This guide explains how Cloud Servers and Networking configurations work together within the Carpathian platform to power your applications and websites.

Note: As of 2026.1.1, "Web Servers" have been renamed to "Networking" to better reflect their function as network configurations for your Cloud Servers.

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Cloud Servers: Your Virtual Machines

A Cloud Server is a virtual machine (VM) instance that runs on Carpathian's hosting infrastructure. When you provision a Cloud Server, you're creating a complete compute environment with root-level access where you can install software, run applications, and configure the system however you need.

How Cloud Servers Work

When you create a Cloud Server, Carpathian provisions a virtual machine on one of our hypervisors and assigns it resources (CPU, RAM, storage) based on your selected plan. Each server gets:

• Private networking: Your server is connected to Carpathian's virtual private cloud with an isolated internal IP address
• Secure routing: External traffic is routed through secure gateways to protect your infrastructure
• Full system access: Root/administrator access to install packages, configure services, and manage your environment
• Persistent storage: Your data persists across reboots and can be backed up or snapshotted

You can use Cloud Servers for any workload - running application backends, hosting databases, container orchestration with Docker or Kubernetes, development and testing environments, or specialized tasks like AI/ML training and simulations. Think of it as your own server in the cloud, completely under your control.

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Networking: Making Your Servers Internet-Accessible

Networking configurations are how you expose your Cloud Servers to the public internet. A Networking configuration isn't a separate machine - it's an automated setup that configures SSL certificates, web server software, domain routing, and firewall rules so your applications can be securely accessed from anywhere.

How Networking Works

When you add a Networking configuration to one of your Cloud Servers, Carpathian automatically:

1. Provisions web server software: Installs and configures NGINX or Apache on your Cloud Server
2. Generates SSL certificates: Automatically obtains and installs SSL/TLS certificates for secure HTTPS connections
3. Configures domain routing: Sets up DNS and reverse proxy rules to map your domain name to your server's IP address
4. Manages firewall rules: Opens the necessary ports (80, 443) and configures security settings to protect your server
5. Handles renewals: Automatically renews SSL certificates before they expire

This automation means you don't need to manually configure reverse proxies, wrestle with SSL certificate setup, or manage complex firewall rules. Carpathian handles all of this infrastructure automatically.

What You Can Host

With Networking configurations, you can serve:

• Websites: Static sites, blogs, portfolio sites, or content management systems
• Web applications: Full-stack applications, SaaS platforms, or custom web apps
• APIs: RESTful APIs, GraphQL endpoints, or webhooks with secure HTTPS
• Client portals: Customer-facing applications or dashboards

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How They Work Together

The typical workflow is:

1. Provision a Cloud Server: Create a VM with the resources and operating system you need
2. Configure your application: Install your code, set up databases, configure services
3. Add Networking: When you're ready to make your application accessible, add a Networking configuration and specify your domain
4. Go live: Carpathian automatically configures everything needed to serve traffic securely over HTTPS

You maintain full control over your Cloud Server while Carpathian automates the complex networking and SSL infrastructure. This gives you the flexibility of a VPS with the simplicity of a managed hosting platform.

When to Use What

• Need to run custom software or services? Start with a Cloud Server.
• Ready to make it accessible on the internet? Add a Networking configuration.
• Just running background jobs or databases? A Cloud Server alone is all you need.
• Want to host a website or API? You'll need both - a Cloud Server to run it and Networking to expose it.

Currently, users don't have direct access to Carpathian's internal networking layer. For security and simplicity, all Networking setup and teardown is automated through the dashboard, ensuring consistent and secure configurations across all deployments.