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Create a Virtual Server

Once you have an active HostDime Cloud account you can log into the Cloud interface via CORE. If you haven't yet set up a Cloud account or are unsure how to log in, see our getting started guide.

Creating a new Cloud server (also known as a virtual server) is very easy. Log into your Cloud account and then follow the steps below.

  1. In the sidebar on the left, click on Virtual Servers to go to the virtual server (virtual server) creation and management screen.
    Click on Virtual Servers in the Sidebar

  2. On the top-right side of the Virtual Servers screen, select Build and then Add Virtual Server to start the process of configuring a new virtual server.
    Select the Add Virtual Server Button

  3. Next, select a template category from the left side of the screen and then select an actual template from the right. This template will specify the OS and default resources of the virtual server.
    Select a Template Category and Then a Template for Your New VM

  4. Once you've selected your template, click Next on the bottom right of the screen to move on to virtual server configuration.
    Click the Next Button to Move On

  5. On this screen you will enter some important information that will add in the display and deployment of your virtual server. First, enter a Label for this virtual server that will be displayed in your HostDime Cloud Virtual Servers list. The Label does not affect the virtual server itself, it is only a tool to differentiate your virtual servers in this list.
    Enter a Name for your VM that will Appear in the VM list

  6. Next you can enter the hostname of the virtual server you want to create. This will affect the deployed virtual server and should ideally be in a domain you or your clients control.
    Enter a Hostname for Your VM

  7. You can specify a Domain for the virtual server if you wish. The default is "localdomain." In many instances, that may be fine.
    Optionally you can Adjust the Domain Assigned to the VM

  8. Finally, you can specify an administrative password for the virtual server if you wish. The password specified here will be the login password for the "root" or "administrative" user for this virtual server. If you don't specify one, our system will automatically create a secure password, which you will be able to view on the virtual server details screen later.
    If you Want to Specify a Password do so in the Password field

  9. When you are sure everything on this screen is the way you want it, click Next to continue.
    Select Next When Done

  10. On the next screen you can specify the resources you'd like to assign to this virtual server. Leave the Compute Zone as-is unless you want to adjust where the virtual server is deployed. You can also leave the Compute Resource as-is. This controls where your virtual server will be deployed.
    Chose the Location for Your VM or Skip the Compute Resources Section

  11. Now select how much RAM you want the virtual server to have (the minimum is 1 GB), you can type in a number or slide the slider to select what you want. You can also set the total number of CPUs (vCPUs) and CPU Priority the same way. A vCPU is roughly equivalent to 1 CPU core if the priority is set to 100%. 
    Enter the amount of RAM and CPUs you Want to Use

    ⚠️ If you want to use CPU autoscaling, make sure you set CPUs to the maximum amount you want your virtual server to be able to use when needed. Then set the CPU Priority to something less than 100%. For example: If you select 4 vCPUs and 50% priority, you'll typically get about 2 vCPUs worth of compute resources, but with autoscale on, your virtual server can automatically use up to 4 vCPUs of compute resources when needed.

    Do not bother enabling Use CPU Topology unless you know what you are doing.

  12. You will select the size and type of the primary attached storage under the Primary Disk section. Select the type or location of the storage from the Primary data store drop-down and then either type in a number (with a minimum of 1 GB) or slide the slider to select the size of the primary disk. This will need to be big enough to contain the operating system you've selected, and if the template you selected has an OS installed, the minimum disk size will automatically reflect the correct number.
    Choose the Type or Location of the Primary Storage from the Primary Data Store and then Type in a Number or Slide the Slider to Adjust the Size of the Main Disk

  13. If your operating system supports it, you will also be able to specify a separate Swap Disk, which is space that can be used by the operating system if you run out of RAM. Typically, you should specify two times the amount of RAM you've assigned to this virtual server, but the correct number varies by operating system.
    Specify the Swap Disk Type and Size if Your OS Supports It

  14. Now you can adjust items that affect the networking on this virtual server:
    Select the Network Configuration Options

    1. Most of the time you can leave the Network, IP net, and IP range settings alone and your virtual server will automatically get assigned one available IPv4 address from the available pool, but you can adjust these settings if needed to have the virtual server pull an IP out of a specific pool.
    2. The one setting you really should change is Port Speed. This controls how much data your virtual server will be able to send and receive at once. You'll probably want to adjust the slider all the way to the right, which will give you the highest port speed possible.

  15. The final step before creation of the virtual server will show you the configured resource limits and allow you to set a few final options:
    Select Autoscale and Autobackup if you Need Them

    1. You can Enable Automated Backup if you'd like to store complete virtual server backups in our Cloud's secondary storage. This allows you to quickly spin up one of the backups if something goes wrong.
    2. Build Virtual Server will be enabled. If you disable this, then clicking Next below will only create an entry for for this virtual server in your Cloud Portal, but it won't be created yet.
    3. Boot Virtual Server will also be enabled. This will automatically start the virtual server after our system has created it. If this is disabled then the virtual server will have to be started manually by you at a later time.
    4. Enable Autoscale functionality (allowing the virtual server to use more CPU, RAM or disk resources if needed).

  16. Click Create Virtual Server and if you have your virtual server set to build and run automatically, you will be taken to the virtual server screen where you can watch the build and deploy process if you want.
    Click Create Virtual Server to Deploy Your VM

Congratulations, you've successfully deployed a Cloud server in HostDime's Cloud!