---
title: "Clone a VM"
description: "Launch a new TIR Virtual Machine with the same plan, disk size, SSH keys, and startup scripts as an existing one, from a create form filled in for you."
content_type: "how-to"
product: "tir-vm"
platform: "TIR"
url: "/tir/tir-vm/how-to/clone-a-vm/"
topic: ["power-and-lifecycle"]
---

# Clone a VM

Clone a TIR Virtual Machine to launch a second VM with the same plan, disk size, SSH keys, startup
scripts, and mounts, filled in from the original. The clone gets a new disk of the same size, without the original's files. To copy the files as well,
start the new VM from a snapshot instead.

## Before you begin

- A VM to clone in your TIR project, whose image TIR still offers. **Clone VM** is available while the image
  is offered; once it is removed, launch a new VM instead. See [Create a
  VM](/tir/tir-vm/how-to/create-a-vm/).
- Permission to create VMs in the project. See [TIR Access Control](/tir/tir-iam/).
- On a prepaid account, enough credit to launch the clone, the same as for a new VM.

The clone is a VM of its own and is billed on its own once it is ready. See [Billing options for TIR
Virtual Machines](/tir/tir-vm/concepts/billing-options/).

## What the clone copies

The form is filled in with the original VM's disk size, SSH keys, startup scripts, datasets, shared
file systems with their mount paths, and plan. For a VM on a private cluster, the private cluster
settings are copied too. These start fresh:

- The name. TIR suggests `clone-vm-` followed by a number, and you can change it to any name
  that is unique among the project's VMs and instances.
- The disk. It has the original's size, without the original's files.
- The address. A reserved IP stays with the original, and the clone gets a public IP of its own
  unless you pick another reserved IP.

To give the new VM the original's files, take a snapshot of the original and launch the new VM from it
instead. See [Create a VM snapshot](/tir/tir-snapshots/how-to/create-a-vm-snapshot/) and [Create a VM from a
snapshot](/tir/tir-snapshots/how-to/create-a-vm-from-a-snapshot/).

## Clone the VM

1. Choose **Clone VM** from the original VM's **Actions** menu in **Manage VMs**, or from **More
   Actions** on its page.
2. Review the form and change any field the way you do when you create a VM. See [Create a
   VM](/tir/tir-vm/how-to/create-a-vm/) for what each option does. On the **GPU** and **CPU** tabs,
   check how you pay under **VM Pricing**: **On-Demand** bills by the minute at an hourly price, and a
   committed term is paid upfront.
3. In **Storage**, under **Other storage**, open **Datasets** and untick any disk dataset that is
   still mounted on the original. A disk dataset mounts on one VM at a time. To move it to the clone, unmount it from the original first, which
   restarts the original if it is running. See
   [Mount datasets and file systems on a
   VM](/tir/tir-vm/how-to/mount-datasets-and-file-systems-on-a-vm/).
4. Under **Network & Security**, check the SSH keys and the security group. The group must allow
   port 22. If you choose keys and leave the group empty, the clone gets your project's default SSH security group.
5. (Optional) Under **Reserve IP Address**, choose one of the project's available reserved IPs. See
   [Attach a reserved IP to a VM](/tir/tir-vm/how-to/attach-a-reserved-ip-to-a-vm/).
6. Select **Clone VM**.

The clone's details page opens. The clone stays **Waiting** until its operating system is ready,
then turns **Running**. A launch usually takes about
a minute.

To sign in to the clone, see [Connect to a VM over SSH](/tir/tir-vm/how-to/connect-to-a-vm-over-ssh/).
If the launch fails, see [Retry a failed VM launch](/tir/tir-vm/how-to/retry-a-failed-vm-launch/), and
for other messages, [Troubleshooting TIR Virtual Machines](/tir/tir-vm/troubleshooting/tir-vm/).