Virtual Machines
Launch an Instance
Create your first Virtual Machine from the DCP Console
This page describes the provisioning model for instance creation and the fields required by the launch workflow.
Launch prerequisites
- A DCP account
- Virtual Machines service enabled for your account
- At least one SSH key available in your account
Instance specification
Virtual Machine launch requests are composed from the following configuration groups:
- Identity: instance name and optional tags
- Placement: region and availability zone
- Image: operating system image selection
- Compute profile: instance type (CPU/memory class)
- Access: SSH key assignment
- Networking: network configuration, including air-gapped mode where supported
Required launch inputs
Minimum required inputs for a valid launch:
- Instance name
- Region and availability zone
- Operating system image
- Instance type
- SSH key
Optional inputs:
- Tags
- Air-gapped network mode, depending on account and environment policy
Post-provisioning behavior
After submission, the instance appears in the account-level Instances inventory with lifecycle status updates.
Operational actions available after provisioning:
- Start
- Stop
- Delete
- View instance overview metadata
Best practices
- Use descriptive names: Include environment and purpose (e.g.,
web-server-prod-01,db-backup-dev) - Tag your instances: Use tags for environment, project, cost center, or team for easier organization and billing
- Plan resource requirements: Choose instance type based on workload—CPU-optimized for compute tasks, memory-optimized for databases
- Enable backups early: Configure backup policy immediately after launch for production instances
- Test connectivity first: Verify SSH access shortly after instance becomes running
Common launch issues
- Missing SSH key inventory: Add a key in Manage SSH Keys
- Region or image options unavailable: Verify account access and placement policy
- Launch blocked by capacity or policy: Review Limits & Quotas
- Instance stuck in provisioning: Check account quotas; if exceeded, terminate unused instances or contact support