https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/Recent content in Getting started on DocumentationHugo -- gohugo.ioenhello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)© 2024 UpCloudFri, 31 Jul 2026 08:30:08 +0000https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/introduction/Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:30:08 +0000hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/introduction/ UpCloud is a European cloud service provider offering cloud servers on an hourly billed infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). We provide our users with the computing, storage and networking needed to develop and run applications and workloads in the cloud. We also offer additional services such as a firewall, private networks and backups. On our high-performance IaaS, our users are able to deploy and manage Cloud Servers equipped with our industry-leading in-house developed MaxIOPS® storage technology and high-speed Software-defined networking. We have a strong focus on reliability and every business-critical component in our infrastructure is ensured with N+1 redundancy. The resilience by design gives us the confidence to offer our users a 99.999% Service Level Agreement . Our SME business customers run their business-critical web applications on our enterprise-level cloud computing platform and love us for our high performance, reliable service, and competitive prices . We help our customers to speed up their time to market, get a reliable production environment with 24/7 customer support, and scale their business forward. Our key customer segments are entrepreneurs and SMEs working in managed hosting, IT services, eCommerce, SaaS, and PaaS. What is IaaS Infrastructure-as-a-Service, or IaaS for short, is an online on-demand service that offers the fundamental components of cloud servers with computing, storage, and networking resources using a pay-as-you-go model. On IaaS, users can deploy and scale cloud resources according to their needs without large up-front investments. For example, cloud servers can be created quickly whenever required and easily deleted when no longer needed. IaaS also allows users to react quickly to their changing infrastructure requirements. It provides users with full control of their cloud resources and operates at the lowest level underneath other computing service models such as Platform-as-a-Service or Software-as-a-Service. What it’s great for UpCloud is the perfect home for a wide range of use cases from simple web hosting to high-demand online services. Our infrastructure is ideal for developing and running web services and applications and offers opportunities for distributed scaling and resilience. Utilising our services UpCloud users have the option to deploy and manage cloud servers via the easy-to-use UpCloud Control Panel, the fully-featured UpCloud API, as well as the cloud automation tool, Terraform® provider for UpCloud and the UpCloud Command-Line Interface. All features and services are equally available both at the control panel and via the API. We also offer a number of API clients for many popular programming languages. Once deployed, users have full access to the cloud server’s operating system with the choices of SSH for Linux®, Remote Desktop for Windows®, VNC, and web console for connecting to the cloud server. MaxIOPS is a registered trademark of UpCloud Ltd. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Terraform and the Terraform logo are trademarks of HashiCorp Inc.https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/accounts/Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:30:08 +0000hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/accounts/ Registering for an UpCloud account gives users access to our services via the UpCloud Control Panel and API . Each user account is identified by a unique user-selected username and password. By registering for an account through our website, users agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy notice .https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/workspaces/Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:00:28 +0300hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/workspaces/ Workspaces are a modern way to manage cloud resources across one or more users within an organization of any size. This page explains the core concepts - Users, Workspaces, Organizations, and Billing - and then how roles, access levels, and access management work in practice. Workspaces is currently in beta While Workspaces is fully functional, we are still fine-tuning the experience under the hood. It is not yet recommended for production environments, and standard UpCloud SLAs do not apply. Start here If you only read one section, read How organization roles affect workspace access - it's the part that surprises people most often. Core concepts User A user is a personal account: your details and the credentials you use to sign in. Every user owns an organization - one is created for you when you sign up, and you're its owner. During Open Beta this is also a limit: you can't create more organizations yourself, and there's no self-serve way to add one (see Current limitations). Beyond your own, you can belong to any number of other organizations and workspaces, which you join through invitations. When you join an organization you're given an organization role; when you join a workspace you're given a workspace access level. Workspace A workspace holds resources, credits, and billing information. In other words, it works like a standalone account, but with built-in member management. A workspace always belongs to exactly one organization. Once created, a workspace has one or more members. Each member has a workspace access level that determines what they can do in the workspace. Members can be invited, removed, and have their access level changed by anyone with a sufficient access level. Organization An organization is the top-level entity that holds zero or more workspaces. It has members, and each member has an organization role that determines what they can do at the organization level. Members can be invited, removed, and re-roled by anyone with a sufficient role. Organization members with the owner or admin role also inherit access to every workspace in the organization. An organization can be set up to use OpenID Connect (OIDC) so members sign in through your own single sign-on. There are no self-serve actions to create or delete an organization today - an organization is set up for you, and removing one means contacting support (see Current limitations). Billing Each workspace has its own billing. See Billing and credits below for the details. Current limitations A few things about how accounts and organizations work today: You own one organization, and can't create more. Every user owns a single organization, created for them at sign-up - you can't have an account without one, and there are no self-serve actions to create another or delete one. (You can still be invited into other people's organizations.) To remove an organization, contact support. Coming from an older account? Resources don't migrate automatically. If you used UpCloud before workspaces, accepting a workspace invitation and signing in through the new login won't bring your old resources with you, and you may find them missing at first. Contact support - they'll set up your organization and migrate your existing resources into the workspace. Billing and quotas are per workspace. Each workspace has its own billing, credits, and