Servers and the agent
Add a remote server, what the agent does, and how DockBoard keeps a fleet in sync.
In multi-server mode, DockBoard drives other machines through a small agent you install on each one. A registered server can then host projects, run applications and databases, and join a cluster.
Adding a server
- 01Servers → Add server. DockBoard generates a one-line install command carrying a single-use token.
- 02SSH into the machine and paste it. The agent installs itself as a service.
- 03It connects back to DockBoard and the server flips to
ONLINE. You can now deploy to it.
curl -fsSL '<api>/api/agent/install.sh?token=…' | shThe agent needs Docker on the machine, and outbound access to your DockBoard instance. It dials out — you do not open an inbound port for it.
Updating the agent
The agent is a standalone binary, not a Git checkout, so updating it means re-running its installer. Open Servers → your server → Install command and paste it again over SSH: it downloads the latest binary and restarts the service.
Ports to open
| Port | Direction | Why |
|---|---|---|
80 and 443 | Inbound | Public traffic, and the Let’s Encrypt challenge for domains. |
22 | Inbound | Your own SSH access — the agent does not use it. |
25 | Outbound | Only if you run a mail server. Many providers block it by default. |
A cluster adds its own ports between nodes.
Status and removal
A server reads ONLINE while its agent reports in. A silent agent — machine down, service stopped, outbound access lost — shows as offline, and deployments targeting it are refused rather than queued indefinitely.
- Move its projects elsewhere before removing a server — see moving a project.
- Deleting a server still in a cluster is refused until it leaves the cluster.
- Removing a server from DockBoard does not wipe the machine. Containers and volumes stay where they are.