Create an environment

Use the Deploy New Environment wizard to build a new, empty environment. You choose where it runs, which layers it has, and how big each layer can grow. Billing starts as soon as the environment runs.

Before you start

• Application Hosting must be on for your account. See Enable a service.
• You need permission to create environments. The account owner can grant it.
• A cloudlet is the unit you size layers in. One cloudlet is 128 MiB of memory and 200 MHz of CPU.

Create the environment

1. In the side menu, select Application Hosting, then Deploy New Environment. From the Environments list, you can also select New Environment, then Blank Environment.
2. If your account has more than one service, choose it under Application Hosting Service.
3. On the Region step, select the region where the environment runs. The region also sets the end of its web address and which software you can pick. A region marked Maintenance can’t take new environments for now. Select Continue.
4. On the Layers step, set up each layer. The wizard starts with one Application Node layer.
   1. Under Software, choose the software for the layer, for example a PHP or Node.js runtime. Under Version, pick a version. The version marked Default is the one the platform suggests.
   2. Under Nodes, use the minus and plus buttons to set how many nodes the layer runs.
   3. Set Reserved and Maximum cloudlets for each node. Reserved cloudlets are always billed. The node can grow up to Maximum when it’s busy, and you pay for the extra only while it’s used. Both numbers must be even, and Reserved must be lower than Maximum.
   4. To add another layer, select Add Layer and choose its role, such as Load Balancer, SQL Database or Cache. You can add one layer of each role.
   5. Select Continue.
5. On the Name & Access step, fill in the fields.
   • Environment Name is also the web address, for example northwind-shop becomes the start of the address shown under the field. Use 5 to 50 lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens.
   • Display Name is what you see in your list. It doesn’t change the address.
   • Built-In SSL serves the default address over HTTPS with a certificate we manage for you.
6. Select Continue. The Review step shows the address, region, display name, SSL, each layer and the totals for Nodes, Reserved and Maximum.
7. Read Estimated Price. It shows a monthly range, from the environment idle to every cloudlet in use, plus items that are billed separately such as storage and traffic.
8. Select Create Environment. The button shows Creating… while it works.

What you see afterwards

You land on the Environments list. The new environment shows Building, then Running. Some builds take several minutes. If the build outlasts the wizard, you see a message that the environment is being built and will appear as soon as it runs.

Next, you can add a custom domain, deploy your code or add an SSH key.

Create backup storage

Backup storage is a small environment that holds database backups. The Database Backup add-on writes its backups there. Create it once, before you set up database backups.

1. In the side menu, open Application Hosting, then Backup Storage.
2. If your account has more than one service, choose the Application Hosting Service.
3. Choose the Region. Pick the region of the databases you want to back up.
4. Check the Environment Name and Display Name. They’re filled in for you, and you can change them.
5. Set the Disk Size (GB). The hint under the field shows the smallest and largest size you can pick.
6. Select Create Backup Storage.

Backup storage is billed as usage, like any environment. The form shows its price in one of two ways:

• Once the price can be read, a line gives the price per GB per month and an estimate for the size you chose, for example “CA$… per GB per month. 5 GB ≈ CA$… / month.” The estimate follows the Disk Size (GB) you set.
• Until then, it reads Billed monthly as usage, for the disk space it uses. See your Application Hosting usage. The link opens your usage. See Read Application Hosting usage.

You land on the Environments list, and a message says how many minutes creation takes. The backup storage then appears as an environment like any other.

Next, install the Database Backup add-on on your database layer. See Install an add-on.

If something goes wrong

• That environment name is already in use. Try another. Each environment name must be unique, because it’s also a web address.
• You have reached the environment limit for this service. Delete an environment you no longer need, or contact support.
• That region is not accepting new environments right now. Go back and pick another region.
• One of the layers you chose is not available in that region. Pick other software for that layer, or another region.
• The Review step warns you when the environment has no Application Node and no Load Balancer. It won’t be reachable from the web, and it can’t have a custom domain.
• Price Unavailable means the estimate couldn’t be worked out. You can still create the environment.
• The software catalogue could not be loaded. Please try again. Reload the page after a moment.
• This service has reached its environment limit. Remove one before installing another.
• We couldn’t confirm this started. Try again: it won’t create a second one.
• You do not have permission to create environments. The account owner can grant this.