Home Everyday tasks

Everyday tasks

By D

• 8 articles

Launch your first Cloud Server

A Cloud Server is created through a short four-step wizard. This walks through every field so you know exactly what to choose. Open the wizard 1. Sign in at platform.gewape.cloud. 2. Open Cloud Servers and click Create Instance. Step 1 — Base Config Where the server runs, what it boots, and how big it is. - Availability Zone: the region and zone to run in (Nairobi, Kigali or Huye). Leave it on Any Availability Zone to let the platform choose within the region. - Start Source: choose Operating System to boot a fresh OS. The other options (Image, Instance Snapshot, Bootable Volume) start from something you already have. - Operating System: pick the OS, for example Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Use the search box to filter the list. - System disk: choose Yes - Create a new system disk, then set the disk type and Volume Capacity (GiB). This is the server's root disk. Only choose "No" if you are booting directly from an existing volume. - Flavor: the Server Plan (size). g1.medium (2 vCPU / 4 GB) is a good starting point. See Server Plans explained. - Name: a name you will recognise later, such as web-prod-01. Click Next. Step 2 — Network Config - Networks: select the private network to attach the server to. A default one is provided; select it unless you have created your own (see Private networks and subnets). - Security Group: attach the security group that decides which ports are open. You can attach one now, or open ports later with How to open a port on your server. Click Next. Step 3 — System Config How you will log in. - Login Type: choose Keypair (recommended for Linux) or Password. - Keypair: if you chose Keypair, select your SSH key, or create one now. See Manage your SSH keys. - Hostname / Login Name: the server's hostname and default user. The defaults are fine for most people. - Login Password / Confirm Password: shown only if you chose Password. Set a strong one. - Advanced Options: optionally add the server to a Placement Group for affinity or anti-affinity. Click Next. Step 4 — Confirm Config Review your choices and the estimated cost, then click Create. The server appears in the list and reaches Active in a minute or two. Next: Give your server a public address and Connect over SSH. If you are only testing, delete it afterwards so it stops billing.

Last updated on Jul 14, 2026

Give your server a public address

A new server sits on a private network with no address the internet can reach. To make it reachable you attach a Public IP (also called a Floating IP). Attach one from the server 1. Open Cloud Servers and click your server. 2. From the actions menu choose Associate Floating IP. 3. In the dialog: - IP Address: pick a spare address you already hold, or click Allocate IP to get a new one from the region's pool. - Port: the server's network port to bind the address to. If the server has one network it is filled in for you; otherwise choose the right one. 4. Click OK. The public address now shows on the server and stays with it across reboots. Manage addresses directly You can also allocate and release addresses under Networking, then Public IPs. Because a Floating IP belongs to your account rather than a server, you can detach it from one server and attach it to another, which is handy when you rebuild a server but want to keep the same address. A public address alone does not let traffic in. Open the ports you need next with How to open a port on your server. A Floating IP costs a small amount while allocated, attached or not, so release ones you are not using.

Last updated on Jul 14, 2026

Add storage (create and attach a volume)

A Volume is a disk you attach to a server for extra space or for data you want to keep separate from the server. Creating one has two parts: create the volume, then attach it. Create the volume 1. Open Storage, then Block Storage, and click Create Volume. 2. Fill in the form: - Name: something recognisable, such as db-data. - Volume Source: choose Blank for an empty disk. You can also create one from an Image, a Snapshot, or another volume. - Capacity (GiB): the size in gibibytes. You can grow a volume later, so there is no need to over-provision. - Type / Availability Zone: leave the defaults unless you have a reason to change them. The zone should match the server you will attach it to. 3. Click OK to create it. It appears with status Available. Attach it to a server 1. Open Cloud Servers, click your server, and choose Attach Volume. (You can also attach from the volume's own actions.) 2. Select the volume and confirm. Use it inside the server Attaching makes the disk visible, but the operating system still has to prepare it once. Log in over SSH (how to connect), run lsblk to find the new disk (often /dev/vdb), create a filesystem, mount it, and add it to /etc/fstab so it mounts after a reboot. A volume keeps costing money for as long as it exists, even when detached. If a volume will not attach, the usual cause is that it and the server are in different zones. See A volume will not attach or mount.

