--- title: "Create a node" description: "Launch a node in MyAccount by choosing a tab, an operating system, a plan, and network and access options, then click Launch." content_type: "how-to" product: "node" platform: "MyAccount" url: "/myaccount/node/how-to/create-a-node/" topic: ["create-and-connect"] --- # Create a node A running node needs an operating system, a plan, and a way in. Pick those here, then launch. You need only a MyAccount login: open **Compute > Nodes** and click **Add New Node**. ## Choose what to create from **Add New Node** opens with three tabs: **GPU**, **CPU**, and **Marketplace**, with **CPU** selected by default. - **CPU** starts you from a plain operating system image. Pick this for a node you configure yourself. - **GPU** starts you from a GPU card, and only appears for accounts in Delhi. Pick this for training, inference, or another GPU job. - **Marketplace** starts you from a ready-made product image instead of a plain OS or a GPU card. Plan, pricing, network, security, and **Launch** work the same as the other tabs. ## Choose an operating system, GPU card, or product A search box filters the list on **CPU** or **Marketplace**. Ubuntu defaults to version 24.04 or the newest version available; change it from the **Version** dropdown on the plan screen. On **GPU**, choose a card the same way; **Marketplace** shows only products enabled for your account and region, with a fixed OS and version. Pick the operating system and version you mean to keep: changing them later means reinstalling the node, which deletes everything on it; see [Reinstall a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/reinstall-a-node/). Your choice takes you to **Select Plan**. Some operating systems add a **Category** step there; **GPU** replaces it with a **GPU Card Memory** filter, narrowing plans by card memory. ## Choose a family and plan The **Select Plan** screen lists node families under **Instance Type**, then plans under each family. See [Node families](/myaccount/node/concepts/node-families/) for how to pick one: - **E1**, and its Windows edition **E1WC**: cost-effective, for development and testing. - **C3**: compute-optimized, for CPU-intensive workloads. - **M3**: memory-optimized, for in-memory databases and real-time analytics. - **SDC3**: dedicated compute with guaranteed performance. - **GDC**, from the **GPU** tab: dedicated GPU compute with guaranteed resources, for graphics-intensive and parallel-processing work. - **GDC3**: next-generation GPU compute for deep learning, LLM inference, and high-performance computing. A temporarily unavailable plan shows **Launch** as **Request** instead, so you can ask for it. ## Choose on-demand or committed pricing The **Summary** panel shows **Estimated Cost**, starting with an **On-Demand** rate; a committed option, where available, carries a **Save X%** badge above 3% savings. On-Demand bills until you delete the node, or stop it on E1; committed pricing fixes the price for a term, and longer terms save more. Pick **On-Demand** if unsure how long you will keep the node, or commit once you know the term; see [Committed nodes](/myaccount/node/concepts/committed-nodes/) for how the terms work. A committed node stays paid for the full term either way, even if you delete it early, and a minimum monthly charge bills right away, then again each month. Family, plan, and this pricing choice are all you pick on this screen; there is no separate region selector. ## Set up storage, network, and access The rest of the form follows, as it applies to your family and tab: - **Root Storage** (E1 and E1WC only): 75 GB to 2,400 GB, defaulting to 150 GB. Increase it later; see [Increase root storage](/myaccount/node/how-to/increase-root-storage). - (Optional) **Backup**, off by default, adds a monthly fee plus a charge per GB stored. See [Enable backups on a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/enable-backups-on-a-node) for the schedule and retention. - (Optional) **VPC** puts the node on a virtual private cloud, a private network for your nodes. Pick a **Default** VPC, one with an E2E provided range of 512 addresses, or a **Custom** VPC for your own range and subnets; see [Attach a node to a VPC](/myaccount/node/how-to/attach-a-node-to-a-vpc/). On families other than E1, this section also offers to assign the node a static public IPv4, as an alternative to **Reserve IPv4**; you use one or the other. - (Optional) **Reserve IPv4** attaches an existing reserved IP, or creates one; E1 and E1WC nodes get no public IP by default. See [Attach a reserved IP](/myaccount/node/how-to/attach-a-reserved-ip). - **Security Group** attaches existing groups, or creates one; the default group allows all traffic, so tighten it to what your node needs. - (Optional) **SSH Keys** selects saved keys or adds a new one; turning off password-based SSH needs at least one key selected. Hidden for Windows nodes and [FortiGate images](/myaccount/node/faq/#what-are-spot-nodes-and-fortigate-firewall-nodes). - (Optional) **Volume** attaches extra storage from a dropdown of volumes ready to attach, only when creating a single node. ## Advanced settings You can skip **Advanced settings** entirely. - **Add Start Script** runs a script you provide each time the node starts or reboots. See [Run a script when a node starts](/myaccount/node/how-to/run-a-script-at-first-boot). - **Enable Encryption** adds a passphrase, offered for the C3, M3, E1, E1WC, and SDC3 families. A passphrase is optional, and if you set one it must be 8 to 12 characters with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, and a special character. See [Node encryption](/myaccount/node/concepts/node-encryption). - **BitNinja**, for Linux nodes. On a VPC, it needs the node to have a public IPv4. See [Activate BitNinja on a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/activate-bitninja-on-a-node). - **IPv6**, offered only in Delhi, as your node's default public IP. See [Attach an IPv6 address](/myaccount/node/how-to/attach-an-ipv6-address). ## Name your node and launch The name field starts filled in with the plan name plus a random 3-digit number. Change it to letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens, 50 characters or fewer. You can create 1 to 5 nodes at once, each counting toward your limit of 10 running resources (30 for an organization). Before you click **Launch**, check the **Summary** panel against what you actually meant to set up: - OS, version, family, and plan match the workload - disk size and IOPS suit what the application needs - security group allows only the traffic the node actually needs - backup is on, or you meant to leave it off for now - VPC, public IP, volume, and encryption choices are the ones you picked, not the defaults - **Estimated Cost** matches what you expect to pay Click **Launch**. A low-balance message appears if your account lacks credit. Otherwise you are taken to your list of nodes, where the new one shows as **Creating** until it starts running. To do this through the API, use [Create Node](/api/myaccount/operations/create-node/). The node is ready when it reads **Running** in the list. Its public IP, if it has one, shows on the same row. The username and password arrive by email. Connect to it next: see [Connect to a Linux node](/myaccount/node/how-to/connect-to-a-linux-node) or [Connect to a Windows node](/myaccount/node/how-to/connect-to-a-windows-node). If the node does not reach **Running**, or something else goes wrong, start at [Troubleshooting node](/myaccount/node/troubleshooting/node/). If a choice on the form was greyed out, or a message stopped the launch, see what each one means in [Troubleshooting node actions and lifecycle](/myaccount/node/troubleshooting/actions-and-lifecycle/#an-option-is-greyed-out-while-creating-a-node).