This topic describes how to create and purchase a GPU-accelerated instance that is not configured with a driver. However, to ensure the performance of your instance, you must manually install a driver for your instance.

Background information

You can create this type of GPU-accelerated instance in the following scenarios:
  • You have obtained a GRID license and a GRID driver from a reputable source such as the NVIDIA official website.
  • You want to purchase a GPU-accelerated instance that is not configured with a driver from Alibaba Cloud and install a driver that you have purchased from the NVIDIA official website.

The driver installation methods may vary based on individual use cases or the types of drivers that you want to install. For more information, see Installation guideline for NVIDIA drivers.

Preparations

  1. Create an Alibaba Cloud account and complete account information.
  2. Go to the Custom Launch tab of the instance buy page in the ECS console.

Procedure

Step 1: Complete the settings in the Basic Configurations step

In the Basic Configurations step, you can configure basic parameters for purchasing an instance, such as the billing method, region, and zone, and basic resources required by the instance, such as the instance type, image, and storage size. After you configure the parameters in the Basic Configurations step, click Next.

  1. Select a billing method.
    The billing method for an instance determines how the billing and charging rules are applied to the instance. The billing method also determines how the status of the resources that are deployed on the instance is changed at different points of the resource lifecycle.
    Billing methodDescriptionReferences
    SubscriptionA billing method in which you pay for resources before you use them. Subscription
    Pay-As-You-GoA billing method in which you use resources first and pay for them afterward. The billing cycles of pay-as-you-go instances are accurate to the second. You can purchase and release instances based on your business requirements.
    Note We recommend that you use this billing method with savings plans to reduce costs.
    Preemptible InstanceA billing method in which you use resources first and pay for them afterward. The prices of preemptible instances are lower than that of pay-as-you-go instances. However, preemptible instances may be automatically released due to fluctuations in the market price or insufficient resources of instance types. Preemptible instances
  2. Select a region and a zone.
    Select a region that is close to your geographical location to reduce latency. After an instance is created, the region and the zone of the instance cannot be changed. For more information, see Regions and zones.
  3. In the Instance Type section, specify parameters and select an instance type.
    1. Set Architecture to Heterogeneous Computing, set Category to GPU-accelerated Compute Optimized Type, and then select an instance type.
      Note
      • The available instance types vary based on the selected region. To view the instance types that are available in each region, go to the ECS Instance Types Available for Each Region page.
      • If you have specific configuration requirements for the instance, for example, if you want to bind multiple elastic network interfaces (ENIs), or use enhanced SSDs (ESSDs) or local disks for the instance, make sure that the instance type that you select meets the requirements. For information about the features, scenarios, and specifications of each instance type, see Overview of instance families.
      • If you want to create an instance that is used for a specific scenario, click the Scenario-based Selection tab to view the instance types that are recommended for different scenarios. For example, you can set Business Scenario to AI Machine Learning to view the GPU-accelerated instance types that are available for AI machine learning scenarios.
    2. Confirm the selected instance type next to Selected Instance Type.
    3. If you set Billing Method to Preemptible Instance, configure the Use Duration and Maximum Price for Instance Type parameters.
      Use Duration specifies the protection period of a preemptible instance. After the protection period ends, the instance may be released due to insufficient resources or a lower bid than the market price. The following table describes the valid values of the Use Duration parameter.
      ValueDescription
      One HourAfter the preemptible instance is created, it enters a 1-hour protection period during which it cannot be automatically released.
      NoneThe preemptible instance is created without a protection period. Preemptible instances without a protection period are lower-cost than preemptible instances with a protection period.
      The following table describes the valid values of the Maximum Price for Instance Type parameter.
      ValueDescription
      Use Automatic BidThe real-time market price of the instance type is automatically used. The price can be up to but cannot exceed the pay-as-you-go price of the instance type. Automatic bidding can prevent the preemptible instance from being released due to lower bids than the market price, but cannot prevent the instance from being released due to insufficient resources.
      Set Maximum PriceYou must specify a maximum price. If the real-time market price exceeds your specified maximum price or if available resources are insufficient, the preemptible instance is released.
    4. Specify the number of instances to create.
      You can create a maximum of 100 instances at a time by using the wizard. In addition, the number of instances within your account cannot exceed your instance quota. The instance quota is displayed on the buy page. For more information, see View and increase instance quotas.
  4. Select an image.
    Images contain the information that is required to run instances. Alibaba Cloud provides a variety of image types for you to access image resources. The following table describes the image types.
    Image typeDescriptionReferences
    Public ImagePublic images are base images provided by Alibaba Cloud. Public images are licensed and include Windows Server OS images and mainstream Linux OS images. Overview
    Custom ImageYou can create or import custom images. Custom images contain the initial system environment, application environment, and software configurations. This eliminates repeated manual configurations. Overview
    Shared ImageShared images are custom images that can be shared across Alibaba Cloud accounts. You can use this type of image to create instances across accounts. Share a custom image
    Marketplace ImageAlibaba Cloud Marketplace provides a wide range of images. These images have been thoroughly reviewed by Alibaba Cloud. You can use these images to create instances for website building and application development in a simplified manner. Alibaba Cloud market mirror images
  5. Complete storage settings.
    ECS instances provide storage capabilities based on the system disks, data disks, and Apsara File Storage NAS file systems that are attached to the instances. ECS provides cloud and local disks to meet the storage requirements of different scenarios.
    Cloud disks including ESSDs, standard SSDs, and ultra disks and can be used as system disks or data disks. For more information, see Disks.
    Note A cloud disk that is created along with an instance uses the same billing method as the instance.
    Local disks can be used only as data disks. For instance families equipped with local disks (such as instance families with local SSDs and big data instance families), the information of the local disks is displayed. For more information, see Local disks.
    Note Local disks cannot be attached to instances on your own.
    1. Configure the system disk.
      System disks are used to install operating systems. The default capacity of a system disk is 40 GiB. However, the actual minimum capacity is related to the image. The following table describes the capacity ranges of system disks for different images.
      ImageSystem disk capacity range (GiB)
      Linux (excluding CoreOS and Red Hat)[max{20, Image size}, 500]
      FreeBSD[max {30, Image size}, 500]
      CoreOS[max {30, Image size}, 500]
      Red Hat[max {40, Image size}, 500]
      Windows[max {40, Image size}, 500]
    2. Optional:Add data disks.
      You can create data disks from scratch or from snapshots. A snapshot is a point-in-time backup of a disk. You can import data in a quick manner by creating a disk from a snapshot. When you add a data disk, you can encrypt the disk to meet data security and regulatory compliance requirements. For more information about data encryption, see Encryption overview.
      Note A limited number of data disks can be attached to a single instance. For more information, see the "Elastic Block Storage (EBS) limits" section of Limits.
    3. Optional:Add NAS file systems.
      If you have a large amount of data to share among multiple instances, we recommend that you use NAS file systems to reduce costs in data transmission and synchronization.

