Clone a Server

Objective

To create a clone or duplicate of an existing server configuration.

Table of Contents

Overview

In RightScale, the term "server" is commonly used to describe a server's configuration.  A server in the RightScale system (i.e. RightScale Server) is created using ServerTemplates as its base configuration.  A server can either describe how an instance will be configured when it's launched into a cloud infrastructure or be a pointer to a running instance in the cloud.  A server is simply metadata that lives within the RightScale system.  When you clone a component in the RightScale system you're simply creating a duplicate or exact copy of its metadata.  When you clone a server, you're creating another server that has a mirror definition as the server it was cloned from.  If you clone a server that is referencing a running instance, the actual instance in the cloud is not duplicated; you're only making a copy of that server (definition) as it's defined at that particular point in time in the RightScale system.

Steps

1. Go to a Server's Show page.  (Manage -> Servers -> Select a Server) 
2. Click the Clone button.  The new, cloned server will have the same name as the server it was cloned from along with a suffix for distinction purposes. (e.g. MyServer v1)  Also, when you clone a server, you're creating a new server that is a completely separate from the server it was cloned from.  For example, it will have its own history or lineage.  However, under the Info tab we will highlight the server that it was cloned from. Note: A server's tags are not copied over to the cloned server.

Post Tutorial Steps

Rename the cloned server appropriately. 

• Hover over the cloned server name
• Click (to edit the name)
• Edit the name
• Click "ok" to save the new name (or "cancel" to leave the old name)