Overview
The Polystack Image Service stores and delivers virtual machine images to the compute service at instance launch time. Use the guides below to upload images, capture snapshots, share images with other projects, set metadata properties, and troubleshoot common issues.Upload an Image
Upload OS images and VM disk files from your workstation or via URL import.
Create a Snapshot
Capture a running or stopped instance as a reusable image snapshot.
Share Images
Share private images with specific projects without making them globally public.
Image Properties
Set hardware requirements, OS metadata, and scheduler hints on images.
Image Formats
Compare QCOW2, RAW, VHD, and VMDK formats and choose the right one for your workload.
Troubleshooting
Resolve upload failures, stuck images, and launch errors caused by image issues.
Get Images
Download pre-built cloud images for Ubuntu, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, and more.
Image Requirements
Understand cloud-init, SSH, and disk requirements for Polystack-compatible images.
Modify Images
Customize images offline using virt-customize, guestfish, and guestmount.
Convert Formats
Convert VMDK, VHD, or RAW images to QCOW2 using qemu-img.
Key Concepts
Image Lifecycle
Next Steps
Image Admin Guide
Configure storage backends, metadata schemas, image caching, and access policies.
Compute User Guide
Launch instances from the images you upload and manage.