Atlas Docs

Instances

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descriptionExplains how to launch and manage virtual machine instances on the RunAtlas cloud.

2 min read

Overview

Instances are virtual machines (VMs) running on the RunAtlas high-performance cloud infrastructure. Powered by KVM and orchestrated via CloudStack, our instances offer scalable compute for everything from lightweight web servers to data-intensive applications.

Key Features

  • Flexible Sizing: Choose from a variety of instance types to match your workload (e.g., General Purpose, Compute Optimized, Memory Optimized).
  • Persistent Storage: All instances come with a Root Volume that persists through reboots.
  • Network Isolation: Instances run within secure Guest Networks or VPCs, ensuring traffic isolation.
  • SSH Key Authentication: Secure access via SSH keys injected at launch.

Managing Instances

Launching an Instance

To create a new VM:

  1. Navigate to Compute > Instances.
  2. Click Add Instance.
  3. Zone: Select your desired availability zone.
  4. Template: Choose an OS image (e.g., Ubuntu 24.04).
  5. Compute Offering: Select the CPU/RAM configuration.
  6. Data Disk: Keep default or add extra storage.
  7. Network: Attach to a Guest Network or VPC Tier.
  8. SSH Key Pair: Select a pre-uploaded key (see SSH Key Pairs).

Lifecycle Actions

Once running, you can perform several actions from the console:

  • Stop: Shuts down the OS and halts billing for compute resources (storage remains billed).
  • Reboot: Restarts the OS (equivalent to reboot command).
  • Destroy: Permanently deletes the instance and its root volume. This action is irreversible.
  • View Console: Opens a VNC web console for emergency access if SSH fails.

Connecting

Use the allocated Public IP Address (if assigned via NAT) or internal IP (if accessing via VPN/Private Network).

ssh root@<PUBLIC_IP>

Note: Default user is usually root, ubuntu, or rocky depending on the template.

Advanced Configuration

  • User Data: Pass cloud-init scripts at launch to automate software installation (see User Data Library).
  • Security Groups: Control inbound/outbound traffic at the instance level (managed via Network/ACLs).
  • Snapshots: Create point-in-time backups of your volumes (see Instance Snapshots).

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