Help Center/ Elastic Cloud Server/ User Guide/ Instances/ Managing ECS Configurations/ Initializing an ECS
Updated on 2025-08-28 GMT+08:00
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Initializing an ECS

After purchasing an ECS, you are advised to perform the following initialization operations based on service requirements:

  • Set a password: If you did not set a password when purchasing an ECS but need to use a password to log in to the ECS, set a password for the ECS after purchasing it.
  • Initialize data disks: If data disks were added during ECS purchase, you need to initialize them.
  • Configure alarm monitoring: To better understand the status of an ECS, configure alarm monitoring for the ECS.
  • Enable host protection (HSS): To monitor potential risks for an ECS in real time, enable HSS.
  • Install UniAgent: Application Operations Management (AOM) provides a unified data collection agent (UniAgent) for you to perform self-service O&M operations, such as changing the ECS hostname and resetting the password online. To better manage an ECS, install UniAgent on it.

Setting a Password

If you did not set a password when creating an ECS, or the password expires or is forgotten, reset the password.

You can reset the password online or offline.

For details, see Resetting the Password for Logging In to an ECS on the ECS Console.

Initializing EVS Data Disks

After you attach a new data disk to an ECS, you must initialize the disk including creating partitions, creating file systems, and mounting the partitions before you can use the disk.

  • If a data disk is created together with a server, EVS automatically attaches it to the server. You only need to initialize it to make it available for use.
  • If a data disk is created explicitly, you need to first attach it to a server and then initialize it.

For details, see Initializing Data Disks.

Configuring Alarm Monitoring

With alarm monitoring, you can automatically monitor ECSs in real time and manage alarms and notifications to keep track of ECS performance metrics.

ECS monitoring is classified into basic monitoring and OS monitoring.
  • Basic monitoring includes metrics automatically reported by ECSs, such as CPU usage.
  • OS monitoring provides proactive, fine-grained OS monitoring for ECSs, and it requires the Agent (a plug-in) to be installed on all ECSs to be monitored. It monitors ECSs in the following aspects: compute, storage, networking, time synchronization, accelerator cards, and processes.

To configure alarm monitoring, do as follows:

  1. (Optional) Install Agent. For details, see Agent Installation and Configuration.

    If detailed monitoring was not enabled during ECS creation, you need to install Agent manually.

  2. Configure alarm monitoring rules by referring to Creating Alarm Rules.
  3. View monitoring information. You can view the monitoring metrics of an ECS by referring to Viewing ECS Metrics.
    For details about monitoring metrics, see the following sections:

Enabling Host Protection (HSS)

HSS is designed to enhance server security through diverse functions, including server management, risk prevention, intrusion detection, security operations, and web tamper protection (WTP). HSS can comprehensively identify and manage information assets on servers, detect server risks in real time, and prevent intrusions. This helps companies build a server security system and reduce threats. For details about how HSS works, see What Is HSS?

To use HSS, you need to install Agents on your ECSs. After Agents are installed, your ECSs are protected by HSS. You can view and manage the statuses and security risks of your ECSs in a given region on the HSS console.

When you purchase an ECS, host protection (HSS) is enabled by default. You can enjoy the HSS Basic Edition free of charge for 30 days. During this period, HSS provides functions such as OS vulnerability detection, weak password detection, and brute-force attack detection.

If you did not enable host protection when purchasing an ECS, you need to install Agent manually.

For details, see Installing the Agent on Huawei Cloud Servers and Enabling Protection.

Installing UniAgent

UniAgent is a unified data collection agent provided by AOM. It enables you to perform self-service O&M operations, such as changing the ECS hostname and resetting the password online. To better manage an ECS, install UniAgent on it.

For details, see Installing UniAgent on an ECS.

Parent Topic: Managing ECS Configurations