Choosing a Node Provider

When you create a Cloud Engine, you choose which node provider runs it — the verified operator whose hardware hosts your backend. This choice affects where your data physically lives, which compliance standards your infrastructure meets, and your latency to users. This guide explains what to weigh so you pick the right provider the first time.

Already running and need to change providers? See Migrate Your Cloud Engine to a Different Node Provider Without Downtime — you're never locked in.

Why the choice matters

Because OpenCloud is sovereign and portable, you decide where your Engine runs rather than accepting one company's default region. Every provider on the platform is verified, so the baseline of trust and security is consistent — but they differ in three ways that matter to your application:

1. Geography — where your data physically resides.
2. Compliance — which certifications and regulatory standards the provider meets.
3. Operational profile — capacity, track record, and the regions they serve.

Factor 1 — Geography & data residency

Where your Engine runs affects two things: latency to your users, and data residency obligations.

• Latency: choose a region close to most of your users for faster response times.
• Data residency: many regulations require that certain data stay within a specific country or region. If you're subject to rules like [FILL IN: e.g. GDPR / data-localization laws relevant to your audience], pick a provider in a qualifying jurisdiction.

OpenCloud's verified providers span multiple regions — for example, [FILL IN: map providers to regions, e.g. Northgate (North America), Asahi Networks (Asia-Pacific), Verdant Compute (EU)].

Factor 2 — Compliance & certifications

If your application handles regulated or sensitive data, match the provider's certifications to your requirements. Common standards to look for:

• [FILL IN: e.g. SOC 2 Type II]
• [FILL IN: e.g. ISO 27001]
• [FILL IN: e.g. HIPAA, PCI-DSS, FedRAMP — whichever apply]

Each provider lists its certifications in the provider directory. [FILL IN: where exactly certifications are displayed during selection]

Enterprise tip: If you have procurement or audit requirements, confirm the provider's certifications before deploying — migrating later is supported, but choosing correctly up front avoids re-validation work.

Factor 3 — Operational profile

Beyond location and compliance, consider:

• Capacity & scaling headroom — can the provider support your Engine as it scales with traffic?
• Track record / uptime — [FILL IN: whether reliability or uptime stats are surfaced per provider].
• Multi-region needs — [FILL IN: whether an Engine can span providers/regions or is single-provider].

How to select a provider

You choose a provider when creating a new Cloud Engine:

1. [FILL IN: step — open the provider directory during Engine creation].
2. Filter or compare by region and certification.
3. Select your provider and finish creating the Engine.

The verified providers currently on the platform include Northgate, Helios, Meridian, Prairie Systems, Asahi Networks, and Verdant Compute — [FILL IN: confirm current list, and note it may change].

You're not locked in

Picking a provider isn't permanent. If your needs change — new compliance requirement, better latency elsewhere, or capacity reasons — you can migrate to a different provider without downtime or add and remove nodes as you grow.

Quick checklist

• not doneProvider is in a region close to your users
• not doneJurisdiction satisfies your data-residency rules
• not doneCertifications match your compliance requirements
• not doneCapacity supports your expected scale
• not doneYou know you can migrate later if needed

Next steps

• Create a New Cloud Engine in OpenCloud — Put your choice into action.
• Migrate Your Cloud Engine to a Different Node Provider — Change later, no downtime.
• Add or Remove Nodes from Your Cloud Engine — Adjust capacity as you grow.