Images Types

Types of images#

Images are held in datastores within the cluster framework and come in three varieties:

• operating system
• CD-ROM
• datablock

The designation is integral for how the platform engages with the image and what the underlying media represents.

• Operating system images are intended to represent bootable disk images. In general, every VM template must define one DISK as this type of image in order to be bootable.
  OS images can be directly downloaded from Amplifier, built using the VM console in Glasshouse or obtained from a Cloud-Init compatible OS source.

• CDROM images are read-only data represented to the guest as a virtual CD-ROM device. ISO files can be uploaded from the console.

• DATABLOCK images are non-bootable disks, used as storage for data. These Images can be created from previously existing data by importing, or as a blank disk.

In general all VMs require a bootable image unless they are using another form of boot process, such as network booting.