RunCloud supports all major cloud providers and on-premise servers.

This guide explains how to connect your server manually using SSH – a reliable method that works anywhere, whether on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, or your own data center.

Manual connection is helpful if you need to perform advanced configurations not available in the RunCloud dashboard.

For example, when you have SSH access, you can perform tasks like changing the disk type and size, adding additional disks, or configuring the network VPC (Virtual Private Cloud), and much more…

Step 1: Create Your Server

The process varies slightly by provider, but the key steps are the same.

  1. Choose a Server Provider: AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean, or your own data center.
  2. Select a Region: Choose one close to your users to reduce latency.
  3. Choose an Operating System (OS): Select a server image to run your software. RunCloud only supports recent LTS (Long-Term Support) versions of Ubuntu. Make sure to select Ubuntu 22 or 24 in this step.
  4. Select Server Specifications: Choose the instance type based on your needs for vCPUs (virtual Central Processing Units) and memory. Most providers offer a range of options, from small instances for testing to powerful machines for production workloads. We recommend:
    • 1GB of RAM for new servers hosting simple blogs or development sites.
    • 2GB of RAM or more for production environments handling significant traffic, caching, or backup processes.
  5. Configure Storage: You can configure the storage for your server, including the type (e.g., General Purpose SSD, Provisioned IOPS SSD) and size.

Step 2: Configure Network and Firewall

For your server to be accessible from the internet, you need to configure its network and firewall settings to allow incoming connections on specific ports.

  1. Assign a Static IP Address: Ensure your server has a public IPv4 address, as NAT VPS is not supported on RunCloud. It is highly recommended that you assign a static or “elastic” IP address to your server. A dynamic IP address can change, disrupting your ability to connect consistently and affecting any domain names pointing to your server.
  2. Configure Firewall/Security Groups: You must open the necessary ports in your server’s firewall or security group.
    • 80/TCP: For HTTP traffic
    • 443/TCP: For HTTPS traffic
    • 443/UDP: For HTTP/3 traffic (optional)
    • 34210/TCP: For communicating with the RunCloud agent
    • 22/TCP: For establishing an SSH connection (you can close this port once the server is connected to RunCloud).

Step 3: Set Up SSH Access

Instead of using a password, SSH keys provide a more secure way of logging in to your server.

  1. Generate a New SSH Key Pair: Most cloud providers allow you to create a new SSH key pair when you set up your server. This pair consists of a public key placed on the server and a private key downloaded.
  2. Download and Secure Your Private Key: You will be prompted to download the private key file (usually with a .pem or .key extension). It is important to save this file in a secure location on your computer, as you will not be able to download it again.
  3. Set Permissions for Your Private Key: Before you can use your private key, you need to set the correct file permissions to ensure it is not publicly viewable. On Linux or macOS, you can do this with the following command:
chmod 400 your-private-key.pem 

Step 4: Connect via SSH

Once your server is running and you have your SSH key, you can connect to it using an SSH client.

  1. Open a Terminal or SSH Client: On macOS and Linux, you can use the built-in terminal. On Windows, you can use a client like PuTTY or the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
  2. Use the SSH Command to Connect: The general format for the SSH command is:
ssh -i /path/to/your-private-key.pem username@your-server-ip
  • /path/to/your-private-key.pem: The full path to your downloaded private key.
  • username: The default username for your server’s OS (e.g., root, ubuntu for Ubuntu, ec2-user for Amazon Linux).
  • your-server-ip: The static IP address you assigned to your server.
  1. Accept the Host Key: The first time you connect, you will see a message asking you to verify the host’s authenticity. Type ‘yes’ to continue.

You are now connected to your server and can execute commands as if you were sitting in front of it.

Step 5: Link Your Server to RunCloud

After successfully connecting to your server via SSH, you can link it to RunCloud. This simplifies server management by providing a graphical user interface for tasks like deploying websites, managing databases, and configuring firewalls.

