Virtual media

Virtual media attaches an ISO to your server as a removable drive. Use it for an installer or recovery environment on hardware that supports virtual media.

Upload and mount

1. In the cloud console, open Baremetal Servers, select your server, then Virtual Media.
2. Under Upload new ISO, drop a local .iso file or select browse. The console accepts files up to 16 GB. Keep the page open until the upload finishes, or choose an existing image under Your Organization's ISOs.
3. Wait for Ready for Mount, then select Mount beside the image.
4. Choose 1, 4, 8, or 12 hours in Mount Confirmation and confirm. The default is 4 hours.
5. Wait for the mount to complete and check Mount expires in the image's status.

Only one ISO can be mounted on a server at a time; mounting another replaces it. If upload or mount is unavailable, check the displayed reason, your permissions, and your organization's ISO limit.

Boot from the ISO

Mounting in the console attaches the drive without changing the boot order or restarting the server.

1. Open a remote console session so you can see startup and use the keyboard.
2. Save any work, then use Power controls to start or restart the server.
3. During startup, open the firmware's one-time boot menu and select the virtual CD/DVD drive. The key and drive name depend on the hardware; follow the prompts on screen.
4. Complete the installer or recovery work in the remote console.

Expiry and unmounting

The mount is temporary and is automatically ejected after its expiry. Choose enough time for the full installation or recovery session; an OS still reading from the ISO can fail when the drive disappears. Mount it again if you need another session.

When finished, stop using the virtual drive, return to Virtual Media, select Unmount, and confirm. The ISO stays in your organization's library for reuse. Unmount it from any servers using it before deleting it from the library.

After installation, boot from the local disk. If you previously enabled Custom iPXE, disable it and restore the OS network layout before restarting.

For scripted uploads, mounts, or one-time ISO boot, see the virtual media API workflow.