Product Description Cloud Servers

A cloud server is a virtual server with a fixed or custom configuration that runs on Selectel's physical resources. Selectel uses the KVM hypervisor for virtualizing physical resources.

The terms of use for the Cloud Servers product are defined by the document Terms of service for individual services: “Cloud Platform” service group and SLA. All cloud servers are compliant with Federal Law No. 152-FZ by default compliant with 152-FZ.

If mandatory information system attestation, the use of only certified security tools, or the processing of personal data of the first and second protection levels is required, deploy the server in a certified cloud.

In addition to standard cloud servers, you can create preemptible servers with a discount of up to 75%. A preemptible cloud server runs continuously for no more than 24 hours and can be stopped by Selectel at any time. Preemptible servers are not covered by the terms of use.

Cloud servers can be created in different regions. Learn more about available locations in the Availability Matrix.

Working with cloud servers is supported via user types and roles, projects, and project limits and quotas.

Use cases

hosting web projects: web applications, online stores, corporate websites, portals, and other internet resources;
hosting software and corporate infrastructure services (CRM, ERP, databases, mail servers, and others);
creation, development, and testing of applications;
running containerized applications and microservice architectures;
performing load testing and organizing CI/CD processes;
scaling fault-tolerant web services during peak loads;
rendering graphics, animations, and visual effects;
performing GPU-accelerated computing for scientific and engineering tasks;
inference of machine learning and artificial intelligence models;
running and maintaining large language models (LLMs), chatbots, RAG systems, and AI agents;
organizing remote workplaces and virtual desktops.

How it works

To get started, create a cloud server. You can create a server:

in the control panel;
via OpenStack CLI;
using Terraform.

When creating a server, you choose a line and a specific configuration that suits your tasks. For most lines, two types of configurations are available:

fixed configuration — a configuration with a fixed ratio of CPU cores, memory, and disks;
custom configuration — a ratio of CPU cores, memory, and disks adjustable to your needs.

Depending on the tasks your cloud server will handle, you can:

configure a server with dedicated cores;
select a local or network volume;
add several additional network volumes;
configure a network for the server;
add security groups;
configure access to a cloud server;
add a cloud server to a placement group;
or set up automation during the first OS boot using User data.

How to work with cloud servers

Once you have created a server, you can manage it:

For remote access to a cloud server, you can connect in several ways.

You can track metrics for cloud servers using the Metrics service.

Cloud server operation logs are saved in audit logs.

Areas of responsibility

Areas of responsibility at Selectel correspond to the division of responsibilities in the IaaS cloud service delivery model.

Selectel provides

a virtualization environment and computing systems;
physical security and fault tolerance of servers, and power supply;
collection and analysis of hypervisor and infrastructure component events;
protection against DDoS and network attacks;
traffic encryption and filtering.

Selectel is not responsible for

configuration of cloud servers: the operating system, network, and firewall;
security of the virtual network and user accounts;
resource access control;
cloud server backup;
encryption and data integrity verification.

You manage the cloud server yourself: you install and configure the necessary software.

If you need help administering cloud servers, order managed service administration.

Pricing

A cloud server is billed using a pay-as-you-go model. Every hour, funds are deducted from your balance for the previous hour of cloud server resource usage; external traffic is also charged. Read more in the Pricing and Billing Models.

What is included in the price

The price of a cloud server includes:

3 TB of external traffic per month for all projects with cloud services in one account;
unlimited traffic between Selectel products;
a library of ready-to-use images and applications;
server management via API and Terraform;
DDoS protection at the L3–L4 layers;
cloud firewall;
security groups.

Limits and restrictions

Selectel sets account limits, project limits, and resource quotas. Read more in the Quotas and Limits guide

The total throughput for UDP traffic on ports 0, 16, 19, 53, 123, 1900 is limited to 500 Mbit/sec.

If the threshold of 150 thousand packets per second is exceeded, Selectel limits the bandwidth to 100 Mbit/sec.