clusters overview
A cluster is a group of one or more machines that are managed by Kubernetes to deploy your products, any dependencies, and keep them healthy. CNAP provides Kubernetes as a Service (KaaS) - we manage the control plane and handle all Kubernetes operations on your workers (joining, configuring, maintaining), while you stay in control of your infrastructure and billing. Learn more about KaaS →

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Getting Started with Clusters

Choose how you want to set up your infrastructure:

Create a Managed Cluster

Set up fully managed infrastructure in minutes

Import Existing Cluster

Connect your existing Kubernetes infrastructure

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Managed vs. Imported Clusters

Perfect for most users - CNAP handles all the complex operations:
  • Zero operational overhead - We manage the control plane
  • 24/7 monitoring - Proactive issue detection and resolution
  • Security updates - Automatic patches and Kubernetes upgrades
  • Multi-cloud support - Use any provider or mix providers
Learn how to create a managed cluster →

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Imported Clusters

For existing Kubernetes clusters - Bring any cluster from any provider:
  • Any Kubernetes cluster - EKS, GKE, AKS, self-managed, or others
  • You manage the cluster - Control plane and worker operations remain your responsibility
  • Limited CNAP management - We handle product deployments, you handle cluster operations
  • Existing investment - Leverage current Kubernetes infrastructure
  • Flexibility - Keep your current cluster management approach
Learn how to import a cluster →

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Behind the Scenes

CNAP automatically handles product deployments when customers complete purchases. The platform synchronizes your product’s Helm chart resources with the destination cluster based on the customer’s selected region. Each product deployment gets its own dedicated namespace for security and isolation between different customer deployments. When deployments fail or customers cancel, CNAP automatically cleans up all associated resources to keep your infrastructure tidy.
Resource strategy: Shared clusters work well when you control the software, but consider dedicated machines or clusters for each customer if they can run custom code like container images or game server plugins.