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Add a Brev Instance#

Overview#

You don’t need to manually install AI Workbench on the Brev instance.

The Desktop App will bootstrap AI Workbench on the Brev instance when you add it.

Once you connect the Brev integration, you can add a running Brev instance as a location.

AI Workbench needs a live SSH connection to add a remote location.

AI Workbench can see, connect to, and add any running instances you have on Brev. After you add the instance as a location, AI Workbench can manage start and stop.

AI Workbench only supports STOPPABLE instances on Brev.

AI Workbench only supports adding instances that can be stopped instead of terminated. You should NOT try and use AI Workbench with a cloud provider through Brev that lacks stoppable instances.

On Windows, you must do the full local install in order to use the Brev integration.

AI Workbench currently uses the Brev CLI to work with the platform. The Brev CLI requires WSL2 on Windows, and you need to do the full local install to setup this up properly for AI Workbench.

Key Concepts#

NVIDIA Brev

A paid NVIDIA platform that lets you select GPU cloud instances from different cloud providers.

Stoppable Instance

Ability to stop a cloud instance instead of having to terminate, i.e. delete, the instance. Capability varies by cloud provider.

Activate/Deactivate

Connecting/disconnecting to an AI Workbench location and starting/stopping the Workbench Service on that server. Automatically starts or stops a Brev instance that’s a location.

Add a Running Brev Instance#

Step One: Create a Brev account, connect the integration and create a cloud instance.

  1. Follow the guidance here: Brev Integration

  2. Go to GPUs > Create New Instance

  3. Select a GPU type from the horizontal scroll menu

  4. Select a GPU instance configuration and provider from the available cards

  5. Enter a number, disk-size, in Configure and Deploy > Disk Storage

  6. Enter a name, location-name, in Configure and Deploy > Name Instance

  7. Click Configure and Deploy > Deploy to launch the instance

Step Two: Add the running Brev instance as a location.

  1. Go to Locations Manager > Add Remote Location (top RHS) > Get Cloud Instance

  2. Click Next

  3. Select your Brev org from the dropdown at top right

  4. Select the instance with name location-name you created in Step One.

  5. Click Add Location

Step Three: Once it is added, activate the remote location and work in it.

  1. Select Location Manager > Location Card (brev-location-name)

  2. When the location window opens, get to work.

General Brev Guidance#

Check instances on the Brev console frequently.

AI Workbench will start/stop an instance that has been added as a location. However, this can fail if AI Workbench shuts down unexpectedly or the SSH connection is interrupted.

Best policy is to monitor what’s going on in the Brev console.

Do not use unstoppable instances with AI Workbench.

Instance cards in Brev have an stoppable indicator on the RHS. Do not use these when working with AI Workbench.