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Overview

OpenCloud Templates are reusable configuration settings that can be used to generate new Instances. When a User creates a new Instance, they choose from a list of available Templates. Templates may have different settings and configured options for various kinds of Instances.

Each Template is associated with a specific type of Hypervisor. These templates for the US Signal OpenCloud environment are associated with KVM and cannot be used in other Hypervisors.

OpenCloud Administrators and Domain Admins can create new Templates for their Users to use when creating new Instances.

ISOs are in the same location as Templates and can be used in a comparable way to spin up new Instances through the OpenCloud Instance creation process.

Viewing Current Templates/ISOs

  1. To see what Templates and ISOs are already available, first click on Images > Templates or ISOs.
  2. These menus will show what ISOs and Templates are available as well as additional information about each Template or ISO.
  3. Click on each different ISO or Template Name to enter its details page and see more information about it or interact with it.
  4. Templates and ISOs can be ordered and organized so that the Templates and ISOs at the top of the screen are presented to the User first when they create an Instance.

Creating a Template from an Existing Instance

Warning

Created Templates may not have more than one Volume attached to them. Additional Volumes can be added after Instance creation.
  1. When Domain Admins and Users first log in to their OpenCloud Domain, there will be default Templates available for them to use
  2. However, OpenCloud Instance Volumes can be configured the way that the Users wish and then turned into Templates for later use.
  3. First, an Instance must be created. Refer to the KB on Managing Instances for more information.
  4. After the Instance is created and the OS configured properly, the Instance must be stopped.
  5. Click into an Instance details page and select the Stop Instance option in the upper right corner of the screen.
  6. Once the Instance is stopped, click on the Volumes details tab inside the Instance details screen to see the Root and Data Volumes of the Instance.
  7. Click on the name of the ROOT volume to enter it.
  8. Once in the details screen of the ROOT volume, select the Create Template from Volume option in the upper right corner of the screen.
  9. A new window will open.
  10. Name the new Template and add a Description if necessary.
  11. Select the OS Type of the Template. For all Windows Server Instances, this will be Windows PV. Otherwise, for Linux Instances, specify the type of Linux flavor.
  12. Select the Public Option to share the Template with the entire Domain.
  13. Select the Featured Option for the Template to be shown in the Featured category when Users build a new Instance.
  14. Select if the Instance requires HVM. HVM Stands for "Hardware Virtualization Mode"
    • HVM Un-Selected (Default): HVM is disabled. Para Virtualization mode is used.
    • HVM Selected: HVM is Enabled. Hardware Virtualization Mode is used. This option should only be used if your Instance requires it.
  15. Select if the Template will support Password Resets. Please refer to the KB on working with Instances for more information on Password Resets, but usually this option is checked.
  16. Once these options are filled, select OK.
  17. The new Template will be created and then it can be seen in the Templates View under Images.

Uploading a New Template via URL/Local Upload.

Warning

Uploaded Templates may not have more than one Volume attached to them. Additional Volumes can be added after Instance creation.
  1. New Templates can be either uploaded locally from the User’s machine or from a URL.
  2. From the OpenCloud main screen, click on Images > Templates.
  3. At the top of the screen, there will be two options.
  4. Clicking on Register Template from URL will bring up a new dialog box.
  5. Fill out the URL, Name, Description, Zone, Hypervisor, Format, and OS Type of the Template. Specify that the Hypervisor type should be KVM. KVM supports uploading QCOW2 formatted Templates.
  6. The OS Type for Windows Templates should be Windows PV and the OS Type for Linux can be the specific flavor of Linux being registered.
  7. There is no need to change the options for Direct Download and Root Disk Controller Setting.
  8. There is no need to specify a Template Type or supply User data.
  9. Once all these options have been filled out, click OK and the Template will be imported from the URL provided. Remain on the page and do not browse away to make sure that the registration succeeds.
  10. To Upload a Template from a local source, click on the button next to the Upload Template from URL button that says Upload Template from Local.
  11. A dialog box will appear.
  12. Fill out the information required.
  13. The Hypervisor should be set to KVM.
  14. The Format should be set to QCOW2 for KVM.
  15. The Zone can be left alone as well as the Domain as creating a Template inside a customer domain will link it to that domain automatically.
  16. The Template can be set to be Featured and/or Public, but these options can also be set after the Template is uploaded.
  17. Once the Template is uploaded, the following Settings should be applied to the Template:
    • video.hardware = virtio
    • rootDiskController = virtio
  18. Click on Images > Templates and click on the name of the Template just uploaded.
  19. In the Template Details Screen, click on the Settings heading and then click Add Setting
  20. Fill out the settings as referenced above and click the check mark to add each one to the Template. This will make sure that all Instances created with this Template inherit these Settings.

