> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://runcrate.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing Instances

> Monitor, manage, and terminate GPU instances.

export const RuncrateStyles = () => {
  if (typeof document !== 'undefined' && !document.getElementById('runcrate-overrides')) {
    const s = document.createElement('style');
    s.id = 'runcrate-overrides';
    s.textContent = `
      /* Match Runcrate's rounding scale (--radius: 0.75rem) */
      .rounded-sm { border-radius: 0.5rem !important; }   /* 8px */
      .rounded-md { border-radius: 0.625rem !important; } /* 10px */
      .rounded-lg { border-radius: 0.75rem !important; }  /* 12px */
      .rounded-l-sm { border-top-left-radius: 0.5rem !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0.5rem !important; }
      .rounded-r-sm { border-top-right-radius: 0.5rem !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0.5rem !important; }
      .rounded-l-md { border-top-left-radius: 0.625rem !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0.625rem !important; }
      .rounded-r-md { border-top-right-radius: 0.625rem !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0.625rem !important; }
      .rounded-l-lg { border-top-left-radius: 0.75rem !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0.75rem !important; }
      .rounded-r-lg { border-top-right-radius: 0.75rem !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0.75rem !important; }

      /* Cards: never pure white in light mode */
      .card { background-color: #fcfcfc !important; border-radius: 0.75rem !important; }
      html.dark .card { background-color: #141414 !important; }

      /* Docs hero box */
      .rc-hero { background-color: #fcfcfc; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0; }
      html.dark .rc-hero { background-color: #141414; border-color: #242424; }
      html.dark .rc-hero h1 { color: #f5f5f5; }

      /* Runcrate scrollbar — thin, transparent track, hide-until-hover thumb */
      ::-webkit-scrollbar { width: 6px; height: 6px; background-color: transparent; }
      ::-webkit-scrollbar-track { background-color: transparent; }
      ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { background-color: rgba(155, 155, 155, 0.5); border-radius: 10px; transition: opacity 0.3s ease; opacity: 0; }
      ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover { background-color: rgba(155, 155, 155, 0.7); }
      *:hover::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb,
      *:focus::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb,
      *:active::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { opacity: 1; }
      * { scrollbar-width: thin; scrollbar-color: rgba(155, 155, 155, 0.5) transparent; }
    `;
    document.head.appendChild(s);
  }
  return null;
};

<RuncrateStyles />

The Instances dashboard gives you a real-time overview of all your GPU instances and tools to manage them.

## Dashboard View

The instances list shows the following for each instance:

| Column          | Description                                                              |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Name**        | Instance name (auto-generated or custom).                                |
| **Status**      | Current lifecycle state (creating, deployed, stopped, terminated, etc.). |
| **GPU**         | GPU type and count (e.g., 1x RTX 4090).                                  |
| **Network**     | Upload and download speed.                                               |
| **Hourly Rate** | Cost per hour for this instance.                                         |
| **Created**     | Date and time the instance was deployed.                                 |

## Instance Detail Page

Click on any instance to view its full details:

* **Specs** -- GPU model, GPU count, CPU cores, RAM, and disk size.
* **Network** -- Public IP address, SSH port, and bandwidth.
* **Region** -- The region where the instance is running.
* **SSH Details** -- Connection command ready to copy.
* **Mounted Storage** -- Any attached storage volumes.
* **Cost** -- Hourly rate and total spend for this instance.

## Monitoring

After connecting via SSH, use these commands to monitor your instance:

### GPU Usage

```bash theme={"theme":"github-dark"}
# One-time GPU status
nvidia-smi

# Continuous monitoring (updates every 1 second)
watch -n 1 nvidia-smi
```

### CPU and Memory

```bash theme={"theme":"github-dark"}
# Interactive process viewer
htop
```

### Disk Usage

```bash theme={"theme":"github-dark"}
# Check disk space
df -h

# Check directory sizes
du -sh /root/*
```

## Terminating an Instance

<Warning>
  **Termination is permanent.** All local disk data is deleted and cannot be recovered. Transfer important files or use a storage volume before terminating.
</Warning>

### Steps to Terminate

1. Go to **Dashboard** > **Instances**.
2. Click on the instance you want to terminate.
3. Click the **Terminate** button.
4. Confirm the termination in the dialog.

Billing stops once the instance reaches the `terminated` state.

## Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Use Storage Volumes" icon="server-2">
    Attach persistent storage to keep datasets and model weights safe across instance lifecycles.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Enable Auto-Recharge" icon="credit-card">
    Prevent unexpected instance termination by enabling auto-recharge in your Billing settings.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Monitor Costs" icon="chart-line">
    Check the Billing page regularly to track your spend and set up usage alerts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Save Work Before Terminating" icon="download">
    Always download important files or push to a remote repository before terminating an instance.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>