RunCloud developers are always working hard to bring you new and better features. Today, we are happy to announce that the RunCloud API is now available for everyone!

Another new feature added today is the ability to reconnect a RunCloud-managed server to the RunCloud Dashboard after its IP address has changed. You can do this with the Change IP Address setting.

Also, new RunCloud-managed servers will install MariaDB 10.2 as the default database in their server stack.

Manage your servers using the RunCloud API

A RunCloud API has been one of the most requested features from developers, and today we are pleased to fulfil that request. We hope you will enjoy the powerful tools that the RunCloud API provides to manage your servers.

With the RunCloud API you can achieve nearly all the tasks possible via the Dashboard.

Including (but not limited to):

  • Automate server management tasks
    • Server connections
    • Disk Cleanup
    • Cron Jobs
  • Automate Web Application management tasks
    • Web App creation
    • Script or Git Deployment
    • SSL Deployment
  • Automate Database Management
  • Build a custom server control panel
  • Integration with 3rd-party software/service/plugins

And so much more…

In computer programming, an application programming interface (API) is a set of subroutine definitions, protocols, and tools for building application software. — Wikipedia.org

All RunCloud API communication is made over secure HTTPS. Requests and responses are in human-readable JSON format.

How to access your RunCloud API

You need a RunCloud account to use the API. If you don’t have one yet, you can create a free RunCloud account.

RunCloud API key

An API Key pair, including both an API Key and an API Secret, is used for basic authentication. You need to supply these with every RunCloud API request. Your API keys are available from your RunCloud account Setting > API Key.

Please treat your API keys as secret as your account credentials. If you believe your keys have become compromised, or for additional ongoing security, you can regenerate new API keys to revoke the old key’s access.

What you can do with the RunCloud API

The RunCloud API provides access to almost all RunCloud functions, such as connecting new servers, monitoring server health, stopping/starting a service, blocking an IP address, adding new system user, adding web applications and databases etc.

Here is an example of a RunCloud API request to connect a new server:

Request:

curl -X POST "https://manage.runcloud.io/base-api/servers" \
    -u YOUR_API_KEY:YOUR_API_SECRET \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    --data '{
        "serverName": "My First Server",
        "ipAddress": "1.1.1.1",
        "serverProvider": "Custom Server Sdn. Bhd."
    }'

Response:

{
    "redirect": "\/servers\/M9ZpajdlbW8z\/notconnected",
    "server": {
            "id": "M9ZpajdlbW8z",
            "serverId": "NzoeztKvoRV8dYozQWHH7aI8Yu1518399464lSR9oRPQFVv4aJT4ujzNOu7hpINp3kG7RZLDRupBRbQMiYCgwwTLgfDPzYa4AVFj",
            "serverName": "My First Server",
            "ipAddress": "1.1.1.2",
            "serverProvider": "Custom Server Sdn. Bhd.",
            "connected": false,
            "online": false,
            "created_at": "2018-02-14 12:32:23",
            "created_at_humanize": "1 second ago",
            "_links": {
                "installationURL": {
                    "method": "get",
                    "link": "https:\/\/manage.runcloud.io\/script\/installer\/NzoeztKvoRV8dYozQWHH7aI8Yu1518399464lSR9oRPQFVv4aJT4ujzNOu7hpINp3kG7RZLDRupBRbQMiYCgwwTLgfDPzYa4AVFj\/lNBqxUv1mwz8VIbjrYV4AHZFUuiAJrDuh7paeoEsAEOG76VhX8tcyo0wHWkTbY3k2Tm9Ty4H8Qwgq7Lefvf11xbXZ7n4Guy80stCHf3KCX7559sbzaU9WA9OAll8zPQn"
                },
                "delete": {
                    "method": "delete",
                    "link": "\/api\/servers\/M9ZpajdlbW8z"
                }
            }
        }
}

Please treat the RunCloud API as a live beta preview now, with more features coming soon.

You can refer to the complete RunCloud API documentation for all the RunCloud API resources & methods.

Change a RunCloud Managed Server’s IP Address

Change IP address

Previously, RunCloud was not able to connect to your server if the server’s IP address changed, either manually or automatically. We understood that this limitation could indeed be very problematic.

So today, we are glad to inform you that it is now possible to update a RunCloud-managed server’s IP address using the “Change IP Address” feature. It allows RunCloud to reconnect to your server using its new IP address.

Run script to change IP address

You will need to first submit the server’s new IP address, then you will be provided a a generated script that you will need to run as root within the server. The script will update your server’s registered IP address with RunCloud, enabling reconnection.

MariaDB 10.2 for New RunCloud Managed Server

RunCloud will now deploy new servers with MariaDB 10.2 database server.

MariaDB 10.2 is the current major stable version, with official support until May 2022. Check out the overview of the changes & improvements in MariaDB 10.2.

The most noteworthy new feature in MariaDB 10.2 is “InnoDB as default storage engine”. XtraDB was the default storage engine until MariaDB 10.1

For existing servers, please refer to the official documentation of upgrading MariaDB 10.1 to MariaDB 10.2. Here is the simplified upgrading steps:

  1. Shutdown MariaDB 10.1
  2. Take a database backup
  3. Uninstall MariaDB 10.1
  4. Install MariaDB 10.2
  5. Run mysql_upgrade
  6. Add new options to my.cnf to enable features

Nodejs Binary

Already provisioned servers use default Nodejs provided by Ubuntu. With the new update, the newly provisioned server will get the latest LTS version of Nodejs, which is Nodejs 8.* LTS.

Summary

  • Now, you can integrate RunCloud API into your workflow and applications. Let us know what you will build!
  • The “Change IP address” settings feature allows you to reconnect a server after any manual/automatic IP address change.
  • MariaDB 10.2 was installed for new RunCloud-managed servers, with InnoDB as the default storage engine.

Wrapping Up

RunCloud is a powerful and easy-to-use platform that helps you manage your websites on any cloud server. With RunCloud, you don’t need to be a Linux expert to set up, secure, and optimize your web applications. You can do everything from a simple and intuitive dashboard, saving you time and hassle.

RunCloud supports various web servers, PHP versions, databases, and frameworks. You can also monitor your server performance, back up your data, and automate your tasks with RunCloud. Whether you are a developer, a freelancer, or a business owner, RunCloud can help you run your websites faster and smoother.

What are you waiting for? Join RunCloud today and enjoy the best web hosting solution for your websites. It’s free for 7 days, no strings attached!