Upload and create an image

Last update: October 05 2026Open in Markdown

You can upload the following images to the Selectel image storage:

• from file;
• via link;
• via S3;
• in vmdk format.

You can create a disk image from any local or network cloud server disk.
The disk can be either a boot or additional disk.

Such an image can be used for:

• for quick setup of identical cloud servers — server cloning. If an operating system and software are installed on the server, you can deploy already configured servers from a boot disk image. This is faster than configuring the required settings for multiple servers;
• changing the boot disk type;
• transferring a server to other pools, projects, or accounts;
• exporting a cloud server network volume;
• if the image from which the server was previously created is deleted, you can create an image from the server disk and, if necessary, create an identical cloud server.

Limitations

When uploading an image to the Selectel image storage from a file or via a link, the image size must be less than 2048 GB (2 TB).

If you need to upload an image from a larger file, upload it via S3.

You can create an image from a disk smaller than 2048 GB (2 TB).

Upload an image from a file

You can upload an image of a specific size to Selectel image storage from a local computer. Learn more about image size limitations in the Limitations section.

Control panel

1. In the control panel, in the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.

2. Go to Images.

3. Click Create image.

4. Enter the image name.

5. Select the location where the image will be uploaded.

   Images smaller than 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent pool segments in the location.

6. Select an operating system.

7. Select a file as the image source.

8. Click Upload.

9. Select the image format or container format. Learn more about formats in the Custom images section.

   If you are uploading an archive with the .ova container format, we recommend unpacking the archive before uploading so that the image works correctly.

   If you do not know which formats to specify, specify the image format raw and container format — bare.

10. Optional: select the Specify minimum disk and memory size checkbox and specify the RAM size in MB and disk size in GB. This is the minimum disk and RAM size required to create a server from this image. For images in the .iso format, minimum values cannot be specified.

    After creating an image, you cannot change the minimum disk and memory size in the control panel. To change the minimum values, you will need to recreate the image or use the OpenStack CLI.

11. Click Create.

OpenStack CLI

The image will only be available for the single project and pool for which you have configured authorization in the OpenStack API.

1. Open the OpenStack CLI.

2. Create an image:

   openstack image create \
     --disk-format <image_format> \
     --container-format <container_format> \
     --file <path> \
     --property hw_disk_bus=scsi \
     --property hw_scsi_model=virtio-scsi \
     --property x_sel_image_owner=Selectel \
     --property hw_qemu_guest_agent=yes \
     --store <pool_segment> \
     <image_name>

   Specify:

   • <image_format> — image format. Learn more about image formats in the Custom images section. If you do not know which format to specify, specify raw;

   • <container_format> — container format. Learn more about container formats in the Custom images section.

     If you are uploading an archive with the .ova container format, we recommend unpacking the archive before uploading so that the image works correctly.

     If you do not know which format to specify, specify bare;

   • <path> — path to the image file;

   • <pool_segment> — pool segment where the image will be uploaded, for example, ru-1a. The list of available pool segments can be viewed in the Selectel infrastructure table. Images smaller than 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent pool segments;

   • <image_name> — image name.

Upload an image via a link

You can upload an image of a specific size to Selectel image storage via a public link to the image file. Learn more about image size limitations in the Limitations section.

Control panel

1. In the control panel, in the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.

2. Go to Images.

3. Click Create image.

4. Enter the image name.

5. Select the location where the image will be uploaded.

   Images smaller than 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent pool segments in the location.

6. Select an operating system.

7. Select a URL as the image source.

8. Enter the link to the image file in the https://example.com/file.raw format.

9. Select the image format or container format. Learn more about formats in the Custom images section.

   If you are uploading an archive with the .ova container format, we recommend unpacking the archive before uploading so that the image works correctly.

   If you do not know which formats to specify, specify the image format raw and container format — bare.

10. Optional: select the Specify minimum disk and memory size checkbox and specify the RAM size in MB and disk size in GB. This is the minimum disk and RAM size required to create a server from this image. For images in the .iso format, minimum values cannot be specified.

    After creating an image, you cannot change the minimum disk and memory size in the control panel. To change the minimum values, you will need to recreate the image or use the OpenStack CLI.

11. Click Create.

OpenStack CLI

The image will only be available for the single project and pool for which you have configured authorization in the OpenStack API.

