Copying an image is the process in which a custom image is copied from one region to another region. When a request of copying a custom image is initiated, Alibaba Cloud copies the snapshot that the custom image is created from the source region to the target region, and then creates a custom image from the copied snapshot in the target region.
The speed of the process of copying the snapshot between regions depends on the network status, and Alibaba Cloud supports processing concurrent requests of copying images and your request maybe in a long queue. Therefore, it may take long time to complete copying.
Copying images across regions allows you to deploy a backup image system, or an identical application environment, in different regions.
To copy a custom image, follow these steps:
Log on to the ECS console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Snapshots & Images > Images.
Select a region.
Select the custom image you want to copy, and in the Action column, click Copy Image.
If your custom image is larger than 100 GB, when you click Copy Image, you are directed to open a ticket to complete copying the image.
In the Copy Image dialog box, the ID of the selected image is displayed, and you have to complete the configurations:
- Select the target region. Currently, copying images is only allowed between regions in mainland China.
- Specify a name for the image to be displayed in the target region, and give a short description of the image to ease future management.
- Click OK.
Click the target region and check the progress. When 100% progress is displayed, the image is copied successfully.
When the progress is not 100% and the status of the image is Creating, you can click Cancel Copy to cancel the copying process. After the process is canceled, the image information is removed from the target region.
When the status of the image is Available, you can use the custom image to create an ECS instance or change a system disk. You can check the snapshot for creating the custom image in the Snapshot List in the target region.
For more information about the process of copying images, refer to Image copy FAQ.