How to Mount an ISO Image Using noVNC Remote Management
This guide explains how to mount an ISO image on a Dedicated Server that uses noVNC Remote Management.
Mounted ISO images can be used to boot the server from custom installation media, recovery tools or other bootable ISO images.
This option is available only for Dedicated Servers with noVNC remote management support. If your server uses a different IPMI remote management method, this guide may not apply.
If you install an operating system from a custom ISO image, existing data on the server may be removed. We strongly recommend using the Quick Wipe option before starting a custom OS installation to clean all disks and avoid conflicts with old partition tables or existing RAID metadata.
Upload and Mount the ISO Image
First, add the ISO image from the Client Area.
To do this:
- Log in to the Client Area.
- Open your Dedicated Server service.
- Go to the ISO Images tab.
- Click the Add button.
- Enter the direct URL to your ISO image.
The ISO image URL must use:
https://
HTTP URLs are not accepted.
The file must be an ISO image. Other file types are not accepted.
The ISO image must be available through a direct HTTPS URL and the file must be an ISO file. HTTP links and non-ISO files are not supported.
After the ISO image is added and mounted, it will be available inside noVNC remote management.
Only one ISO image can be mounted at the same time. If you want to mount another ISO image, remove the currently mounted ISO first and then add the new one.
Open noVNC Remote Management
After the ISO image is mounted in the Client Area, open noVNC remote management.
You can find the noVNC remote management guide here:
How to Use noVNC Remote Management for a Dedicated Server
After logging in to noVNC, continue with the correct section below depending on your server remote management interface.
Supermicro IPMI
For Supermicro IPMI, the ISO image must be mounted from the Java Console, not from the default HTML console.
Switch the Console to Java
After logging in to IPMI through noVNC:
- Go to IPMI → Remote Control.
- Find the option:
To set the Remote Console default interface, please click here.
Click here and change the default console interface to Java.
After changing the console type, click Launch Console.
For Supermicro IPMI, use the Java Console for ISO mounting. The default HTML console may not provide the required virtual media options.
Mount the ISO Image in Java Console
In the Java Console window:
- Open Virtual Media → Virtual Storage.
- In Logical Drive Type, select HD Image.
- Click Open Image.
- Open the client_iso folder.
- Select your mounted ISO image.
- Click Plug In.
If the ISO image is mounted correctly, you should see a message similar to:
VM Plug-In OK
Boot from the Mounted ISO
After the ISO image is mounted, restart the server from IPMI:
- Go to Power Control.
- Select Set Power Reset.
During server boot, press F11 to open the one-time boot menu.
Do not change the permanent boot order in BIOS. Use the one-time boot menu only.
When the boot menu opens, select:
UEFI - Virtual CDROM
The server will boot from the mounted ISO image.
Dell iDRAC
For Dell servers, the ISO image can be mounted from the iDRAC virtual media menu.
Mount the ISO Image
After logging in to iDRAC through noVNC and opening the console:
- Open Virtual Media → Map CD/DVD from the top menu.
- Click Browse.
- Open the client_iso folder.
- Select your mounted ISO image.
- Click Map Device.
The ISO image will be mounted as a virtual optical drive.
Boot from the Mounted ISO
After the ISO image is mapped, restart the server from the iDRAC console:
- Open the Power menu.
- Restart the server.
During server boot, press F11 to open the boot manager.
In the boot manager, choose:
One-shot UEFI Boot
Do not change the permanent boot order in BIOS. Use the one-shot UEFI boot option only.
In Select UEFI Boot Option, choose:
Virtual Optical Drive
The server will boot from the mounted ISO image.
Recommended Quick Wipe Before Installation
Before installing an operating system from a mounted ISO image, we recommend running Quick Wipe from the Client Area.
Quick Wipe clears existing disk data and helps avoid installation problems caused by old partitions, previous filesystems or existing RAID metadata.
Quick Wipe removes data from the disks. Use it only when you are ready to reinstall the server and you have already backed up all important data.
Verification
If the ISO image appears in the virtual media menu and the server boots from it using the one-time boot menu, the ISO image has been mounted successfully.
If the server does not boot from the ISO image, check that the ISO is still mounted, use the one-time boot menu again and make sure you selected the correct virtual CD/DVD or virtual optical drive option.
