Features
Persistent Workspace Disk
A dedicated OS disk (30 GB–15 TB) that survives start, stop, and restart cycles.
→Startup Scripts
Run shell scripts automatically on every VM boot to install packages or start services.
→Flexible Storage
Multiple storage tiers — Datasets, SFS, and PFS — for any workload. Attach one or more to a single VM.
→SSH Key Management
Add, rotate, or remove SSH keys instantly — no VM restart required.
→Reserved IP
Assign a stable IP address that persists across VM restarts.
→Monitoring
Track CPU, memory, disk, and network usage from the Monitoring tab.
→VM Lifecycle
Start, stop, restart, and delete your VM. Understand each state and what it means.
→Security Groups
Control inbound and outbound network traffic with firewall rules.
→1. Persistent Workspace Disk
Every TIR VM gets a dedicated OS disk that persists across start and stop cycles. Your entire filesystem is durable — just like a physical server.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum size | 30 GB |
| Maximum size | 15 TB |
| Persistence | Survives VM start, stop, and restart |
| Deletion | Disk is deleted only when the VM is explicitly deleted |
Always back up your workspace disk before deleting a VM. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.
Resizing the Workspace Disk
You can increase your workspace disk size from the VM details page. After resizing, the new storage is not automatically visible inside the VM — the filesystem must be expanded manually.
Option 1 — Restart the VM (simplest)
Stop and start the VM from the TIR portal. The filesystem expands automatically on next boot.
Option 2 — Expand without restarting
While the VM is running, SSH in and run the following commands:
sudo partprobe
sudo growpart /dev/vda 1
sudo resize2fs /dev/vda1
Verify the new size with:
df -h
2. Startup Scripts
Startup scripts are shell scripts that run automatically every time your VM boots. Use them to install packages, pull model weights, configure services, or apply environment settings — without manual intervention after restart.
Adding a Startup Script
- Navigate to your VM's Details page.
- Click Network & Security → Start Scripts.
- Click Add Script, enter a name and paste your script content.
- Click Save.
The script takes effect on the next VM boot (or restart).
Example Startup Script
#!/bin/bash
# Install latest NVIDIA monitoring tools
apt-get update -q
apt-get install -y -q nvtop
# Pull model weights from EOS
aws s3 cp s3://my-bucket/llama-weights/ /home/models/ --recursive \
--endpoint-url https://storage.e2enetworks.com
# Start a custom inference server
systemctl enable --now my-inference-server
Multiple scripts can be added. They run in alphabetical order by script name. Use prefixes like 01_install.sh, 02_setup.sh for reliable ordering.
3. Flexible Storage
TIR VMs support multiple storage tiers to meet varying performance, scalability, and collaboration requirements. Each tier serves a distinct purpose, and multiple tiers can be attached to a single VM based on your workload needs.
| Storage | Description |
|---|---|
| Datasets | Attach and manage external storage directly on your VM, keeping large data separate from the workspace disk. The Associated Datasets tab lets you attach Disk or EOS datasets and view their mount status. Disk storage can only be attached to one VM at a time. |
| Shared File System (SFS) | Use SFS when multiple VMs need access to the same data simultaneously — shared model weights, logs, or collaborative workspaces. Concurrent Access: Multiple VMs can read and write to the same file system at the same time. Mount Management: Mount or unmount SFS paths (e.g., /my_sfs) from the Shared File System tab. |
| Parallel File System (PFS) | Use PFS for high-throughput workloads that require fast, simultaneous data access across multiple VMs or processes. High Throughput: Distributes data across multiple storage devices to minimize bottlenecks. Distributed Workloads: Ideal for HPC environments requiring simultaneous, high-speed access to large datasets. Mount Management: Mount or unmount PFS paths (e.g., /my_pfs) from the Parallel File System tab. |
Attaching a Dataset
- Go to the Associated Datasets tab on the VM Details page.
- Select the dataset name.
- Click Update.
Datasets are billed independently from the VM. Storage charges continue even when the VM is stopped or deleted. Delete the dataset explicitly to stop billing.
Attaching an SFS
- Go to the SFS tab on the VM Details page, or add it during VM creation under Advanced Settings.
- Select the Shared File System from the listing.
- Specify the mount path where the SFS should be accessible inside the VM.
- Click Mount.
SFS storage is billed independently from the VM. Charges continue even when the VM is stopped. Delete the SFS explicitly to stop billing.
Attaching a PFS
- Go to the Parallel File System tab on the VM Details page.
- Select the Parallel File System from the listing.
- Specify the mount path where the PFS should be accessible inside the VM (e.g.
/my_pfs). - Click Mount.
Always unmount the PFS before resizing or deleting it. Active I/O during these operations can lead to data corruption.
PFS storage is billed independently from the VM. Charges continue even when the VM is stopped. Delete the PFS explicitly to stop billing.
4. SSH Key Management (Live Sync)
TIR VMs support live SSH key updates — you can add, replace, or remove SSH public keys without rebooting the VM. Key changes take effect within seconds — no VM restart required.
Supported Operations
| Operation | Requires Restart? |
|---|---|
| Add a new SSH key | No |
| Remove an existing SSH key | No |
| Replace the primary SSH key | No |
See Connect via SSH for step-by-step instructions.
5. Reserved IP
Assign a Reserved Static IP Address to your VM.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Reassignment | A reserved IP can be detached and reattached to a different VM |
| Use case | DNS records, firewall allowlists, or any service that depends on a stable endpoint |
Attaching a Reserved IP
- Go to the Network & Security tab on the VM Details page.
- Select a reserved IP from the Reserve Static IP Address dropdown.
- Click Update.
Don't have a reserved IP yet? Create one from Reserved IPs and return here to attach it.
6. Monitoring
Track your VM's resource consumption in real time from the Monitoring tab.
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| CPU Utilization | Processor load as a percentage over time |
| Memory Utilization | Active RAM usage in MB or GB |
| Workspace Disk Usage | Storage used on the workspace disk |
7. VM Lifecycle
| State | Description |
|---|---|
| Waiting | VM is being provisioned. |
| Running | VM is active. SSH access is available. Compute billing is active. |
| Stopped | VM is not running. The workspace disk persists. No compute charges. |
| Error | The VM encountered a problem. |
Start, Stop, and Restart
| Action | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Stop | Sends a graceful shutdown signal. The VM halts cleanly. |
| Start | Boots the VM from the workspace disk. Startup scripts run on boot. |
| Restart | Equivalent to Stop + Start. Startup scripts run again on boot. |
| Delete | Permanently deletes the VM and its workspace disk. This cannot be undone. |
8. Security Groups
Attach Security Groups to control which network traffic is allowed in and out of your VM.
| Rule Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Inbound | Controls traffic coming into the VM (e.g., allow port 22 for SSH) |
| Outbound | Controls traffic going out of the VM |
At minimum, attach a Security Group with port 22 (TCP) inbound to allow SSH access.
See Security Groups for details on creating and managing rules.