--- title: "TIR Instance FAQ" description: "Short answers about TIR Instances, from choosing one to billing, committed and Spot plans, storage, SSH and ports, GPUs, CUDA, and Docker." content_type: "faq" product: "tir-instance" platform: "TIR" url: "/tir/tir-instance/faq/" --- # TIR Instance FAQ For step-by-step fixes, see [Troubleshooting TIR Instances](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/). ## Choosing what to run ### Should I use TIR or a MyAccount GPU node for AI and machine learning work? Use TIR. It is E2E's platform for AI work, and a TIR Instance is ready for that work as soon as it starts. You pick a pre-built image for PyTorch, TensorFlow, Transformers, vLLM, and more, and you get JupyterLab, the TensorBoard and Gradio add-ons, and a workspace that keeps your files across restarts. TIR runs GPUs in Delhi and Chennai, including H200 and B200 plans; MyAccount GPU nodes are in Delhi only. For a full virtual machine with its own kernel, TIR also has Virtual Machines under **Compute**. A MyAccount GPU node suits a GPU that has to sit beside your other MyAccount resources, or a Windows GPU machine. See [Create an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/create-an-instance/). ### What is the difference between a TIR Instance, a TIR Virtual Machine, and a MyAccount GPU node? A TIR Instance is a container with pre-built machine learning images and JupyterLab. Only `/home/jovyan` and your mounted storage keep their data across restarts, and it runs without `systemd` or a Docker daemon. A TIR Virtual Machine, under **Compute** > **Virtual Machines**, is a full Linux virtual machine with its own kernel and root access, and its disk keeps its files across restarts and stops. A MyAccount GPU node is a virtual machine in MyAccount, in Delhi only, where you choose the operating system. Its NVIDIA driver ships with the node's image, and GPU images built on Ubuntu 22.04 also come with Docker and the NVIDIA Container Toolkit; on Ubuntu 24.04 you install those two yourself. TIR Instances run in Delhi and Chennai. See [TIR Instance](/tir/tir-instance/) and [GPU Node](/myaccount/gpu-node/). ### Do I get root access in an instance? Yes. You are `root` inside the instance, so you can install any package you need. The instance is still a container, so it cannot run the Docker daemon or load kernel modules. See [Can I run Docker inside an instance?](#can-i-run-docker-inside-an-instance) ### Does the instance keep its system disk after a restart? No. Only the workspace at `/home/jovyan` and your mounted datasets, SFS, and PFS keep their data. Everything else in the instance goes back to the image's contents when it restarts. See [Where your files live](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/where-your-files-live/). ### Which GPUs can I use, and in which regions? In Delhi, H200, H100, A100 40 GB, and L4 plans come with one, two, four, or eight GPUs. A100 80 GB, L40S, and V100 plans come with one, two, or four. In Chennai, B200 and H100 plans come with one, two, four, or eight GPUs, and the H200 plan comes with eight GPUs, on committed terms only. Spot plans are H200 and H100 in both regions. CPU plans are the C3 series in both regions. The list changes over time, and the create form shows what is on sale now. See [Create an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/create-an-instance/). ### Can I run an H200 instance on an hourly plan in Chennai? No. In Chennai, the H200 comes as one eight-GPU plan, sold on committed terms only. For an hourly GPU instance in Chennai, choose the H100 or the B200. In Delhi, the H200 is offered hourly with one, two, four, or eight GPUs. See [Billing options](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/billing-options/). ### Are my instance's GPUs, vCPUs, and RAM shared with other customers? No. They are your instance's alone, and each GPU is a whole physical GPU. ### Can I run more than one container on an instance? No. Each instance runs one container from one image. To run another image, create another instance, or update this one's image. See [Update the image of an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/update-the-image-of-an-instance/). ### Is JupyterLab available on every image? No. JupyterLab comes with the pre-built images that include it, and with custom images you launch with **JupyterLab Support** ticked. Tick **JupyterLab Support** only for an image built with TIR's image builder or on a TIR pre-built image. The ComfyUI and FramePack pre-built images open their own app instead of JupyterLab, from the same **Launch App** button. On Base OS images, public images, and custom images launched with **JupyterLab Support** left unticked, you work over SSH. See [Create an instance from your own image](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/create-an-instance-from-your-own-image/). ### Is there a limit on how many instances I can run? No. What limits a launch is free capacity for the plan and, on a prepaid account, your credit. See [Create an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/create-an-instance/). ### How long does a new instance take to start? About two minutes on a pre-built image. The instance shows **Waiting** while TIR finds a host, the host downloads the image, and the image starts up. Then it shows **Running**. A large custom image takes longer to download. Billing starts when it reaches **Running**. See [Create an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/create-an-instance/#launch-the-instance). ### Is there a free tier for TIR Instances? No. Every instance is launched on a paid plan. See [Billing options](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/billing-options/). ## Billing ### How is an On-Demand instance billed? By the minute, at the plan's hourly rate, from when the instance reaches **Running** until you stop or delete it. For prices, see [E2E Networks pricing](https://www.e2enetworks.com/pricing), and for how each billing option works, see [Billing options](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/billing-options/). ### Am I billed while my instance is stopped? Billing for the plan stops. The workspace above 30 GB is still billed until you delete the instance, and datasets, SFS, PFS, and reserved IPs are billed as their own products. See [Stop, start, and restart an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/stop-start-and-restart-an-instance/). ### Am I billed while my instance shows Waiting? Only for its workspace above 30 GB. The plan is billed while the instance is **Running**, so a new instance is first billed when it reaches **Running**. On an hourly plan, a running instance can drop back to **Waiting**, for example after it runs out of memory, and its plan is billed again once it is **Running**. See [The instance stays on Waiting](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/#the-instance-stays-on-waiting). ### How much credit do I need to launch an instance? On a prepaid account, launching an On-Demand instance needs credit for about 24 hours of its hourly price, and a committed instance needs credit for the full committed price. Starting a stopped hourly instance needs credit for at least one hour of its plan. The check applies to prepaid accounts only. See [Insufficient Credits! when you launch or start an instance](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/#insufficient-credits-when-you-launch-or-start-an-instance). ### What am I still billed for after I delete an instance? Billing for the instance and its workspace stops when you delete it. Saved images in the Container Registry, datasets, SFS, PFS, and reserved IPs are kept and billed as their own products until you delete them. See [Delete an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/delete-an-instance/). ### Is a reserved IP billed? Yes. A reserved IP is billed monthly, as a product of its own, until you delete it. For prices, see [E2E Networks pricing](https://www.e2enetworks.com/pricing), and to reserve, attach, or release one, see [Manage IP addresses on an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/manage-ip-addresses-on-an-instance/). ### Do SSH keys, security groups, or start scripts cost anything? No. SSH keys, security groups, start scripts, add-ons, and opening the app are all free. See [Billing options](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/billing-options/). ### Is network bandwidth or data transfer billed? No. An instance has a 1 Gbps network connection, and data going in and out of it is free, as long as use stays fair. ## Committed and Spot plans ### When is a committed plan charged? The full price of the term is deducted when the instance first reaches **Running**, and that one payment covers the plan for the whole term. Terms differ by plan, from seven to 1,095 days. See [Billing options](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/billing-options/). ### Can I stop a committed instance? No. A committed instance stays on through its term, so its menu offers a restart in place of **Stop Instance** and **Start Instance**. You can also delete it once you are done with it. See [Stop, start, and restart an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/stop-start-and-restart-an-instance/). ### Can I delete a committed instance before its term ends? Yes. The term was paid upfront, so the days left are not refunded. See [Delete an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/delete-an-instance/). ### What happens when a committed term ends? The renewal preference you chose takes effect. Auto renewal starts a new term of the same plan and deducts its price. Hourly billing keeps the instance running, billed On-Demand from the end of the term. Auto deletion deletes the instance and its workspace. TIR emails reminders two days and one day before the term ends, and seven days before on terms longer than seven days. It emails you again once the action is done. See [Billing options](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/billing-options/). ### Why did my committed instance move to hourly billing instead of renewing? Auto renewal renews the same committed plan. On a prepaid account with too little credit for the renewal, the instance moves to hourly billing instead. To commit again, add credit and convert the instance to committed. See [Convert an instance to committed](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/convert-an-instance-to-committed/). ### Can I convert an hourly instance to a committed plan? Yes, with **Convert to Committed**. A running instance keeps running on the same plan, now billed as committed, and the full commitment is charged upfront. On a prepaid account, you need credit for the full commitment. Spot Instances and instances on a private cluster cannot be converted. See [Convert an instance to committed](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/convert-an-instance-to-committed/). ### Can I move a committed instance back to hourly billing? No. The instance stays committed until its term ends. To move to hourly billing then, select **Update Plan** on the instance's page, choose `Auto start hourly billing for this machine, at /hr` under **Select Committed Policy**, and select **Update**. See [Change the plan of an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/change-the-plan-of-an-instance/). ### What is a Spot Instance? A Spot Instance runs on spare GPU capacity at