Troubleshooting image import and export

Saving a node as an image, importing a custom image, and exporting an image to Object Storage can each fail, including for images brought in from AWS. Most failures come from a few causes: a missing OpenNebula context package, an unsupported format or size, Object Storage keys with the wrong role, or a limit that applies to encrypted or Windows images. The steps themselves are in Import a custom image and Export an image to Object Storage.

Other actions are blocked while an image saves or exports

While a node is being saved as an image, or a saved image is exporting, you cannot run the other actions on it until the job finishes. That is expected; wait. An import runs in the background, and it can take a few moments for the imported image to appear in your saved images list. You get an email once an import is ready, and another once an export finishes, whether it succeeds or fails.

While an export runs, you can still create a node or scale group from the image. See Export needs the right state and keys for what an export needs.

Save Image needs the node powered off

Most series need the node Powered off before Save Image runs. A few series allow saving an image while the node is Running. The action is not available for nodes still on the older Xen hypervisor. Power the node off first unless you know your series saves while running. If the action is not offered at all, see Save Image is not offered for the reasons.

No smaller plans when creating a node from a saved image

A saved image is offered only on a plan in the same region with the same operating system, version, and category. The plan’s root disk also has to be at least as big as the image. An E1 node from a saved image needs a root disk at least as large as the image’s own disk. So you pick a plan at or above the image’s size, never a smaller one. Choose a plan with enough root disk and the image appears.

Creating a node from a saved image shows no plan available

A Currently no plan available message on a saved image means the image’s series does not support a plan for it. The image is fine and is not still syncing; its series has no plan it can launch on.

Save Image is not offered

Check which of these applies:

• The node is a firewall or spot node, the only nodes that cannot save an image.
• The node has an MS-SQL license installed. Save Image is not offered, and the node’s Actions menu shows a message asking you to contact cloud-platform@e2enetworks.com instead.
• The node is locked. Locking disables Save Image. Remove the lock from the node first.

If Save Image appears but will not run, see Save Image needs the node powered off for when the node has to be off first.

Saving an image fails

Saving fails if the name is already used by another image, or if the node’s template no longer matches an available plan. Rename the image to something unused, or check the node’s plan still exists, then try again.

Saved image does not carry encryption

To run an encrypted node from an image, turn on encryption when you create the new node. See Node encryption.

Imported image boots but is not reachable

For an imported image to be reachable once it boots, install and enable the OpenNebula context package on the source before you create the image. On first boot the image configures the network, sets credentials, applies the hostname, and adds your SSH keys. Without the context package the imported node boots but you cannot reach it. See Install the OpenNebula context package for the commands for your OS, then make a new image of the source and import it again.

Import fails or is rejected

Check the image against these requirements:

• The format must be qcow2, qed, raw, vdi, or vhd, with a single boot partition, and no larger than 2,048 GB (2 TB). Reduce the disk and retry if it is over the size.
• The import name must be 3 to 64 characters, using only letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens.
• Importing a Windows image needs your account to be specifically allowed to import Windows images. Import asks for the OS type, Linux or Windows, and for Windows its boot mode, BIOS or UEFI.

Import a custom image lists everything the file needs before you start.

Importing from a public URL fails

Invalid Public Url. under the Public URL field means the portal could not open the file at that address without a key. Check the address, and turn on Download in the bucket’s Public Access Config; a file in a private bucket cannot be read this way. The URL must belong to E2E Object Storage. means the address is not an E2E Object Storage address: upload the file to a bucket first.

Importing from a public URL is also capped at 1 TB, or 5 TB for accounts allowed to import Windows images. Make sure the file is within the cap. The steps are in Import a custom image.

Importing from a private bucket fails

Importing from a private Object Storage bucket needs an access key and a secret key that can read the file. E2E uses them once and does not store them. This import method is offered in Delhi. Confirm that the key is attached to the bucket, and that Object Path is the file’s full path inside the bucket, then retry. The steps are in Import a custom image.

Imported image is much larger than the source

An imported image can end up using up to five times its original file size once stored. That is expected; it is how the image is stored. Plan storage for up to five times the source file’s size. Importing the image itself is free; you are only charged for the storage it uses.

Export to Object Storage is not offered

You can export a saved image to Object Storage when the image’s region is Delhi or Chennai. See Export an image to Object Storage for what the export needs.

Export needs the right state and keys

You can only export a saved image that is in Ready or Available state. Check the image’s state first.

Exporting needs an access key with Bucket Admin or Bucket Writer permission. The access key must be 12 to 32 characters, and the secret key 24 to 64 characters. A read-only key, or keys outside those lengths, fail.

Export is refused with Access Denied

Access Denied. when you click Confirm means the keys could not reach the bucket you chose. Check that you copied both keys correctly, and that the key is attached to that bucket with Bucket Admin or Bucket Writer. A bucket you created from the export panel starts with no key attached; attach yours from the bucket’s Permissions tab, then export again. The steps are in Export an image to Object Storage.

Image cannot be exported from an encrypted node

Export works on images saved from unencrypted nodes. To export, save a new image from an unencrypted node and export that one.

Exporting runs in the background

While a saved image is exporting, its status reads Exporting. You get an email when the job finishes, whether it succeeds or fails. When it succeeds, the bucket holds one .raw file named after the image, its region, and the time the export started.

AWS image boots but has no network

An image imported from AWS that boots without network access is missing the OpenNebula context package. Install it on a running node and save a new image, or migrate again with the package installed first. See Migrate an AWS EC2 instance to E2E for the full migration path.

Moving an image to another region

To move an image between Delhi and Chennai, export it to a bucket in the region you want, then import the file there. The steps are in Move the image to the other region.

Contact support

Contact support with the image’s name, the exact error text, and when it happened.