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Overview

Xloud Compute instances receive a from the network they are attached to at launch. To provide external access, a is allocated from an external network pool and associated with the instance’s fixed IP. Floating IPs are independent of the instance lifecycle — they can be disassociated, re-associated with a different instance, and retained across instance termination.
Prerequisites
  • An active Xloud project with member or admin role
  • At least one external network with available floating IP addresses
  • A running instance with a fixed IP address
  • CLI users: Xloud CLI configured and credentials sourced

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Fixed vs Floating IPs

AttributeFixed IPFloating IP
AssignmentAutomatic at instance launchManually allocated and associated
ScopeInternal project networkExternal / routable network
PersistenceTied to instance lifetimeIndependent — survives instance deletion if retained
Re-associationNot movableCan be moved between instances without release
Use caseInternal service communicationExternal access, public-facing services

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Allocate a Floating IP

Navigate to Floating IPs

Log in to the Xloud Dashboard (https://connect.<your-domain>) and navigate to Project → Network → Floating IPs.

Allocate an IP

Click Allocate IP to Project. In the dialog:
FieldDescription
PoolExternal network to allocate from (e.g., public, external)
DescriptionOptional label to identify the IP’s purpose
Click Allocate IP.
The new floating IP appears in the list with status Down (not yet associated).

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Associate a Floating IP with an Instance

Open the floating IP actions

Navigate to Project → Network → Floating IPs. Click Associate next to the allocated IP.

Select the target instance port

In the Manage Floating IP Associations dialog:
FieldDescription
IP AddressThe floating IP being associated
Port to be associatedSelect the instance port (shows instance name and fixed IP)
Click Associate.
The floating IP row shows the associated fixed IP and instance name. The instance Addresses column in the Instances list now includes the floating IP.

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Disassociate a Floating IP

Disassociating removes the floating IP from the instance but retains it in your project for future use.
Navigate to Project → Network → Floating IPs and click Disassociate next to the IP. Alternatively, navigate to the instance Actions → Disassociate Floating IP.
The floating IP status returns to Down and is available for re-association.

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Release a Floating IP

Releasing returns the floating IP to the external network pool and removes it from your project’s allocation.
Navigate to Project → Network → Floating IPs. In the Actions dropdown for the IP, select Release Floating IP.
Releasing a floating IP permanently removes it from your project. Any DNS records or external references to this IP must be updated. The IP may be allocated to a different project after release.

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Floating IP Pool Limits

Each project has a quota on the number of floating IPs that can be allocated simultaneously. Exceeding this quota returns a QuotaExceeded error.To check your current allocation against quota:
Check floating IP quota
openstack quota show --detail | grep floating
Contact your administrator to request a quota increase if needed.

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Next Steps

Security Groups

Configure firewall rules to control access to instances with floating IPs

Launch an Instance

Create a new instance and configure network access from the start

Xloud Networking

Create routers, subnets, and configure external network connectivity

Compute User Guide

Overview of all compute operations and instance lifecycle management