Updated on 2025-10-28 GMT+08:00

Managing Private Images

Private Image Lifecycle

After you create a private image, you can use it to create cloud servers or EVS disks. You can also share the image with other accounts or replicate it to other regions. Figure 1 shows the lifecycle of a private image.

Figure 1 Private image lifecycle

Creating an ECS from a Private Image

After a system disk image or full-ECS image is created, in the image list, you can locate the image and click Apply for Server to create new ECSs.

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Creating an ECS from an Image

Modifying an Image

You can modify the following attributes of an image: name, description, minimum memory, maximum memory, and advanced features such as NIC multi-queue and SR-IOV driver.

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Modifying an Image

Sharing Images

You can share an image with other Huawei Cloud accounts. These accounts can use the shared image to quickly create cloud servers or EVS disks identical to your own.

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Exporting an Image

You can export private images to your OBS bucket and download them to your local PC for backup.

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Exporting an Image

Encrypting an Image

You can create encrypted images to improve data security. KMS envelope encryption is used. Encrypted images can be created from external image files or encrypted cloud servers.

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Replicating Images Within a Region

You can replicate an image within a region to make encrypted or unencrypted copies or enable some advanced features (such as fast server creation).

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Replicating Images Within a Region

Replicating Images Across Regions

You can replicate private images created in one region to another region. Cross-region replication can be used together with image sharing for cross-region, cross-account image replication.

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Replicating Images Across Regions

Tagging Images

You can tag your private images for easier management and search.

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Managing Tags

Exporting an Image List

You can export the public or private image list in a given region as a CSV file for local maintenance and query.

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Exporting an Image List

Deleting Images

You can delete images that will be no longer used. Deleting an image does not affect the cloud servers or EVS disks created from that image.

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Deleting Images

APIs

IMS provides Representational State Transfer (REST) APIs that can be called through HTTPS requests. You can call these APIs to create, register, replicate, and share images.

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API Overview

SDKs

IMS provides SDKs in multiple programming languages to facilitate secondary development. Currently, Java, Python, Go, and .NET SDKs are available.

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IMS SDKs