You can share your custom images to other Alibaba Cloud accounts. The shared custom images are considered as shared images. Then, the accounts can use the shared images. This topic describes how to use shared images to create Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances and replace the operating systems of ECS instances and how to copy shared images.

Precautions

Important Alibaba Cloud does not guarantee the integrity and security of shared images. Before you use shared images, make sure that the images come from trusted accounts. You must assume all risks associated with using shared images.

Before you use a shared image, take note of the following items:

ItemDescription
Sharing fee
  • Images that are shared with an account do not count against the image quota of the account. The account is not charged for the shared images.
  • If a shared image is a paid image and the sharees use the shared image to create ECS instances, the sharees are charged for the image. For example, if you use a paid image that is shared by another Alibaba Cloud account to create an instance, you are charged for the shared image and the created instance.

For more information about image billing, see Images.

Limits
  • Sharees can use shared images only to create ECS instances. Alternatively, they can copy the shared images to their accounts as custom images and then delete or update the images.
  • When the resources that are used by a shared image or the source image is unavailable due to overdue payments or invalid keys, the shared image cannot be used to create ECS instances. In this case, ECS instances that were created from the shared image, and snapshots and images that were created based on the disks of the instances may be unavailable.

Use a shared image to create ECS instances

You can use a shared image to create one or more ECS instances that have the same image environment.

  1. Log on to the ECS console.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instances & Images > Images.
  3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
  4. Click the Shared Image tab, find the shared image that you want to use to create instances, and then click Create Instance in the Actions column.
  5. Configure parameters on the instance buy page.

Copy a shared image

If you want to copy or export a shared image or if you want to use a shared image as a source image for Image Builder, you must convert the shared image to a custom image. You can copy a shared image and the shared image copy is present as a custom image in the custom image list within the same region.

  1. Log on to the ECS console.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instances & Images > Images.
  3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
  4. Click the Shared Image tab, find the shared image that you want to copy, and then click Copy Image in the Actions column.
  5. In the Copy Image dialog box, configure parameters.
    • Set Copy Mode to Copy or Copy and Encrypt.
    • Select the region in which the shared image resides as the destination region.
      Note Shared images can be copied only to the region in which they reside. If you want to copy a shared image to a different region, you must make a copy of the shared image in the region in which it resides and then copy the image copy to the other region. For more information, see Copy an image.

    For information about how to configure other parameters, see Copy an image.

Use a shared image to change the system disk of an instance

You can use a shared image to change the system disk of an instance. Then, the instance runs based on the shared image.

When you change the system disk of the instance by using a shared image on the Change Operating System page, select Shared Image in the Image section and select the shared image from the drop-down list. For more information, see Replace the operating system of an instance by using a non-public image.