web-01db-02api-03+11
$ ssh [email protected]
Browser terminalLinux & Windows shells, no client
replaces Self-hosted server management Linux & Windows
Your whole fleet.
Alive on one screen.
HostFlow is the self-hosted control plane for every server you run — live metrics, browser terminal and RDP, fleet-wide automation, alerting and inventory. On your hardware — installed even without internet.
- Guided setup wizard
- Installs fully offline
- Docker, Podman or native
Live simulation — hover a server, click to open its terminal
3
ways to run it — Docker, Podman or native
10sec
metric resolution, every host
7
distinct agent states — not one grey dot
0
third parties in your data path
01 — The glue stack
Your fleet runs on duct tape.
Fourteen SSH tabs, a VPN, a folder of .rdp files, a Grafana nobody finished, crontabs on someone's laptop, an inventory spreadsheet and a calendar reminder for certificate expiry. Keep scrolling.
corp-vpn.ovpn
Connecting to corp-vpn…
Remote access, auditedNo VPN profile to hand out
replaces
servers-final-v3.rdp
db-NEW(2).rdp
win2019 copy.rdp
RDP in a tabWindows desktops in the browser
replaces No dataNo data
“TODO: add disk panels”
Live metricsEvery host, every 10 seconds
replaces
# don't touch — ahmet
0 3 * * * ~/backup_old.sh
*/5 * * * * ~/check.sh >/dev/null
Scheduled automationVersioned scripts on a cron
replaces
inventory_FINAL_2.xlsx
last edited 7 months ago
Asset inventoryHardware & software, collected
replaces
14MAR
Reminder: renew *.corp cert
Cert & license expiryTracked before it bites
replaces
#alerts-please-read 23
@here is db-02 down again??
Alerts & incidentsAcknowledge, mute, close
replaces
root-passwords.txt
root: ████████
do not share (shared 41×)
Roles, MFA, LDAPNobody shares root again
replaces 02 — Hands on
Don't watch a demo. Drive one.
A live simulation of the HostFlow dashboard, running entirely in your browser. Filter the fleet, type into a shell, fan a script out to production, acknowledge an incident.
Simulated data. The real thing runs on your servers.
Private lab · by invitation
Want to try the real thing?
Our live HostFlow lab runs real Linux and Windows hosts. Write to us and we'll create an account for you — no install needed.
03 — Health model
“Offline” is seven different problems.
Most tools show a grey dot and leave you guessing. HostFlow weighs the agent channel, metric freshness, independent reachability probes and announced shutdowns — then tells you what actually broke. Flip the signals and watch it reason.
Signals
1Agent has connected before
2Live channel (heartbeat)
3Metrics newer than last heartbeat
4Shutdown announced
5Reachability probe ICMP, falling back to TCP
HostFlow says
online
Online
The agent channel is healthy and metrics are streaming in.
What to doNothing. Go get a coffee.
Or jump to a state
04 — Capabilities
Everything the job needs. Nothing it doesn't.
Six disciplines in one install. No plugins to hunt down, no sidecars to babysit.
Observe
- Live metricsCPU, memory, disk and network every 10 seconds, kept in TimescaleDB.
- Fleet overviewTop resource consumers, OS split and health at a glance.
- Seven-state healthChannel, agent, host and planned outages kept apart.
Respond
- Alert rulesMetric thresholds plus HTTP, service and mount checks — per agent or tag.
- IncidentsAcknowledge, mute with a reason, close — one by one or in bulk.
- Email that retriesAt-least-once delivery, backing off 1, 5, 15 and 60 minutes.
- Self-healing servicesAgents restart failed services and log every attempt.
Operate
- Browser terminalFull shell on Linux and Windows hosts. No SSH client, no VPN.
- RDP in a tabWindows desktops, streamed straight to the browser.
- Workspace terminalEvery agent's files under /agents, shared disk under /shared.
Automate
- Versioned script libraryFolders, permissions and full version history.
- Targeted runsPick by tag, agent or hostname — preview matches before you fire.
- Cron schedulesPresets or raw cron, with timeouts, retries and notifications.
- Live outputstdout, stderr and exit code per host, as it happens.
Inventory
- HardwareCPUs, memory, disks and more — collected automatically.
- Installed softwareEvery package on every host, searchable.
