How to Deploy Your First OpenStack VM in Minutes

1 Introduction

Previous chapter set up the OpenStack cloud platform; now we learn how to provision a cloud instance.

2 Provision OpenStack VM

2.1 Install OpenStack client

Install python‑openstackclient and python‑neutronclient for CLI operations.

pip install python-openstackclient
pip install python-neutronclient

2.2 Use init‑runonce script to create a project

Modify lines 19‑21 of the init‑runonce script to set the floating‑IP subnet, import environment variables, and run the script.

Modify init‑runonce script (lines 19‑21 define the floating‑IP subnet).

Import OpenStack environment variables:

source /etc/kolla/admin-openrc.sh

Execute the script:

cd /usr/share/kolla-ansible/
./init-runonce

2.3 List required resources

Before creating a VM, ensure image, flavor, network, security group, key pair, and instance name are ready. The init‑runonce script already prepared these resources.

List images

List flavors

List networks

List security groups

List key pairs

2.4 Create the VM

openstack server create --image cirros --flavor m1.tiny --key-name mykey --nic net-id=c79a6326-8d22-4955-bf3d-5a86dfd55f60 demo1

# Parameters explanation
--image cirros   # image name
--flavor m1.tiny # flavor
--key-name mykey # key pair
--nic net-id=... # network ID
demo1            # instance name

2.5 Log into the VM

After the instance appears in the dashboard, you can log in via the console using the provided credentials.

2.6 Assign a floating IP

Use the floating‑IP (elastic IP) pool to allocate an address and bind it to the instance.

Select Project → Network → Floating IP → Allocate IP.

Choose a resource pool and allocate the IP.

Bind the allocated IP to the demo1 instance.

Now the VM has a reachable floating IP (test environment only).