resource quotas. Nothing is shared between workspaces or rolled up at the organization level. Workspace access is granted per workspace. Organization owners and admins automatically have access to every workspace, but members don't - a member must be added to each workspace individually, and can be given any access level there, up to Owner. Organization roles There are three organization roles. You define a person's role when you invite them, and you can change it at any time afterward. What you can do Owner Admin Member View basic organization info :success: :success: :success: See the member list :success: :success: :success: Invite people :success: :success: Remove members and admins :success: :success: Change members' and admins' roles :success: :success: Promote to owner, or change/remove owners :success: Create and delete workspaces :success: :success: Manage workspace access :success: :success: Set up and delete OIDC :success: View Partners Portal :success: Inherit access to workspaces :success: :success: Owner has complete control of the organization, including managing people and roles, and configuring single sign-on. An organization must always have at least one owner. (Creating and deleting organizations isn't a self-serve action - see Current limitations.) Admin runs day-to-day operations and can do almost everything an owner can, including inviting people and changing members' and admins' roles. What's reserved for owners is anything involving the owner role - promoting someone to owner, or changing or removing an existing owner - and setting up or deleting single sign-on. Member is the most basic organization role, with no management authority. Members can sign in, see basic information about the organization, and view the member list, but they can't invite people, browse workspaces, or change roles. Members get their working access from the workspaces they're added to. A member's organization role doesn't limit their workspace access - once added to a workspace, a member can hold any access level, up to and including Owner. Workspace access levels Each workspace has its own access levels, applied per member. What you can do Owner Full Access Limited Access View the workspace :success: :success: :success: See the member list :success: :success: :success: Add members :success: :success: Remove members :success: :success: Change members' access levels :success: :success: Promote to owner, or change/remove owners :success: Create new resources :success: :success: :success: Work with the workspace's resources :success: :success: via access customization View billing and usage :success: :success: via access customization Delete the workspace :success: Owner has full control of the workspace, including changing access levels and deleting the workspace. Full Access is for active operators and DevOps managers. They manage members and admins, change other members' access levels, work with everything in the workspace, and can view billing. They can't delete the workspace. Limited Access is for contractors, individual developers, or focused teams. They can sign in to the workspace and create resources, but they can't manage access, view billing or the workspace's other resources, or delete anything - unless specific items are granted to them through access customization. External contributors - people from outside your organization brought in for a specific job - are typically added as Limited Access members, with access scoped to only the resources or billing they need (see Limited Access customization). Limited Access customization A Limited Access member can be granted extra access individually, without moving them up to Full Access: Billing access and billing emails - allows access to billing views and sends them billing-related emails. Technical emails - sends them notifications about resource deletions, the Fair Transfer Policy, and incidents. Specific resources - grants access only to selected resources (for example, specific databases or servers) while keeping the member on Limited Access. This lets members work only with the resources they need, without giving them broader account access. These settings can be configured after a user has accepted their invitation by editing their workspace access. For the steps, see Managing Workspace Members. How organization roles affect workspace access This is the most important rule to understand. If you are an organization owner or admin, you automatically have access to every workspace in the organization - including workspaces you were never explicitly added to. This exists so that the people responsible for the organization can always administer what's inside it. You can lower an organization owner's or admin's access from within a workspace by inviting them with Limited Access. However, as long as the user remains an admin or owner in the organization, they will be able to remove their own restrictions at the workspace level. In practice: To reliably reduce an organization admin's access to a workspace, change their organization role, not their workspace access level. Limited Access only behaves as a true restriction for people who are not organization owners or admins. Managing members Inviting people Anyone with a sufficient role or access level can invite people by email and assign them an organization role or workspace access level. Invited people receive a link, sign in or create an account, and join at the level you chose. For the step-by-step instructions, see Managing Workspace Members and Managing Organization Members. Changing access Within an organization, owners can change any role. Admins can change members' and admins' roles too, but not the owner role - they can't promote anyone to owner or change an existing owner. Within a workspace, owners can change the access of any member, and members with Full Access can change the access of other Full Access and Limited Access members. Removing someone When you remove someone from the organization, they lose all access that came from their organization role - including every workspace they could reach only because they were an owner or admin. They keep access to any workspace where they were added as a direct member in their own right. If you want to revoke everything, remove them from those workspaces too. The at-least-one-owner rule An organization must always have at least one owner. If you're the only owner, you can't remove yourself, step down, or delete the organization until you've made someone else an owner first. Single sign-on (OIDC) You can connect your own identity provider so people sign in through your single sign-on instead of with a password. Only organization owners can set up, change, or remove single sign-on. Once enabled, members of your organization can sign in through your identity provider. If you need single sign-on configured and you're not an owner, ask one of your organization's owners. For the setup steps, see Setting up Workspaces. Billing and credits Billing is per workspace. Each workspace works like its own account for payment and credits. Each workspace needs its own payment information. The exception is customers who pay by invoice - their additional workspaces are simply added to their existing invoice. Credits are per workspace. Credits topped up to one workspace can't be used in another. Quotas are per workspace. Resource quotas apply to each workspace on its own and aren't shared or pooled across workspaces. Usage and billing are always shown for your current workspace. The dashboard shows current credit usage, the