How Do I Create a Server Image?

A server image is a reusable template of an existing virtual machine, capturing the full operating system, configuration, installed software, and attached disks. Once created, you can use that image to launch new servers within the same Space—ideal for standardization, rapid deployment, or environment recovery.

You should consider creating a server image if you:

• Have configured a base server you'd like to replicate

• Need to quickly provision new machines with pre-installed tools

• Want to preserve a known-good state before experimenting or making risky changes

• Support onboarding workflows with standardized environments

• All disks attached to the server (not just the root disk) are included in the image

• Server must be stopped before creating an image

• User accounts are sanitized:

  • On Linux, regular users (UID ≥ 1000) and their home directories are removed

  • On Windows, non-default local user accounts may be removed

• When launching a new server from an image:

  • The new owner’s SSH (Linux) or RDP (Windows) credentials will be injected

  • The disk size will default to the original server’s root disk size (can be expanded during deployment)

1. Prepare Your Server
   Install required software, make necessary OS-level changes, and ensure the server is in the desired state. You may also resize the disk or attach additional volumes as needed.

2. Shut Down the Server
   In the Spinup dashboard, navigate to the server and click Shut Down. Wait until the server status changes to Stopped.

3. Initiate Image Creation
   Click the Create Image button in the server control panel. This opens the image creation dialog.

4. Provide Image Details

   • Name: Use a descriptive name that reflects the purpose of the image (e.g., Windows2019-RStudio-Baseline)

   • Description: Add context (e.g., “Configured for statistical analysis with R, Stata, and preloaded datasets”)

5. Monitor Progress
   A task will appear under Latest Tasks. Image creation usually takes 5–10 minutes depending on disk size.

6. Review Your Image
   Once complete, navigate to the Images tab in your Space. Your new image will be listed along with its OS type and source server.

7. Launch a New Server from the Image

   • Click the rocket icon next to the image

   • Choose a server size and modify settings as needed

   • By default, the new server inherits the original disk size (you can increase it during launch)

• Images remain in your Space until deleted; they do not expire.

• You can delete outdated images at any time from the Images tab.

• There is no enforced limit, but it’s best to remove unused or legacy templates to reduce clutter.

• Email spinup@yale.edu

• Post in the #spinup channel on Yale Slack

Custom server images allow you to scale consistently, reduce setup time, and maintain clean, repeatable environments across both Windows and Linux.