A Host is a permanent copy of a Template or Community Vertical: your client's production Odoo instance. Unlike an Evaluation, a Host never expires. It keeps running until you stop it, and you can give it the client's own domain name.
Launching a Host
Open the Template (running or stopped) or Vertical you want to use and click Launch Host. Norcloud creates a permanent copy of its database and queues the job that builds the Host. The Host runs on the Template's Host Launch Server Type, and its usage is charged to your wallet like your other instances (see Norcloud Finance).
You can also create a Host from scratch in the same way you create a Template. The first time you start the Host created in this way, the same Create Database window as for Templates asks for the database details. See Starting your Template for the first time.
Open Norcloud Management Interface → Hosting → Hosting to see your Hosts. The list shows each Host's type, owner, link, domain and server type.
The Host form
| Field | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Host Name | A name to help you recognise the Host. You can change it while the Host is stopped. |
| Template | The Template the Host was launched from. |
| DB Master Password | The Odoo database master password. Click the eye icon to view it. |
| Domain URL | The client's domain name for this Host. It only appears while the Host is stopped. See Using your own domain. |
| Registered for Maintenance | Ticked once the Host is registered. |
| Modules to Install | Extra modules Norcloud provides for the Host's Odoo version, available once it's registered. |
The right-hand side also shows the Host's unique name, ports and database name.
Using your own domain
To serve a Host on the client's own domain:
- Stop the Host.
- Enter the domain in Domain URL, for example
erp.clientcompany.com. A leadingwww.is removed, and each domain can only be used by one Host. - At the client's DNS provider, point the domain at your Host's Norcloud server.
- Start the Host.
Once started, the domain url is hidden but is visible in the list.
Norcloud sets up the web routing for the domain. The SSL certificate that secures it is managed in Norcloud SSL Certificates.
Registering a Host
If the Template wasn't registered for maintenance, you can register the Host itself. Click Register on the running Host and confirm. As with Templates, this lets you choose Modules to Install and deploy add-on modules straight into the Host. See Registering for maintenance.
Host buttons
| Button | Available when | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Start Host | Stopped | Starts the Host. The first start asks for your database details. |
| Stop Host | Running | Stops the Host. |
| Restart Host | Running | Restarts it. With Full restart on, it does a full stop and start, which also applies Modules to Install, Python requirements and newer module versions. |
| Copy Host | Stopped or running | Creates a copy of the Host, for example to test changes before making them live. |
| Register / Unregister | Running | Adds or removes the maintenance user. |
| Edit Config | Stopped or running | Opens the configuration file editor. See Editing configuration files. |
| Log Viewer | Running | Shows the Host's Odoo log. |
| Upgrade Host | Running and registered | Coming soon: upgrading a Host to a newer Odoo version. |
| Cancel Host | Draft or stopped | Takes the Host out of service. A cancelled Host can be reinstated or killed. |
| Reinstate Host | Cancelled | Returns a cancelled Host to Stopped. |
| Kill Host | Cancelled | Deletes the Host and its data completely. This can't be undone. |
| Clear Error | Error | Clears the error so you can try again. |
Removing a Host is deliberately a two-step process: first Cancel Host, then Kill Host. Take a backup first if there's anything you might need (see Norcloud Backup Management). Canceling the host allows the client to control access to the host without full deletion
If a newer version of an installed module is available, a notice appears under the buttons. Do a full restart to apply it. As with Templates, the bottom of the form keeps Norcloud's Activity Log, Error Logs and Information Logs for the Host.
Managed and self-hosted Hosts
The Hosting list shows each Host's type:
- Managed: a Host you manage.
- Self Hosted: a Host belonging to a client user who has been set up to manage their own Host. When you open one, a banner says This is a self-hosted server, and most of the buttons are hidden from you. Its owner controls it.
Resource usage
The Hosting menu also has Self-Host Usage Overview and Self-Host Usage Report. They show the memory, disk (including backups), CPUs and network traffic used by self-hosted Hosts.