billing page shows credit details, and the billing log lists charges - all for the workspace you're currently in. Who can see a workspace's billing: its owner and Full Access members, any organization owner or admin (through inherited access), and any Limited Access member who has been granted billing access. The dashboard displays current credit usage for your workspace: The billing page shows credit details for your workspace, and the billing log lists its charges: Frequently asked questions I removed someone from a workspace, but they still have access. If they're an organization owner or admin, their access comes from the organization, not the workspace. Change their organization role instead. How do I fully remove someone's access? Remove them from the organization. If they were also a direct member of specific workspaces, remove them from those too. Can a contractor see billing without being an admin? Yes - give the Limited Access member billing access through access customization. They'll be able to view billing without gaining any other management rights. We only have one owner and they're leaving. What do we do? Make someone else an owner first, then the departing owner can step down or be removed. An organization can never be left without an owner. Can I delete my organization? Not on your own - there are no create or delete actions for organizations right now, and you can't have an account without one. To remove an organization, contact support. Can I create another organization? Not currently. Each user has a single organization, and there's no self-serve way to create another. Contact support if your setup needs to change. I signed in and my old resources are missing. If you're coming from an older account, resources don't move over automatically when you accept a workspace invitation and sign in to the new login. Contact support - they'll set up your organization and migrate your existing resources into the workspace. Who can turn on single sign-on? Only organization owners. Can I move credits between workspaces? No. Each workspace has its own credits, and they can't be transferred to another workspace.https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/billing/Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:39:25 +0300hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/billing/ When users register for an UpCloud account they are required to fill in their billing information including a billing address and credit card details. We verify new signups using these billing details. Billing details are also used for adding balance to the user’s account. Users are responsible for keeping their billing details updated. Multiuser and company accounts can create a subaccount for billing purposes by setting the user as the main billing contact for their UpCloud account.https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/free-trial/Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:30:08 +0000hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/free-trial/ All new users are given a free trial to evaluate UpCloud services without commitment. The free trial period allows you to familiarise yourself with our services and test UpCloud products at your own time. Activating the trial The trial does not begin automatically upon registration. The trial can be started at your own pace after creating an account and logging into the UpCloud Control Panel . Just verify your identity with a credit card and billing information to enter the free trial. Your credit card will not be charged before, during, or after the trial period, but we will make a 0 or 1 €/$ temporary authorisation to verify your card. We verify credit card details only to help us prevent bots and abuse. Please note that the free trial needs to be started within 365 days of registration. After this period, new accounts that have not activated the trial will be removed. Duration The free trial is offered to all new users and lasts for 7 days from the moment of trial activation. Certain promotions may offer longer trial periods. You can request an extension to your trial period by contacting our sales representatives . Products included in the trial You will get free access to test most of UpCloud’s services, including Cloud Servers, Networking, VPN or NAT Gateway, and Managed Services. Trial accounts are limited by the following quotas to prevent abuse. You are able to deploy, delete, and redeploy services as many times as you want during the trial within the quota limitations. Note that you may get different options for your trial depending on current promotions and other offers. Product Free trial Cloud Servers 2 cores, 4 GB memory, all OSs except Windows Block Storage Archive, Standard and MaxIOPS 60 GB each Networks 2 IPv4 and 2 IPv6 addresses NAT / VPN Gateway 1 Gateway with a Development or Standard plan Managed Object Storage 1 instance with 250 GB in size Managed Databases 1 DB with 1 node (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Valkey, OpenSearch) Managed Load Balancer 1 Development Plan, 1 node with 1000 sessions Managed Kubernetes 1 cluster with a Development Plan, worker nodes controlled by server quotas Products unavailable during the trial The following products are not included in the free trial. Product Free trial Cloud Servers Windows Servers not available GPU Servers Not available Private Cloud Not available Private Cloud GPUs Not available Allowed network connections Certain network ports are limited during the trial. The firewall is enabled and locked to limit both inbound and outbound connections to standard ports commonly used on web servers. Port Service Incoming Outgoing 22 SSH Yes No 25* SMTP No No 80 HTTP Yes Yes 443 HTTPS Yes Yes 123 NTP Yes Yes 53 DNS No Yes 3389 RDP Yes No *The SMTP port (25) is blocked by default for all accounts. Non-trial users who wish to have their SMTP port unblocked should first review our SMTP best practices guide, then contact our Customer Support team to request the unblocking of the port. Upgrading Before or during the trial period You can upgrade your account to full access at any time by making a minimum one-time deposit of 10 in your chosen currency or more in the Billing section at UpCloud Control Panel . Upgrading during the trial will retain any services you have already deployed. The first payment includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, of up to €500 / $500. If you are not happy with our services, please contact our Customer Support to request a refund. After the trial period The account remains active until the trial ends and you will continue to be able to log into your UpCloud account after the trial. When the trial expires, you will not be able to deploy new services before upgrading your account by making a one-time payment to your UpCloud account. When trial ends If the trial ends without making at least the minimum payment, any services deployed during the trial are removed but the account remains active. For standard 7-day trials, the free trial credits expire 7 days after account creation. After the trial, you can continue using services by making at least a one-time deposit to your UpCloud account.https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/upcloud-essentials/Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:30:08 +0000hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/upcloud-essentials/ UpCloud Essentials provides a set of complimentary cloud features available to all UpCloud customers. Unlike the free trial, which lasts for 7 days, Essentials features are