Create an Instance

Concepts

An Instance is a single deployment of Nautobot or another supported application, such as Ansible AWX or NautobotGPT. Each instance runs in its own isolated environment within the Nautobot Cloud infrastructure. The three types of instances currently supported are:

• Nautobot - The core application for network automation and orchestration. Create this one first.
• Ansible AWX - A web-based user interface, REST API, and task engine for Ansible - all managed from Nautobot Cloud.
• NautobotGPT - An integrated AI assistant integrated with Nautobot to help you see, manage, and automate your network.

Steps

With Nautobot Cloud Console, you can create and manage Nautobot and other instances in a few clicks, all from the same interface, using the steps described below.

Locate the Panel for Your Desired Instance

Control panels for each instance type are located under the Manage heading on the left-hand navigation pane. Click the desired instance type (we recommend you start by creating a "Nautobot" instance) to view and manage existing instances or create a new one.

If you have no instances, you will see a prompt to create one.

If you already have instances, you can always create another one using the Create button in the top-right corner of the page.

Configure the Instance

Upon clicking the Create button, you will be presented with a form to fill out the details of your new instance.

Fields

Field	Description
Name (required)	The human-readable name for the Instance. Used to construct the domain for access, converted to a URL-friendly format and prepended with instance type, region, and cloud name. Example: - Name: production - Instance Type: nautobot - Region: us-east-2 - Cloud Name: my-private-cloud Resulting domain: production.nautobot.us-east-2.my-private-cloud.nautobot.cloud
Image (required)	The flavor or version of the image to use for the instance. This combines the base version (Nautobot or AWX) and any additional packages, including custom or internal packages. Preferred images are typically the latest release for each major version and custom image family. You can browse available images in the "Images" tab under Organization > Settings in the Nautobot Cloud Console UI.
Project (required)	The project to which the created instance will belong. You can create your own project by selecting + Add New Project in the navigation panel. For more information about projects, refer to the FAQ page.
URL	The subdomain portion for this Instance, combined with the organization's domain to form the full URL. Example: If the Organization domain is sot.acme.example and the URL prefix is production, the full URL will be production.sot.acme.example.
Prevent Delete	A flag to protect the Instance from accidental deletion. Only organization admins can change this after creation. - Yes: Instance cannot be deleted. - No: Instance can be deleted.
Access	Defines how users can access the instance: - Private: Accessible only internally from your network, requiring a VPN or direct connection to the private cloud. - Public: Accessible through the Internet.

Install Apps (Nautobot Instances Only)

You can choose to install apps during instance creation. This is only available for Nautobot instances. To do this, navigate to the Apps tab. This will bring up a dialog where you can select the apps you want to install from the Nautobot Cloud Marketplace.

Configure Apps During Installation

Some apps may require configuration before moving forward. To configure an app, click its name in the list. A dialog will open to configure the app's settings.

If you see a yellow ellipse next to an app in the list, this is a hint that you have yet to verify the app's configuration. Click on the app's name and ensure everything is set up correctly. Then click Configure App to save your changes.

Other Tabs

Other tabs available during instance creation include:

• Settings: Configure non-sensitive environment variables for the instance.
• Secrets: Associate sensitive information, such as API keys and passwords, with the instance.

For more information, see Manage Instances.

Confirm and Create

After filling out the form, click the Create button at the bottom. You will be given admin credentials for the instance. Make sure to copy these credentials, as you will not be able to see them again.

Versioning in Nautobot Cloud

Nautobot Cloud uses Images to handle the versioning and packaging of Nautobot and other applications, including any additional packages you may need. This is done through the concept of "images," which are pre-packaged versions of Nautobot or other applications. You can update your instance to a different image at any time. To view available images, navigate to Organization > Images.

You can click any image to see more details about it, including the base version and any additional apps and packages included.