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Cloning Your Servers: How to Easily Duplicate VMs in KVM

7 January 2026bpd · ubuntu

Create New Servers in Seconds, Not Hours

A key advantage of virtualization, as explained in the ‘Ubuntu System Administration Guide’, is the ability to create new servers effortlessly. Instead of going through the full installation process every time, you can create a ‘golden image’ and then clone it to create identical copies.

The Cloning Workflow

The process is simple using KVM’s Virtual Machine Manager:

  1. Install a Base Server: First, install a fresh Ubuntu Server in a virtual machine. Perform any initial updates and configurations that you want to be present in all your future servers.
  2. Clone the VM: Once your base server is ready, you can simply right-click on it in the KVM interface and select the ‘Clone’ option.
  3. Deploy a New Instance: Give the clone a new name, and KVM will create a new, independent virtual machine that is an exact copy of your original.

This technique is incredibly powerful for setting up testing environments or deploying multiple servers for an application, saving you a significant amount of time and ensuring consistency across your infrastructure.

This post is based from content of the book Ubuntu System adminstration guide. And the book can be found here https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mattias-Hemmingsson/author/B0FF5CQX13