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Cloud Servers: FAQs

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Account Services

Will I be billed if my server is powered off?

Yes. You will be billed for the resources that are used on the host while your server is in the Active status. When your server is created, you are given a dedicated amount of RAM and hard drive space. As long as your server exists, no one else will be able to use those resources that have been allocated to you - this is why you are billed per hour even while powered off. If you would like stop incurring charges, you must delete your server in the Control Panel.

If you want to stop paying for a server, but still need to retain the configurations from it, your best option is to take a snapshot of the Cloud Server and store the snapshot in Cloud Files. Then you will be free to delete the original server, safe in the knowledge that you can always provision a new server using the saved snapshot of your old server. All of your application and system configurations will be preserved, with the only difference being that your new server has a different IP address from the old one. Putting the new server into production may require you to update any associated DNS records to reflect the new IP address.
Can I read your SLA?

Sure, it's right here.
How do I contact Support?

Here at Rackspace, our goal is to make the Cloud easy for you to use. To make good on that promise, we have created many different avenues for you to get the support that you need in order to get the most out of the Cloud.

  • Knowledge Center - your first stop should be our Knowledge Center; the best source for articles, tutorials, and videos to help you get the precise answers that you are looking for.
  • In the Knowledge Center we have the Cloud Essentials First 48 Guide which provides you with the most important information you will need while setting up a server during your first 2 days as a new customer.
  • Got a quick question that you can't find an answer for in the Knowledge Center? Jump into Chat and talk with our Fanatical Support Staff anytime 24 hrs a day.
  • Got a specialized Service Request or experiencing a problem with our service? Please Open a Ticket - From the Rackspace Cloud Control Panel, you will see the 'Tickets' section under the Support tab. Go here to open a ticket directly with our support teams in order to report a problem or make a service request.
  • Call us> 24x7x365 -toll-free at 877-934-0407 or, internationally at +1-210-581-0407. We never stop providing Fanatical support!

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API

Where are your API's?

You can find the API documentation on our website. To obtain your API key for the first time, log into the Control Panel and navigate to the Hosting tab. Select Cloud Files, and you will be presented with the form to generate your API key. Simply press the green button lebeled 'Generate Now.' The API key is valid for all Rackspace Cloud products.

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Getting Started

How many domains can I host?

This is a question familiar to those who use shared hosting. There is no limit, since you are in control of everything on your Cloud Server.
Do you support Ruby/Python/(insert language or application here)?

All of our Cloud Servers can be configured as development stacks, database servers and web servers. Apache, Lighttpd and Mongrel, Visual Studio, C+ are all options.
What are the DNS servers for my Cloud Server?

dns1.stabletransit.com and dns2.stabletransit.com
Can I migrate my US Cloud Server to a UK Cloud Server?

Yes you can! There are a few different methods for accomplishing this, based on whether you are migrating a Linux or a Windows server. Please refer to this US to UK Migration FAQ for more information.
I’m kind of new to this, will it be difficult?

Maybe. That mostly depends on your experience as a Systems Administrator for Linux and/or Windows Server. Our Linux Cloud Servers are full Linux distributions with root-level access. Our Windows Cloud Servers give you Administrator access, and are built with nothing but the default applications on install. Cloud Servers are geared towards customers who want to start from scratch and tune a system for their own purposes.

If, after wearing the Systems Administrator hat for a while, you feel that you are out of your league - don't despair! We also offer a Managed-Level service for Rackspace Cloud Servers. Read here for more information on Managed Cloud Hosting.
What level of support comes with Cloud Servers?

We have two Service Levels: Core Service and Managed Service. At the Core Service level, we support the Cloud Server hardware, datacenter environment, and Internet connectivity - but do not support the software installed on your server, including the operating system and its configuration. When you provision a Cloud Server, you will be given a server with unrestricted access. The Core Service Cloud Server support team will not assist in the installation of software or troubleshooting any kind of issue related to the software installed. We have some articles in the Knowledge Center covering basic installation of common applications. We also have community forums where you can share tips and tricks with other customers.

If you would like to have a Managed Service Level on your Cloud Servers, we do offer that service. This service level provides additional support on Cloud Servers, which includes monitoring, operating system and application infrastructure layer support, and technical guidance.
Can I reinstall a different distribution or start over?

