Cloud instance console and logs

Once you’ve created your cloud instance you will need tools to help you manage and troubleshoot your instance effectively. 

In the xneelo Cloud dashboard each instance has a graphical console that provides direct access to the terminal of an instance. If you lose access to an instance, you can log in to the console to troubleshoot or run commands. 

You can also view the output log from the console, or view the action log to see what major actions were performed on the instance.


  • Access instance console

    The console for a cloud instance can be accessed in the cloud dashboard. If the instance is shut off the console cannot be accessed.

    Once you’ve launched the console, you will need to log in as an admin user (a user with the relevant permissions).

    If this is the first time you are connecting to the instance, you may not be able to log in as the default user.

    • On most Linux images the root password is disabled by default.
    • You will first need to connect to the instance via SSH.
    • You can then create a user with administrative permissions, or set a password for the default user (not recommended).
    • You can then log into the console with these credentials.

    See more on how to connect via SSH and manage users.

    Steps

    1. 1
      Using the menu on the left, navigate to Compute > Instances.
    2. 2
      In the Instance table, find the instance you want to view.
    3. 3
      There are two ways to access the instance log:
    • Either click on the Instance Name (blue, hyperlinked text). The Overview tab will load and display. Click on the Console tab.
    • Or, in the Actions column, select the down ▼ button. A drop-down menu will appear. Scroll down and select Console.
    1. 4
      The graphical console will display, and allow keyboard input. To enable keyboard input click the grey status bar.
    2. 5
      If the instance is running and the operating system has booted successfully: The login prompt should display. You can then log in to the console with valid user credentials.





  • View instance console log

    The instance log contains the text output from the instance console, including the history. This can be used to help diagnose problems by reviewing events and errors.

    Error messages such as failing to find a disk, file system errors, or syntax errors in config files will also display here. 

    Instance states will affect the console log:

    • If the instance is shut off the console log cannot be displayed.
    • The console log is reset when an instance is hard rebooted.

    Steps

    1. 1
      Using the menu on the left, navigate to Compute > Instances.
    2. 2
      In the Instance table, find the instance you want to view.
    3. 3
      There are two ways to access the instance log:
    • Either click on the Instance Name (blue, hyperlinked text). The Overview tab will load and display. Click on the Log tab.
    • Or, in the Actions column, select the down ▼ button. A drop-down menu will appear. Scroll down and select View Log.
    1. 4
      In the Log Length field, you can specify how many lines of the log to display. Enter a numerical value in the field. Select the Go button to refresh the log.
    2. 5
      Select the View Full Log button to access the entire console log. This will open a new browser tab, displaying the complete console log output.





  • View instance action log

    The action log allows you to view the major actions that have been performed on an instance since it was initially created. 

    The action, start time and user ID is displayed. This can be used to help diagnose problems, and see when major changes occurred on the instance, and by the user that initiated the change.

    These actions include creation, resize, attach/detach volumes, lock/unlock, reboots, rebuilds, etc.

    Steps

    1. 1
      Using the menu on the left, navigate to Compute > Instances.
    2. 2
      In the Instance table, find the instance you want to view.
    3. 3
      There are two ways to access the instance log:
    • Click on the Instance Name (blue, hyperlinked text). The Overview tab will load and display.
    • Or, in the Action column, select the down ▼ button. A drop-down menu will appear. Scroll down and select Console.
    1. 4
      Scroll down to view the list of actions that have occurred on the instance.



Assist Note

Take a look at our other articles and guides on xneelo Cloud.

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