A Cloud Server is a virtual computer you rent and run in one of our regions. It has its own operating system, memory, disk and network, and you control it exactly like a physical machine, except you create and destroy it in minutes.
You manage servers under Cloud Servers in the console. Each server shows a status: Active means it is running, Shutoff means it is stopped, and Build or Resize mean an operation is in progress.
The common things you do with a server all have their own guides:
- Launch your first Cloud Server
- Give your server a public address
- Connect over SSH
- Resize to a bigger or smaller plan
- Back it up with a snapshot
- Delete it to stop charges
Two settings you choose when creating a server shape everything else: the Server Plan (its size) and the Operating System (the software it boots). Read Server Plans explained and Operating Systems and custom images before you launch anything important.