Of course you can! Simply press the Rebuild button in the Control Panel and you will be able to select a new distribution. Be sure you have a backup of your data because this process will destroy any data that is on the server. The rebuild process does allow you to save an IP address.
What can I do with a Cloud Server?

Anything you want to (within the law and our Acceptable Use Policy, of course)! The Rackspace Cloud Server solution is a fully unrestricted, root/Administrator level access, Linux or Windows environment. Any application or service that you can run from a traditional, physical, dedicated-unmanaged server can be run from your Cloud Server.
What if I mess up my Cloud Server?

You can reboot it. You can restore from a backup. You can erase it and start over. You can boot into an emergency rescue mode and attempt fix the problem. There are many options for recovering from mistakes, but the easiest is to keep regular backups and to make a fresh backup before attempting any major configuration changes or before installing new software.
I want to install version x.y of software in Linux, but your system doesn't allow me to? How do I install it?

Chances are that the repository for your operating system's package manager has an older approved version. This is fairly common, and you will need to remove that installation and then compile the newer version yourself. Refer to the software vendor for instructions.
Will you help me install my software package?

No. Since the Rackspace Cloud is an un-managed service, you are responsible for installing and maintaining all software on your server. You can check out our help articles for tutorials and walk-throughs.

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Migrations

How do I Migrate Cloud Servers from US to UK?

Can I migrate from a US Cloud Server to a UK Cloud Server?

  • Yes. One process involves using rsync to transfer all of your server data from the US to UK over the public interface. Information for Linux only users can be found here:

  • There is also a process that requires using a Python script, provided by Rackspace, to transfer a saved image of your US server to your UK Cloud Files Account. Rackspace Support will replace the saved image of the UK server with the imported image of your US server, then you can build a new UK server from your US image.
  • Not all Linux instances are supported by this process.  Please contact Support with the IP addresses of the servers to be migrated to determine their eligibility.
  • Windows instrucions for scripted migrations 
  • Linux instructions for scripted migrations
  • IMPORTANT:  Migrations of server images to the UK cannot be performed if you have already deleted the original server.  You may delete the server after the migration has been performed, but not before.

Who do I contact for questions related to the migration process?

If after reading all the instructional guides for this process, you have any questions at all, please send an email to: CloudMigrations@rackspace.co.uk

Are the US and UK separate accounts?

Yes. This is a completely separate account from your US account and subject to new account activation. To expedite activation, please reference your US Cloud account username when contacted by support.

Do the servers need to be the same size?

Yes. Create a new server with the exact same properties (OS, processor type, version, and size) as your US server. For example:

  • Linux Cloud server with 1024 MB of RAM running Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx)
  • Windows Server 2008 64 bit, with 4096 MB of RAM, and SQL Standard 2008 R2

In some cases, if you are using the majority of the disk space on your server (greater than 90%), the saved image will not build to a server of the same size. If you encounter errors when trying to build your new server from the saved image that has been migrated to the UK, you may need to create a server of the next largest size in order to load the saved image. All standard billing rates for the server size you provision will still apply.

How is the data actually moved from one server to another?

With the Cloud Files Migration Python Script option, Cloud Server images are migrated from the US to the UK by creating On-Demand snapshots using Cloud Files and running the migration script itself on your UK Cloud Server. You can run the script on your US Cloud server, but running the migration script on the UK Cloud Server is the recommended method.

Customers with Linux servers have another option for performing a migration using rsync, but running the Python migration script is the only method for migrating a Windows Cloud Server to the UK

How should I handle my database applications?

If you are running a database application on your server, take extra care to perform a fresh DB backup from your server, and export that data. The migration processes are designed to migrate server configuration and static data such as website content (documents, images, videos, etc.) and application code, NOT live database data.

When using the Python migration script, best practices include placing your DB in read-only mode before saving the snapshot image. This will avoid a situation where the image is saving at the same time as a COMMIT job is running on the DB. This could cause database corruption when it the image is used to build your new UK Cloud Server. After restoring your database on the new server, make sure to place it back into Read-Write mode.

Why do I need to install Python?