1. Open the OpenStack CLI.

2. Create an empty image:

   openstack image create <image_name>

   Specify <image_name> — image name.

3. Import a file into the image:

   openstack image import \
     --method web-download \
     --uri <image_url> \
     <image>

   Specify:

   • <image_url> — link to the image file formatted as https://example.com/file.raw;
   • <image> — ID or name of the image you created in step 2.

Upload an image via S3

1. Upload the image to S3 via segmented upload.

2. Get an IAM token for a project (X-Auth-Token).

3. In the response output, copy the value from the X-Subject-Token field.

4. Open CLI on your local computer.

5. Create an image via API:

   curl 'https://<pool>.cloud.api.selcloud.ru/image/v2/images' \
     -H 'X-Auth-Token: <x_auth_token>' \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json;charset=utf-8' \
     --data '{"name":"<image_name>","disk_format":"<image_format>","container_format":"<container_format>"}'

   Specify:

   • <pool> — pool where the image will be uploaded, for example, ru-1. The list of available pools can be viewed in the Selectel infrastructure section of the Locations: Countries, regions, availability zones, pools and data center addresses;

   • <x_auth_token> — IAM token for the project that you copied in step 3;

   • <image_name> — image name;

   • <image_format> — image format. Learn more about image formats in the Custom images section. If you do not know which format to specify, specify raw;

   • <container_format> — container format. Learn more about container formats in the Custom images section.

     If you are uploading an archive with the .ova container format, we recommend unpacking the archive before uploading so that the image works correctly.

     If you do not know which format to specify, specify bare.

6. In the response output, copy the value from the id field.

7. Get a link to the image in S3.

8. Upload the image to the image storage:

   curl 'https://<pool>.cloud.api.selcloud.ru/image/v2/images/<image_id>/import' \
     -X POST \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/octet-stream' \
     -H 'X-Image-Meta-Store: <pool_segment>' \
     -H 'X-Auth-Token: <x_auth_token>' \
     --data-raw '{"method":{"name":"web-download","uri":"<object_storage_url>"}}'

   Specify:

   • <pool> — pool where the image will be uploaded, for example, ru-1. The list of available pools can be viewed in the Selectel infrastructure section of the Locations: Countries, regions, availability zones, pools and data center addresses;
   • <image_id> — ID of the image you copied in step 6;
   • <pool_segment> — pool segment where the image will be uploaded, for example, ru-1a. The list of available pool segments can be viewed in the Selectel infrastructure section of the Locations: Countries, regions, availability zones, pools and data center addresses;
   • <x_auth_token> — IAM token that you copied in step 3;
   • <object_storage_url> — link to the image in S3 formatted as https://<uuid>.selstorage.ru/container_name/object_name that you obtained in step 7.

Upload vmdk from a file or via a link

Learn more about image size limitations in the Limitations section.

Control panel

1. Export the virtual machine from VMware in the .ovf format. Learn more in the Export an ovf Template guide in VMware documentation.

   If the virtual disk type is MONOLITHIC_SPARSE or MONOLITHIC_FLAT, you can skip this step, but we recommend exporting the VM in the .ovf format.

2. In the control panel, in the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.

3. Go to Images.

4. Click Create image.

5. Enter the image name.

6. Select the location where the image will be uploaded.

   Images smaller than 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent pool segments in the location.

7. Select an operating system.

8. Select a file or URL as the image source.

9. If you selected a file, click Upload. If you selected a URL, enter the link to the image file formatted as https://example.com/file.raw.

10. Select the image format:

    • vmdk — if the virtual machine was exported from VMware in the .ovf format, or if you are uploading a virtual disk of type MONOLITHIC_SPARSE;
    • raw — if you are uploading a virtual disk of type MONOLITHIC_FLAT.

11. Select the container format:

    • ovf — if the virtual machine was exported from VMware in the .ovf format;
    • bare — if you are uploading a virtual disk of type MONOLITHIC_SPARSE or MONOLITHIC_FLAT.

12. Optional: select the Specify minimum disk and memory size checkbox and specify the RAM size in MB and disk size in GB. This is the minimum disk and RAM size required to create a server from this image. For images in the .iso format, minimum values cannot be specified.

    After creating an image, you cannot change the minimum disk and memory size in the control panel. To change the minimum values, you will need to recreate the image or use the OpenStack CLI.

