Getting Started

Deploying your first app with Cloud 66

You can have your first application up and running on Cloud 66 in under 5 mins. Follow the steps below to see how easy it is to get your app configured, built, and deployed.

What you’ll need

Before you start, please check you have the following:

  • A Cloud 66 Account — If you don’t already have one, sign up for a Cloud 66 account. Your first server is free, no credit card required.
  • Application code and/or pre-built images — Application code should be hosted in a (secure) publicly accessible git repository and pre-built images should be hosted in image publicly accessible repositories.
  • An account with a supported cloud provider or your own servers set up — Cloud 66 supports a range of cloud providers. Select your preferred provider from the dropdown under Step 4 below.

Once you're ready, click the green New Application button to start the process.

Rails version support

We support every version of Rails from 2.6.3 and upwards, including versions 6.x.x The version installed during deployment is based on the requirements of your application. Versions earlier than 2.6.3 may work but will have some compatibility issues with Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04.

Step 1: Choose a source

The first thing we need is access to your code, so that we can build and deploy it for you. Click the tab below which best suits your needs:

Step 2: Define your application

Now that we have access to your git host, you can tell us which repo you want to deploy:

  1. Choose the repo you want to deploy and set the branch
  2. Choose an environment for your application
  3. Give your application a name (this will be used to label your application throughout the Cloud 66 dashboard, and will not be visible to public users.)
  4. Click Analyze - we will now scan your repo and suggest the optimal settings

Step 3: Configure and build

Once the analysis is complete you'll see a yellow Information Box that you can use to verify the analysis is correct.

If there are any problems you can make changes and click Reanalyze my code. If necessary, you can also add environment variables.

In App Configuration you can make changes to application configuration parameters.

  • Ruby Version — That your app is using.
  • Framework Info — This allows you alter information about asset pipeline precompilation and whether you want to run rake db:schema:load.

Add and confirm environment variables Optional

During initial analysis we automatically generate environment variables based on the framework and components used by your app, but you can also add your own by clicking the Add environment variables link above the main panel.

Additionally, if we detect environment variables used directly in your code, we will present you with a list of the detected variables. Here you can either supply values for the variables, check the Allow empty value box (we will save the variable with a blank value) or, delete them (in which case we will then ignore them).

Once your app is completely configured, click the Next → button.

Step 4: Add a cloud provider

A. Configure access to your cloud provider

We need access to your cloud account in order to provision and manage servers on your behalf. How you configure that access differs from provider to provider. Select your cloud provider from the dropdown for more help.

B. Add your cloud provider as a deployment target

To add your cloud credentials click the Add a Deployment Target button. This will open a panel that will enable you to grant Cloud 66 access to your provider.

Click the green Add Deployment Target button once complete.

C. Specify servers

Next you need to specify where your servers will be situated, how large they should be, and where your data will be stored:

  1. Choose a Server Region
  2. We will suggest a size for your application server - you can change it as needed
  3. Specify whether your datastore will share the app server (not recommended for Production), or have its own server. You can also use an existing external database server if you prefer.

Our customization section has more details on the available options.

Step 5: Deploy your app

When you’re satisfied with your configuration, click the Start Deployment button. During the build and deployment process you can view the log to see what’s happening behind the scenes.

You can also close the window and come back later. We will email you once the application is deployed (or if it fails).

Initial build may take some time

The full build and deployment process may take 15 minutes or more because Cloud 66 needs to provision components and resources from the ground up. You can close the window and we will send you an email when the deployment is complete.

Server build states

In order to allow you to start working with your new app as soon as possible, there are two build states (or stages) for application servers:

  1. Ready - server is available to use, with the minimum required configuration
  2. Optimized - all the latest packages are installed & optimized

Customizing your app

If your application relies on specific components or non-standard settings or package versions then you can easily customize your configuration to match your requirements.

The method you use to configure a component depends on the nature of the customization. The table below will help you find the right tool:

Customization requiredConfiguration tool
Specific versions of a framework or packageManifest file
Cloud-provider-specific settings for servers (e.g. security groups, subnets)Manifest file
Component configuration (e.g. database engine config files)CustomConfig
Environment VariablesDashboard or Toolbelt
Non-standard Linux packages or librariesDeploy hooks
Running multiple database types or versions (groups)Manifest file or Dashboard
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