permanently available as part of the standard UpCloud platform. Included features UpCloud Essentials includes the following services and features at no additional cost: Feature / Service Complimentary tier details Managed Load Balancer 1 Node, up to 1000 sessions Managed Kubernetes Control Plane management for clusters with up to 30 worker nodes NAT & VPN Gateway 1 node, up to 1 tunnel, 500 Mbps bandwidth, 10,000 max connected clients Zero data transfer fees Subject to our Fair Transfer Policy API & SDKs Full access to automate and integrate UpCloud services Hot resize Scale Cloud Server resources (CPU/Memory) without downtime on compatible plans Global private network Private connectivity between Cloud Servers across all data centers 24/7 technical support Access to support team Using UpCloud Essentials No separate activation is required for UpCloud Essentials. The complimentary features are automatically available when you use the corresponding UpCloud products. When configuring services like Managed Kubernetes, Managed Load Balancer, or NAT/VPN Gateway, select the available free tier (such as the "Development" plan) during setup to use the Essentials offering. Features like zero data transfer fees, API access, hot resize, and the global private network are included by default with relevant services. Resource requirements UpCloud Essentials features are components of the overall UpCloud platform. You will still need underlying resources like Cloud Servers and Storage to build your infrastructure. These resources are billed according to their respective plans. Account quotas You can deploy up to 5 instances of the following Essentials services per account: Up to 5 Managed Load Balancers Up to 5 NAT & VPN Gateways combined (eg, 2 NAT Gateways and 3 VPN Gateways) Managed Kubernetes clusters do not have an account limit within the Essentials tier. Each deployed instance is still subject to the individual service limits described in the table above. For example, each of your five Load Balancers would be limited to 1 node and 1000 sessions unless upgraded to a paid plan. Please note that provisioning of any service, including those within Essentials tiers, is subject to overall resource availability in the chosen data center. Upgrading To use more resources than the free tier allows, you must manually upgrade the service to a paid plan that fits your needs. You can do this in the UpCloud Control Panel or using the API. Navigate to the specific service in the UpCloud Control Panel Select a paid plan that meets your requirements Confirm the change to upgrade from the free tier Once upgraded to a paid plan, you will be billed the standard price for the chosen plan. Details on paid plans, their limits, and costs can be found on the Pricing Page .https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/support/Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:30:08 +0000hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/support/ UpCloud provides customer support to assist our users with all of their cloud infrastructure needs. Users who wish to learn more about our products or need assistance with any related services can contact our support for help. We provide user support in English. Availability We know that technical issues do not follow business opening hours. Therefore users can reach our support 24/7/365. We want to help our customers at any time of the day, any day of the year. Contact methods You can reach our customer support specialists via live chat or email. Live chat Our live chat is available on our website and control panel for anyone seeking assistance with any type of technical problem or enquiry. Email You can send any support, sales or general enquiries by email to the following addresses: Support support@upcloud.com Sales sales@upcloud.com General hello@upcloud.com What we can help with Infrastructure The infrastructure includes any Cloud Server components and services that we offer. The UpCloud Control Panel offers the tools needed for users to manage their cloud infrastructure by themselves, but if something goes wrong, we are happy to help. Account and billing Users can find a detailed breakdown of their hourly billing history at their UpCloud Control Panel which often helps with cost-related questions. We are of course happy to help with any questions regarding user accounts, payments and billing. Limitations As a cloud provider, UpCloud offers infrastructure-as-a-service with preconfigured operating system templates with limited system-level support related to our services such as network configuration and storage scaling. Guides We also offer an extensive catalogue of guides to help users make the most of their cloud servers. However, we might not be able to assist with software-specific issues beyond what is already covered in our guides.https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/locations/Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:39:25 +0300hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/locations/ One of the advantages of the cloud is the ability to freely choose between multiple geographical regions and locations. Global coverage enables our users to deploy geographically close to their target audience which in turn allows for a better end-user experience with lower latency and better responsiveness. We currently offer our services in the following locations: Europe Amsterdam nl-ams1 Copenhagen dk-cph1 Frankfurt de-fra1 Helsinki fi-hel1 Helsinki fi-hel2 London uk-lon1 Madrid es-mad1 Stavanger no-svg1 Stockholm se-sto1 Warsaw pl-waw1 Americas Chicago us-chi1 New York us-nyc1 San Jose us-sjo1 Asia-Pacific Singapore sg-sin1 Sydney au-syd1 Each data centre is equipped with enterprise-grade hardware offering high-performance computing and our lightning-fast MaxIOPS® storage. Additionally, every data centre is interconnected with a dedicated network which enables customisable SDN private networks and our Utility network. MaxIOPS is a registered trademark of UpCloud Ltd.https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/shared-responsibility/Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:30:08 +0000hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/shared-responsibility/ While we are happy to help our customers to migrate and build upon our cloud servers, we do not currently offer managed servers. Due to our strong commitment to customer privacy, we have no access to our customers’ cloud servers on the operating system level and are unable to perform tasks on the customer’s behalf within the cloud server operating system or applications. Customers are therefore responsible for the security and maintenance of their cloud servers. Below is a visualisation of our responsibilities in maintaining our services and the customers’ responsibilities in assuring appropriate use thereof.https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/glossary/Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:39:25 +0300hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/glossary/ Cloud computing glossary is a reference guide to the terms, concepts, and technologies used in modern cloud infrastructure. For anyone evaluating cloud providers, designing systems, or managing workloads, understanding this vocabulary is essential. This glossary focuses on how cloud infrastructure actually works in practice. It covers core areas such as compute, storage, networking, security, and data governance, with clear explanations of how each concept affects performance, cost, reliability, and control. Here you will