Bare Metal Cloud Portal Quick Start Guide

Introduction

The phoenixNAP Bare Metal Cloud offers unrestricted hardware-level access to compute and storage resources. With the intuitive UI, the Bare Metal Cloud portal allows for near-instant server deployment without compromises.

This quick start guide takes you through all the BMC Portal sections where you can:

• View and manage servers.
• View billing and usage reports.
• View and manage reservations.
• View, add, or delete API credentials.
• Manage SSH keys.

Follow the links throughout the article to learn more about a specific feature.

Prerequisites

• BMC or PNCP portal credentials. If you are a new client, create an account for Bare Metal Cloud. Refer to the BMC account creation video instructions for assistance.

How to Access BMC Portal

To log in to the Bare Metal Cloud portal, navigate to https://bmc.phoenixnap.com and enter your credentials.

Once you log in, you are taken to the Servers page.

Servers

This section serves as the landing page after you log in. If you do not have a server yet, the Deploy New Server button appears.

Otherwise, the Servers table shows the list of deployed BMC servers and the columns with relevant location, billing, status, and configuration details.

1. Use the instant search bar to refine the search if you have many server instances.

2. The Deploy New Server button takes you to the server creation page.

3. The Buy Bandwidth Package button takes you to the bandwidth order page. The button is visible only if you do not have a bandwidth package on the locations where reserved instances are deployed.

4. The Status column shows the state of the server. Possible statuses are:

5. The Manage column contains the Actions menu with various functions for every server.

You can sort the servers by clicking column names.

Deploy New Server

To create a new Bare Metal Cloud server, select the Deploy New Server button from the Servers page.

When the form loads, follow the steps below to create a new server.

1. Select a location where to deploy your new BMC server.

2. Choose a billing model:

• Hourly. Billed by the hour. Suitable for short-term projects, instant test environments, etc.
• Reservation. Reserve a server for a longer period and ensure resource availability. Longer reservations bring larger discounts. Auto-renew is turned on by default for one-month reservations.

3. Select a server from the pool of single or dual CPU instances. Use the Compute and Memory tabs to refine the list.

4. Choose an operating system. Windows Server editions are charged extra.

5. Enter a unique hostname and description. No spaces are allowed.

6. Choose if you want to assign public IPs to your server for public access.

7. The Remote Desktop option appears if you previously selected a Windows Server OS. Choose if you want to leave it disabled, allow access to whitelisted IPs, or allow access to everyone.

The admin password appears once you finish creating the server. Copy the credentials and store them safely.

To learn more, read the How to Access BMC Windows Server guide.

8. Select a Public SSH Key from the list in the first field if you added one previously. Otherwise, use the + Add a new Public SSH Key button to add a key in the dedicated field. You must add at least one public SSH key to enable access to your server.

9. Review the configuration and select Deploy New Server using any of the two buttons.

The server creation process takes from one to fifteen minutes, depending on the OS you selected. Follow the status on the Server page.

Server Manage Actions

Once you deploy your server, it appears on the server list.

To view the available actions, locate the row for your server and click Actions in the Manage column.

View Server Details

The View Details link takes you to the Server Details page. Clicking a hostname takes you to the same page.

This section shows more details about your server. The Actions button is available here as well, so you do not need to navigate back to the server list.

Your server ID is on this screen, and you need the ID to interact with your server when using the CLI or API.

The billing part shows the pricing for your server without tax.

When you scroll down to Networking, you can see the IP addresses assigned to your server. Use one of the listed public IP addresses for remote access.

The description you entered while deploying the server appears in the Additional Details section at the bottom of the page.

Connect (Remote Console)

To load the web-based console, select the Connect option under the Actions menu.

Click the Connect to Server button to launch the console in a new window.

You must create a user with a password to access your server using the remote console. Refer to the BMC Remote Console guide to learn how to use this functionality

Power Off Server

To cut power to the server, select Power Off under the Actions menu. Save your work before you proceed.

Confirm by clicking the Power Off Server button.

Reboot Server

To close all processes and restart the server, select Reboot under the Actions menu. Save your work before you proceed.

The status shows “Rebooting Server” until the server boots back up.

Reset Server

Do not confuse resetting a server with rebooting.

When you select Reset under the Actions menu, you perform a factory reset and delete all your data and settings.

This action is irreversible, and you permanently lose everything stored on the server.

Select a public SSH key or add a new one to enable SSH access when the server finishes formatting.

The status shows “Factory Reset” during this process.

Shut Down Server

To perform an OS-level shutdown without cutting the power to the server, select Shut Down under the Actions menu.

