It is worth being clear about what an image is not. It is not a full backup of a VM. It holds the disk’s contents only, not the machine type, network, or metadata of the VM it came from. For backing up and restoring a disk’s data, a snapshot is the tool, and for capturing a whole VM with all its disks and settings, a machine image is. The Creating a Machine Image guide in this series covers that difference in detail.<\/p>\r\n
This walks through creating a custom image in the console, then deleting one, along with the safer option of deprecating an image instead, and what each choice costs.<\/p>\r\n
Prerequisites:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Open the console, then to create image click Compute Engine> Images<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Click Create image.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Give the image a name, then choose the source and the source disk, which is the disk you want to turn into an image. If that disk is attached to a running VM, Google recommends stopping the VM first so the disk is in a clean state. If you keep it running, the console asks you to confirm by selecting Keep instance running. For Windows VMs, stop the instance first.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Choose the type of encryption you want, then click Create. By default Google manages the key, and you can choose a key you control instead. The image of the disk is created.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Before you delete, check whether anything still refers to the image, such as an instance template or a script that creates VMs from it by name. Once an image is deleted, Google’s documentation says an error is returned if you try to use it. Stored images also cost money, which is a good reason to remove ones you no longer need.<\/p>\r\n Select the image you want to delete and click Delete.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Click Delete to confirm. The image is removed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If you are retiring an image that other people or systems might still depend on, deprecating it is gentler. Google gives an image four states.<\/p>\r\n Deprecation also works as a rollback. If a new image in a family turns out to be bad, deprecate it and the family points back to the previous one.<\/p>\r\n Custom images are billed for the storage they use, based on their size and where they are stored. Creating a VM from an image also creates a disk, which has its own cost. Delete images and test VMs you no longer need.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Step by Step Process of Creating and Deleting a Custom Image<\/h2>\r\n
Step One: Open Images<\/h3>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prwatech.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-10.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nStep Two: Create an Image<\/h3>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prwatech.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-14.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nStep Three: Name It and Choose the Source Disk<\/h3>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prwatech.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/3-11.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nStep Four: Choose Encryption and Create<\/h3>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prwatech.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/4-13.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOther Choices on the Image Form<\/h3>\r\n
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Deleting an Image<\/h2>\r\n
Step Five: Select the Image to Delete<\/h3>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prwatech.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/5-10.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nStep Six: Confirm the Deletion<\/h3>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prwatech.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/6-10.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nDeprecating an Image Instead of Deleting It<\/h2>\r\n
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What It Costs?<\/h2>\r\n
Common Mistakes to Avoid<\/h2>\r\n