CloudImages

CloudImages are pre-configured disk images designed for provisioning virtual machines in cloud computing environments. They are created by cloud providers, operating system maintainers, and community projects to enable rapid, repeatable deployment of instances across scalable infrastructure. CloudImages usually package an operating system with minimal initial configuration and include cloud-init or similar tooling to apply instance-specific settings on first boot.

They come in multiple image formats such as QCOW2, VMDK, VHD, and RAW, depending on the virtualization platform. CloudImages typically include an optional root filesystem, kernel and initramfs, and may be compressed. They embed drivers and agents for cloud environments, and rely on a metadata service to obtain user data, SSH keys, and instance metadata during provisioning.

Lifecycle and management of CloudImages involve updates when security patches or feature updates are available; new releases replace older ones or are added in parallel as separate image versions. Operators rely on image signing and verification to maintain integrity. They enable reproducible deployments, immutable infrastructure, and easier scaling. For example, canonical Ubuntu Cloud Images, Debian Cloud Images, and Fedora/Red Hat cloud images are distributed for OpenStack, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and other platforms.

Cloud images are a core concept in cloud-native workflows and infrastructure as code, often used in combination with orchestration tools and configuration management. They are typically discovered and managed through cloud provider marketplaces or image registries, and are updated periodically to reflect new software versions and security advisories.