Image

What Is an Image?

An image is a template of the BMS running environment. It contains an OS and runtime environment, and some pre-installed applications. An image file is equivalent to a copy file that contains all data in the system disk.

Image Types

Images can be classified into public images, private images, and shared images.

Public Image

Public images are provided by the system. These images are available to all users, compatible with BMS and most mainstream OSs, and are pre-installed with necessary plug-ins. Public images available to users vary depending on the BMS flavor.

Characteristics

• OS types: Linux and Windows OSs that are updated and maintained periodically
• Supported software: plug-ins that BMS storage, networks, and basic functions depend on
  

  These plug-ins are necessary for BMSs to run properly. Do not delete or modify any of them. Otherwise, basic BMS functions will be affected.

  Table 2 Supported software

  Software	Description
  Cloud-Init	Cloud-Init is an open-source cloud initialization program, which initializes specific configurations, such as the host name, key, and user data, of a newly created BMS.
  bms-network-config	This plug-in is used to automatically configure BMS networks during BMS provisioning and restore the BMS network when the network is interrupted due to faults.
  SDI iNIC frontend driver plug-in	This plug-in is installed in the image so that EVS disks can be attached to BMSs. BMSs can be started from EVS disks, facilitating quick BMS provisioning.

• Compatibility: compatible with server hardware
• Security: highly stable and licensed
• Restrictions: no restrictions on usage

Private Image

A private image contains an OS, preinstalled public applications, and a user's private applications. You can use a private image to create BMSs without having to repeatedly configure BMSs.

Characteristics

• Compatibility: Private images can be used to deploy servers that are of the same model as the source BMS and may fail to deploy servers of other models.
• Supported functions: You can create and delete private images, as well as create BMSs and reinstall the BMS OS using private images.
• Restrictions: You can create a maximum of 50 private images.

Shared Image

A shared image is a private image other users share with you.

Application Scenarios

• Deploying software environments in a batch

  Prepare a BMS with an OS, the partition arrangement you prefer, and software installed to create a private image. You can use the image to create batch clones of your custom BMS.

• Backing up a BMS

  Create an image from a BMS to back up the BMS. If the software of the BMS becomes faulty, you can use the image to restore the BMS.