Scenarios

A data disk image contains only your service data. You can create a data disk image using a local image file or an external image file (image file on another cloud platform). Then, you can use the data disk image to create EVS disks and migrate your service data to the cloud.

Background

The following figure shows the process of creating a data disk image from an external image file.

Figure 1 Creating a data disk image from an external image file

1. Prepare an external image file. The file must be in VHD, VMDK, QCOW2, RAW, VHDX, QCOW, VDI, QED, ZVHD, or ZVHD2 format. If you want to use an image file in other formats, convert the file into any of the listed formats before importing it to the cloud platform.

   For details about image file format conversion, see Converting the Image Format Using qemu-img or Converting the Image Format Using qemu-img-hw.

2. When uploading the external image file, you must select an OBS bucket with standard storage. For details, see Uploading an External Image File.
3. Create a data disk image. For details, see Procedure.
4. Use the data disk image to create data disks. For details, see Follow-up Operations.

Procedure

1. Log in to the management console.
2. Under Computing, click Image Management Service.

   The IMS console is displayed.

3. Click Create Image in the upper right corner.
4. In the Image Type and Source area, select Data disk image for Type.
5. Select Image File for Source. Select the bucket storing the image file from the list and then select the image file.
   Figure 2 Creating a data disk image from an external image file
   
6. To register the image file using the Fast Create function, select Enable Fast Create.
   

   • Currently, this function supports only image files in ZVHD2 or RAW format.
   • For how to convert image file formats and generate bitmap files, see Quickly Importing an Image File.

   After you select Enable Fast Create, select the confirmation information following Image File Preparation if you have prepared the required files.

7. In the Image Information area, set the following parameters.
   • OS Type: The value can be Windows or Linux.
   • Data Disk: The value ranges from 40 GB to 2048 GB and must be no less than the data disk size in the image file.
   • Name: Enter a name for the image.
   • (Optional) Encryption: If you want to encrypt the image, select KMS encryption and then select the key to be used from the key list.
   • Enterprise Project: Select an enterprise project for the image from the drop-down list. default is the default enterprise project.
   • (Optional) Tag: Set a tag key and a tag value for the image to easily identify and manage it.
   • (Optional) Description: Enter description of the image.
8. Click Next.
9. Confirm the parameters. Read and select the agreement, and click Submit.

Follow-up Operations

If you want to use the created data disk image to create an EVS disk and attach it to an ECS, you can perform either of the following operations:

• Locate the row that contains the created data disk image and click Create Data Disk to create one or multiple data disks. Then attach the data disks to an ECS.
• On the page for creating ECSs, click Create Disk from Data Disk Image and select the data disk image.
  

  A data disk image can be used to create a data disk only once. For example, in Figure 3, a data disk created from data disk image data_disk_image has been added to the ECS. No any other data disk created from this image can be added to the ECS.

  Figure 3 Adding data disks