====== Machine Image ====== [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:start|Go up to Terms and Definitions]] ===== Discussion ===== A Machine Image is a deployable digital representation of the storage content and system configuration required to instantiate a physical or virtual computing machine. The image may contain an operating system, partitions, filesystems, packages, services, users, security settings, configuration data, drivers, and installed capabilities. A Machine Image may serve as the source for a virtual machine, a cloud compute instance, a physical machine installation, or a later image layer. Within Crucible, a Machine Image results from a controlled image build and may be hardened, scanned, signed, converted, registered with a provider, and recorded in an image catalog. ===== Definition ===== //[[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:i:image|image]] that packages the software, configuration, files, metadata, and other content required to instantiate a [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:v:virtual_machine|Virtual Machine]]// ===== Source ===== Generalized from virtualization, cloud computing, operating-system deployment, and machine-image engineering usage and specialized for the Crucible architecture and operational model. ===== Note ===== A Machine Image differs from an [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:i:image_baseline|Image Baseline]]. The Image Baseline defines the controlled inputs and process used to produce the image, while the Machine Image is the resulting deployable artifact. A Machine Image may require provider-specific conversion or registration before deployment to a particular platform. ===== Example ===== Crucible builds a [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:r:rhel]] 9 Machine Image containing an installed operating system, configured filesystems, required packages, security settings, and compliance remediation. A Provider Plugin uploads and registers the image for use by a cloud deployment. ---- © 2026 Dido Solutions, Inc. and Jackrabbit Consulting, Inc.