Prerequisites — Before starting any deployment workflow, ensure you have:
- Physical or virtual servers running XOS (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS based)
- Root or sudo access on all target nodes
- Network connectivity between all cluster nodes
- A valid XDeploy activation key from license.xloud.tech
Deployment Workflow
Follow this sequence for a successful deployment. Each stage builds on the previous one.Activate XDeploy
Enter your activation key to unlock the platform. Without activation, all tools remain locked.
XSDS Bootstrap
Deploy the distributed storage cluster. Skip this step if not using XSDS as your storage backend.
Pre-Deployment Checklist
Complete every step below before initiating your first deployment.Install XOS on All Nodes
All target servers must be running XOS (Xloud OS based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS). XOS includes all required kernel modules, drivers, and base packages pre-configured for cloud deployment.
XOS is available as an ISO from your Xloud representative or the license portal. See the XOS product page for details.
Verify Hardware Requirements
Confirm every target server meets or exceeds these minimums:
| Resource | Minimum | Production |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores | 4 | 16+ |
| RAM | 8 GB | 32-64 GB |
| Root Filesystem | 100 GB | 200+ GB |
| Network Interfaces | 2 | 4+ (bonded for redundancy) |
Each cloud service container consumes 200-500 MB of RAM. A production control plane with all services enabled requires 32 GB minimum.
Plan Your Network
Separate traffic types onto dedicated VLANs and subnets for security and performance:
| Network | Purpose | VLAN Required |
|---|---|---|
| API / Management | API endpoints, SSH, Ansible, internal services | Yes |
| VM Traffic (Tenant) | Instance-to-instance communication | Yes |
| Provider / External | Floating IPs, VM internet access | Yes |
| Load Balancer (Octavia) | Amphora management traffic | Yes (if LBaaS enabled) |
| Storage Client (XSDS) | Client-to-Ceph I/O | Recommended |
| Storage Replication (XSDS) | Ceph OSD-to-OSD replication | Recommended |
| Additional Provider VLANs | Customer-specific external networks | As needed |
Prepare DNS and SSL
For production deployments with HTTPS API endpoints:
- Configure DNS records pointing to your Internal and External VIP addresses
- Obtain TLS/SSL certificates for your domain (wildcard or per-service)
- XDeploy supports both internal and external API TLS independently
Gather Credentials
Collect the following before starting:
- SSH credentials from the deployment node to all target servers (password or key-based)
- XDeploy activation key (
.xlic) from license.xloud.tech - Cluster license key (
.xlic) from license.xloud.tech
Choose Architecture and Node Roles
Select the deployment architecture that matches your requirements:
All-in-One (AIO)
Single server runs all roles. For labs, demos, and development. Minimum 1 node.
Hyper-Converged (HCI)
Each node runs compute + storage together. Reduces hardware count. Minimum 3 nodes for HA.
Distributed
Dedicated nodes per role — separate controller, compute, and storage. Maximum performance and isolation. Minimum 5+ nodes.
Platform Tools
XDeploy provides 11 specialized tools, each handling a distinct stage of the deployment and management lifecycle.Bootstrap
Server readiness validation and dependency installation
Hosts
Cluster inventory management and SSH connectivity setup
Configuration
Cloud settings via guided forms — networking, storage, features
Advanced Config
Per-service configuration file editor with version tracking
Images
Container image management, registry, and extraction
Operations
Deploy, upgrade, reconfigure, and destroy cloud services
Management
Users, projects, quotas, and credential management
Cloud Fleet
Interactive infrastructure topology map
XSDS Storage
Distributed storage deployment and tier management
Cluster License
Cluster licensing and activation
XDeploy Key
XDeploy tool activation and license management
Next Steps
XDeploy Key
Start here — activate XDeploy before using any other tools
Bootstrap
Validate server hardware and install all required dependencies