Confirm the selection by clicking the Shut Down Server button.

The billing continues to be active when you shut down the server.

Change Billing

To change the billing model for your server, select the Change Billing option under the Actions menu. You can only upgrade to a longer-term reservation.

For 12-month periods and longer, you must agree to the MSA.

Click Confirm when you are ready to change the billing model.

Delete Server

To remove a BMC server from your account, select Delete under the Actions menu. As a safety measure, you must enter the hostname before clicking the Delete Server button.

This action cannot be undone, and you will lose all your data and settings.

Buy Bandwidth Package

To benefit from cheaper rates, buy a bandwidth package instead of being charged at a regular rate. The packages you purchase are tied to one account, and bandwidth can be shared across servers in the same data center.

To buy a bandwidth package:

1. Navigate to either the Servers page or Reservations -> Bandwidth page.

2. Click the Buy Bandwidth Package button.

You get 15TB free of charge with the first server you deploy at each location. Click Continue to close the message box.

3. Select a data center location. You can only purchase one package per location. Only the locations where you have a server deployed are available.

4. Choose a preferred billing model. Savings are greater for longer terms. One-month bandwidth reservations have the auto-renew option enabled by default. If you select 12 months or longer, you must agree to the terms and conditions.

5. Select a bandwidth package ranging from 30 TB to 500 TB per month. When you get 15TB free for your first server, the price will be deducted from the package you select.

If you need a larger package, click the contact sales link to start a live chat session. Any bandwidth used over the package you purchased is charged at the price for the selected location.

6. Review the package summary, especially the notes in blue.

7. Click Buy Bandwidth Package to confirm the purchase.

To view the list of bandwidth packages you purchased, go to the Reservations -> Bandwidth section.

Solutions

The Solutions tab lets you create and manage Kubernetes clusters. The Rancher integration with Bare Metal Cloud brings you all the standard Rancher options preinstalled on your server.

Navigate to the Solutions section to start working on your Kubernetes environment.

Click the Create Kubernetes Cluster button to get started. The process is seamless and intuitive. Refer to our guide on to learn how to create a Kubernetes cluster.

To create, view, and manage your Kubernetes clusters, click the Manage Your Clusters link. The dashboard shows all cluster-related information:

The Actions menu lets you view details for your cluster, delete a cluster, and launch Rancher UI.

Billing & Usage

The Billing & Usage section lets you view the statistics about the resources you used and how much you will be charged. The donut chart provides the month-to-date breakdown of prices for all services.

There are four tabs in this section:

• All – Shows the prices in one screen for every purchase on your account: server, bandwidth, OS licenses, and IP charges.
• Hourly – Shows hourly billed servers and Windows OS licenses.
• Reserved – Shows only the reserved instances.
• Other – Shows bandwidth and OS license prices.

Each tab shows the filtered results on the right side. Click a column name to change the sorting by category, purchase type, hostname, etc. Use the search bar to narrow down the list. When a server is active, click the hostname to load the server details page.

If you see one server name two times on the report, this means the hourly billing was upgraded at one point. Click the info icon next to the expired hourly model to view the details.

The server list shows deleted instances as well. Click the trash can to view the server ID.

Reservations

The Reservation page lets you view and manage your server and bandwidth reservations. The list provides the necessary information such as instance configuration and location details, start and expiration and date, auto-renew status, and unit price.

You can change the sorting in the table by clicking column names.

The manage column has the Actions link where you can view reservation details, disable or enable auto-renew, and deploy a new server.

Server Reservations

To view and manage server reservations, navigate to the Reservations page, and select the servers tab.

View Server Reservation Details

To view server reservation details:

1. Locate the server reservation you want to view and click Actions under the Manage column.

2. Select View Details to view the available information. The screen shows all the pricing details for your reservation.

Disable Auto Renew

One-month server reservations have the auto-renew option enabled by default. To disable the auto-renew option:

1. Click Actions and select Disable Auto Renew for the instance you want.

2. Add the cancellation reason and click Disable Auto Renew when ready. The reservation remains active until the expiration date. Then, the reservation switches to the hourly billing model until you delete the server.

Enable Auto Renew

You can enable auto-renew until the reservation’s expiration date. To reenable the auto-renew option:

1. Click Actions and select Enable Auto Renew for the instance you want.

2. Read the information and click the Enable Auto Renew button. This option allows uninterrupted service.

Deploy a New Server Using an Existing Reservation

To reuse a reservation and create a BMC server with the same configuration:

1. Navigate to the Reservations screen.

2. Select the Servers tab.

3. Locate the reservation and select Deploy New Server under the Actions menu.

4. Complete the OS, hostname, and network steps to create a new BMC server using an existing reservation.

Bandwidth Reservations

To view and manage bandwidth reservations, navigate to the Reservations page, and select the servers tab.