The migration script to transfer your Cloud Server image from your US Cloud Files account to your UK Cloud Files account was written in Python. This said, installing Python, if not already installed, is required along with updating your Environment Variables and Windows network settings (Windows only).

I updated my DNS, but my UK Cloud Server is still not working.

Updating DNS records may not change immediately depending on the TTL of the current DNS records. If there are any name server changes (most likely not the case here), then please allow 24-48 hour propagation.

How long does this migration take to complete?

Most migrations of your US Cloud Server image will complete within 1-6 hours. There are several factors involved that may cause this to take longer. (Size of server, network traffic, etc) Some migrations could potentially take 10+ hours to complete. After the image has been migrated, you will still need to wait one business day after you have submitted a ticket until our Support Team have made the back-end change to allow you to build your new UK server from your US Cloud Server image.

What happens if the Migration Script stops before completing?

If the Migration Script fails or times out before completing, you will simply need to restart the script. It is not necessary to delete any files that have already migrated, just restart the script. In the US to UK Migration Instructions, there are steps described in the section: Preparing Your Server to Run the Migration Script - which should help avoid the script failing due to timeouts.

How Long Before Support Can Process the Request to Swap Images?

After receiving the ticket from a customer letting us know that you have successfully migrated your server image to UK Cloud Files, the turn-around time for Ops to process the request to replace the UK image in Cloud Files with your US image is one business day from receipt of the ticket.

Will I be billed for my Cloud Server in the US and my Cloud Server in the UK?

You will be charged for both Cloud Servers usage during the time of the migration. It is your responsibility to remove the US Cloud Server once the migration is complete, and you have verified and tested your new UK Cloud Server is setup correctly. Once the US Cloud Server is deleted, you will no longer be billed for those assets.

How much will migrating my US Cloud Server to my UK Cloud Server’s account cost?

We do not charge extra for migrating to your new UK Cloud Servers account. Standard Cloud Server usage and bandwidth costs as well as Cloud Files storage costs will be billed to the customer. Please ensure that your US Cloud Servers are deleted once the migration is complete in order to avoid continued billing for that Cloud Server. You can delete the Cloud Server from your account or cancel the account.

Why do I need to submit a ticket? Can’t we complete this migration and avoid having to wait for support to respond to a ticket?

You cannot complete this process without submitting a ticket because the Cloud Server Ops team also has their own script that will complete the process by moving your Cloud Server image from one Cloud Files account to the other. This will allow you the ability to build a new UK Cloud Server from your US Cloud Server’s image.

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Security

Can I run a firewall on my server?

Definitely and we encourage it! Each server is capable of running the Linux-standard firewall called iptables- some even have it pre-configured! A few other firewall systems have been tested on Cloud Servers as well. To see a complete list be sure to check out these articles:

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Server Management

Cloud Server Maintenance and Upgrades FAQ

As part of our ongoing effort to provide you with the best Cloud Servers service possible, we routinely perform maintenance and upgrades of our underlying systems. The majority of these are performed transparently, however maintenances sometimes arise that impact Cloud Servers instances.

If you have Cloud Servers that are affected, you will receive notification of the specific servers impacted, steps required, and relevant dates. The purpose of this page is to provide more detailed information and answer common questions.

If you would like to view the Cloud Server and Maintenance video, please click here.

What does this mean for me in one sentence?

Some Cloud Servers need to be migrated so the underlying hosts (the physical servers under Cloud Servers) can be updated and those migrations require a Cloud Server reboot.

Do I need to do anything?

You only need to take action if you have Cloud Servers that are impacted (you will receive notification if you do) and wish to control when certain Cloud Servers are migrated. If you wish to manage your migrations, please see below for details on how to self-migrate. If you do not self-migrate, Rackspace will automatically migrate servers on your behalf.

Why are migrations required?

Maintenance and upgrades are routinely performed on Cloud Servers systems, the majority of which are done transparently and with no impact to individual Cloud Servers. In some cases however, the host itself needs to be updated which renders it unable to run Cloud Servers for the duration of the update. Since the downtime associated with a Cloud Server migration is less than that of a host update, migrating Cloud Servers is the least impactful way of deploying the update.

Will migrations change my IP addresses?

No. All IP addresses associated with your cloud server will remain the same.