a lower hourly price, and TIR can stop it at any time to take the capacity back. The Spot rate is fixed for each plan, whatever the demand. Spot Instances are always hourly: billed by the minute at the Spot rate while they run. Spot plans are H200 and H100, in Delhi and Chennai. Choose Spot for work that can stop at any moment and pick up again. See [Billing options](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/billing-options/). ### Why is no Spot plan available when I create an instance? Spot capacity is usually low. You can launch a Spot plan only while spare GPUs are free, and they often run out. When they do, the launch is refused; try again later, or choose a GPU plan. See [Create an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/create-an-instance/#spot-instances). ### Can I use a Spot plan for a TIR Virtual Machine? No. Spot plans are for TIR Instances only. ### What happens when TIR takes back a Spot Instance? TIR stops the instance without warning and emails you afterwards. A start on a Spot Instance that TIR stopped is refused; see [the message it shows](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/#cant-start-terminated-spot-instance-node). Its workspace is kept: to use the instance again, change its plan to a GPU or CPU plan, and it starts on that plan with its workspace. See [Change the plan of an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/change-the-plan-of-an-instance/). ### Can a Spot Instance change its plan? Yes, once it is stopped. A Spot Instance you stopped yourself can move to another Spot plan, or to a GPU or CPU plan. A Spot Instance that TIR took back can move only to a GPU or CPU plan. Only a Spot Instance can move to a Spot plan. See [Change the plan of an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/change-the-plan-of-an-instance/). ## Storage and data ### Where should I keep my files? In the workspace at `/home/jovyan`, or on a mounted dataset, SFS, or PFS. Files there survive restarts, stops, and starts. Everything else in the instance is lost when it restarts. See [Where your files live](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/where-your-files-live/). ### Why do my installed packages disappear after a restart? A package installed with `apt`, or with a system-wide `pip install`, is written outside `/home/jovyan`, and a restart puts everything there back to the image's contents. `pip install --user` and a virtual environment under `/home/jovyan` are kept, because they are inside the workspace. To keep an `apt` package or a system-wide `pip install`, install it from a start script, which runs each time the instance starts. You can also save the instance as an image, or use a custom image that already has the packages. See [Run start scripts on an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/run-start-scripts-on-an-instance/) and [Save an instance as an image](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/save-an-instance-as-an-image/). ### How big can the workspace be? It starts at 30 GB. You can set it up to 15,000 GB when you create the instance, or grow it later on **Workspace Size**. The limit for your account in a region is 15,000 GB unless E2E has set another. When you reach it, select **Request** to ask E2E to review a larger one. The FramePack image needs a workspace of at least 50 GB. See [Increase the workspace size](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/increase-the-workspace-size/). ### Can I make the workspace smaller? No. The workspace can only grow. To use less storage, create a new instance with a smaller workspace and move your files to it. See [Increase the workspace size](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/increase-the-workspace-size/). ### What is stored in /mnt/local? `/mnt/local` is fast local NVMe storage. It comes with plans that include it, shown as **Local NVMe Storage** in the plan's details, and with a private cluster's local volume. Local storage that comes with the plan survives a restart, and stopping the instance clears it. A private cluster's local volume is kept when you stop the instance. See [Where your files live](/tir/tir-instance/concepts/where-your-files-live/). ### Can I encrypt the workspace? Yes, when you create the instance. **Workspace Encryption** under **Storage** on the create form turns on AES-256 encryption of the workspace. You can set it only on the create form. See [Create an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/create-an-instance/). ### If I delete an instance, are its datasets, SFS, and PFS deleted too? No. Deleting an instance deletes the instance and its workspace. Its saved images, datasets, SFS, PFS, and reserved IPs stay, ready to use with another instance. See [Delete an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/delete-an-instance/). ### How do I move files in and out of an instance? Copy them into `/home/jovyan` so they survive restarts. See [Copy files to and from an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/copy-files-to-and-from-an-instance/) for the ways to do it, and [Mount datasets and file systems](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/mount-datasets-and-file-systems/) to bring in data you keep in a dataset or file system. ### Can several instances share the same data? Yes. Mount the same SFS on each instance to share files read-write, or the same EOS dataset to share them read-only. A disk dataset can be mounted on one instance at a time. See [Mount datasets and file systems](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/mount-datasets-and-file-systems/). ## Access and networking ### Which user do I log in as over SSH? `root`, with the command `ssh root@`, where `` is the