Showing metadata

To view the metadata on a cloud server, use the nova show command with the appropriate server ID, as shown in the following example:

$ nova show 191ecc6d-a4aa-4cdd-979f-536c55857c90

+----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Property | Value                                                                        |
+----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| created  | 2014-11-18T22:02:06Z                                                         |
| flavor   | 1 GB General Purpose v1 (general1-1)                                         |
| hostId   | a9ebad0b0650501b632c44790b5444eeeff7e824101d13c087815b37                     |
| id       | 191ecc6d-a4aa-4cdd-979f-536c55857c90                                         |
| image    | Ubuntu 14.10 (Utopic Unicorn) (PVHVM) (0766e5df-d60a-4100-ae8c-07f27ec0148f) |
| metadata | {"useful-key": "useful-value"}                                               |
| name     | My Server                                                                    |
| status   | ACTIVE                                                                       |
+----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

The metadata property shows user-defined metadata associated with this server. Setting and updating metadata shows how you can create or delete metadata.

Some metadata are set by Rackspace and not available to be changed by the user. Generally these metadata are used by automation and orchestration systems needed to correctly build and maintain your server.

The metadata that are attached to your server are also stored if you create a snapshot or image from the server, and are restored when a server is built from that image. The key names are prefixed with instance_.

See also

Using flavors to create a new cloud server Changing the characteristics of a cloud server Monitoring events on your cloud server Creating a cloud server in a region Handling host-related issues Operating a cloud server with nova-agent Configuring disks for a cloud server Managing access with SSH keys Synchronizing time with NTP Describing a cloud server with metadata: Setting and updating metadata Showing metadata

Understanding flavor classes: Flavor classes for virtual cloud servers Flavor classes for OnMetal cloud servers Choosing a flavor class Checking for regional availability of flavor classes Controlling cloud server initiation: Controlling boot behavior with cloud-init Controlling boot behavior with a config drive Controlling boot behavior with personality

Understanding Cloud Servers introduces key ideas. To learn how to put these ideas to work, start at Actions for Cloud Servers.