Clones
Table of Contents
1. Overview
Clones are virtual machines created from VM images within the Axilon system. They allow you to provision isolated environments for testing, development, or production use. Each clone is linked to a configuration and a VM image, and can optionally be connected to a Windows domain controller.
The Clones page provides full lifecycle management: create, start, stop, suspend, resume, reboot, snapshot, and delete.
2. Browsing Clones
Steps
Click Clones in the sidebar.
The page displays a paginated table (5 items per page by default).
The table auto-refreshes every 5 seconds to show real-time status updates.
Table Columns
Name
Clone name with machine indicator and status badge.
Primary Machine
The source/host machine the clone runs on.
Configuration
The linked configuration name (clickable).
VM Image
The VM image the clone was created from.
Clone Status
Color-coded status badge (Running, Stopped, Paused, Crashed, etc.) with failover indicator.
CPU / RAM
Resource allocation shown as "X vCPUs / Y GB". Hover for usage vs. limits.
Created By
The user who created the clone.
Created At
Creation date.
Actions
Context-sensitive action menu (see Section 5).
Filtering
Use the filters above the table to narrow results:
Configuration
Filter by configuration.
Machine
Filter by host machine.
Status
Filter by clone status.
3. Creating a Clone
Required role: Global Admin
Steps
Go to Clones.
Click "Create Clone" in the page header.
Fill out the form sections:
Basic Information
Name
Yes
Minimum 5 characters
A unique name for the clone.
Description
Yes
1--128 characters
Describe the clone's purpose.
Machine
No
--
Optionally link to an existing machine.
Configuration
Yes
Must be a valid configuration
Select the backup/restore configuration. Filtered by machine if one is selected.
VM Image and Ports
VM Image
Yes
Select from available clone images.
Port Ranges
No
Define ranges of ports to expose (protocol, start port, end port).
Individual Ports
No
Define specific ports to expose (protocol, guest port).
Port values must be between 1 and 65535. End port must be greater than or equal to the start port.
Resources
CPU Allocated
Yes
Use the slider to select the number of vCPUs (minimum 1). The maximum is determined by the system's resource limits.
Memory Allocated
Yes
Use the slider to select RAM in MB (minimum 2048 MB / 2 GB). The maximum is determined by the system's resource limits.
The sliders display current allocation vs. available resources (e.g., "4 vCPUs out of 16 vCPUs").
Network
Network
Yes
Select from available clone networks.
If the selected network is a Bridge type, additional fields appear:
Address
Yes
Valid IPv4 with CIDR notation (e.g., 192.168.1.100/24).
DNS
Yes
At least one valid IPv4 DNS address.
Gateway
Yes
Valid IPv4 address.
MAC
Yes
Valid MAC address (e.g., aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff).
Domain Controller Settings
See Section 9 for full details.
Click "Submit".
On success, a confirmation notification appears and the clone begins provisioning.
4. Viewing Clone Details
Steps
In the Clones table, click View in the row's actions menu, or click the clone name.
The details page shows:
Clone Statistics
Status
Current status with failover indicator.
Configuration
Linked configuration name (clickable to scroll to config section).
Resources
vCPUs and RAM with tooltip showing usage vs. limits.
Created By
The user who created the clone.
Created At
Creation date.
Updated At
Last modification date.
RDP Credentials
When the clone is Running, this section displays remote desktop connection credentials:
RDP username
RDP password
Connection information
If credentials cannot be retrieved, an error alert is shown.
Image Information
VM Image name used to create the clone.
Network Information
Network type (Bridge or NAT).
IP address and network name.
For Bridge networks: static IP, DNS servers, gateway, and MAC address.
Port mappings (if configured).
Machine Information
Clone Machine details: name, status, and properties.
Primary Machine details: the host machine name, status, and properties.
Configuration Information
Full details of the linked configuration.
5. Managing Clone Lifecycle
The actions available for a clone depend on its current status.
Available Actions by Status
Running
Stop, Suspend, Reboot, Create Snapshot, Resync, Start/Stop Failover
Stopped
Start, Delete
Paused / Suspended
Resume, Delete
Crashed
Start, Delete
Action Descriptions
Start
Powers on the clone VM.
Stop
Gracefully shuts down the clone VM.
Suspend
Pauses the clone, preserving its current memory state.
Resume
Resumes a suspended clone from its saved state.
Reboot
Restarts the clone VM.
Create Snapshot
Captures the clone's current state as a VM snapshot.
Resync
Re-synchronizes the clone with its configuration.
Start Failover
Activates failover mode for the clone.
Stop Failover
Deactivates failover mode.
Delete
Permanently removes the clone (see Section 7).
Required role: Global Admin for all management actions.
6. Updating a Clone
Required role: Global Admin
Steps
Navigate to the clone's details page.
Click "Update" in the header.
The form is pre-filled with the clone's current values. Modify any fields as needed.
Click "Submit".
A confirmation notification appears on success.
7. Deleting a Clone
Required role: Global Admin
Steps
In the Clones table, click Delete in the row's actions menu.
Confirm the deletion in the dialog.
A confirmation notification appears on success.
Note: The clone must be in a Stopped, Paused, or Crashed state before it can be deleted.
8. Networking
Clones support two network types:
NAT (Network Address Translation)
The clone shares the host machine's network connection.
Port forwarding is configured through the port ranges and individual ports fields.
No additional network configuration is needed.
Bridge
The clone gets its own IP address on the physical network.
You must provide:
Address in CIDR notation (e.g., 192.168.1.100/24)
At least one DNS server IP
A Gateway IP
A MAC address
9. Domain Controller Settings
Clones can optionally be joined to a Windows domain or configured as a domain controller.
Connecting to a Domain Controller
Enable the "Connect to DC" checkbox to reveal domain connection settings. You have two options:
Option A: Select an Existing DC Machine
Enable "Connect to DC".
Select a Domain Controller machine from the dropdown (lists available DC clones in the system).
Provide a DC Script -- a PowerShell or batch script that configures the domain join. The script must contain the
<DC_IP_ADDRESS>placeholder, which is replaced with the actual DC IP at runtime.
Option B: Specify DC Credentials Manually
Enable "Connect to DC".
Fill in all four credential fields:
Domain Hostname
Yes
The hostname or FQDN of the domain controller.
Domain Name
Yes
The domain name (e.g., company.local).
DC Admin Username
Yes
An administrator account on the domain controller.
DC Admin Password
Yes
The password for the admin account.
Note: If you provide any one of the four credential fields, all four are required.
Sysprep
When "Connect to DC" is enabled, an additional "Sysprep" checkbox appears. Enable it to run Windows Sysprep as part of the domain join process (used for Windows image preparation).
Configuring as a Domain Controller
Enable the "Is Domain Controller" checkbox to designate this clone as a domain controller. A DC Script is required to set up the DC role.
DC Script Variables
The DC script must include the <DC_IP_ADDRESS> placeholder when connecting to a DC. This is replaced at runtime with the actual IP address of the selected domain controller.
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