find definitions for commonly searched terms like cloud computing, servers, latency, and autoscaling, along with more advanced topics such as data sovereignty and multi-cloud. Each entry is written to answer not just “what is it,” but “when does it matter” and “why should you care.” Use this glossary to: Compare cloud providers and pricing models Understand infrastructure performance and limitations Plan and optimize architectures Navigate security, compliance, and data residency requirements If a term impacts how your cloud environment runs, scales, or is billed, it’s covered here. A Anti-Affinity A configuration rule that ensures specific workloads or instances are placed on separate physical hosts. This reduces the risk that a single hardware failure impacts multiple components. It is commonly used with multi-zone deployments to improve availability. API (Application Programming Interface) A set of rules that allows different software systems to communicate. In cloud environments, APIs are used to provision servers, manage storage, automate infrastructure, and integrate services. Most platforms are API-first, enabling full automation. Artificial Intelligence (AI) The simulation of human intelligence in machines. In cloud contexts, AI is used for prediction, classification, natural language processing, and automation, typically backed by scalable compute and data pipelines. Autoscaling A feature that automatically adjusts compute resources based on demand. It increases capacity during spikes and reduces it during low usage, balancing performance and cost based on metrics like CPU or request rate. Availability Zone An isolated location within a region designed to improve fault tolerance. Distributing workloads across zones helps protect against localized failures such as power or network outages. B Backend The server-side part of an application that handles business logic, data processing, and integration with databases and services. Backends are typically built for reliability, scalability, and secure data handling. Backup A copy of data stored separately from the original. Backups are used to restore systems after data loss, corruption, or failure and are a core part of disaster recovery strategies. They can be scheduled, incremental, or on-demand. Bandwidth The amount of data that can be transferred over a network in a given period, typically measured in Mbps or Gbps. Bandwidth limits influence how quickly users can access services and how systems exchange data. Bare Metal Server A physical server dedicated to a single tenant. It offers full control over hardware and predictable performance, often used for performance-sensitive or compliance-heavy workloads. Block Storage A storage system that stores data in fixed-size blocks. It is commonly used for databases and transactional workloads that require consistent performance and low latency. C Cloud Pricing The cost structure for cloud services. Models include pay-as-you-go, subscription, or resource-based billing. Pricing is typically tied to compute, storage, network usage, and optional managed services. Understanding pricing components is critical for forecasting costs and avoiding unexpected charges. Cloud Cost Optimization The process of reducing cloud spend while maintaining performance. This includes right-sizing resources, removing unused capacity, selecting appropriate pricing models, and optimizing data transfer patterns. Effective cost optimization requires continuous monitoring and adjustment. CLI (Command-Line Interface) A text-based interface used to interact with systems by typing commands. In cloud environments, CLIs enable automation, scripting, and fast resource management without a graphical interface, making them essential for DevOps workflows. Changelog A record of changes made to software or services over time, including new features, bug fixes, and breaking changes. Reviewing changelogs helps teams understand impact before deploying updates. Credit Prepaid usage or monetary value applied to a cloud account. Credits are often provided for trials or promotions and are consumed as services are used, typically with defined expiration or usage rules. Cloud A general term for computing resources delivered over the internet instead of on-premises hardware. This includes servers, storage, networking, and managed services, typically billed based on consumption. Cloud Application Software designed to run in cloud environments. These applications are built to scale horizontally, tolerate failure, and operate across distributed infrastructure. Cloud Computing The delivery of computing resources such as servers, storage, and networking over the internet on demand. It enables rapid provisioning, elasticity, and usage-based billing. Cloud Hosting A hosting model where applications run on virtualized infrastructure rather than a single physical server, improving scalability, redundancy, and availability. Cloud Migration The process of moving applications, data, or workloads to the cloud. Common approaches include lift-and-shift, replatforming, and refactoring depending on desired outcomes. Cloud Native An approach to building applications specifically for cloud environments using containers, microservices, and automated deployment practices. Cloud Platform A set of services that provides infrastructure and tools for building, deploying, and managing applications in the cloud. Cloud Service Provider A company that delivers cloud infrastructure and services, operating data centers and offering compute, storage, networking, and managed services. Cloud Storage A service that stores data remotely and makes it accessible over the internet with scalable capacity and durability. Cloud Server A virtual machine in a cloud environment with configurable CPU, memory, and storage. It can be scaled and managed programmatically. Container A lightweight unit that packages an application and its dependencies to ensure consistent execution across environments. Content Delivery Network (CDN) A distributed network that delivers content from locations closer to users, reducing latency and improving performance for global applications. Control Panel (Cloud) A web interface for provisioning, configuring, and monitoring cloud resources without using APIs directly. CPU (Central Processing Unit) The component responsible for executing instructions. In cloud environments, CPU allocation directly affects application performance and processing capacity. D Data Information stored, processed, and transmitted by systems, including files, databases, logs, and application state. Database An organized system for storing and querying data efficiently. Databases require reliable storage, indexing, and backup strategies. Data Center A facility that houses servers, storage, and networking equipment. Providers operate multiple locations to deliver low latency and redundancy. Data Control The ability to determine how data is stored, accessed, and managed, including location, permissions, and lifecycle policies. Data Governance Policies and processes that ensure data is handled securely and in compliance with regulations, including access control and auditing. Data Jurisdiction The legal authority that applies to data based on where it is stored or processed, affecting compliance and access rights. Data Locality The practice of keeping data close to where it is used to reduce latency and improve performance. Data Residency The physical location where data is stored, often chosen to meet regulatory or performance requirements. Data Sovereignty The concept