When CloudStack deploys a VM from a template, it uses a linked clone instead of creating a full copy of the disk. This approach saves both time and storage space. What Is a Linked Clone A linked clone is a virtual disk that shares the same base image as another VM or template. It doesn’t duplicate the full data. Instead: The base disk (template) is read-only. The linked clone stores only changes (writes made by the VM)....
Primary storage in CloudStack holds the root volumes of running virtual machines and data volumes attached to them. It operates at the cluster level — all hosts within a cluster share access to the same primary storage pool. Local Storage Each hypervisor uses its own local disk for VM volumes. There is no shared storage between hosts. Characteristics No need for expensive centralized SAN/NAS. Limited functionality — no live migration or HA....
CloudStack uses physical networks to separate different types of traffic within a zone. Each traffic type serves a specific purpose and can share or use dedicated network interfaces depending on deployment scale. Overview A physical network in CloudStack maps to one or more real NICs or bridges on the hypervisor hosts. Each physical network can carry multiple traffic types. Typical traffic types: Management Guest Public Storage Public and Storage networks might not exist in every deployment....
Overview Create a network Generate an SSH keypair Deploy a VM Associate a public IP Access the VM via SSH List Available Templates Templates define the base OS image your VM will use. cmk list templates templatefilter=all filter=id,name Example output: id name ----------------------------------- ------------------------------ b9d4cf39-88dc-4092-b972-9114d315bdc0 Ubuntu 24.04 List Network Offerings Network offerings define connectivity features like NAT, DHCP, and firewall. cmk list networkofferings filter=id,name,guestiptype,traffictype Choose: DefaultIsolatedNetworkOfferingWithSourceNatService Create a Network Create your isolated network....
CloudStack relies on two key databases — cloud and cloud_usage. Overview The CloudStack Management Server interacts continuously with a database backend. Every API call, VM operation, or event updates these databases. cloudstack-management │ ▼ MySQL Server ├── cloud └── cloud_usage Database Roles cloud The core operational database. Stores all configuration and runtime state. Key responsibilities: VM instances, volumes, and templates Networking, IP addresses, and VLANs User accounts, roles, and API keys Async jobs, events, and orchestration logs cloud_usage The usage and metering database....