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# Using IMDS to reallocate a replica

*Last Updated: May 20, 2026*

Using the IMDS, you can reallocate a replica from within the running container. This is often done in combination with
[performance monitoring](/container-engine/tutorials/performance/performance-monitoring) to allow applications to
self-monitor and reject under-performing nodes. You can find code samples and the full API reference in the
[IMDS API documentation](/reference/imds/reallocate). This endpoint requires you to provide a reason for reallocation,
which we use to continuously improve our service.

Use reallocation carefully. When a replica reallocates away from a node, that node is temporarily excluded from your
allocation pool. If your application rejects nodes too aggressively, it can cycle through available capacity and fail to
allocate until exclusions expire or more capacity becomes available.

## Example Usage

```bash theme={null}
curl --request POST \
  --url http://169.254.169.254/v1/reallocate \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'Metadata: true' \
  --data '{
  "reason": "Insufficient Upload Bandwidth"
}'
```