# Virtual machines

{% hint style="info" %}
See FAQ for differences between [Bare Metal and Virtual Machines](/docs/additional-information/faqs/differences-of-bare-metal-and-virtual-machines.md)
{% endhint %}

## Using the Console

Denvr AI Compute's console is designed to simplify the provisioning workflow and accelerate time-to-work.  It also avoids needing highly technical cloud infrastructure engineers.

To view, manage, and deploy VM instances in the Console, navigate to Virtual Machines from the left navigation menu.

<figure><img src="/files/3vgiWO7H0C3Sf4SUptkH" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Any running virtual machines will be displayed in this screen.  This view offers detailed information on a selected machine, as well as actions to start, stop and delete.

## Create a new virtual machine

The console has a single page view to create a virtual machine including all of the configuration options that are relevant.

### Basic information

This section provides essential details for setting up a virtual machine, including the instance name, where resources are allocated from, and the network isolation for groups of instances.

<figure><img src="/files/0AZSaHqxFAcjCNm0w45L" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="230">Option</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Name</strong></td><td>Refers to the unique identifier or label for the virtual machine (VM). It helps users manage and track different VMs within their infrastructure.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Resource pool</strong></td><td>Defines how compute resources are allocated, either <strong>on-demand</strong> for dynamic allocation or <strong>reserved</strong> for dedicated single-tenant resources.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>VPC</strong></td><td>Specifies the isolated virtual network in which the VM will operate, allowing users to control network configuration and security for their VM instances.</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Instance type

Defines the overall configuration of the virtual machine, including the type of hardware (such as GPU or CPU), performance characteristics, and resource allocation.

<figure><img src="/files/fZ63El1NiWHTxbUa7tK2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="232">Option</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>GPU platform</strong></td><td>Refers to the type of GPU hardware available for running AI and computational tasks. Different platforms offer varying levels of performance and specialization for different workloads.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>CPU platform</strong></td><td>Refers to the type of central processing unit (CPU) hardware available for provisioning. Different CPU platforms offer varying levels of performance for general-purpose computing, suited for tasks that do not require specialized GPU acceleration.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Instance size</strong></td><td>Defines the specific resource allocation, including the number of GPUs, CPUs, memory, and storage, for a virtual machine. It determines the power and capacity of the compute environment.</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Operating system

Specifies the software environment that runs on the virtual machine.&#x20;

<figure><img src="/files/eoVRZlLFwG5nCPudMIlL" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="231">Option</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Operating system</strong></td><td>Users can select from different OS options like Ubuntu or Rocky Linux, depending on their application and requirements.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Release</strong></td><td>Defines the specific version of the operating system.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Machine learning packages</strong></td><td><p></p><p>Select whether to install machine learning-related software packages during the creation of the virtual machine.</p><ul><li><strong>No package install</strong>: No additional software will be installed on the instance by default.</li><li><strong>Install packages</strong>: Pre-configured packages such as NVIDIA drivers, Docker, NVIDIA Container Toolkit, NVIDIA Fabric Manager, and InfiniBand drivers will be installed, making the instance ready for machine learning and AI tasks.</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Root disk</strong></td><td>Indicates the storage size allocated to the virtual machine’s main disk, where the operating system and core files will be installed.  The root disk is network-attached block storage with replication for redundancy.</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Additional storage

File volumes can be automatically attached to your machine instances.  Volumes can be accessed my multiple instances simultaneously.

<figure><img src="/files/8RJXsipjvN6QeIONfctC" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="228">Option</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Personal</strong></td><td>This is dedicated storage that is only accessible by the specific user, ensuring privacy and security. It is mounted to a unique directory path (e.g., <code>/home/ubuntu/personal</code>).</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tenant shared</strong></td><td>This storage is accessible by multiple users or virtual machines within the same tenant. It is mounted to a shared directory path (e.g., <code>/home/ubuntu/tenant-shared</code>), enabling collaboration and shared access.</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Access credentials

This section defines the authentication information required to securely access the virtual machine. It includes the default user ID and the option to provide SSH keys for secure, passwordless login.

<figure><img src="/files/rlKCQPElTkQ4y4CsrIil" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="231">Option</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>User ID</strong></td><td>The default username that will be used to log into the virtual machine, such as <code>ubuntu</code>.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>SSH Keys</strong></td><td>SSH (Secure Shell) keys are cryptographic keys used to authenticate access to the virtual machine. Users can enter or add additional SSH keys as required.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Launch instance

The right panel shows the instance summary.  Press `Launch instance` to create the virtual machine.

<figure><img src="/files/Yw27IujwrWQTeyTwMuqX" alt="" width="271"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.denvrdata.com/docs/platform/virtual-machines.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.