Instances - Quickstart

Scaleway Instances are computing units which provide you with resources to run your applications. After you have created your Instance and installed your image of choice (e.g., an operating system), you can connect to it via SSH to use it as you wish. When you are done using the Instance, you can delete it from your account.

How to create an Instance

1. Click Instances in the Compute section of the side menu. The Instance creation wizard displays.
   Note:

   If you have existing Instances in your account, you will see a list of these Instances instead of the Instance creation page, and the «Plus Icon» button for creating new Instances.

2. Click Create Instance. The Instance creation wizard displays.
3. Complete the following steps in the wizard:

   • Choose an Availability Zone, which is the geographical region where your Instance will be deployed.

   • Choose an Instance type. Different Instance types have different prices, processing power, memory, storage options, and bandwidth. See our dedicated documentation to help choose 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. A complete list of all available Linux distributions and InstantApps can be found here

   • Add Volumes. Volumes are storage spaces used by your Instances.

     • For GP1 Instances you can leave the default settings of maximum local storage, or choose how much local and/or block storage you want. Your system volume is the volume on which your Instance will boot. The system volume can be either a local or a block volume.
     • PLAY2, PRO2, and Enterprise Instances boot directly on block volumes. You can add several block volumes and define how much storage you want for each.
     Important:

     • Ensure that a volume with an OS image has a minimum capacity 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. However, once the Instance is created, you have the option to 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.

   • Assign a public IP to the Instance.

     • By default, a public IPv4 is assigned to your Instance. You can choose either to use a NAT public IP (a public IP address that uses a carrier-grade NAT to translate the Instances private IP address) or a Routed public IP (a dedicated public IP address routed to your Instance that allows direct communication between the Instance and the Internet). If you are unsure which to use, we recommend a routed public IP for ease of use and improved performance.
     • Select if you want to allocate a new IPv4 to the Instance or select one of your existing IP(s).
     • If you want to create an Instance without public IPv4, toggle the switch to disable IPv4.
     • Tick the checkbox to assign a globally routed IPv6 address to your Instance.
     • You can attach up to 5 IPs to an Instance, combining both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

   • Enter a Name for your Instance, or leave the randomly-generated name in place. Optionally, you can add tags to help you organize your Instance.

   • Click Advanced options if you want to configure a cloud-init configuration. Otherwise, leave these options at their default values.

   • 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 to finish. 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.

How to connect to an Instance

How to connect from OSX (Mac) and Linux

1. Open a terminal program.
2. Enter the command below into the terminal. Make sure you replace your_private_key with the filename of your private key (often id_rsa) and your_instance_ip with the IP address of your Instance.

   ssh -i ~/.ssh/your_private_key root@your_instance_ipCopy

3. If / when prompted, allow connection to the host by typing yes, then press Enter.

   The authenticity of host 'myhost.ext (212.47.226.35)' can't be established.
   RSA key fingerprint is 4f:ba:65:cf:14:64:a7:1e:b6:07:7c:00:71:95:21:fa.
   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?Copy

You are now connected to your Instance.

How to connect from Windows

To connect to your Instance from Windows, you will need to use a small application called PuTTY, an SSH client.

1. Download and install PuTTY here

2. Launch PuTTY on your computer.

3. Enter your Instance’s IP address in the Hostname field.

4. In the side menu, under Connection navigate to the Auth sub-category. (Connection —> SSH —> Auth)

5. Click the Browse button and select the private key file you generated previously.

6. Click Open at the bottom of the screen to open a connection to the Instance. PuTTY asks you to allow the connection to the host.

7. Click OK to confirm. The terminal window displays.

8. Enter the username root and press Enter to authenticate against the server with your SSH key.

   You are now connected to your Instance.

How to delete an Instance

1. Click Instances in the Compute section of the side menu. The Instances page displays.
2. Click the «See more Icon» icon next to the Instance you want to delete, and select Delete from the drop-down menu. A pop-up asks you to confirm the action.
3. Type DELETE and then click Delete Instance.