> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.earthly.dev/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.earthly.dev/earthly-cloud/satellites/byoc.md).

# Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC)

{% hint style="warning" %}
This feature is experimental.

Not recommended for production usage yet, since it might introduce breaking changes in the future.

Feedback is welcome and much appreciated!
{% endhint %}

"Bring Your Own Cloud" (BYOC) satellites are a hybrid between [self hosted](/earthly-cloud/satellites/self-hosted.md) and [earthly-managed](/earthly-cloud/satellites.md) satellites. These satellites are managed by Earthly; just like our managed offering, but within your infrastructure. This blends the ease-of-use of managed satellites with the security benefits that self hosting can bring.

BYOC satellites are [available with an Enterprise plan](https://earthly.dev/pricing).

### Comparing Earthly Satellite Offerings

|                                                                                    | Earthly Cloud                     | Earthly BYOC                     | Earthly Self-Hosted              |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Who is responsible for monitoring and reliability of the Satellite                 | ✅ Earthly                         | ✅ Earthly                        | ❌ You                            |
| Satellites are deployed within your internal network                               | ❌ No                              | ✅ Yes                            | ✅ Yes                            |
| Earthly Cloud and Earthly staff are prevented from accessing your internal network | ✅ N/A                             | ✅ Yes                            | ✅ Yes                            |
| How is compute billed                                                              | ✅ Zero-margin compute via Earthly | ✅ To you via your cloud provider | ✅ To you via your cloud provider |
| Automatic updates                                                                  | ✅ Yes                             | ✅ Yes                            | ❌ No                             |
| Auto-sleep to drastically reduce compute cost                                      | ✅ Yes                             | ✅ Yes                            | ❌ No                             |
| Automatic management and GCing of cache volumes                                    | ✅ Yes                             | ✅ Yes                            | ❌ No                             |
| Users can launch and remove satellites via the `earthly sat` CLI                   | ✅ Yes                             | ✅ Yes                            | ❌ No                             |
| Requires access to a set of limited AWS capabilities                               | ✅ No                              | ❌ Yes                            | ✅ No                             |

## Installation

### Step 1: Install Your Cloud Provider

Make sure that you meet the base requirements for your cloud provider:

* [AWS](/earthly-cloud/satellites/byoc/aws/requirements.md)

Assuming you meet these requirements, there are multiple methods you can use to provision resources required to operate BYOC. Choose the one that works best for your organization:

* [AWS CloudFormation](/earthly-cloud/satellites/byoc/aws/cloudformation.md)
* [Terraform](/earthly-cloud/satellites/byoc/aws/terraform.md)
* [Manual](/earthly-cloud/satellites/byoc/aws/manual.md)

To get a better idea of what will be provisioned, see this section about [configuring byoc manually](/earthly-cloud/satellites/byoc/aws/manual.md#configuring-byoc-manually). All installation methods create the same resources.

Follow the instructions for your selected installation method to provision the required resources and install BYOC.

### Step 2: Networking

To use a satellite created by BYOC, you'll need to configure your networking (usually a VPN) to ensure access. We have guides to enable BYOC on VPNs for the following VPN providers:

* [Tailscale](https://docs.earthly.dev/earthly-cloud/satellites/byoc/vpn/tailscale)

### Step 3. Test Drive

Now that you have your cloud installation configured in your cloud provider and Earthly, it's time to take it for a test drive!

First, make sure you can see your new cloud by running `earthly cloud list`, which lists all the cloud installations within your organization. Your output should look something like this:

```shell
❯ earthly cloud list
   NAME           SATELLITES  STATUS          
   my-new-cloud   0           Green  
*  earthly-cloud  2           Green  
```

The `*` indicates the default cloud that will be used when launching satellites within your organization, unless otherwise specified.

{% hint style="info" %}
Note that the `earthly-cloud` installation is a special cloud present in all organizations. Satellites within this cloud are managed within Earthly's cloud, by Earthly. You can change back to use Earthly-managed satellites at any time by running the `earthly cloud use earthly-cloud` installation.
{% endhint %}

### Step 4. Launch A Satellite

To test-launch a new satellite within the cloud, run:

```shell
earthly satellite launch --cloud <name> my-byoc-sat
```

This will launch a new satellite using your newly created cloud. Assuming that works, kick the tires by trying to run one of your builds on it!

### Step 5. Use The Cloud

If everything looks good, you're done! If you would like this new cloud to be the default, simply run:

```shell
earthly cloud use <name>
```

This makes the new cloud you created be the default for *the entire organization*.

{% hint style="warning" %}
This setting is global for all users within the org. This prevents people from launching satellites in the wrong cloud, and accidentally disseminating information that shouldn't be.
{% endhint %}