      Select an existing NAS file system or click Create a file system to create a NAS file system in the NAS console. For more information, see Create a General-purpose NAS file system in the NAS console. After a NAS file system is created, go back to the ECS instance creation wizard and click the refresh icon to query the NAS file system list. For information about how to mount NAS file systems, see Mount NAS file systems when you purchase an ECS instance.

  6. Optional:Configure the snapshot service.
    You can use automatic snapshot policies to periodically create snapshots to back up disk data and prevent risks such as accidental data deletion.

    Select an existing automatic snapshot policy or click Create Automatic Snapshot Policy to create an automatic snapshot policy on the Snapshots page. For more information, see Create an automatic snapshot policy. After an automatic snapshot policy is created, go back to the ECS instance creation wizard and click the refresh icon to query the automatic snapshot policy list.

Step 2: Complete the settings in the Networking step

In the Networking step, you can configure parameters to allow instances to access the Internet and other Alibaba Cloud resources. This ensures the security of your instances. After you complete the settings in the Networking step, click Next.

  1. Specify parameters in the Network Type and Public IP Address sections.
    ParameterDescriptionReferences
    Network TypeSelect VPC.

    A virtual private cloud (VPC) is a logically isolated virtual network in Alibaba Cloud. You have full control over VPCs that belong to you. For example, you can specify a CIDR block and configure route tables and gateways for the VPC.

    If you do not want to use a custom VPC or vSwitch in the specified region when you create an instance, you can skip this operation. Then, the system creates a default VPC and a default vSwitch.
    Note You can skip this operation only if no available VPCs exist in the region where the instance is deployed.

    Select an existing VPC and vSwitch. You can also click go to the VPC console to create a VPC and a vSwitch in the VPC console. After the VPC and the vSwitch are created, go back to the ECS instance creation wizard and click the refresh icon to view the VPC and the vSwitch that you created.

