Architecture
The platform is organized into four layers:Compute
Physical servers in Rackdog data centers, dedicated to a single customer. There’s no shared compute and no hypervisor in the way. Each server is provisioned and configured automatically, so you can deploy hardware on demand without losing control over it.Networking
Every server gets a public IP, and you can connect servers together over private networking with VLAN-based isolation. The platform supports advanced routing if you need to build a custom topology across your fleet.Provisioning
Provisioning is automated end to end: PXE-based workflows handle OS install and initial configuration, and the same process runs consistently across environments. That makes rebuilds and scale-outs repeatable rather than bespoke.API
Everything you can do in the dashboard is available through the API: server lifecycle, network configuration, and IP allocation. That makes it straightforward to plug Rackdog into your own tooling, CI/CD pipelines, or infrastructure automation.Multi-location deployments
Rackdog infrastructure can span multiple data center locations, and you can distribute servers across them however your architecture requires. Each location operates independently: private networking and VLANs don’t extend between locations, so connecting servers across sites is something you’ll set up yourself (for example, over a VPN or public routing).Security
Isolation is physical by default. Servers are dedicated hardware, networks are separated by VLAN, and the API is authenticated with API keys. Nothing is shared between customers unless you explicitly set it up that way.When Rackdog is a good fit
Rackdog is built for teams that want dedicated hardware, full control over networking, predictable performance, and the ability to design their own infrastructure instead of fitting into someone else’s model.Next steps
- Work through the provisioning and networking guides.
- Provision your first server from the Quickstart.
- Wire Rackdog into your internal systems through the API.