How do I perform an automated self-migration?

Simply use the Rackspace Cloud Control Panel, Cloud Servers API, or MyRackspace Portal to perform a soft reboot of the affected Cloud Server.The first time this is done after you are notified of a need to migrate, your Cloud Server will be migrated, then rebooted, instead of just rebooted.Please note that there will be a delay while your Cloud Server data is copied to the new host before the reboot occurs.Once migrated, any subsequent reboots of that Cloud Server will result in a traditional reboot.

To help, we have prepared a brief video and article that explains the migrations and walks you through an automated self-migration via the Rackspace Cloud Control Panel.

Please note: Rebooting from within your Cloud Server (e.g. via SSH or the console) will NOT initiate an automated self-migration.

How is a migration performed?

While the Cloud Server is still running, a disk snapshot is transparently taken and the data copied to another host. During this time, the Cloud Server is still up and operational and any writes to disk are being tracked. After the base snapshot data has been fully copied to the new host, the Cloud Server is gracefully shut down, changes that have occurred since the beginning of the snapshot are synchronized, and the Cloud Server is booted. Albeit disruptive, the migration process minimizes downtime to a reboot plus the time it takes to copy over delta snapshot changes.

To further mitigate downtime you can prepare your instance for the migration by taking some of the steps described in this article.

How long will my Cloud Server be down during a migration?

Actual server downtime should not be much longer than a reboot, however, the length of time will vary based on the amount of data that changes during the snapshot process. If you are performing an automated self-migration, it is recommended that you minimize writes to disk (e.g. stop applications, shutdown databases, etc.) as much as possible before starting the migration.

Will a migration affect the configuration of my Cloud Server?

Migrated Cloud Servers will remain in the same datacenter and will retain the same IP addresses, applications and data, server IDs, server metadata, etc.

We are in the process of moving to the XenServer hypervisor and some portion of Cloud Servers will be migrated to this platform. Should that occur, the below modifications will be made to the Cloud Server to support the new platform. All of these changes are now part of the default configuration for newly created Linux Cloud Servers and none should affect migrated Cloud Servers.

Instead of using a host-supplied kernel, an equivalent pv-grub kernel will be injected inside the Cloud Server. This doesn’t require you to do anything, but does allow you to manage and modify the kernel should you want to. For more information, please see this blog post first announcing the feature.

XenTools is installed to optimize performance of your Cloud Server on XenServer.
A Rackspace agent is installed that enables Cloud Servers control systems to configure and manage Cloud Servers instances.

How do I know when a Cloud Server has been successfully migrated?

If you are performing an automated self-migration, after initiating a reboot, the server “status” field in the Rackspace Cloud Control Panel, Cloud Servers API, and MyRackspace Portal will transition from “Queued for move” to “Preparing for move” to “Moving” and back to “Active” in lieu of the traditional reboot status changes.

This will allow you to monitor the migration progress. Once your Cloud Server has transitioned through these statuses and has returned to “Active”, the migration is complete and your server should be back online. For both self and managed migrations, you will also receive email confirmation for each server that is successfully migrated.

Once you have confirmation that a migration is complete, please take a moment to verify proper functioning of your Cloud Server and applications. If you have any questions or problems during or after a migration, please contact our support team immediately so we can investigate.

What about my other Cloud Servers not listed in the maintenance notification?

Existing Cloud Servers not listed in your maintenance notification as well as any new Cloud Servers you launch do not require a migration.

What happens if I don’t self-migrate?

You will be given a period of time to self-migrate which will be clearly indicated in your notification of the need to migrate affected Cloud Servers. Once the self-migration window passes, automatic migrations will begin being scheduled for any Cloud Servers that have not been self-migrated.

You will be notified 24 hours in advance of any automatic migrations and will be provided a specific time window in which the migration will occur. Please note that automatic migrations may be spread out over a number of weeks and may also result in migrations occurring at inconvenient times or multiple of your Cloud Servers being migrated at the same time.

As such, please be sure to perform automated self-migrations for any Cloud Servers where this may be problematic.

I’m using RackConnect on a Cloud Server that needs to be migrated. Will connectivity to my dedicated environment be affected?