    Public IP AddressIf you select an image of Windows 2008 R2 or earlier in the Basic Configurations step, you can select Assign Public IPv4 Address, or you can associate an elastic IP address (EIP) with the instance after the instance is created. This way, you can connect to the instance over other protocols such as the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) built into Windows, PC over IP (PCoIP), and XenDesktop HDX 3D. Otherwise, you cannot connect to the instance from a Virtual Network Console (VNC) client after the GPU driver is installed. A persistent black screen or startup interface appears when you attempt to connect to the instance.
    Note RDP does not support some applications such as DirectX and OpenGL applications. If you want to use these applications, you must manually install the VNC service and client.
    To assign a public IP address, perform the following operations:
    1. Select Assign Public IPv4 Address.
    2. Specify the Bandwidth Billing parameter.
      • Pay-By-Bandwidth: You are charged based on the specified bandwidth. This billing method is suitable for the scenarios that require stable network bandwidth.
      • Pay-By-Traffic: You are charged based on the traffic that you use. You can configure a peak bandwidth value to avoid excessive fees due to sudden traffic spikes. This billing method is suitable for scenarios that require highly variable bandwidth, such as the scenarios where traffic is low in most cases but spikes occasionally occur.
    3. Set Bandwidth or Peak Bandwidth based on your requirements.
    		What is EIP?
  2. Select security groups.
    A security group is a virtual firewall that is used to control the inbound and outbound traffic of instances in the security group. For more information, see Overview.

    If you do not want to configure security group-related parameters when you create an instance, you can skip the step. The system creates a default security group. The default security group allows inbound traffic over SSH port 22, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) port 3389, and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP). You can modify the security group configurations after the security group is created.

    1. To create a security group, click create a security group.
      For more information about how to configure a security group, see Create a security group.
    2. Click Reselect Security Group.
    3. In the Select Security Group dialog box, select one or more security groups and click Select.
  3. Configure ENIs.
    ENIs are classified into primary ENIs and secondary ENIs. Primary ENIs cannot be unbound from instances. They cannot be created or released independently of the instances to which they are bound. Secondary ENIs can be bound to or unbound from instances to allow traffic to be switched between instances. To create a secondary ENI when you create an instance, click the add-nic icon and select a vSwitch to which to connect the secondary ENI.
    Note You can bind only one secondary ENI when you create an instance. Alternatively, you can create secondary ENIs and bind them to an instance after the instance is created. For more information about the number of ENIs that can be bound to an instance of each instance type, see Overview of instance families.

Step 3: (Optional) Complete the settings in the System Configurations (Optional) step

In the System Configurations step, you can configure parameters to customize what instance information to display in the ECS console and in the operating system or how to use the instance. For example, you can configure the Logon Credentials, Host, and User Data parameters. After you complete the settings in the System Configurations (Optional) step, click Next.

  1. Configure logon credentials.
    Logon credentials are used to log on to the instance. For information about how to connect to an instance, see Connection methods .
    Logon credentialDescription
    Key Pair
    Note Key pairs can be used to log on to only Linux instances.
    		Select a username to use to log on to the instance. Then, select an existing key pair or click Create Key Pair to create a key pair. After a key pair is created, go back to the ECS instance creation wizard and click the refresh icon to query the key pair list. For more information, see Create an SSH key pair.
    Logon Username can be set to root or ecs-user.
    Warning If you log on to the instance as the root user, you have the highest permissions on the instance. However, security risks may arise. We recommend that you use ecs-user instead to log on to the instance.
    Inherit Password From Image
    Note Only custom images and shared images support this authentication method.
    		You can select this option to use the password preset in the selected image for logons to the instance. If you want to select this option, make sure that your selected image has a password preset.
    PasswordEnter and confirm a password. Then, set Logon Username.
    • For Linux instances, set Logon Username to root or ecs-user.
      Warning If you log on to the instance as the root user, you have the highest permissions on the instance. However, security risks may arise. We recommend that you use ecs-user instead to log on to the instance.
    • For Windows instances, a default value of administrator is used for Logon Username.
    Set LaterAfter the instance is created, bind the key pair or reset the instance password. For more information, see Bind an SSH key pair to an instance and Reset the logon password of an instance.
  2. Specify the instance name and description that you want to display in the ECS console. Specify the hostname that can be obtained from within the operating system. Configure whether to append incremental suffixes to the instance name and hostname.
    If you want to create multiple instances, you can set sequential instance names and hostnames to facilitate management. For more information about how to configure sequential instance names and hostnames, see Batch configure sequential names or hostnames for multiple instances.
  3. Configure advanced options.
    1. Select an instance Resource Access Management (RAM) role.
      An ECS instance can assume an instance RAM role to obtain the permissions of the role. Then, the instance can securely make API requests to specific Alibaba Cloud services and manage specific Alibaba Cloud resources based on the Security Token Service (STS) temporary credentials of the role.

      Select an existing instance RAM role or click Create Instance RAM Role to create an instance RAM role in the RAM console. After an instance RAM role is created, go back to the ECS instance creation wizard and click the refresh icon to query the instance RAM role list. For more information, see Attach an instance RAM role.

