Resources
Resources are the fundamental building blocks of your infrastructure that Ctrlplane discovers, manages, and deploys to. A resource represents any cloud or infrastructure component your applications run on or interact with.
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:
- Added to your resource inventory
- Kept in sync with their actual state in your cloud environment
- 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
- Connect your cloud providers to discover resources automatically
- Browse your resource inventory to see what’s available
- Tag and organize resources for better visibility
- Create deployments that target specific resources
- 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.