Migrations should not interrupt RackConnect connectivity from your Cloud Server to your dedicated environment other than for the duration of the reboot. Please validate connectivity with your dedicated environment following the migration, and contact your support team if you experience any post-migration connectivity issues.

Will migrations be required again in the future?

While we always seek to perform transparent maintenance and upgrades of underlying systems, it may be necessary in the future for various Cloud Servers to be migrated or rebooted. We are committed to continuously improving the performance, reliability, security, and feature set of Cloud Servers while at the same time engineering our systems for minimal disruption to customers.

Can I postpone or opt out?

Managed migrations cannot be postponed nor can affected cloud servers be opted out. Automated self-migrations are provided to allow you to control individual cloud server migrations at your convenience, within the provided self-migration window.

What should I do if I still have questions?

We have prepared a brief video that explains the migrations and walks you through an automated self-migration via the Rackspace Cloud Control Panel. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team. We are here to serve you.

Phone
US: 800-480-9513
UK: 0800-083-3012
Chat
From the Rackspace Cloud Control Panel, select Live Chat then click Cloud Server Migrations
Do you host DNS?

Yes. Our Control Panel has a DNS menu for maintaining domain records for your Cloud Servers. Read this article for detailed information on using the Rackspace Cloud DNS Control Panel.
How do I get reverse DNS setup for my Cloud Server?

You can setup reverse DNS from your control panel. This article will show you how:DNS - Creating a Reverse DNS Record.
I have Fedora 12/13 installed with Apache but I can't see my website. Why not?

Fedora 12/13 comes shipped with iptables enabled and a default rule set to deny all. You must make modifications to the iptables ruleset to allow port 80 traffic inbound or disable iptables altogether.
How do I power my server back on after shutting it down?

Please see the following article: Shutting Down and Restarting a Cloud Server
Is there a throughput limit on my server's network interface card?

Your Cloud Server has a bandwidth cap that is applied in relation to the size of the server. Please note that the bandwidth caps are placed on outbound bandwidth only. Inbound bandwidth is not capped.

Server Size Public Limit ServiceNet Limit
256MB (First-Gen) 10 Mbps 20 Mbps
512MB 20 Mbps 40 Mbps
1024MB 30 Mbps 60 Mbps
2048MB 60 Mbps 120 Mbps
4096MB 100 Mbps 200 Mbps
8192MB 150 Mbps 300 Mbps
15872MB 200 Mbps 400 Mbps
30720MB 300 Mbps 600 Mbps

Chart valid as of November 29th, 2012
Do you offer internal IPs?

Yes. Each server comes with an internal IP address that is used to communicate between servers. The traffic that flows over this interface (eth1) on your server is unmetered and is not billed. This network is also referred to as ServiceNet.
Which distributions do you offer?

Our product page has information regarding the Linux distributions and Windows operating systems that we have available.
Can I buy extra IPs?

Yes.

Each Cloud Server comes with (1) public IPv4 address. Up to four (4) additional public IPv4 addresses can be purchased (for a total of 5), with proper justification. Due to the global shortage of IPv4 address space, Rackspace has recently tightened its policies regarding additional IPv4 addresses on Cloud Servers. We currently only offer additional IPv4 addresses for SSL purposes.

If you wish to obtain an additional IPv4 address, please open a support ticket through your control panel with the following information:

  • The name of the server to which you would like to add the IP address.
  • Permission to reboot the Cloud Server to configure the IP address and a maintenance window to perform the change, if necessary.
  • Attach or paste the SSL certificate to the ticket. The certificate must have been signed by a valid Certificate Authority; self-signed certificates are not accepted.

Please contact Support to determine pricing for additional IPv4 addresses.
I would like to setup multiple servers from the same image. Can I do this?

As a Cloud Servers customer, you have access to create both on-demand images (snapshots) and scheduled images of your cloud server. All Cloud Server images will be stored in your Cloud Files account. This enables you to keep these images even after the Cloud Server they were created on is deleted. It also allows the flexibility to create an unlimited number of on-demand images of your Cloud Server. All Cloud Server images can be used to create new Cloud Servers or restore an existing Cloud Server.
Can I upgrade down the road?

