Frequently asked questions

A virtual server and  virtual private server (VPS) are similar. Both let you provision distinct environments privately and securely on a single hardware node, but VPS is more limited in its capability and is generally confined to a single-server architecture. Only resources physically installed on that single virtual server can be added or distributed on a VPS.

Yes. When you import an image, you can specify that you will provide the operating system license. For more information, see Use Red Hat Cloud Access. Then, you can order a virtual server from that image template and use your existing Red Hat Cloud Access (link resides outside ibm.com) subscription.

IBM Cloud Virtual Servers on our Classic Infrastructure operate on native subnet and VLAN networking to communicate to each other within a data center (and single pod). IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC operate with an additional network orchestration layer that eliminates the pod boundary, creating increased capacity for scaling instances.

Log in to your console and navigate to your Devices menu. For more information, see Navigating to devices. In the Device List, select your instance. You can view and manage the device user names and passwords to use to log in. For more information, see Viewing and managing device user names and passwords.

You can log in to the VPN through the web interface or use a standalone VPN client for Linux®, macOS or Windows. For more information about what to do once you're connected to the VPN, see Use SSL VPN.

Device reboots can take place from either the Device List or from the snapshot view of an individual instance. Navigate to your virtual server instance in the Device List in your console. For more information, see Navigating to devices. Select Actions for the device you want to manage, then select Reboot.

Booting into rescue mode is helpful if you're experiencing an issue with the server. To launch rescue mode, select the device name from the Device List in your console. In the Actions menu, select Rescue mode or select Boot from image for a Windows instance. For more information, see Launching rescue mode.

For information about viewing or requesting compliance information, including SOC reports, see How do I know my data is safe?

You can access the Status page directly to view the current status of resources in all IBM Cloud locations. You can filter the list by selecting specific components and locations (for example, you can select Virtual Servers and view the network connectivity).

You can upgrade or downgrade disk storage for any virtual server by updating your storage options in the First Disk through Fifth Disk fields in the Configuration screen of the device you want to update. For more information, see Reconfiguring an existing virtual server.

When provisioning a virtual server, you might receive an error message stating there is insufficient capacity to complete the request. When provisioning fails, all VSIs within that particular request fail. A capacity error occurs when there are insufficient resources available in the router or data center to fulfill the service request. Get more information.

A virtual server may be migrated when:

• A host needs to be updated, is being decommissioned or can’t take on new instances.
• Maintenance is required on a system hosting your virtual server.
• An upgrade of an existing instance is deployed.
• A dedicated host fails.
• A virtual host fails.

You may migrate the virtual server to a new host during a specified period.

Estimating your cost for an IBM Cloud server to support your workload begins in the IBM Cloud catalog. From the catalog, select All Categories from the Services tab, then choose the server type, Virtual Server on classic infrastructure or Virtual Server for VPC. For pricing information, see the Virtual servers provisioning calculator.

Hourly virtual billing is broken down for inbound and outbound traffic. All inbound traffic to your virtual server is free of charge. Outbound traffic is metered and charged per gigabyte (GB), with totals assessed at the end of your billing period.