that data is subject to the laws of the country where it resides. Dedicated Server A physical server used exclusively by one customer, providing isolation, control, and predictable performance. Developer An individual who builds and maintains applications and systems, often using APIs, SDKs, and infrastructure tools. E Egress Fee A charge applied when data is transferred out of a cloud environment to the public internet or another provider. Egress costs can significantly impact total cloud spend, especially for data-intensive applications, making architecture and traffic patterns important considerations. Encryption at Rest A security practice where stored data is encrypted on disk. This ensures that even if physical storage is accessed without authorization, the data remains unreadable without the appropriate keys. Encryption in Transit A security measure that encrypts data while it is being transmitted between systems, protecting it from interception or tampering during transfer. Edge Computing A model where data processing occurs closer to the source, reducing latency and bandwidth usage for real-time applications. F Frontend The user-facing part of an application responsible for presentation and interaction. It communicates with backend services via APIs and plays a key role in user experience and performance perception. Free Trial A limited-time or usage-based offering that allows users to evaluate services before committing to a paid plan. It is commonly used to test performance, usability, and feature coverage in real-world scenarios. File Storage A storage system that organizes data in a hierarchical structure, commonly used for shared access and traditional applications that rely on file paths and directories. Firewall A security system that monitors and controls network traffic based on rules, protecting systems from unauthorized access and potential threats. Floating IP A static IP address that can be reassigned between servers, commonly used for failover, maintenance, and high availability architectures. Low-Latency Refers to infrastructure designed to minimize delay in data processing or transmission. Low latency is critical for real-time applications such as streaming, gaming, and financial systems. G GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) A processor optimized for parallel computation, commonly used for machine learning, data processing, and rendering. GPU Server A cloud server equipped with GPUs for compute-intensive workloads such as AI training and inference. H High Availability (HA) A design approach that minimizes downtime through redundancy and failover mechanisms, ensuring systems remain operational during failures. Host A physical or virtual machine that runs applications and services, forming the foundation of compute infrastructure. Hybrid Cloud An environment that combines public cloud infrastructure with private systems, allowing workloads to be distributed based on performance, cost, or compliance needs. Hyperscaler A cloud provider operating large-scale, highly automated infrastructure across global regions. These providers typically offer extensive service portfolios and massive scalability. I Ingress Incoming network traffic entering a system or network. It is typically controlled through routing rules, firewalls, and load balancers. Instance A virtual server running in a cloud environment with defined compute, memory, and storage resources. Instances are the primary unit of compute consumption. Initialization The process of preparing a system or resource for use, including configuration, provisioning, and bootstrapping steps. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) A cloud model where users provision and manage virtualized infrastructure such as servers, storage, and networking. Internet of Things (IoT) A network of connected devices that collect and exchange data, often relying on cloud services for processing, storage, and analytics. IP Address A unique identifier assigned to devices on a network to enable communication between systems. IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) A metric that measures how many read and write operations a storage system can perform. It is critical for evaluating storage performance for databases and transactional workloads. K Kubernetes An open-source platform for managing containerized applications, automating deployment, scaling, and operations. Kubernetes Cluster A group of nodes that run containerized applications under Kubernetes management, including control plane and worker nodes. M Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) A security method requiring two or more forms of verification, adding protection beyond passwords and reducing the risk of unauthorized access. Metadata Data that describes other data, such as creation time, ownership, or configuration details. It is often used for management, organization, and automation. Machine Learning A subset of AI where systems learn from data to improve performance without explicit programming. Managed Databases A database service where maintenance tasks such as backups, updates, and scaling are handled by the provider, reducing operational overhead. Managed Kubernetes A service where the Kubernetes control plane is managed by the provider, allowing users to focus on applications rather than infrastructure. MaxIOPS Storage High-performance block storage designed for consistent and high input/output operations, suited for latency-sensitive workloads such as databases. Multi-Cloud The use of multiple cloud providers within a single architecture to improve resilience, avoid vendor lock-in, and optimize performance. N Node A machine within a distributed system that runs workloads and communicates with other nodes. NAT Gateway A service that enables outbound internet access for private resources while preventing inbound connections, improving security for internal systems. Network Latency The delay between sending a request and receiving a response, directly impacting application responsiveness. Network Throughput The amount of data transferred over a network in a given time, affecting how quickly large datasets can be moved. Network Isolation The separation of workloads into distinct network segments to improve security and limit the impact of potential issues. O OpenSearch An open-source search and analytics engine used for log analysis, search, and observability workloads in distributed systems. Object Storage A storage model that manages data as objects, suitable for large-scale unstructured data such as media, backups, and archives. Operating System (OS) Software that manages hardware resources and provides services for applications, acting as the interface between software and hardware. P Peering A network connection between two networks that allows direct data exchange, improving performance, reducing latency, and avoiding public internet routes. PostgreSQL An open-source relational database system known for reliability, extensibility, and strong standards compliance. Platform as a Service (PaaS) A cloud model that provides a platform for developing and deploying applications without managing underlying infrastructure. Private Cloud A cloud environment dedicated to a single organization, offering greater control, security, and customization. Private Networking An isolated network environment for secure communication between resources without exposure to the public internet. Public Cloud Cloud services delivered over the internet to multiple customers with logical isolation between tenants. R