Machines
This page explains what the Machine resource means in the kopernik.us API and how to work with it.
For endpoint and schema details, see the Machine API reference. For console workflow guidance, see the Machines console guide.
What a machine is
A Machine is the provider-agnostic representation of a virtual server.
Provider equivalents include:
- Akamai Linode
- AWS EC2 instance
- DigitalOcean Droplet
The Machine resource exists so clients can use the same concepts and request patterns across providers, even though each provider exposes different native APIs.
What machine creation controls
Machine creation typically chooses:
- region
- machine type
- operating system image
- VPC and subnet
- firewall association
- SSH keys
- block storage volumes
- tags
These fields define the compute and network environment for the instance.
Why machines matter beyond compute
Machines are not only a standalone resource. They are also a building block for higher-level features.
Most importantly, container apps are backed by machines. When you create a container app, the API still provisions a machine under the hood.
Advanced features
The API can install and use the kopernik.us agent on machines to support higher-level behavior such as:
- container app management
- mounted volume workflows
- richer runtime coordination
If advanced features are disabled at machine creation time, some higher-level capabilities are unavailable.
Storage model
Machine creation can include:
- a root volume when the selected machine type does not provide one
- additional block storage volumes
These volumes matter for applications that need persistent data, especially container apps and databases.
Lifecycle
Machine create and delete operations are asynchronous and return actions. See Actions and asynchronous operations for the operation model.