Upload and create an image

Last update: October 13 2026Open in Markdown

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

• via S3;
• from a file;
• by link;
• 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 image via S3

1. Upload the image to S3 using segmented upload.

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

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

4. Open the 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 the image will be uploaded to, for example, ru-1. You can find the list of available pools in the Selectel Infrastructure section of the Locations: countries, regions, availability zones, pools, and data center addresses guide;

   • <x_auth_token> — project-scoped IAM token 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 upload 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 request output, copy the value in 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 the image will be uploaded to, for example, ru-1. You can find the list of available pools in the Selectel Infrastructure section of the Locations: countries, regions, availability zones, pools, and data center addresses guide;
   • <image_id> — image ID that you copied in step 6;
   • <pool_segment> — pool segment the image will be uploaded to, for example, ru-1a. You can find the list of available pool segments in the Selectel Infrastructure section of the Locations: countries, regions, availability zones, pools, and data center addresses guide;
   • <x_auth_token> — IAM token that you copied in step 3;
   • <object_storage_url> — link to the image in S3 like https://<uuid>.selstorage.ru/container_name/object_name that you obtained in step 7.

Upload image from a file

In Selectel image storage, an image can be uploaded from a file of certain sizes 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 the Images section.

3. Click Create image.

4. Enter the image name.

5. Select the location to which the image will be uploaded.

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

6. Select an operating system.

7. Select a file as the image source.

8. Click Upload.

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

   If you upload 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, container — 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 .iso images, you cannot specify minimum values.

    After creating the 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 be available only for the single project and pool for which you 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 upload 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;

   • --property hw_disk_bus=scsi — the disk will be attached via the SCSI bus. Be sure to specify this property if you are uploading an image in a certified pool gis-1 or gis-2.

   • --property hw_scsi_model=virtio-scsi — a paravirtualized VirtIO SCSI controller will be used. Be sure to specify this property if you are uploading an image in a certified pool gis-1 or gis-2. A cloud server created from an image without this property may become unavailable when attaching large disks due to a known issue with the virtio-blk bus.

   • <pool_segment> — pool segment the image will be uploaded to, for example, ru-1a. You can find the list of available pool segments in the Selectel Infrastructure table. Images under 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent pool segments;

   • <image_name> — image name.

Upload image from a URL

In Selectel image storage, an image can be uploaded via a public URL to an image file of a certain size. 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 the Images section.

3. Click Create image.

4. Enter the image name.

5. Select the location to which the image will be uploaded.

   Images under 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent segments of the location pool.

6. Select an operating system.

7. Select URL as the image source.

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

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

   If you upload 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, container — 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 .iso images, you cannot specify minimum values.

    After creating the 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 be available only for the single project and pool for which you 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 the file into the image:

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

   Specify:

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

Upload vmdk from a file or by link

Learn more about image size limitations in the Limitations section.

Control panel

1. Export the virtual machine from VMware in .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 .ovf format.

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

3. Go to the Images section.

4. Click Create image.

5. Enter the image name.

6. Select the location to which the image will be uploaded.

   Images under 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent segments of the location pool.

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 in the format https://example.com/file.raw.

10. Select an image format:

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

11. Select a container format:

    • ovf — if the virtual machine was exported from VMware in .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 .iso images, you cannot specify minimum values.

    After creating the 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 be available only for the single project and pool for which you configured authorization in the OpenStack API.

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

   • <pool_segment> — pool segment the image will be uploaded to, for example, ru-1a. You can find the list of available pool segments in the Selectel Infrastructure table. Images under 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent pool segments;

   • <image_name> — image name.

Create an image from a disk

See limitations on the size of the disk from which you can create an image.

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 turning off 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 the Servers section.

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 .iso images, you cannot specify minimum values.

7. Click Create.

Network drive

1. If the disk is attached to a cloud server, we recommend turning off 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 the Images section.

4. Click Create image.

5. Enter the image name.

6. Select the location to which the image will be uploaded.

   Images under 16 GB are automatically replicated to adjacent segments of the location pool.

7. Select an operating system.

8. Select a disk as the image source.

9. Select the disk from which the image will be created. You can only create an image 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 .iso images, you cannot specify minimum values.

    After creating the 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 be available only for the single project and pool for which you configured authorization in OpenStack.

Local disk

1. Open the OpenStack CLI.

2. If the disk is attached to a cloud server, we recommend turning off the cloud server — creating an image from a running disk may result in an inconsistent image:

   openstack server stop <server>

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

   The server will enter the SHUTOFF status.

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 drive

1. Open the OpenStack CLI.

2. If the disk is attached to a cloud server, we recommend turning off the cloud server — creating an image from a running disk may result in an inconsistent image:

   openstack server stop <server>

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

   The server will enter the SHUTOFF status.

3. Detach the network drive 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. Check that the network drive has changed its status to AVAILABLE:

   openstack volume list

5. Create a network drive image:

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

   Specify <image_name> — image name.