Bring a node to Cloud
Connect your Linux server to Cloud, check the requirements, and understand who manages each part.
Hakopod Cloud is in development and account signup is open. In an eligible workspace, Connect a server gives you a command to run on your own Linux server. It installs a worker and connects it to Cloud. Check that this option is available in your workspace before buying a server; creating an account does not guarantee compute or database access.
One node, provided by you#
BYO means bring your own: you rent a server from a provider or operate one yourself. Your application containers and their persistent data run there.
The planned Starter price is $5/month for one connected server. Team is $15/month for three connected servers and unlimited members, with extra servers at $4/month each. Paid checkout is not open yet, and Team is still in development. See pricing for the current limits.
These prices pay for Cloud management. You pay your server provider separately. They do not include a VM, hosting credit or application compute. A self-hosted Pro license does not include Cloud compute either.
What each side provides#
| Part | Who provides it |
|---|---|
| Dashboard and control plane | Hosted by Hakopod Cloud. |
| Application server | You provide the server. Starter's planned allowance covers one connection. |
| Server bill and capacity | Yours, with your chosen server provider. |
| Workload configuration and data | Yours to configure, size, and protect. |
| Domains | Domains you control, with DNS configured for the published ingress requirements. |
Size the server for your applications. A single server cannot keep those applications running if the server fails. Store backups separately and test how to restore them.
Control plane and workload requirements#
Cloud hosts the dashboard and the control plane, which accepts changes and tells the worker what to run. Your server runs the worker, application containers, networking components and persistent storage.
The self-hosted 0.1.0-alpha.58 installer also runs the management services on your server. It needs at least 4 GiB RAM and 30 GiB free disk, plus capacity for applications and rollouts. Optional modules and configured resource limits can raise that requirement. Use this installer when you want to operate the whole platform yourself.
Cloud BYO workers need 1 GiB RAM (at least 960 MiB usable) and 10 GiB free disk, plus capacity for your workloads. The OS and worker components use some of that memory. On this minimum profile, deploy prebuilt images and allow space for rollouts, logs and persistent data.
Choose a provider#
You can use a server from your existing provider. These are options to evaluate for a dedicated Linux VM, not certified Hakopod integrations. Check image support, region availability and the full monthly bill before buying.
| Provider | What to compare | Provider website |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean | Droplet memory, SSD capacity, transfer allowance and backup cost. | Explore DigitalOcean |
| Vultr | Cloud Compute plans, available regions, IPv4 and snapshot charges. | Explore Vultr |
| UpCloud | Cloud Server capacity, storage, backups and regional availability. | Explore UpCloud |
| Microsoft Azure | VM family quotas, managed disks, public IPv4 and outbound transfer. | Explore Azure VMs |
Link disclosure: these are ordinary provider links. Hakopod does not currently earn a referral commission from them. Any future affiliate links will be labeled beside the link. A provider account, promotional credit or affiliate offer does not include Hakopod compute or change the subscription's server allowance.
Choose a region near your users, a supported Linux image, and an architecture supported by every application image. Budget for persistent disks, IPv4, outbound traffic and backups, including charges that continue when a VM is stopped. Keep SSH restricted to your administrator addresses. One adequately sized VM is enough for this profile; a managed Kubernetes cluster, load balancer or NAT gateway is not an implicit requirement.
Connect a new server#
- Open an eligible workspace and choose Connect a server.
- Prepare a fresh, dedicated Ubuntu 24.04/26.04 or Debian 12/13 server that meets the worker requirements above.
- Allow inbound TCP 80 and 443 in both the provider and host firewalls. Keep SSH restricted to your administrator addresses.
- Copy the generated command and run it in the server's SSH terminal with sudo. The command is private, expires after ten minutes and enrolls one server. Generating a new command invalidates the previous one.
- Follow installation progress in the workspace. Installation continues if you close the browser. If it fails, read the reason and use the offered retry action.
Cloud checks the public address and application ingress, then creates the assigned application DNS. The worker connects back to Cloud over authenticated HTTPS. You do not need a second dashboard, a node-local owner account or a manually copied management API key.
Free supports one BYO server. Disconnecting removes Cloud access and assigned DNS; it does not delete the server, installed software or application data, or stop your provider's bill. Review the named confirmation before disconnecting.
Before connecting a server#
Use the command generated for the intended workspace. If the server appears under Disconnected servers, reconnect it there. Do not run a new-install command over an existing installation. If its Cloud identity files were removed, contact the operator before continuing.
Keep the server patched and maintain a recovery path with your provider. Use a dedicated server so the installation does not interfere with unrelated workloads.
You will also need a repository or container image, any application secrets, and a backup destination for persistent data. The application configuration guide explains the settings you review before deployment.
Networking boundaries#
Cloud focuses on Git deployments, HTTP/HTTPS, custom domains, and private service networking. Private databases and worker connections fit that model. Arbitrary public TCP listeners do not become available just because you bring the compute node.
If you need operator-controlled public SMTP, SFTP, or custom TCP exposure, use the self-hosted model and review its networking controls.
What you can do today#
Read how Cloud works and create an account to explore onboarding. Managed PostgreSQL and Redis are available in eligible hosted workspaces with sufficient compute and storage. BYO databases require operator setup. If you want to operate the full platform yourself, use the self-hosted installation guide.