Servers
Connect Ubuntu hosts with SSH, then operate them through an outbound-only agent.
A server in Kubeara is a Ubuntu host you connect so you can deploy services onto it. You keep the machine (Hetzner, metal, private VPC). Kubeara does not become the place your data lives.
Add a server
- Open Servers in the dashboard.
- Set a name you will recognize in logs and deploys.
- Set host (IP or DNS) and username.
- Provide SSH credentials (recommended: a dedicated deploy key with the access your security policy allows).
- Save. Kubeara validates reachability and prepares the host.
Treat SSH material like production secrets. Kubeara never stores keys in plain text in the database. Still use least-privilege keys and rotate them if a laptop or CI job is compromised.
What happens on connect
- SSH is used to reach the host from the control panel.
- Kubeara installs and configures what the agent needs (including Docker if required).
- After that, the agent initiates outbound connections. You do not leave a Kubeara inbound management port open for the panel to scrape the server.
This is the opposite of “open 22 and a custom agent port to the whole internet.” See Security.
Operating a connected server
From the dashboard you can:
- Deploy and update catalog services
- Follow logs and health
- Restart workloads
- Inspect GPU metrics when the host has a GPU
Team members with the right roles can do this without SSH-ing in for routine deploys.
Limits
- Cloud free tier: 1 connected server. Paid plans raise the cap (see Cloud vs self-hosted).
- Self-hosted: unlimited servers on the MIT-licensed panel.
Troubleshooting connect
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| Timeout | Security group / firewall allows SSH from the panel |
| Auth failed | Username, key, and authorized_keys on the host |
| Ubuntu too old | Requirements — 22.04+ |
| Agent unhealthy | Host can make outbound HTTPS to the panel; disk not full |
Need a hand? Email [email protected] or open an issue on github.com/kubeara/core.