Docker Configuration
What Docker options can I use?
Add Docker run arguments in the template configuration:Can I use my own Docker images?
Yes! When creating a template:- Specify your Docker image URL
- Ensure it’s publicly accessible or provide auth
- Use standard Docker Hub, GHCR, or other registries
- Include all dependencies in the image
Why can’t I run Docker inside my instance?
Docker-in-Docker is disabled for security. Alternatives:- Use separate instances for different containers
- Build multi-service images
- Use process managers like supervisord
Performance Optimization
How can I maximize GPU utilization?
-
Batch size optimization:
- Increase until GPU memory is nearly full
- Monitor with
nvidia-smi
-
Data pipeline:
- Pre-process data
- Use multiple data loader workers
- Cache datasets locally
-
Mixed precision training:
Why is my training slower than expected?
Common issues:- CPU bottleneck - Check data loading
- Network I/O - Download data to local storage first
- Wrong GPU mode - Ensure CUDA is enabled
- Thermal throttling - Some consumer GPUs throttle
- PCIe bandwidth - Multi-GPU setups may be limited
Storage and Volumes
What’s the difference between instance storage and volumes?
Instance Storage:- Included with every instance
- Deleted when instance is destroyed
- Size set at creation (cannot change)
- Faster performance
- Persistent across instances
- Can be attached/detached
- Additional cost
- Good for datasets and checkpoints
How do I use volumes?
- Create a volume in the Volumes section
- Attach when creating an instance
- Mount point specified in template
- Data persists after instance destruction
Environment Setup
How do I install additional packages?
In Jupyter terminal or SSH:/root/onstart.sh
for persistence across restarts.
How do I use specific CUDA versions?
CUDA version depends on the Docker image. To check:Debugging
How do I view instance logs?
- Through web console: Click “Logs” on instance card
- Via CLI:
vastai logs INSTANCE_ID
- Inside instance: Check
/var/log/
directory
My instance won’t start - how do I debug?
- Check instance logs for errors
- Verify Docker image exists and is accessible
- Check if ports are already in use
- Ensure sufficient disk space requested
- Try a different provider
- Contact support with instance ID