Registering an ISO to OpenCloud via URL/Local Upload

  1. To upload ISOs that can be used for Instances, first log in to the OpenCloud portal and then click on Images > ISOs.

    Uploading via URL does not support locations that redirect or require authentication.

  2. On the ISOs main page, click on Register ISO at the top of the page.

  3. This will allow an ISO from a URL to be uploaded to OpenCloud.
  4. A dialog window will appear.
  5. Select a name for the ISO, give it a description, and select the Zone. The Zone should be filled in with the User’s default Zone. The Users Domain should also be filled in automatically.
  6. If the ISO being uploaded can be used to boot an Instance, keep the Bootable option enabled.
  7. Select the OS Type of the ISO. For Windows ISOs or for Boot Media that will be used to create Windows Instances, select Windows PV. For Linux ISOs, select the specific flavor of Linux.
  8. Select if the ISO should be made Public and/or Featured in the Instance creation wizard.
  9. To upload an ISO from a local file, click on the button that says Upload ISO from File at the top of the ISO details screen next to the Register ISO button.
  10. A dialog box will appear.
  11. Enter the name of the ISO and a description of the ISO.
  12. The Zone should be selected automatically based on the Customer's specific Zone.
  13. The Domain of the ISO can be selected from a list of Domains. Choosing a specific Domain will also require that an Account be chosen to link the ISO to.
  14. Choose an Account that the ISO should belong to after uploading.
  15. Keep the ISO as bootable if it is an ISO that can be used to boot a new Instance.
  16. Select the OS type for the ISO. If it is a Windows ISO, make sure that it is marked as Windows PV. If it is a Linux ISO, make sure that it is the specific flavor of Linux.
  17. Select if the ISO should be Public and Featured. Public ISOs will be available to all Users in the Domain. A Featured ISO will be prominently displayed when Users go to make new Instances.

Editing a Template/ISO

  1. To edit Templates or ISOs, first click on Images and then Templates or ISOs to bring up their respective overview pages.
  2. Click on the name of the Template or ISO that should be edited.
  3. In the upper right corner, click on the Edit Template/ISO button.
  4. A dialog box will come up.
  5. The name, description, OS type, and User data of an ISO can be changed.
  6. The name, description, password settings, NIC adapter type, keyboard type, User data, and Template Type can be changed on a Template.
  7. These ISO/Template changes should only be made if there is an issue with the ISO or Template as is or if customers want to get more specific about their templates.

Downloading a Template or ISO

  1. To download ISOs or Templates for storage or use in other Domains or Platforms, first click on Images and then either Templates or ISO depending on which should be downloaded.
  2. Click on the name of the Template or ISO to be downloaded.
  3. Inside the details page, click on the Download Template/ISO button in the upper right corner.
  4. After clicking, a dialog box will appear asking for confirmation of download. Click OK to start the download.

Deleting a Template or ISO

  1. To remove a Template or ISO from OpenCloud, first click on Images and then on Templates or ISOs depending on which should be deleted.
  2. Click on the name of the ISO or Template that should be deleted.
  3. On the details page of the Template or ISO, click on the Zones tab.
  4. The Zones tab shows what Zones the ISO or Template is installed in.
  5. To remove the Template or ISO, click on the Delete ISO button on the right side of the Zone details.
  6. A small confirmation box will appear over the delete button. Press OK to confirm the deletion.

US Signal cannot recover any ISO or Template that is deleted.