Servers
Servers are the compute resources where your applications run. Launcher manages the runtime environment on each server while you retain full ownership and access.
Adding a Server
Any Linux server with SSH access can be added to Launcher. The platform supports:
- Dedicated servers — OVH, Hetzner, bare metal providers.
- VPS instances — Any cloud VPS with root access.
- On-premise hardware — Rack-mounted servers, mini PCs, or any Linux machine.
When you add a server, Launcher installs an agent that:
- Sets up Docker and configures the container runtime.
- Establishes an outbound gRPC connection to the control plane.
- Reports system metrics (CPU, memory, disk, network).
- Receives and executes deployment instructions.
Server Lifecycle
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Provisioning | Agent is being installed and configured. |
| Online | Agent is connected and ready to receive workloads. |
| Degraded | Agent is connected but reporting issues (high resource usage, failed containers). |
| Offline | Agent has lost connection to the control plane. |
Resource Management
Each server reports its available resources to the control plane. When deploying an application, you select which server to target. The platform tracks resource usage to help you make informed placement decisions.
Networking
Servers communicate with the control plane exclusively via outbound connections. No inbound ports need to be opened in your firewall. This simplifies security configuration and works behind NATs and corporate firewalls.
Application traffic is routed through the edge proxy layer, which forwards requests to the appropriate server over a secure tunnel.
Maintenance
You retain full SSH access to your servers. Launcher manages the container runtime and agent, but the underlying OS and hardware remain under your control. Agent updates are applied automatically when the agent reconnects to the control plane.