- Licenses & certificatesExpiry dates tracked before they bite.
Govern
- WorkspacesHard isolation between teams, clients and environments.
- Roles & MFAViewer, operator, L1 monitor or custom roles. TOTP for everyone.
- LDAP & Active DirectoryDirectory groups map straight onto workspaces.
- Audit logTerminal and RDP sessions on the record — who, where, when.
Product tour
See it all in 1 minute 43.
Live metrics, automation, Linux and Windows terminals — a quick look inside HostFlow.
05 — Sovereignty
Your network. Your keys. Your data.
HostFlow isn't a SaaS with an on-prem checkbox. The dashboard, collector, gateways and database all run inside your perimeter — and it installs without internet if it has to.
- No SaaS tenant
Metrics, sessions and credentials never leave your deployment.
- Air-gap ready
An offline package for your target OS. Carry it in on USB — Docker, Podman or native.
- TLS everywhere
HTTPS for the dashboard, TLS for agent gRPC and PostgreSQL.
- Identity you already run
LDAP and Active Directory, with group-to-workspace mapping.
- MFA, enforced
Require TOTP for every account — not just the careful ones.
- On the record
Terminal and RDP sessions land in the audit log.
06 — Install
Easy to install. Even offline.
HostFlow ships as one self-contained package for your target OS — runtime, images, database and agents included. A guided wizard takes care of certificates, database and directory settings. No registry, no cluster, no internet required.
hostflow.setup wizard
hostflow-ubuntu24.04-amd64-docker-offline.zip
- Package verifiedSHA-256 checksum matches
- Preflight passedTarget OS and package integrity checked
- RuntimeDocker engine and Compose come in the package
- TLS certificatesGenerate an internal CA or bring your own
- DatabaseBundled TimescaleDB or your external PostgreSQL
- Directory & mailLDAP / Active Directory and SMTP — optional
- Services runningDashboard on 443, agents on 9033
- Everything in one package
Runtime, images, database migrations and agent binaries for Linux, Windows and AIX.
- Offline by design
No registry pulls or downloads during install. Carry the ZIP in on USB, internal transfer or a read-only virtual CD.
- Three ways to run
Docker, Podman or native systemd services on Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 13 or CentOS Stream 10.
- Checked before it runs
Checksums and a preflight check verify the package and the target before anything is installed.
- 01
Install the server
Unpack the package and let the wizard set up certificates, database and services.
- 02
Add your hosts
Enter SSH credentials once — for one host or in bulk — and HostFlow deploys the agent.
- 03
Take control
Watch metrics, open terminals, schedule scripts, define alerts.
07 — FAQ
Questions, answered.
Still curious? The installation page goes deeper.
Is HostFlow a SaaS?
No. Every component — dashboard, collector, gateways and database — runs on hardware you control. There is no HostFlow cloud in your data path.
Can I try HostFlow before installing it?
Yes. Beyond the demo on this page, we run a private lab with real Linux and Windows hosts. Write to [email protected] and we'll create an account for you.
Which operating systems can I manage?
Agents run on Linux and Windows hosts, and there's an AIX build for the older iron. Linux hosts get a browser shell; Windows hosts get a terminal and RDP, both in the browser.
What do I need to run the server?
A Linux server — Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 13 or CentOS Stream 10 — with systemd and root access. The package brings its own runtime; our test profile is 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM and a 31 GB disk. Use the bundled PostgreSQL with TimescaleDB, or point HostFlow at your own.
Can it run without internet access?
Yes — that is the default path. The package for your target OS carries everything the server needs, so nothing is pulled from a registry or the internet during install.
How do agents get onto my servers?
From the dashboard: Add Agent → over SSH, for a single host or in bulk. The agent deploys itself, registers and starts reporting.
Can we use our existing directory?
Yes. Sign in with LDAP or Active Directory, map directory groups onto workspaces, and make MFA mandatory for everyone.
How do I get HostFlow?
Write to [email protected]. Packages are built per release, target OS and runtime, and come with a SHA-256 checksum.
Does it scale past a single gateway?
Yes. Gateways can run active-active, and the database can live on an external PostgreSQL cluster.
Take the fleet back.
See every server you own on one screen — on your hardware, under your own keys.
Questions first? Write to [email protected]