address in **SSH Command** on the instance's page. See [Connect to an instance over SSH](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/connect-to-an-instance-over-ssh/). ### Can I log in to an instance with a password? No. You sign in with an SSH key, which is the only way into an instance. See [Connect to an instance over SSH](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/connect-to-an-instance-over-ssh/). ### Why is my MyAccount SSH key not in TIR? TIR keeps its own SSH keys for each user, under **SSH Keys** in the account menu, separate from MyAccount's. Add the key again in TIR. See [My SSH key is missing or is not accepted](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/#my-ssh-key-is-missing-or-is-not-accepted). ### Can a teammate log in to my instance over SSH? Yes, with their own SSH key. Each person attaches keys from their own **SSH Keys** list, so your teammate attaches their own key to the instance. To do that, they need permission to update instances. See [Connect to an instance over SSH](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/connect-to-an-instance-over-ssh/). ### How do I give a teammate access to one instance only? Access is set per project, so put that instance in a project of its own and add the teammate to that project only. An **OWNER**, **ADMIN**, **TEAM LEAD**, **PROJECT MANAGER**, or **PROJECT LEAD** can work with every instance in the project. A **MEMBER** can do what their policies allow, on every instance in it. For the message a teammate sees when they lack access, see [Troubleshooting TIR Instances](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/#you-dont-have-permission-to-access-this-service). ### How do I open a port for my app? Add the port to an inbound rule (**Custom TCP**) of a security group attached to the instance. The portal takes TCP ports 22, 80, 443, and 1024 to 65535, one at a time. Make the app listen on `0.0.0.0`, which means all addresses, instead of `localhost`. The port is public: anyone who can reach the IP and port reaches your app. See [Open a port on an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/open-a-port-on-an-instance/). ### Can I open a UDP port or a range of ports? No. Security group rules are TCP only and take one port at a time: 22, 80, 443, or any port from 1024 to 65535. Add each port you need as its own entry. See [Open a port on an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/open-a-port-on-an-instance/). ### Does the instance's public IP change after a stop? Yes, it can. An instance gives back its public IP when it stops, and on start it gets an address from E2E's pool, which can be a different one. To keep the same address, use a reserved IP. See [Manage IP addresses on an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/manage-ip-addresses-on-an-instance/). ### How many reserved IPs can I have? Five in each region, counted across all your account's projects, unless E2E has raised the limit for your account. When you reach it, a further reservation is refused with `You have reached the maximum limit for reserving IPs.`, and the reserve dialog offers **Request**, where you ask E2E for more, up to 10. The same limit applies when you keep an instance's IP as you delete it. See [Manage IP addresses on an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/manage-ip-addresses-on-an-instance/). ### Which address do outside servers see when my instance connects out? The **Egress IP**, shown on the instance's **Network & Security** tab under **Network**. It is the address for traffic going out from the instance to the internet, and the one to add to another service's allow list. It is released when you stop the instance, and a start can give you a different one. See [Manage IP addresses on an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/manage-ip-addresses-on-an-instance/). ### Can I attach a VPC IP from any VPC? No. The VPC must be an **Active** MyAccount VPC in the instance's region, with an address range that E2E assigned. A VPC with a custom CIDR is refused with `VPC with custom CIDR not allowed`. Reserving a VPC IP takes two addresses from the VPC. See [Manage IP addresses on an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/manage-ip-addresses-on-an-instance/#attach-a-vpc-ip). ### Can my instance reach my office network privately? Yes. Attach a VPC IP from a MyAccount VPC to the instance, then connect that VPC to your office with a site-to-site VPN on a Firewall. ## GPUs and software ### Can I upgrade the NVIDIA driver on my instance? No. The NVIDIA driver is part of the GPU host, outside the image, so your instance always uses the version the host runs. See [My code needs a newer NVIDIA driver or CUDA version](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/#my-code-needs-a-newer-nvidia-driver-or-cuda-version). ### Can I use a newer CUDA version than my image has? Yes, up to the version the host's driver supports. The CUDA toolkit comes with the image, and you can install another version inside the instance. Run `nvidia-smi` and read **CUDA Version**: that is the highest CUDA that works on the instance. See [My code needs a newer NVIDIA driver or CUDA version](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/#my-code-needs-a-newer-nvidia-driver-or-cuda-version). ### Can I run Docker inside an instance? No. An instance is itself a container. To run your own Docker image, build it and push it to your **Container Registry** from another machine, then launch an instance from it as a custom image. To keep packages you added inside an instance, use **Save Image**. See [Create an instance from your own image](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/create-an-instance-from-your-own-image/). ### Why