General Sharing FAQs

How Many Tenants Can I Share an Image With?

128

A system disk image or data disk image can be shared with up to 256 tenants, but a full-ECS image can only be shared with up to 10 tenants.

How Many Images Can Be Shared with Me?

There is no limit.

Do Shared Images Affect My Private Image Quota?

No.

I Shared an Image to an Account But the Account Did Not Accept or Reject the Image. Will My Image Sharing Quota Be Consumed?

No.

Where Can I View the Images Shared with Me?

Switch to the region where the shared image is, and choose Service List > Computing > Image Management Service > Images Shared with Me.

If you are a multi-project user, make clear which of your projects will receive the shared image. Switch to the region where the project is and select the project. Then, choose Service List > Computing > Image Management Service > Images Shared with Me.

If the image is not accepted, a red dot is displayed on the Images Shared with Me tab page and a message is displayed, asking you whether to accept the shared image. After the image is accepted, it is displayed in the list on the Images Shared with Me tab page.

If I Want to Share a System Disk Image with Another Account, Should the Account Purchase an ECS in Advance?

No. The account can use the shared image to create ECSs.

Is There Any Restriction on the Region When I Create ECSs Using a Shared Image?

Yes. You can only create ECSs in the same region as the shared image.

Can I Share Images Shared with Me with Others?

You cannot directly share such images with other tenants. If you do need to do so, you can replicate a shared image as a private image and then share it.

Can I Use an Image I Have Shared with Others to Create an ECS?

Yes. After sharing an image with others, you can still use the image to create an ECS and use the created ECS to create a private image.

What Are the Risks of Creating ECSs Using a Shared Image?

The image owner can view, stop sharing, or delete the image at any time. After the shared image is deleted, you will be unable to use it to create a new ECS or change the OS of an existing ECS.

The cloud platform does not ensure the integrity or security of images shared by other accounts. You are advised to choose only images shared by trusted accounts.

What Are the Risks of Sharing Images?

Data, files, and software may be disclosed. Before sharing an image, you must take care to delete any sensitive data or important files from the image. The image recipient can use the shared image to create ECSs and use the created ECSs to create private images. If the created private images are shared with others, any data leakage that occurs can be quite widespread.

Can I Specify a Region or an AZ for Sharing an Image?

No. When sharing an image, you can only specify a project ID. You cannot specify a region or an AZ. An image can only be shared within a given region. Once shared, it can be used in any AZ in that region.

Can I Restore My Data Disks from a Data Disk Image Shared by Another Account?

No. You can only use a shared image to create a new data disk but not to restore your existing data disks. However, you can use the new data disk to restore data. For details, see Can I Import Data from a Data Disk Image to a Data Disk?

What Can I Do If I Want to Use a Rejected Image?

If you have rejected an image shared by another tenant, but now want to use it, two methods are available: