Manage Instances

After creating an instance, you can manage it by navigating to the Instances tab in the left-hand navigation pane. Here you will see a list of created instances.

Quick Actions

To manage a specific instance, click the ellipsis (...) button to the right of the instance you want to manage. This will open a dropdown menu with several options.

The options include:

Action	Description
Trends	View usage and performance trends for the instance. See Monitoring Instances.
Event History	Review a log of events and actions related to the instance. See Monitoring Instances.
Snapshots	Manage snapshots for backup and recovery purposes. See Backup and Restore.
Edit	Modify instance settings and configuration. You can change the instance name, description, and other fields. Find the full list of fields here. Fields that cannot be changed: - Name (can only be set on creation) - State (read-only)
Clone	Create a new instance based on the current instance's configuration. See Clone an Instance.
Update	Apply updates to the instance software or configuration with a click.
Restart	Restart the instance to resolve issues.
Recover	Restore the instance from a snapshot or backup. See Backup and Restore.
Destroy	Permanently delete the instance and all associated data.

Instance Details

All instance types can be managed through a fullscreen detail view. For a detailed view of an instance, click on the instance name in the list. This will bring you to the instance detail view.

The detail view allows you to view and manage various aspects of the instance through several tabs:

Tabs

BasicSettingsEvent HistorySecretsActions

Edit the basic information about the instance which was set during creation. See Create an Instance for a full list of fields.

View and edit non-sensitive environment variables for the instance. For sensitive configuration, consider using Secrets.

View a log of events and actions related to the instance. See Monitoring Instances.

View and manage secrets associated with the instance. See Managing Secrets.

To associate an existing secret with the instance, click the Associate button in the top-right corner. This will bring up a dialog where you can select a secret to associate with the instance. If you have not yet created a secret, see Manage Secrets for instructions.

See Quick Actions for more information.

Additional Tabs for Nautobot Instances

When viewing a Nautobot instance, you will see several additional tabs not available for other instance types. Use these tabs to perform common Nautobot management tasks directly from the instance detail view.

AppsTrendsSnapshots

View and manage apps installed on the Nautobot instance. Here you can install, reconfigure, or remove apps from the instance.

To install a new app, click the Install Apps button in the top-right corner. This will bring up a dialog where you can select the apps you want to install from the Nautobot Cloud Marketplace.

Note that some apps may require additional configuration after installation. You can do this by clicking the name of the app in the list. This opens up a dialog where you can configure the app's settings.

For apps that require additional configuration, you will see a warning icon next to the app name in the list. You must configure the app before it can be used.

View usage, size, and performance trends for the instance. See Monitoring Instances.

View and manage snapshots for the instance, or revert to a previous version. See Backup and Restore.

Advanced Actions

Syslog Forwarding

Syslog forwarding allows your Nautobot Cloud instance to send application logs (such as errors, login events, and other runtime activity) to a remote Syslog collector. This enables centralized logging and integration with external monitoring or SIEM systems.

Info

Syslog forwarding is disabled by default.

Requirements

Before enabling Syslog forwarding, ensure the following:

• Nautobot version:
  • 2.4.24 or higher (for Nautobot v2)
  • 3.0.3 or higher (for Nautobot v3)
• A reachable Syslog collector that supports standard Syslog over UDP (default port 514), with network connectivity from the Nautobot Cloud instance

Public Syslog Destinations

By default, Nautobot Cloud supports forwarding logs only to private IP addresses.

If you need to forward logs to a public IP address:

1. Open a support ticket with Nautobot Cloud Operations.
2. Wait for confirmation before enabling the configuration.

Do not configure public IP forwarding until approval has been granted.

Syslog forwarding is configured using environment variables on your Nautobot Cloud instance.

Step 1: Navigate to Your Instance

1. Log in to the Nautobot Cloud Console.
2. Navigate to your Instance.
3. Open the Settings tab.

Step 2: Add Environment Variables

Add the following environment variables:

Environment Variable	Description
NAUTOBOT_CLOUD_REMOTE_LOGGING_ENABLE	Set to True to enable Syslog forwarding. Default is disabled.
NAUTOBOT_CLOUD_REMOTE_LOGGING_SYSLOG_HOST	Hostname or IP address of your Syslog collector.
NAUTOBOT_CLOUD_REMOTE_LOGGING_SYSLOG_PORT	Port of your Syslog collector. Default: 514.

Example configuration:

NAUTOBOT_CLOUD_REMOTE_LOGGING_ENABLE=True
NAUTOBOT_CLOUD_REMOTE_LOGGING_SYSLOG_HOST=192.0.2.10
NAUTOBOT_CLOUD_REMOTE_LOGGING_SYSLOG_PORT=514

Click Save after adding the variables.

Step 3: Update the Instance

After saving the configuration:

1. Trigger an Instance Update.
2. Wait for the update to complete.

The new environment variables will be applied during the restart process.

Important Notes

• Only standard Syslog formatting is supported (custom formatting is not supported).
• Syslog forwarding uses UDP only.
• If network connectivity to the collector is unavailable, logs will not be delivered.