does systemctl not work in my instance? An instance runs without `systemd`, so `systemctl` and services that need `systemd` do not work. Start the program in the background from a start script instead. See [Run start scripts on an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/run-start-scripts-on-an-instance/). ## Saved images ### Does a saved image include my workspace? No. A saved image holds the container outside `/home/jovyan`: `apt` packages, system-wide `pip` packages, and other files there. Your workspace files, and packages installed with `pip install --user`, stay out of it. Restoring the image on the same instance keeps its workspace; a new instance from the image starts with an empty one. See [Save an instance as an image](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/save-an-instance-as-an-image/#what-the-image-keeps). ### How long does saving an image take? Saving a small image takes about 12 seconds, and a larger image takes longer. The instance shows **Saving Image** until the save finishes, then **Running** again on its own, and TIR emails you when it succeeds or fails. See [Save an instance as an image](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/save-an-instance-as-an-image/). ## Managing an instance ### Can I change the image of an instance? Yes, with **Update Image**, and the instance can stay running while you do it. Changing the image is free, and the plan, its price, the workspace size, and other settings stay the same. A running instance restarts on the new image: files in `/home/jovyan` stay, and you install your own packages again. See [Update the image of an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/update-the-image-of-an-instance/). ### Can I change the GPU or CPU of an instance? Yes, for an hourly instance, with **Update Plan**. Stop the instance first. You can pick any GPU or CPU plan that supports the instance's image version, larger or smaller. Only a Spot Instance can move to a Spot plan. The workspace, its files, and the image stay the same. See [Change the plan of an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/change-the-plan-of-an-instance/). ### Can I change the plan of a committed instance? No. The plan is fixed for the term; you can change only its renewal preference, with **Update Committed Plan** in the list's menu or **Update Plan** on the instance's page, in any status. See [Change the plan of an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/change-the-plan-of-an-instance/). ### What do Pending and Expired mean? **Pending** means the instance is waiting for capacity. It is rare: TIR refuses a create or a start when all capacity is in use, so an instance shows **Pending** only in cases such as capacity running out while its plan changes. A Spot Instance waiting the same way shows **Queuing**. While an instance is **Pending**, its menu offers **Revoke Request**, which stops it if it has run before and deletes it otherwise. An instance that stays **Pending** or **Queuing** for three days is stopped and marked **Expired**, and TIR emails you. See [Delete an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/delete-an-instance/#delete-an-instance-that-is-pending). ### What is the difference between Restart and Stop? **Restart Instance** starts the instance's container again: the workspace and mounted storage stay, and you install your own packages again. **Stop** releases the compute and stops compute billing until you start the instance again. See [Stop, start, and restart an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/stop-start-and-restart-an-instance/). ### Can I delete a running instance? Yes. You can delete an instance in any status except **Saving Image**. Deleting the instance and its workspace is permanent, so copy what you need first. See [Delete an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/delete-an-instance/). ### Does TIR stop an instance that stays on Waiting? No. An instance can stay on **Waiting** indefinitely; TIR leaves it where it is. You can restart it, or stop it if it is hourly, and contact support with the instance ID if it stays on **Waiting**. See [The instance stays on Waiting](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/#the-instance-stays-on-waiting). ### Can I stop an instance automatically at a set time? No. Stop the instance yourself, or call the stop action of the [TIR API](/api/tir/) from your own scheduler. See [Stop, start, and restart an instance](/tir/tir-instance/how-to/stop-start-and-restart-an-instance/). ### Why did my instance restart on its own? Check three causes: the instance ran out of memory, it filled its ephemeral storage, or someone in the project changed its mounts, plan, or image, which restarts a running instance. Ephemeral storage is the space outside `/home/jovyan` and mounted storage, and its contents are lost on restart. See [The instance restarts on its own](/tir/tir-instance/troubleshooting/tir-instance/#the-instance-restarts-on-its-own). ### What happens to my instances if the project is deleted? They are deleted with it, in both regions, with their workspaces, and their billing stops. The deletion is permanent. The project's reserved IPs are released. Copy what you need to keep before you delete a project. ### What happens to my instances if my account is deprovisioned? All the account's projects are deleted, with every instance and workspace in them. ### What happens to my instances if my account is suspended? TIR leaves them as they are, but refuses every request, including listing your instances, with `Customer is suspended!`. The instances become reachable at their public or reserved IPs again once the suspension is lifted.