# Create and configure an Arm-based virtual machine instance on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

## In this learning path

- [Introduction](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/)
- [Create and configure an Arm-based virtual machine instance on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/oci-instance-start/)
- [Install the Minecraft server on an Arm-based virtual machine](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/minecraft-server-install/)
- [Connect to the server from the Minecraft client](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/minecraft-client-connect/)
- [Next Steps](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/_next-steps/)

## Set up and launch a virtual machine instance
To create an Ampere powered A1 virtual machine (VM) instance that you’ll use for the Minecraft server, follow these steps:

1. Log on to [Oracle Cloud](https://cloud.oracle.com).
2. On the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) dashboard, go to **Compute > Instances** to start a new instance:  
   ![](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/oci_compute_dashboard.webp)  
   *Navigate to Compute -> Instances in the OCI dashboard*
3. Select **Create instance**.
4. Select an availability domain for your instance.
5. Under **Image and shape**, select **Edit**.
6. To update the instance’s image, select **Change image**.
7. In the **Select an image** panel, search for and select **Oracle Linux 9**, then select **Select image**.
8. To update the shape of the instance, select **Change shape** and update the following in the **Browse all shapes** panel:
   - For **Instance type**, select **Virtual machine**.
   - For **Shape series**, select **Ampere**.
   - For **Image**, select **VM.Standard.A1.Flex**.
   - Allocate two OCPUs and 12 GB of memory to your instance.  
     ![](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/oci_change_shape.webp)  
     *Configure the VM instance shape to VM.Standard.A1.Flex*
9. After updating the instance shape, select **Select shape**.
10. Leave the security and storage options as defaults. Then, under **Networking**, update the following:
    - Create a new Virtual Cloud Network (VCN) and public subnet if you don’t have one already, or choose an existing VCN configuration.
    - Select **Automatically assign public IPv4 address** to allow remote access to your Minecraft server instance.
    - Create and download an SSH key pair if you don’t already have one, or upload the public key for an existing key pair so that you can connect to your instance over SSH after it’s created.
11. After verifying that the instance is correctly configured, choose **Create** to provision a new instance. It can take up to 2 minutes for your instance to be created.

## Allow clients to connect to the Minecraft server instance
After creating the instance, change the network policy to allow clients to connect to the Minecraft server over TCP port number `25565`.

To do this, modify the networking settings for the instance as follows:

1. On the **OCI Instances** page, choose the Minecraft server instance.
2. Under the **Networking** tab, select the subnet name.  
   ![](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/oci_instance_networking.webp)  
   *Open the subnet from the instance Networking tab*
3. Under the **Security** tab of the subnet page, choose the security list which is active for the instance. By default, this is called **Default Security List for vcn-xxxxxxxx**.  
   ![](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/subnet_security_list.webp)  
   *Select the Default Security List on the Subnet Details page*
4. Under **Security rules**, select **Add Ingress Rules** to add a new ingress rule, then update the following:
   - Set **Source CIDR** to the public IP address (or range) of the players who’ll connect to your server. For example, if your home IP address is `203.0.113.45`, set the Source CIDR to **203.0.113.45/32** to allow only that address.  
     You can find your current public IP address by searching “what is my IP address?” in a web browser from the network you’ll use to connect. You can add multiple ingress rules if players connect from different networks.
     
     **Warning**  
     ```  
     Avoid using `0.0.0.0/0` as the **Source CIDR**. `0.0.0.0/0` opens the port to the entire internet and exposes your server to unauthorized access attempts. Always restrict access to only the IP addresses that need to connect.  
     ```
   - Set the **Destination Port Range** field to **25565**.  
     ![](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/open_minecraft_port.webp)  
     *Security list ingress rule for Minecraft traffic on port 25565*

## Connect to the instance over SSH
After creating the instance and opening a port for the Minecraft server, navigate to the **Networking** tab for the instance:  
![](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/oci_instance_networking.webp)  
*Find the instance public IPv4 address*

Note the IP address under **Public IPv4 address**.

SSH into your instance, replacing `<path to private key>` with the path to your SSH private key and `<public IPv4 address>` with the instance’s public IP:
```
ssh -i <path to private key> opc@<public IPv4 address>
```

## What you’ve accomplished and what’s next
You’ve now provisioned an Ampere A1 virtual machine instance on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, configured its virtual network to assign a public IP address, opened port `25565`, and connected to the server securely over SSH.

Next, you’ll install Java and download the Minecraft server software.