Think of resources as a unified digital representation of your actual infrastructure - whether it’s running in AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, or your own data centers. Resources bridge the gap between your physical/virtual infrastructure and the software that needs to run on it.

Key Characteristics

Each resource in Ctrlplane has:

  • Identity: Unique ID and human-readable name
  • Classification: Kind (e.g., “ClusterAPI”, “VM”, “VPC”) and version
  • Configuration: Structured data specific to the resource type
  • Metadata: Key-value attributes providing additional context
  • Relationships: Connections to other resources (parent/child, dependencies)

Resource Types

Ctrlplane manages many types of resources, including:

  • Kubernetes Resources: Clusters, Namespaces, VClusters
  • Cloud Infrastructure: VPCs, Subnets, Networks
  • Compute Resources: Virtual Machines, Container Instances
  • Storage Resources: Disks, Volumes, Object Storage
  • Custom Resources: Any infrastructure component you need to track

How Resources Work

Discovery and Sync

Ctrlplane automatically discovers resources from your cloud providers through periodic scans. Once discovered, resources are:

  1. Added to your resource inventory
  2. Kept in sync with their actual state in your cloud environment
  3. Made available as deployment targets

Resource Variables

You can attach variables to resources to control how they behave during deployments. These variables can be:

  • References to secrets required for access
  • Configuration values for deployments
  • Environment-specific settings

Resource Relationships

Resources often have relationships with other resources. For example:

  • A VM belongs to a VPC
  • A Kubernetes Namespace runs on a Cluster
  • A Container Instance uses a Volume

Ctrlplane automatically detects and maintains these relationships, giving you a complete picture of your infrastructure.

Why Resources Matter

Resources provide critical benefits:

  • Single Source of Truth: Comprehensive inventory of all your infrastructure
  • Environment Visibility: Clear understanding of what’s running where
  • Deployment Targeting: Precise control over where code and configurations are deployed
  • Dependency Management: Awareness of resource connections and requirements
  • Security Boundaries: Clear separation between environments

Getting Started with Resources

  1. Connect your cloud providers to discover resources automatically
  2. Browse your resource inventory to see what’s available
  3. Tag and organize resources for better visibility
  4. Create deployments that target specific resources
  5. Track resource health and relationships through visualizations

Resources are the foundation of Ctrlplane’s ability to provide controlled, observable, and reliable deployments across your entire infrastructure landscape.