diff --git a/tempest/api/telemetry/base.py b/tempest/api/telemetry/base.py
index 5d1784f..8f07614 100644
--- a/tempest/api/telemetry/base.py
+++ b/tempest/api/telemetry/base.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
 from tempest_lib import exceptions as lib_exc
 
+from tempest.common import compute
 from tempest.common.utils import data_utils
 from tempest import config
 from tempest import exceptions
@@ -73,9 +74,11 @@
 
     @classmethod
     def create_server(cls):
-        body = cls.servers_client.create_server(
-            data_utils.rand_name('ceilometer-instance'),
-            CONF.compute.image_ref, CONF.compute.flavor_ref,
+        tenant_network = cls.get_tenant_network()
+        body, server = compute.create_test_server(
+            cls.os,
+            tenant_network=tenant_network,
+            name=data_utils.rand_name('ceilometer-instance'),
             wait_until='ACTIVE')
         cls.server_ids.append(body['id'])
         return body