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bwCloud-OS User Wiki

Welcome to the bwCloud-OS User Wiki - the central guide to using the multi-region OpenStack cloud shared across Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This cloud is jointly operated by the universities of Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, and Ulm, and is available to users from all participating educational institutions.

This wiki is primarily designed to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) and provide practical guidance for common tasks when using the bwCloud-OS service. General information about the bwCloud-OS and related projects is available on the bwCloud-OS website.

If you need technical assistance beyond what is covered here, please open a support ticket via the bwSupportPortal.

Quickstart

I. Register and/or Log in ▼

1. Go to the bwCloud-OS Dashboard.
2. Select bwIDM via OpenID Connect and click Sign In.
3. Choose your home institution and log in with your university credentials.
4. If logging in for the first time, register for bwCloud SCOPE by accepting the terms of use.
5. After login or registration, you will be redirected to the bwCloud-OS Dashboard.

See the Registration page for more details.

II. Upload or Create an SSH Key ▼

1. Log in to the Dashboard.
2. Go to Project → Compute → Key Pairs.
3. Choose one of the following options:
   • To import an existing key: Click Import Public Key, enter a name, select SSH Key type, and upload your public SSH key. Then click Import.
   • To create a new key pair: Click Create Key Pair, enter a name, select SSH Key type, and click Create. The private key will be downloaded automatically.
4. Make sure the private key is securely stored and accessible on your local machine.

For help generating an SSH key, see our SSH Guide.

III. Launch a Virtual Machine ▼

1. Go to Compute → Instances → Launch Instance and fill out the tabs:
   1. Details: Assign a name
   2. Source: Choose an image (e.g., Debian 12)
   3. Flavor: Select a resource package (e.g., m1.small)
   4. Networks: Choose the appropriate network
   5. Key Pair: Select your SSH key
2. Click Launch and wait for the instance to finish building and enter Running state.

For full details on managing instances, see the Instances page.

IV. Connect to Your VM ▼

Connect to your VM via SSH from a terminal using the following command:

ssh -i /path/to/private-key <user>@<address>

• <user> is the default username, e.g. ubuntu for Ubuntu images. For other images, see the Image Overview.
• <address> is the DNS name (FQDN) or the public IP address of your running instance. Both can be found in the Dashboard, on the Instances page.

For (advanced) SSH connection methods, see our SSH Guide.

Topic Hub – Sections

• 🆔 Registration – Identity Management, Entitlements, Regions
• 🖥️ Instances (VMs) – Launching Virtual Machines (VMs), Access to VMs (SSH), Flavors, Images
• 🌐 Networks – IPs, FQDNs & DNS, Public and Private Networks
• 🛡️ Security – Open and Closed Ports, Security Groups, Security Incidents
• 💾 Storage – Volumes, Snapshots, Backups
• 👥 Projects & Quota – Projects, Group Management, Quota Changes
• ⚙️ Automation – API Access, Automation Tools (e.g., Ansible, Terraform)

Other Notes

• 📖 Glossary - Key Terms Used in bwCloud-OS