Create Slice

Syminet Slices are Virtual Private Servers (VPS) that run on “bare metal” hardware. They are your own private server with full root access. You can choose a variety of different Operating Systems (OS) and resource plans (CPU / RAM / Disk) according to your needs.

  1. Click the Create button in the upper left of the panel and select Slices.

  2. Select an image type at the top, which can be:

    • Distribution: “vanilla” OS (debian, ubuntu, etc.) - this is the default.

    • Marketplace: One-click app install from the Marketplace.

    • symScript: “vanilla” OS install that also runs a one-time symScript on first boot.

    • Snapshot: Create from Snapshots

    • Backup: Create from Automatic Backups

    • Clone Slice: Clone an existing slice.

  3. Choose a Region.

  4. Choose a Plan.

  5. Enter a Hostname.

  6. Enter a Password.

This is enough to create a slice, so if you’re in a hurry you can scroll to the bottom now and click Create Slice. However, there are a number of additional options:

Additional Options

SSH Keys

You can add an SSH Key here, and select any existing SSH Keys which you would like automatically preinstalled on your slice.

Enable Automated Backups

Enabling backups is strongly recommended if you want to protect your data. There is also an option in account settings, Auto-Enable Settings to have this box automatically checked on create pages.

IPv6 Address

A public IPv6 IP allows communication using the next generation IPv6 protocol. IPv6 use is encouraged, due to IPv4 address exhaustion.

Private IP

A Private IPv4 allows for local communication between slices in the same region:

  • Private IP traffic is not counted toward bandwidth usage.

  • Often faster / lower latency since they communicate over the local “backplane” nextwork.

You will likely know if you need one. If you do not, then it is recommended to skip. You can add it any time later. See Private IPv4 for more details.

Warning

Although Private IPs are more secure due to not being open on the public internet, they are still reachable by all other slices in the same region. Firewall accordingly.

Assign Firewall

Assign one of your Firewalls to secure network traffic.

Custom symScript Variable

This option is only displayed when creating from a symScript. Any value entered here will be assigned to the variable SYMSLICE_CUSTOMVAR in your script. See symScripts for more information.

The Build Process

Upon clicking Create Slice, you will be taken to the new Slice Details. Slice creation involves a series of steps, which will be shown realtime at the top of the page. For Distribution (“vanilla OS”) creates, this typically takes a minute or two since there’s only the small OS image to copy to your new disk. For creates from Snapshots and Automatic Backups, this time will vary depending on the amount of data that needs to be copied. In all cases, a progress bar is displayed.

Once your build is complete, you should be able to SSH as root to your new slice’s Public IP address.