Routing The process of directing network traffic between systems or networks based on defined rules and paths. S Self-Service A model where users provision and manage resources independently through a control panel or API. This reduces dependency on provider support and enables faster iteration. Subaccount A separate account within a main cloud account used to isolate projects, teams, or billing. It helps organize resources and enforce access control. SDK (Software Development Kit) Tools, libraries, and documentation used to build applications and integrate with cloud services. SDKs simplify working with APIs and accelerate development. Secure Socket Shell (SSH) A protocol for securely accessing and managing remote systems over encrypted connections, commonly used for server administration. SLA (Service Level Agreement) A contract defining uptime, performance, and support commitments. SLAs often include guarantees and compensation terms. Simple Backup A service for automated and on-demand data backups, enabling quick recovery in case of data loss or system failure. Software as a Service (SaaS) Software delivered over the internet and managed by the provider, allowing users to access applications without managing infrastructure. SSD (Solid State Drive) A storage device that provides fast performance and low latency compared to traditional hard drives, improving application responsiveness. Scale-Up vs Scale-Out Two approaches to scaling: increasing resources on a single machine or adding more machines to distribute load and improve resilience. Snapshot A point-in-time copy of data used for backup, recovery, and cloning environments. Secure Boot A feature that ensures only trusted software runs during system startup, protecting systems from low-level threats. T Terraform An infrastructure as code tool used to define and manage cloud resources through configuration files. It enables repeatable, version-controlled deployments. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) The overall cost of running cloud infrastructure over time, including direct expenses, operational overhead, and indirect costs such as downtime or maintenance. V Valkey An open-source in-memory data store used for caching, messaging, and real-time data processing, designed for high performance and low latency. Vendor Lock-in Dependence on a provider that makes it difficult to migrate to another platform. It can limit flexibility, increase costs, and impact long-term strategy. Virtual Machine (VM) A software-based computer running on virtualized hardware, allowing multiple operating systems to share a single physical machine. Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) An isolated network environment within a public cloud, providing control over IP ranges, routing, and access policies. Virtual Private Server (VPS) A virtualized server that mimics a dedicated environment within shared hardware, offering flexibility and cost efficiency. Virtualization Technology that enables multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical system, improving resource utilization and scalability. Volume (Storage) A unit of persistent storage that can be attached to a compute instance, typically used in block storage systems. Volumes allow data to persist independently of the lifecycle of a server. VPN Gateway A service that enables secure, encrypted connections between networks, often used to connect on-premises infrastructure with cloud environments. W Workload An application or process running on cloud infrastructure with specific compute, storage, and networking requirements. Different workloads require different architectures and performance characteristics.https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/faq/Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:30:08 +0000hello@upcloud.com (UpCloud)https://upcloud.com/docs/getting-started/faq/ Free trial We want to enable our customers to experience our cloud infrastructure first hand. To this end, we offer a free 7-day trial with no strings attached. Additionally, you also always have a 30-day money-back guarantee on your first payment! How long does the free trial last? Every new signup gets a 7-day free trial with no strings attached. If you would like to extend your trial period, please contact our sales team . Can I keep using the services after the free trial expires? You may keep using your cloud services deployed during the trial by making a one-time deposit of at least €10 / $10 before your trial ends. Will I be charged during the free trial? We will not charge you during the free trial. However, we may need to make a temporary 0 or 1 €/$ authorisation, which we will use to validate your credit card and refund immediately. How can I get help during the free trial? You can contact our 24/7 in-house support via live chat or email. You can also check out our documentation for a Cloud Server quick start guide and other guides to help you make the most of your UpCloud services. What are the trial restrictions? You will get free access to test most of UpCloud’s services, including Cloud Servers, Private networking, VPN or NAT Gateway, and Managed Services. Trial accounts are limited by quotas, but you can deploy, delete, and redeploy resources as many times as you like within the trial period. Note that the Cloud Servers will have a firewall enabled, allowing only standard ports commonly used on web servers. What services do I get in the free trial? You will get free access to all Linux Cloud Server plans, up to 2 CPU, 4 GB Memory, 60 GB Storage, and 1 TB Transfer. In addition to Cloud Server, you will also get access to Private networking, VPN or NAT Gateway, and Managed Services. It's possible to deploy, delete and redeploy as many time as you like within the free trial period and balance. How can I upgrade from the free trial to a paid account? You can upgrade easily by making a one-time deposit of €10 / $10 or more with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Visit the billing section at your UpCloud control panel. Why must I give UpCloud my credit card information if the trial is free? We need to verify your identity with a credit card and billing information to help us prevent bots and abuse. Can I deploy a Windows Server during the free trial? Unfortunately, deploying Windows servers is not possible during the free trial. Nevertheless, as a licensed Microsoft partner, we offer cloud servers running the latest Windows Server products to our users. Contact us for more information. Why are there restrictions on the free trial? The purpose of the free trial is to allow you to test and benchmark the performance of our infrastructure. The trial restrictions protect our existing users while providing new users with an opportunity to get familiar with our services. If you would like to test the full set of features, you can always upgrade your account by making a minimum €10 / $10 payment with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Account & Billing How does the payment work if I want to continue using my server? UpCloud uses a prepaid system in which your use of billed services is deducted from your account balance on an hourly basis. You need to have adequate funds on your account to deploy new services. Find out more at our guide to adding balance to your UpCloud account. What payment methods do you accept? We offer several payment methods for adding balance to your UpCloud account: Credit cards: Visa and MasterCard PayPal: PayPal balance, bank account, debit and credit cards (payment methods may vary by