    2. Select an instance metadata access mode.
      ECS instance metadata includes instance information in Alibaba Cloud. You can view the metadata of running instances and configure or manage the instances based on their metadata. You can view instance metadata. For more information, see View instance metadata.
    3. Configure user data.
      User data can be run as scripts on instance startup to automate instance configurations, or can be used as common data and passed into instances. For more information, see Manage the user data of Linux instances and Manage the user data of Windows instances.

      In the User Data field, enter the user data that you prepared. If the user data is already encoded in Base64, select Enter Based64 Encoded Information.

Step 4: (Optional) Complete the settings in the Grouping (Optional) step

In the Grouping (Optional) step, you can configure parameters such as Tags and Resource Group for easy search and management. After you complete the settings in the Grouping (Optional) step, click Next.

  1. Add tags.
    Each tag consists of a key and a value. You can add tags to resources that have identical characteristics, such as resources that belong to the same organization and resources that serve the same purpose. You can use tags to search for and manage resources in an efficient manner. For more information, see Overview.

    Select an existing tag, or enter a key and a value to create a tag.

  2. Select a resource group from the Resource Group drop-down list.
    Resource groups allow you to manage resources across regions or across services based on your business requirements and manage the permissions of resource groups. For more information, see Resource groups.

    Select an existing resource group, or click click here to create a resource group on the Resource Group page. After a resource group is created, go back to the ECS instance creation wizard and click the refresh icon to query the resource group list. For more information, see Create a resource group.

  3. Select a deployment set.
    Deployment sets support the high availability strategy. After you apply the high availability strategy to a deployment set, all the instances in the deployment set are distributed across different physical servers to ensure business availability and implement underlying disaster recovery.

    Select an existing deployment set or click manage the deployment set to create a deployment set. After a deployment set is created, go back to the ECS instance creation wizard and click the refresh icon to query the deployment set list. For more information, see Create a deployment set.

  4. Select a dedicated host.
    A dedicated host is a cloud host whose physical resources are exclusively reserved for a single tenant. Dedicated hosts meet strict security compliance requirements and support bring your own license (BYOL) when you migrate services to Alibaba Cloud.

    Select an existing dedicated host or click create a DDH to create a dedicated host. After the dedicated host is created, go back to the ECS instance creation wizard and click the refresh icon to query the dedicated host list. For more information, see Create a dedicated host.

  5. Select a private pool.
    After an elasticity assurance or a capacity reservation is created, the system generates a private pool to reserve resources for a specific number of instances that have specific attributes. During the validity period of the elasticity assurance or capacity reservation, you always have access to the resources reserved in the private pool when you want to create instances. For more information, see Overview.
    Note Only pay-as-you-go instances can be created from the resources reserved by elasticity assurances or capacity reservations.
    Private poolDescription
    OpenThe capacity in open private pools takes priority over the capacity in the public pool. If no capacity is available in private pools, the system attempts to use the capacity in the public pool.
    NoneThe capacity in private pools is not used.
    TargetedThe capacity in a specified or open private pool is used to create instances. If no capacity is available in the specified private pool, the instances cannot be created.

Step 5: Confirm the order

Before the instance is created, make sure that the selected configurations such as the use duration meet your requirements.

  1. Check the selected configurations.
    To modify the configurations in a step, click the edit icon to go to the step. You can save the selected configurations as a template. Then, you can use the template to create instances that have similar configurations. The following table describes the buttons that can be used to save the configurations as a template.
    ButtonDescriptionReferences
    Save as Launch TemplateSaves the configurations as a launch template. Then, you can create instances from this launch template without making these configurations again. Create an instance by using a launch template
    View Open APIGenerates the API best-practice workflow and SDK examples for your reference.
    Save as ROS TemplateSaves the configurations as a Resource Orchestration Service (ROS) template. Then, you can create stacks from this template in the ROS console to provision resources in a quick manner. Create a stack
  2. Configure the use duration of the instance.
    • For a pay-as-you-go instance, set an automatic release time for the instance. You can also manually release the instance or set an automatic release time for the instance after it is created. For more information, see Release an instance.
    • For a subscription instance, set Duration and optionally select Enable Auto-renewal. You can also manually renew the instance or enable auto-renewal for the instance after it is created. For more information, see Renewal overview.
  3. Read ECS Terms of Service and Product Terms of Service. If you agree to them, select ECS Terms of Service and Product Terms of Service.
  4. View the total fees of the instance in the lower part of the page. Confirm the configurations of the instance and complete the payment.