How to troubleshoot an unreachable instance
Note: This article relates to a product currently in beta testing.
This guide serves as a checklist for addressing common problems if your instance is unreachable. It’s important to note that xneelo does not have access to your instances and cannot inspect your data. To aid in resolving the issue, kindly furnish any error messages, logs, or relevant details you encounter.
Check the status of the instance
Refer to the following guide to determine the possible implications of the instance’s status.
Check the instance console and log for any errors
Once you have accessed your Cloud dashboard, navigate to Compute > Instances and click on your instance name. Inside the instance details page, you should see a Console tab. Click on it to access the console view of the instance. The console view will display the boot and login process of the instance. If the instance is running and the operating system has booted successfully, you should eventually see the login prompt.
Select the Log tab. This displays the last 35 lines of the console’s output. A properly booted instance has a login prompt which could be slightly buried in the log.
Error messages such as failing to find a disk, file system errors, or syntax errors in config files will also generally display there. These types of errors are more difficult to fix without creating a new instance, however, a ticket to support is recommended.
On the same Log page mentioned above, locate and click the View Full Log button located at the upper right corner. This action will open a new browser tab, displaying the complete console log output. Look for ‘eth’, ‘ens’, or ‘cloud-init’ occurrences. Certain issues could involve the inability to detect a network device or, in cases where a snapshot was used, the network not being reconfigured appropriately.
To further troubleshoot, compare the output of the cloud-init network configuration (if available) with the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses assigned to the instance.
Verify the correct instance IP address is used as displayed in your Cloud dashboard.
Check your Security Group rules
Security rules are IP filters that define networking access to an instance. It is an individual component within a security group that represents specific traffic types and their allowed direction (ingress or egress). By combining multiple rules within a security group, a customized virtual firewall is created to effectively control access to instances and enhance their security.
Steps
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1Login to your xneelo Cloud dashboard.
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2Using the menu on the left, navigate to the Security Groups page Network > Security Groups
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3On the right-hand side of the list of security groups, click on Edit Security Groups in the Actions column to confirm the necessary security groups are in the 'Instance Security Groups' list on the right.
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4Click on Manage Rules and check that the security group(s) assigned to the instance have the ports open that are being checked. If any of these rules are missing, consider adding the rules to restore the default functionality.
Reboot the instance
While identifying the root cause of an issue is the preferred approach prior to rebooting an instance, if none of the aforementioned solutions have resolved the problem, it’s advisable to proceed with a reboot. Should the reboot resolve the issue, remember to attach the console logs that were previously collected if you decide to open a support request.
If you have ensured the accuracy of the steps above but challenges persist, it’s worthwhile to contemplate recent alterations. For instance, changes such as introducing additional firewalls, substantial system upgrades that might impact kernels or network setups, or modifications to configuration files that could hinder the boot process in cases where a program fails to initiate, could potentially be contributing factors.
Should there be no other indication of issues in the above logs and configurations, please contact support with all available information.
