Concepts

Cloud servers are virtual machines running on the OpenStack-based cloud platform. The primary technology behind cloud servers is virtualization, which divides the physical server's resources into multiple independent virtual machines. This allows for flexible computing power that can scale quickly based on demand, with pay-as-you-go pricing.

Each cloud server operates on hypervisors that efficiently distribute resource among multiple users, running on physical nodes (server hosts). Cloud servers can be managed via the customer portal or Public API, and OpenStack API. Access to virtual machines is provided through SSH for Linux and RDP for Windows. If access is lost, you can regain control of your server using the VNC console, available in the customer portal.

Our cloud servers can also be managed via the OpenStack API, allowing seamless integration into existing infrastructures and process automation. This flexibility makes the service ideal for a variety of use cases, such as:

• Web hosting and web application development

• Testing and development environments

• Scaling business applications

Cloud regions

Cloud regions are geographical areas that contain one or more data centers where cloud servers are hosted. Within a single geographical area, there may be multiple cloud regions. Data centers are available in Europe, America, and Asia. This geographical distribution reduces latency and optimizes performance for end-users based on their location. Available cloud regions can be viewed in the customer portal when ordering a cloud server.

Сloud flavor

Cloud flavor is a predefined set of computing resources that define the configurations (e.g., SSD.30, SSD.50) of a cloud server, such as SSD storage, RAM, vCPUs, and a traffic package. Each flavor is designed for different needs, from small web applications to high-performance systems. Cloud flavors can be easily upgraded, allowing quick scaling without physical hardware changes.

Cloud images

Cloud images include the operating system, configurations, software, and dependencies required to run applications or systems on the cloud server. You can use snapshots and backups as images, upload your own custom images or use the ones provided by servers.com.

Available operating systems are listed in the customer portal on the create cloud server page. We recommend using the qcow2 format, but servers.com also supports other formats such as raw, vhd, vhdx, vmdk, vdi, iso, ploop, aki, ari, and ami.

Snapshots and backups

Snapshots and backups capture the current state of your cloud server and are stored as images, helping with data protection and recovery. With a snapshot or backup, you can create servers with identical configurations or restore previous server states.

• Snapshot a manually created image that captures the cloud server's state at a specific moment for quick restoration

• Backup automatically created at regular intervals, stored as a series of up to five copies for ongoing protection

Backup details

• Backups are performed daily, whether the server is powered on or off

• By default, five backup copies are stored for five days. This can be adjusted in the backup settings

• The server remains available while the backup is in progress

• Backup images are securely stored within the data center's infrastructure. Storage costs are calculated monthly based on usage, as described in the article Cloud storage billing

• You can download backups and snapshots to your local computer via the customer portal or with the glance client

• When a cloud server is decommissioned, backups are deleted however snapshots remain

• The first backup is created automatically after 12:00 AM UTC on the day after the server is launched. Backup times cannot be customized

Backup images are securely stored within the company’s infrastructure.

Since snapshots and backups use disk space proportional to the data on your cloud server, you can expand your storage with cloud volumes if needed.

Cloud volumes

Cloud volumes are additional block storage for cloud servers. These volumes are independent resources that can be easily attached to or moved between cloud servers within the same region. Once attached, they function like a connected storage device, similar to disk drives, but more reliable.

GPN

The Global Private Network (GPN) is our private network that provides high-speed and secure interactions between dedicated servers across multiple continents. It ensures fast and safe data transfer between your servers without the need for additional tunneling or VPN configurations. This service is free of charge. For more detailed information, please refer to the article About VPN to Global Private Network (GPN).

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