Last updated on Jul 14, 2026

Back up your data (snapshots and backups)

A backup is the difference between a bad afternoon and a lost business. There are two ways to keep a safe copy, and it is worth taking one before any big change. Snapshot a whole server A server snapshot captures the entire server, disk and all, at a point in time. 1. Open Cloud Servers and click your server. 2. Choose the snapshot action and give it a Name, such as web-before-upgrade. 3. Create it. Find it later under Cloud Servers, then Server Snapshots. 4. To roll back or clone, launch a new server and choose that snapshot as the Start Source in Create Instance. Back up a data volume If your important data is on a separate volume, back up the volume. 1. Open Storage, then Storage Backups (a full copy) or Storage Snapshots (a fast point-in-time copy). 2. Create one, choose the volume, give it a name, and confirm. 3. Restore later by creating a new volume from the backup or snapshot. A habit worth keeping Take a snapshot right before you upgrade software, change configuration, or resize. Snapshots and backups use storage, so they add a small ongoing cost; delete the old ones you no longer need. Keeping a week or two of history covers most mistakes.

Last updated on Jul 14, 2026

Store files in Object Storage

Object Storage holds files, images, video, downloads and backups, and serves them fast from the region and over the web. Files live in Containers (buckets). Create a container 1. Open Storage, then Object Storage. 2. Click to create a container and fill in: - Name: a short, lowercase name, such as assets. This becomes part of the file's web address, so keep it simple. - Access: choose private (only your keys can read it) or public (anyone with the link can read it). Pick public only for things meant for the open web, like a website's images. 3. Create it. Upload files 1. Open the container. 2. Drag files onto it, or click to browse and select them. You can create folders to organise larger sets. 3. Each object gets an address you can copy and use in a web page or share. Use it from an app Object Storage is S3-compatible. For code and tools, create an S3 access key (see API access and Application Credentials or the S3/EC2 credentials option), then point any S3 client at s3.<region>.gewapecloud.com, for example s3.nbo.gewapecloud.com for Nairobi. Full detail is in the developer docs at developers.gewape.cloud. You pay for how much you store and how much is downloaded, which is far cheaper than serving large files from a server disk. If uploads or access fail, see Object storage access errors.

Last updated on Jul 14, 2026

Create and manage SSH keys

An SSH key lets you log in to a Linux server without a password. It has a public half you give to Gewape Cloud and a private half that stays on your computer. Anyone with the private key can log in as you, so keep it safe. Create a key 1. Open Cloud Servers, then SSH Keys, and start a new key. 2. Choose one of two ways: - Paste an existing public key: if you already have a key pair (for example ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub), give it a Name and paste the public key text. - Generate a new key: give it a Name and let the console create the pair. Download the private key immediately; it is shown once and cannot be retrieved later. 3. Save it. Use it Select the key in the System Config step when you launch a server. It is injected at boot so you can connect straight away with Connect over SSH. If you see "permission denied (publickey)" when connecting, you are almost always using a different key than the one on the server, or the wrong login user for that operating system.

Last updated on Jul 14, 2026

Resize your server

If a server runs out of CPU or memory, or you over-sized it, move it to a different Server Plan without rebuilding. The server keeps its disk, its address and its data. Resize it 1. Open Cloud Servers and click the server. 2. Choose Resize from the actions menu. 3. Pick the new Server Plan. Step up (for example g1.medium to g1.large) for more power, or down to save money. See the sizes in Server Plans explained. 4. Confirm. What to expect - A resize reboots the server, so it is briefly offline. Do it during a quiet window. - Take a snapshot first if the server matters. - When it returns to Active, you are billed at the new plan's rate. A resize changes CPU and memory only. If what you actually need is more disk space, add a volume instead, which needs no reboot. If a server is slow but not maxed out, the cause may be the application rather than the plan; see My server is slow.

Last updated on Jul 14, 2026

Delete resources to stop charges

On Gewape Cloud you pay for what exists, not only for what is switched on. A stopped server, an unused volume, or an idle public address all keep costing until you remove them. Delete a server 1. Open Cloud Servers and click the server. 2. Choose Delete and confirm. Stopping a server does not stop most of its charges; deleting it does. Delete a volume A volume bills whether attached or not, and even when the server is off. 1. Detach it first: from the server or the volume, choose detach. 2. Open Storage, then Block Storage, select the volume, and delete it. Release a public IP 1. Open Networking, then Public IPs. 2. Select an address you are not using and release it. Tidy snapshots and backups Delete old snapshots and backups you no longer need; they use storage. Deleting is permanent and the data does not come back. If there is any chance you will need it, take a snapshot or copy it to Object Storage first. Afterwards, check Track your usage to confirm nothing is still billing.

Last updated on Jul 14, 2026