View Bandwidth Reservation Details

To view bandwidth reservation details:

1. Locate the bandwidth reservation you want to view and click Actions under the Manage column.

2. Select View Details to view the available information. The screen shows all the bandwidth pricing details for your reservation.

Change Bandwidth

1. Locate the bandwidth reservation you want to change and click Actions under the Manage column.

2. Select Change Bandwidth to upgrade the package.

3.Select a longer reservation length and/or a larger bandwidth package.

4. Click the Change Bandwidth Package button. The button is available only when you make a change.

Disable Bandwidth Auto Renew

One-month bandwidth reservations have the auto-renew option enabled by default. To disable the auto-renew option:

1. Click Actions and select Disable Auto Renew for the bandwidth package you want.

2. Add the cancellation reason and click Disable Auto Renew when ready. The reservation remains active until the expiration date. Then, you will be charged per GB at the standard rate for the data center location.

Enable Bandwidth Auto Renew

You can enable auto-renew until the reservation’s expiration date. To reenable the bandwidth auto-renew option:

1. Click Actions and select Enable Auto Renew for the bandwidth package you want.

2. Read the information and click the Enable Auto Renew button. By enabling auto-renew, you avoid higher costs if you forget to renew the package manually.

API Credentials

The API Credentials page holds the credentials for your APIs. The list shows the name, description, Client ID, and scopes for your credentials. The Actions menu under the Manage column lets you view and delete credentials.

Create Credentials

To create new API credentials:

1. Navigate to the API Credentials page.

2. Click the Create Credentials button.

3. Add the credential name and optional description.

4. Assign permissions scopes. Check the box next to the permission level you want to grant to the credentials. Choose if you want to allow the usage of all or read-only BMC API calls.

5. Click Create when ready.

6. The confirmation window shows the Client ID and Client Secret.

7. Copy the credentials and click Close. Your new credentials appear in the API credentials table.

You can create multiple API credentials with different scopes and permission levels. You will get a unique Client ID and Client Secret to use for authorizing API requests.

View Credentials

To view API credentials:

1. Navigate to the API Credentials page.

2. Locate the name of the entry and click Actions under the Manage column.

3. Select View Credentials to see the API credentials for the specific entry.

You can also generate a new secret from this screen. Click the Regenerate Secret button to get a new secret. There is no confirmation message, except that your browser may ask you if you want to save your credentials.

Delete Credentials

To delete API credentials:

1. Navigate to the API Credentials page.

2. Locate the name of the entry and click Actions under the Manage column.

3. Select Delete to delete your API credentials. This action invalidates authorized access tokens and permissions.

4. Click Delete Credentials when ready. You cannot undo this action.

SSH Keys Management

The SSH Keys Management section is a repository for your public SSH keys. You can add, edit, and delete keys using the options on this screen.

The already uploaded public SSH keys are listed in a table with sortable columns. You can sort the keys by name, fingerprint, whether they are marked as default, and the creation date.

The Actions menu lets you edit and delete your keys.

Add Public SSH Key

To add a new public SSH key:

1. Navigate to the SSH Keys Management screen.

2. Click the Add a Public SSH Key button.

3. Enter the key name.

4. Paste your public SSH key content in the field.

5. Optionally, set the key as default, and the key will be preselected at the Deploy New Server screen.

6. Click add. The key appears in the API credentials table.

Add as many keys as you want. You can grant access to multiple accounts and applications by uploading different public SSH keys.

Edit Public SSH Key

To edit an SSH key name:

1. Navigate to the SSH Keys Management page.

2. Locate the public SSH key and click Actions under the Manage column.

3. Select Edit from the menu.

4. Change the name and click Update Key. Optionally, set the key as default.

It is not possible to edit the public SSH key content. If you need to edit the content, delete the key, and create a new one.

Delete Public SSH Key

To delete a public SSH key:

1. Navigate to the SSH Keys Management page.

2. Locate the public SSH key and click Actions under the Manage column.

3. Select Delete from the menu.

4. Select Delete SSH Key to remove the key permanently.

Conclusion

You should now know how to use the Bare Metal Cloud portal. The steps listed in this guide helped you create and manage Bare Metal Cloud Servers, view the reports, and add and manage API Credentials and public SSH keys.

For any questions or concerns about your BMC servers, contact the Support Team.