Introduction
Deploying an application instance is the process of selecting an edge app image from the Build section and running it on a specific node or cluster. The wizard collects basic details, the deployment target, the interface set and its network mappings, and custom configuration values before submitting the instance to the node. After Edge Infrastructure Services deploys it, the application instance starts, and EVE-OS (Edge Virtualization Engine) manages it on the node. This article covers deploying to one node or one cluster. To deploy the same application to several nodes in a single tracked job, see Deploy an Application to Multiple Nodes.Prerequisites
- You have the SysManager or SysAdmin role in your enterprise. See Manage Roles.
- At least one edge app image exists in the Build section.
- At least one node is onboarded, online, and assigned to a project.
- The node has at least one network instance configured if the app image declares network interfaces.
Open the Application Instance Creation Wizard
- In the sidebar, navigate to Infrastructure > Workloads > Applications.
- Select the contextual + create action.
Complete the General Step
In the General step, enter the basic details for this instance.- In the Name field, enter a unique identifier for this instance. Use alphanumeric characters and hyphens only (for example,
my-app-prod). This field is required. - In the Title field, enter a human-readable display name. This field is required.
- In the Description field, enter an optional description.
- In the Tags field, add optional key-value pairs to classify this instance. Tags can be used to match deployments and automate policy assignments. See Tagging.
- Click Next.
Complete the Deployment Target Step
In the Deployment Target step, select where to run the application and which app to deploy.- In the Cluster/Nodes dropdown, select the node or cluster to deploy to. This field is required. Selecting two or more nodes switches the wizard to the multi-node path described in Deploy an Application to Multiple Nodes. If you select a cluster:
- Optionally, select a Pinned Node to designate a preferred node within the cluster. Leave blank to let the cluster schedule the instance on any available node.
- If you selected a pinned node, use the Allow Failover toggle to control failover behavior:
- Off (default): the instance is strictly pinned to the selected node and will not run elsewhere.
- On: the selected node is the preferred placement, but the instance can fail over to another cluster node if the preferred node goes offline.
- If you select a two-node HA cluster, the wizard does not offer a Pinned Node. It shows Placement is managed by the cluster instead. While the cluster has two members, the controller runs the instance on the non-seed node. After a quorum reset leaves one member, the instance runs on that surviving node. Two-node HA uses preferred affinity so that the instance can fail over.
- In the Edge App dropdown, search for and select the edge app image you want to deploy. This field is required.
- Start Delay: the number of seconds to wait before the application starts. Enter
0for immediate start. - Disable vTPM: removes the virtual Trusted Platform Module from the VM for this instance. Enable this only when the guest OS is incompatible with vTPM. Not applicable for Docker Compose app types.
- VMM Overhead: overrides the default memory reserved for the hypervisor. Enter the value in MB when the VMM needs additional memory headroom on the target node. Not applicable for Docker Compose app types.
- Persistence Storage Size: shown only when the selected edge app is a VM with the Compose Runtime deployment type. Sets the size of the persistent data volume that stores the runtime’s container state. The value is prefilled from the app and can be overridden per instance. Size it to match the app’s VM drive size (for example, 10 GB). The volume’s data survives upgrades of the runtime software.
- Enable Logs: allows this application instance to send logs to Edge Infrastructure Services. Enabled by default.
- Click Next.
Adjust the App Interfaces
The App Interfaces step appears only when all of the following are true:- The edge app is a VM or container app. Docker Compose, module, and other app kinds do not have an editable interface set.
- The node hosting the instance runs EVE-OS (Edge Virtualization Engine) 17.3.0 LTS or greater, which supports an interface set that differs from the edge app’s definition. On earlier versions, the instance deploys with the interfaces the edge app declares.
- The project the instance belongs to has Interface Ordering enabled. See Interface Ordering for Application Instances.
- Name: a unique identifier for the interface. Use up to 32 letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. Each name must be unique within the instance.
- Kind: select Virtual Network for an interface that attaches to a network instance, or Direct Attach for an interface that maps to an IO adapter on the node.
- Inbound rules and Outbound rules: access control rules for traffic on this interface. When a rule’s action is Limit, set Rate (the sustained number of packets per minute the rule allows) and Burst (how many packets may pass back to back in a spike before the limiter throttles the flow down to the rate).
Map Network Interfaces
In the Network Interfaces step, assign network connections to the interfaces carried over from the previous step. If the instance has no interfaces to assign, a message confirms this and you can skip to the next step. For each interface listed:- Click the interface row to expand it.
- For a standard network interface, select a Network Instance from the dropdown. If no network instances are available on the selected node, use the inline quick-create option to create one.
- For a direct-attach interface (IO adapter), select an IO Adapter Bundle from the dropdown. The available options are drawn from the adapters reported by the selected node.
- For optional interfaces, use the Enabled toggle to include or exclude the interface from this deployment.
- Required interfaces must be assigned before you can proceed.
- Click Next.
Set Custom Configuration Values (Optional)
The Custom Config step appears when the selected app image includes a custom configuration template. Custom configuration variables allow you to provide environment-specific values without modifying the app image itself. For example, you might set a server URL or a feature flag that differs between production and staging deployments.- For each variable shown, enter the appropriate value. Required variables are marked with an asterisk.
- Click Next.
Review and Deploy
The Review step shows a complete summary: name, edge app, deployment target, CPU placement (labeled From app definition or Instance override), the interface set and its network assignments, and custom configuration values.- Review all sections. To make changes, click the relevant section heading or use the Back button.
- When everything is correct, click Create Application.
Track the Create Outcome
The console checks the create job in the background and reports the result in the background-tasks tray, the stack of cards in the corner of the console. The first check runs about 30 seconds after Edge Infrastructure Services accepts the request. The console then checks every 20 seconds, for up to 8 attempts. When the result arrives, the card expands on its own and shows one of the following messages:
Click the link or the X to dismiss the card. You can drag the tray or minimize it while you keep working.
If the job is still running after the last check, the console marks the outcome as unresolved rather than failed. Check the job under Infrastructure > Operations > Jobs to see its final state.
Verify the Deployment
After creating the application instance:- On the App Instances list, locate the new instance.
- Wait for the background-tasks tray card to report Cloud operation completed. If it reports a failure, open the job from the card to review the error.
- Confirm that the status column moves through the transitional states as the node processes the deployment. A typical sequence is Provisioned, Downloading, Verifying, Init, Booting, and then Online. For the full list of states, see Application Instance Status and Health.
- Open the instance to view its detail page and confirm it is running on the expected node.
Next Steps
Manage an Application Instance
Take lifecycle actions, access the remote console, or attach a patch envelope.
Deploy an Application to Multiple Nodes
Deploy the same application to many nodes in a single job.
Monitor Logs
Investigate startup issues or runtime errors.