Understanding Servers
Learn what servers are in Devpilot, how to add them, and what you can manage from the server dashboard.
Understanding Servers
Servers are the foundation of your infrastructure in Devpilot. A server represents a remote Linux machine — a cloud virtual machine, a VPS, or a bare-metal dedicated server — that Devpilot connects to and manages on your behalf. Every database, script, backup, and application you operate in Devpilot runs on a server within your workspace.
Two Ways to Add a Server
Devpilot gives you two distinct paths to add a server to your workspace.
Provision a New Server
Create a brand-new cloud server from Devpilot. Pick a supported cloud provider, region, instance type, and disk size. Devpilot creates the instance and establishes a secure management connection.
Connect an Existing Server
Already have a Linux server running? Connect it by providing SSH credentials. This works with any reachable Linux server, regardless of the hosting provider.
When to Provision a New Server
Provisioning is the recommended approach when you're starting fresh. Devpilot provisions servers through five cloud providers — AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean, and Vultr — and takes care of creating the instance, generating SSH keys, and preparing the server for management.
When to Connect an Existing Server
Connecting an existing server is ideal when you already have infrastructure in place. This is common when you're migrating from manual server management, your server is hosted on a provider Devpilot doesn't provision to directly (for example Hetzner, Linode, or Namecheap), or when you have a bare-metal dedicated server.
The Server Dashboard
Once a server is added to your workspace, select it from your server list to open its dashboard. The dashboard is the central hub for everything related to that server.
Server Overview
The overview displays:
- Operational status — Whether the server is Active or Inactive in your workspace, along with the live SSH connection indicator.
- Server metrics — Current CPU usage, memory consumption, disk usage, and network throughput summaries.
- Quick actions — Shortcuts to open the terminal, run scripts, or jump into the file manager.
- Server details — Hostname, IP and port, cloud provider (where applicable), operating system, kernel, and creation date.
Server Status
Every server has two statuses you'll see in the UI:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Status | Active means the server is registered and enabled in your workspace. Inactive means it has been paused or retired and is excluded from active management. |
| Connection status | Indicates whether Devpilot currently has a working SSH connection (connected) or not (disconnected). Devpilot retries disconnected servers automatically. |
A disconnected status doesn't necessarily mean your server is down — it means Devpilot can't reach it over SSH. Verify the server is powered on, the SSH port is open, and the credentials Devpilot uses are still valid.
For servers created through Devpilot's provisioning flow, there's also a provisioning status during the build phase (Completed, Failed, Cancelled, Destroyed, Rolled_Back). See Server Provisioning for details.
What You Can Manage on a Server
Each server exposes a set of management tools, each covered by its own page in this section:
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | Real-time and historical CPU, memory, disk, and network metrics, plus uptime tracking. |
| Databases | Create MySQL databases, manage database users and their privileges, and configure remote access. |
| App Store | Install web servers, databases, caches, runtimes, and security tools from a curated catalog. |
| File Manager | Browse, edit, upload, and manage files on the server over SFTP. |
| File Transfer | Move files between two servers in your workspace. |
| Terminal | Open a browser-based SSH terminal with tabs, command history, and an AI helper. |
| Scripts | Save, run, schedule, and chain bash scripts, with secrets, webhooks, triggers, and multi-server execution. |
| Backups | Define backup plans for files or databases, store them in S3 or the local destination, and restore from history. |
| Security | Manage the server firewall and inspect SSH access. |
| Networking | View IP addresses and network interface information detected from the server. |
| Storage | View disk and mount point usage, plus cloud volumes for supported providers. |
Servers and Workspaces
Every server belongs to a workspace. Workspaces are the organizational boundary in Devpilot — team members with access to a workspace can see and manage every server in it. When you provision or connect a server, it is attached to your currently active workspace.
If you need to separate servers by project, environment, or client, create additional workspaces. Server access is controlled at the workspace level.
Deleting a Server
You can remove a server from the server's settings. When you delete a provisioned server, Devpilot can also terminate the underlying cloud instance through the provider's API. When you delete a connected server, Devpilot simply removes it from your workspace — the underlying machine keeps running untouched.
Next Steps
Provision a New Server
Step-by-step guide to creating a new cloud server from Devpilot.
Connect an Existing Server
Bring a server you already own under Devpilot management.
SSH and Connectivity
Understand authentication methods and troubleshoot connection issues.
Server Monitoring
Explore the metrics and uptime tracking Devpilot collects for every server.
Deployment History
View, filter, and analyze your deployment history in Devpilot — access logs, review deployment details, and track deployment analytics over time.
Server Provisioning
Provision a new cloud server through Devpilot. Choose a supported provider, configure your instance, and watch each step complete in real time.