Two backends
Pick the backend that matches where you want to run nodes:
Both run the same node specs, so a node you define behaves the same way under either backend.
Outbound-only
The executor is the only side that opens connections: it reaches out to Novacula over HTTPS to fetch its work and report status. Novacula never reaches into your network, and the executor needs no inbound ports. You can run it behind a firewall or NAT with only outbound internet access.Online and offline
The executor checks in with Novacula on a short interval. When it stops checking in, the UI marks it offline after about 30 seconds; once it resumes, it flips back to online. Its detail page shows the status alongside last sync (the time of its last check-in), uptime (how long the executor process has been running), and how long it has been managed — a freshly connected executor may show no uptime until it first reports.How an executor appears
Each executor shows as a row in Executors with its status, version, last seen, and the chains it can run. When you deploy a node, the wizard offers exactly the chains, networks, clients, and versions that executor declares — so you never see combinations it can’t run. To unlock newer support, upgrade the executor.The executor detail page
Open an executor’s row to see its detail page, organized into tabs:- Overview — headline telemetry (managed-node count, how many are running, items needing attention, supported chains, and last sync with uptime), a Version & Updates panel with Upgrade and Downgrade actions, Network Access (reachability, firewall state, public IP), a Resource Pressure summary (CPU, memory, disk), and a Managed Nodes list.
- Monitoring — the host’s resource usage (CPU, memory, disk) as charts over a time window.
- Logs — the executor’s own operational logs, searchable in the UI, so you can diagnose a misbehaving executor without opening a shell on the host or reading pod logs.
- Access — the API key this executor is currently bound to, and its key usage; from here you can issue a new key for it.
- Nodes — the nodes this executor manages.
- Capabilities — the chains and clients (node components) the executor declares it can run; this is what the deploy wizard offers for it.
What you can do
- Connect an executor — bring one up from zero, from the Connect Executor flow.
- Upgrade an executor — move it to a newer release from its row in Executors.
- Deactivate an executor — revoke its API key or delete it.
Where to start
- Provision on bare-metal or Provision on Kubernetes — backend-specific install detail.