region). If you have any questions about the payment methods, please contact us . Why do I have to approve a top-up payment when I activate automated payments for the first time? When you first set up automated payments, we charge the top-up amount to verify your credit card details. This helps prevent payment failures when your automated rule runs. The test charge will be immediately refunded to your bank account. What happens if my automatic payments fail? If your automatic payments fail, your account balance will continue to decrease without being replenished. This could eventually lead to your balance reaching zero, at which point your resources will stop. To avoid service interruption, please ensure your payment method remains valid and has sufficient funds. Do you void the initial automatic payment after the test payment? Yes. However, depending on the processing time of your bank, the test payment may still appear as Pending on your bank statement for up to 3-5 business days. Will there be two payments if the threshold is met instantly after enabling automatic payments? Yes. When you first enable automatic payments, there will be a test payment (which is immediately refunded), followed by additional payments if your balance is still below the threshold. These subsequent payments will continue until your balance rises above the set threshold. How often does this rule run? After your balance falls below the threshold, the automated payment rule will attempt to process a payment up to three times, with each attempt spaced 3 hours apart. If all three payment attempts fail, automated payments will be automatically disabled for your account. Will I get low credit balance emails with automatic payments enabled? No. You will not receive low-balance notifications. How can I make the automated payment only charge me once per month? You can control how often automatic payments occur by aligning your top-up amount with your monthly usage . For example, if you typically use €100 / $100 per month, setting your top-up amount to €100 / $100 will result in approximately one payment per month. You can adjust this amount based on your preferences - setting a higher top-up amount will result in fewer payments, while a lower amount will lead to more frequent payments throughout the month. What payment options can I use with automatic payments? Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover. Please note that PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay are not supported for automatic payments. What does the referral program mean? You can earn bonus credits to your UpCloud account by sharing your unique referral link or code with your friends. For every new qualifying user who signs up using your referral code, you will receive €50 / $50 worth of free credits. When signing up, the new user also receives a bonus of €25 / $25 in credits. Read more about the referral program here . Will I be charged taxes? We are required by law to apply local taxes for certain countries. Any applicable taxes are paid at the point of adding to the balance of your account according to the tax rules of your country. The rate at which any local taxes are charged depends on the tax location indicated by your billing details . VAT or GST registered businesses from certain countries can enter their VAT or GST registration number to not be charged taxes. How will I be billed? All Cloud Server plans on your account are billed hourly up to the monthly rate cap and the hourly rate is determined by dividing the monthly rate by 672 hours (28 days). However, if your server is online for more than 672 hours in a calendar month, we will bill you on the monthly rate. Can I get extra credits to my account for recommending UpCloud? Yes! For every new user who signs up using your unique referral code, makes at least two payments and stays active for a minimum of 28 days, you will receive €50 / $50 worth of free credits. On top of that, the new user receives a bonus worth €25 / $25 credits. Read more about the referral program here . How are Cloud Servers billed when shut down? Developer and General Purpose Cloud Servers are billed per hour regardless of whether the server is powered on or shut down. This is due to the discounted bundle pricing, which in turn affords a lower monthly cost. Cloud Native plan Cloud Servers are billed only then the server is powered on. API Do you offer an API? Yes. We have built a fully-featured API which allows you to perform all the operations available at your UpCloud control panel. The same API is used by our backend and it always has the latest features and updates. Learn more about how to get started with UpCloud API. Where can I find my API keys? UpCloud allows you to create the API ID and API key yourself. Find out more in our guide on how to get started with API. What programming languages can I use with your API? We have a number of different API clients to help you with getting started which are available at our GitHub page . GDPR Are you GDPR compliant? Yes. UpCloud is fully GDPR compliant and we have followed similar principles for a long time, even before GDPR was introduced. Read more about GDPR and how it protects your privacy at our GDPR update . What personal data do you collect? We collect and process certain personal data (contact, billing and behavioural) in compliance with GDPR to enhance our services. This does not include any personal data stored on your cloud servers. Those are not accessible by UpCloud and they are under your sole discretion. Do you provide Data Processing Addendum (DPA)? If GDPR applies to your organization and you need a DPA to satisfy the GDPR requirements, contact our support . How can I delete or retrieve the data UpCloud has about me? You may exercise your right to view, modify, or delete your personal data through your UpCloud control panel. Reach out to support@upcloud.com if you wish to completely erase your account and all associated data. Support Do you have a support help desk I can contact? Yes, always! We have a friendly dedicated team of technical support specialists available 24/7. On average, we’ll respond in less than 2 minutes! We are happy to assist with any technical questions related to our infrastructure and services but are unable to manage any of our users’ cloud servers. Can you help me get started? We have an extensive library of support articles and guides to help you configure your cloud server. Check out our documentation pages to learn more. Be sure to also watch our video on how to deploy a server in only 45 seconds with UpCloud Control Panel. What kind of assistance can you provide? We can help you with any technical difficulties you might experience with our services and their use. Don’t hesitate to contact us and ask for help! How can I contact your support? You can contact us via live chat, email or phone lines in four different time zones. Find the contact details here . Can you install or manage software for me? Due to privacy and security reasons, we can’t access your cloud servers for installing or managing software. However, you can find plenty of easy to follow tutorials on how to install commonly used and popular software in our documentation section . Where can I find out about your service status? We maintain a live status page where we report any incidents and planned maintenance regarding our cloud services. On the status page, you can also subscribe for email updates to be immediately notified of any changes to our service level. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.