13. Click Create.

OpenStack CLI

The image will only be available for the single project and pool for which you have configured authorization in the OpenStack API.

1. Export the virtual machine from VMware in the .ovf format. Learn more in the Export an ovf Template guide in VMware documentation.

   If the virtual disk type is MONOLITHIC_SPARSE or MONOLITHIC_FLAT, you can skip this step, but we recommend exporting the VM in the .ovf format.

2. Open the OpenStack CLI.

3. Create an image:

   openstack image create \
     --file <path> \
     --disk-format=<image_format> \
     --container-format=<container_format> \
     --property hw_disk_bus=scsi \
     --property hw_scsi_model=virtio-scsi \
     --store <pool_segment> \
     <image_name>

   Specify:

   • <path> — path to the image file;

   • <image_format> — image format:

     • vmdk — if the virtual machine was exported from VMware in the .ovf format, or if you are uploading a virtual disk of type MONOLITHIC_SPARSE;
     • raw — if you are uploading a virtual disk of type MONOLITHIC_FLAT;

   • <container_format> — container format:

     • ovf — if the virtual machine was exported from VMware in the .ovf format;
     • bare — if you are uploading a virtual disk of type MONOLITHIC_SPARSE or MONOLITHIC_FLAT;

   • <pool_segment> — pool segment where the image will be uploaded, for example, ru-1a. The list of available pool segments can be viewed in the Selectel infrastructure table. Images smaller than 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent pool segments;

   • <image_name> — image name.

Create an image from a disk

See the limitations on the disk size from which an image can be created.

Control panel

The image creation process depends on the disk type.

Local disk

1. If the disk is attached to a cloud server, we recommend shutting down the cloud server — creating an image from a running disk may result in an inconsistent image.

2. In the control panel, in the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.

3. Go to Servers.

4. In the server menu, select Create local disk image.

5. Enter the image name.

6. Optional: select the Specify minimum disk and memory size checkbox and specify the RAM size in MB and disk size in GB. This is the minimum disk and RAM size required to create a server from this image. For images in the .iso format, minimum values cannot be specified.

7. Click Create.

Network volume

1. If the disk is attached to a cloud server, we recommend shutting down the cloud server — creating an image from a running disk may result in an inconsistent image.

2. In the control panel, in the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.

3. Go to Images.

4. Click Create image.

5. Enter the image name.

6. Select the location where the image will be uploaded.

   Images smaller than 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent pool segments in the location.

7. Select an operating system.

8. Select a disk as the image source.

9. Select a disk from which the image will be created. An image can only be created in the pool segment where the disk is located.

10. Optional: select the Specify minimum disk and memory size checkbox and specify the RAM size in MB and disk size in GB. This is the minimum disk and RAM size required to create a server from this image. For images in the .iso format, minimum values cannot be specified.

    After creating an image, you cannot change the minimum disk and memory size in the control panel. To change the minimum values, you will need to recreate the image or use the OpenStack CLI.

11. Click Create.

OpenStack CLI

The image creation process depends on the disk type.

The image will only be available for the single project and pool for which you have configured authorization in OpenStack.

Local disk

1. Open the OpenStack CLI.

2. If the disk is connected to a cloud server, we recommend turning off the cloud server — an inconsistent image may be created from a running disk:

   openstack server stop <server>

   Specify <server> — server ID or name. You can view the list using the openstack server list command.

   The server status will change to SHUTOFF.

3. Create a local disk image:

   openstack server image create --name <image_name> <server>

   Specify:

   • <image_name> — image name;
   • <server> — server ID or name. You can view the list using openstack server list.

Network volume

1. Open the OpenStack CLI.

2. If the disk is connected to a cloud server, we recommend turning off the cloud server — an inconsistent image may be created from a running disk:

   openstack server stop <server>

   Specify <server> — server ID or name. You can view the list using the openstack server list command

   The server status will change to SHUTOFF.

3. Disconnect the network volume from the server:

   openstack server remove volume <server> <volume>

   Specify:

   • <server> — server ID or name. You can view the list using openstack server list;
   • <volume> — network drive ID or name. You can view the list using openstack volume list.

4. Make sure the network drive has changed to the AVAILABLE status:

   openstack volume list

5. Create a network volume image:

   openstack image create --volume <volume> <image_name>

   Specify <image_name> — image name.