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POST
Create instance

Authorizations

Authorization
string
header
required

Create an API token using sf tokens create or at https://sfcompute.com/dashboard/tokens.

Body

application/json
pool
string
required

A resource path like 'sfc:pool:acme:prod:my-pool' or an ID. Resource paths are human-readable but not stable - they change when resources are renamed or moved. IDs are stable and permanent.

Pattern: (pool_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21})|(sfc:pool:[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+(:[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+){2,2})
Example:

"pool_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"

image
string
required

Machine image to boot from: an image ID, a resource path (follows the latest active version of the name), or a resource path pinned to one version with an @<version> suffix (e.g. sfc:image:sfcompute:public:ubuntu-22.04@2). Pins may launch a deprecated version; revoked versions never launch.

instance_sku
required

Instance SKU this instance will run on. The instance is pinned to the SKU's underlying hardware pool at create time — it will not land on any other SKU. See GET /preview/v2/instance_skus to enumerate the SKUs visible to your account.

Pattern: isku_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}
Example:

"isku_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"

name
null | string
Required string length: 1 - 255
Pattern: [a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]{0,254}
Example:

"my-resource-name"

cloud_init_user_data
string<byte>

Base64-encoded cloud-init user data. Maximum 64KB.

Example:

"IyEvYmluL2Jhc2gKZWNobyBoZWxsbyB3b3JsZAo="

infiniband_partition
string | null

InfiniBand partition to join: an ibpart_ id, a resource path, or a partition name. Whichever form you use, the partition must belong to the pool's workspace and sit in the SKU's region and availability zone. A bare name is resolved within the pool's workspace, where partition names are unique; an id or a resource path resolves account-wide and is then checked against that workspace. Available to accounts enrolled in the InfiniBand preview.

enable_public_ipv4
boolean

Whether to assign a public IPv4 address to this instance. When false (the default), only SSH (TCP port 22) is open on the instance and no other ports accept inbound traffic. When true, the chosen instance_sku must advertise the SKU property public_ipv4 with value "yes".

firewall
null | string

Firewall to attach to this instance's public IP, e.g. sfc:firewall:acme:prod:default to use the workspace's auto-managed default firewall.

Required when enable_public_ipv4 = true; forbidden otherwise.

Pattern: (frwl_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21})|(sfc:firewall:[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+(:[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+){2,2})
Example:

"frwl_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"

tags
null | object

Optional metadata tags for this instance.

Example:
priority_level
null | enum<string>

Instance priority. Omit to default to normal.

Available options:
yield,
normal,
preferred,
critical

Response

Instance created.

id
required

Accepts the canonical prefix below; additional legacy prefixes are aliased for read compatibility. Writes always emit the canonical form.

Pattern: inst_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}
Example:

"inst_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"

resource_path
string
required

A resource path for a instance resource. Format: sfc:instance:::.

Pattern: sfc:instance:([a-zA-Z0-9._-]+:){2}[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+
Example:

"sfc:instance:<account_id>:<workspace>:<name>"

owner
string
required
Required string length: 1 - 255
Pattern: [a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]{0,254}
Example:

"my-resource-name"

workspace
string
required
Required string length: 1 - 255
Pattern: [a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]{0,254}
Example:

"my-resource-name"

workspace_id
string
required
Pattern: wksp_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}
Example:

"wksp_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"

name
string
required
Required string length: 1 - 255
Pattern: [a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]{0,254}
Example:

"my-resource-name"

object
string
default:instance
required
read-only
Allowed value: "instance"
status
enum<string>
required

awaiting_allocation when waiting for compute allocation on its capacity, running once assigned and the physical machine is running (still takes time for the image to be downloaded and booted), terminated when stopped by the user or after running out of allocation, failed on hardware fault.

Values are not exhaustive across API versions. Clients should tolerate new statuses.

Available options:
awaiting_allocation,
running,
terminated,
failed
instance_sku
object
required

Instance SKU this instance is pinned to.

capacity
object
required

Deprecated — use pool. The pool this instance is utilizing.

pool
object
required

A pool referenced by id and name.

created_at
integer<int64>
required

Unix timestamp.

Example:

1738972800

updated_at
integer<int64>
required

Unix timestamp (seconds) when the instance was last updated.

Example:

1738972800

image
object
required

Image this instance was launched from.

cloud_init_user_data_used
boolean
required

Whether cloud-init user data is configured for this instance.

managed_by
object

Deployment or spot deployment managing this instance, if any.

cloud_init_user_data
string<byte>

Base64-encoded cloud-init user data.

Example:

"IyEvYmluL2Jhc2gKZWNobyBoZWxsbyB3b3JsZAo="

subnet
null | string

Subnet this instance is placed in, if any. Instances without a subnet use an ephemeral subnet (isolated, no east-west traffic with other VMs).

Pattern: snet_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}
Example:

"snet_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"

private_ip
string

Private IPv4 address assigned to this instance within its subnet, if any.

enable_public_ipv4
boolean

Whether this instance requires a public IPv4 address. When false, only SSH (TCP port 22) is open on the instance and no other ports accept inbound traffic.

public_ip
string

Public IPv4 address assigned to this instance. Present only when enable_public_ipv4 = true; omitted otherwise.

firewall
null | string

Firewall attached to this instance's public IP. Omitted when the instance has enable_public_ipv4 = false.

Pattern: frwl_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}
Example:

"frwl_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"

infiniband_partition
null | string

InfiniBand partition this instance is a member of, if any. Set at create time and fixed for the instance's lifetime.

Pattern: ibpart_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}
Example:

"ibpart_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"

tags
null | object

Metadata tags attached to this instance.

Example:
expected_shutdown_at
null | integer<int64>

Deprecated. Always returned as null.

Example:

1738972800

priority_level
null | enum<string>

Instance priority. Lower-priority instances are terminated first when the capacity's quota drops below the running-instance count.

Available options:
yield,
normal,
preferred,
critical