  1. Log in to your RunCloud Dashboard: Navigate to your RunCloud account. On the dashboard, find and click the “Connect a new server” button.
  1. Choose Manual Installation: Next, you will be presented with different connection methods. Select “Manual Installation”.
  2. Enter Server Details: From the list of server providers, you can select your specific provider (e.g., AWS EC2, DigitalOcean) or choose “Other” if your provider isn’t listed or for an on-premise server. The manual installation process is the same for all.
  3. Configure Software: Select your preferred installation type and server stack:
    • Installation Type:
      • Native: Installs the web application stack directly on your server’s operating system.
      • Containerized: Installs the web application stack within Docker containers.
    • Configure Server For:
      • NGINX: For Native NGINX, NGINX-Apache2 Hybrid, and custom NGINX web app stacks.
      • OpenLiteSpeed: For the OpenLiteSpeed web app stack.
    • Configure Database:
      • MariaDB: A community-developed fork of MySQL, known for its performance and additional features.
      • MySQL: A widely used open-source relational database management system.

    If unsure, you can leave these options at their default settings. Please note that these selections cannot be changed later.

    1. Enter Basic Details: After this, enter a descriptive Server Name for your reference. Fill in the Static IP Address that you assigned to your server in the earlier steps, and then click the “Continue” button to proceed.
    2. Get Your Script: RunCloud will generate a unique installation script for this specific server. This script contains a token that securely links your server to your RunCloud account.
    3. Execute the RunCloud Installation Script on Your Server: The RunCloud agent needs to be installed with root privileges. Make sure that you are logged in as the root user and then perform the following actions:
      • Copy the entire installation script from your RunCloud dashboard.
      • Paste the script into your server’s terminal and press Enter.

    The installation process will begin and typically takes a few minutes to complete. It will install and configure all the necessary software, including Nginx, Apache, MariaDB/MySQL, and PHP. You can monitor the progress from the RunCloud panel.

    Step 6: Secure and Monitor Your Server

    While RunCloud provides a secure server environment out of the box, it is strongly recommended that you take a few extra steps to harden your server’s security and set up monitoring.

    Save Your Credentials

    Once the installation script finishes, your server is successfully connected to RunCloud. The dashboard will now show detailed information about your server. The terminal output will display the MySQL root password and the runcloud system user password.

    It is recommended that this information be copied and saved in a secure password manager or vault. While you can perform most administrative tasks directly from the RunCloud dashboard, it is always good practice to have these credentials stored safely.

    Harden SSH Security

    RunCloud applies essential security settings automatically.

    To improve protection further:

    • Manage SSH Access: If you don’t plan on accessing your server directly via the command line anymore, the most secure action is to close the SSH port (port 22) in your firewall settings.
    • Secure SSH Logins: If you plan to continue using SSH, navigate to the “Settings” area in your RunCloud server panel and Disable Root Login. This forces all users, including yourself, to log in as a standard user and then elevate privileges, which is a significant security improvement.
    • Enable SSH Login Notifications: For enhanced security, you can enable notifications that alert you whenever someone successfully logs in to your server via SSH. This feature can help you immediately identify any unauthorized access. (Note: This is only available on Business and Enterprise plans.)

    Set Up Server Health Monitoring

    Proactive monitoring helps prevent downtime by alerting you to potential issues before they impact your site. In your RunCloud server dashboard, you can configure Server Health Notification Settings. Customize these alerts to suit your needs:

    • Load: Notify me when server load reaches a specific threshold.
    • Memory: Notify me when memory usage reaches a high percentage.
    • Disk: Notify me when disk space usage reaches a critical level.

    These notifications can be sent to your preferred channels, ensuring you are always aware of your server’s status.

    What’s Next?

    Your server is now connected and ready to use with RunCloud.

    From your dashboard, you can:

    • Deploy and manage websites
    • Create databases
    • Monitor server health
    • Set up notifications

    To get started, try one of these guides: