applications and development environments to setting up a production environment.

Select a tab below for instructions on how to create an Instance via either our console, our API, or our CLI.

Before you start

To complete the actions presented below, you must have:

  • A Scaleway account logged into the console
  • Owner status or IAM permissions allowing you to perform actions in the intended Organization
  • An SSH key
  • An Instance
  1. Click Instances in the Compute section of the side menu. The Instance dashboard displays.

  2. Click Create Instance. The Instance creation page displays.

  3. Complete the following steps:

    • Choose an Availability Zone, which represents the geographical region where your Instance will be deployed.
    • Choose an Instance type.
      Instance offers vary in pricing, processing power, memory, storage, and bandwidth. Discover the best Instance type for your needs.
    • Choose an image to run on your Instance.
      This can be an operating system, an InstantApp, or a custom image. Check all available Linux distributions and InstantApps.
    • Name your Instance, or leave the randomly-generated name in place. Optionally, you can add tags to help you organize your Instance.
    • Add volumes, which are storage spaces used by your Instances. A block volume with a default name and 5,000 IOPS is automatically provided for your system volume. You can customize this volume and attach up to 16 local and/or block type volumes as needed.
      Important
      • Ensure that the volume containing your OS image has a minimum size of 10 GB. For a GPU OS, the recommended size is 125 GB.
      • When multiple Block Storage volumes are linked to your Instance, the primary volume will host the OS and is essential for booting the Instance. Once the Instance is created can modify your boot volume.
      • Booting from a volume that either lacks an OS or is among multiple volumes with identical operating systems can lead to inconsistent boot outcomes.
    • Configure network of the Instance.
      • Leave the checkbox ticked to assign a Public IPv4 to the Instance. You can either allocate a new IPv4 address or select one or multiple existing IPv4s. Alternatively, uncheck the box if you do not want an IPv4.
      • Leave the checkbox ticked to assign a Public IPv6 to the Instance. You can either allocate a new IPv6 address or select one or multiple existing IPv6s. Alternatively, uncheck the box if you do not want an IPv6.
        Tip

        You can attach up to 5 IPs to an Instance, combining IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, which is useful for running different services or applications on the same Instance.

    • (Optional) Click Advanced options to configure a cloud-init configuration. Otherwise, leave these options at their default values. You can configure a cloud-init script to automate Instance setup, such as setting up software, users, and system configurations at the first boot.
    • Verify the SSH keys that will give you access to your Instance.
    • Verify the Estimated cost of your Instance, based on the specifications you chose.
  4. Click Create Instance. The creation of your Instance begins, and you will be informed when the Instance is ready.

    Your Instance is now created, and you are redirected to the Overview tab. From here, you can see information including your Instance’s Public IP, the SSH command to use to connect to it, and other information, settings, and actions for the Instance.

See also
How to create a Block Storage volume
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