Sure – you don’t even need to reinstall anything. Because of the flexibility of the Cloud, you can schedule a system resize anytime. Once received, your request will be queued in the order received. When resources are available, we will take your Cloud Server down, expand the RAM and disk space, and then restart your server to bring it back into operation with the expanded resources.
Do you offer on-demand images (snapshots) and scheduled images and what are the prices?

Yes, with Cloud Servers, you can create an image of any Cloud Server containing less than 80GB of data; and you can use this image to restore a server or clone a new one. You can create an unlimited number of images on-demand, or you can schedule an automatic daily or weekly image.

Images will be compressed and stored on Rackspace Cloud Files at the current storage rates. Please also read this list of Snapshot Limitations.
How many users go onto each machine?

The number of customers on a Cloud Server host machine depends on the size of the customers’ Cloud Servers, and the type of operating system.
How does the CPU scheduling work?

For Windows images, each Cloud Server is assigned a number of virtual cores based on the size of the Cloud Server. A 1 GB Cloud Server receives 1 virtual core, 2 GB and 4 GB Cloud Servers receive 2 virtual cores, and 8 GB and 15.5 GB Cloud Servers receive 4 virtual cores, and 30GB servers receive 8 virtual cores. Each of these cores is given equal weight when allocating CPU cycles.

For Linux distributions, each Cloud Server is assigned four virtual cores and the amount of CPU cycles allocated to these cores is weighted based on the size of the Cloud Server.

All Cloud Servers receive a guaranteed minimum amount of CPU cycles with the ability to burst when excess cycles are available.
I would like to use the GUI interface for my Cloud Server. Is this possible?

Yes it is! An article on how to install VNC and X-Windows is located here: VNC Install. Keep in mind that this will use up a large amount of bandwidth and will require that you have at least 512MB of RAM on your server.
How long does a Cloud Server resize take?

The amount of time a resize takes varies by the size of the server and the time of day you are performing the resize. If you have a brand-new server with no additional data or software installed, then you might be looking at 10 minutes. However, if you have data installed on your server and have been installing software then it can take up to 30 minutes or more. Peak times for resize activity tend to be at the start and end of the business day. Expect a short period of downtime while your server is being resized.

Note also that resizing a server down can take longer than resizing up because the system needs to consolidate and copy data to a smaller disk container rather than expand the existing container.  Cleaning up unneeded files (like old logs and session files) can improve the speed of a resize operation.
Can I control my Cloud Servers from a mobile device?

Yes, we offer apps for the iPhone™, iPad™, and Android™ phones.

The Cloud Servers application for iPhone and iPod Touch allows you to quickly and easily administer your Cloud Servers on the go, wherever you are. While it’s not a complete replacement for our browser-based control panel or APIs, it does allow for some powerful remote administration capabilities. To get more details, click here.

The Cloud Servers application for the iPad allows you to easily and quickly administer your Cloud Servers on the go, wherever you are. With the iPad app, you can do everything the API allows for Cloud Servers;, and for Cloud Files, you can control CDN attributes. To get more details, click here.

The Rackspace Cloud Android app is also available and helps you easily and quickly administer your Cloud Servers on the go. To get more details on the Android app, click here.
Can I buy extra storage?

While the native storage allocation for a Cloud Server is scaled with its RAM allocation, you can also add extra storage at any time with our Cloud Block Storage service.
Do you have a control panel?

Yes, we have The Rackspace Cloud Control Panel which is a web-based management interface for restarting your Cloud Server, starting support discussions, viewing stats, and scheduling snapshots. However, we do not offer a control panel like Plesk or cPanel. You’re free to install such packages for your own Cloud Server, or you may be interested in signing up for CloudKick, a service that provides many of the same functions as a Control Panel. Try Cloudkick free for 30 days!
Do you provide Console access?

Yes, via an Ajax web terminal accessible through the Control Panel, under the section 'Actions for this Server'. Note: Console access is via a secure HTTP connection which is different connection from the traditional way to connect via SSH for Linux or RDP for Windows. Console can be a useful troubleshooting tool if your server is unresponsive or you have locked yourself out.
Can I reboot my machine?

Yes. All Cloud Servers can perform both soft (reset button) and hard (power cycle) reboots. These are performed instantly and handled via the Cloud Server Control Panel.