Creating a New Application

Quant Cloud provides several ways to create and deploy applications, from one-click pre-built templates to fully manual Docker Compose configurations. This guide walks you through each creation path so you can choose the best approach for your use case.

Getting Started

Navigate to Applications in the left sidebar of your Quant Cloud dashboard, then click Create New App. You’ll be presented with four creation paths, each suited to different workflows.

If you have a GitHub account connected, the Start from Template and Import from GitHub options will be available. You can connect GitHub at the top of the creation page using Add Another.

Option 1: Start from Template

Best for: Starting a new project with a production-ready foundation and automatic CI/CD.

Selecting Choose Template takes you through a three-step wizard:

Step 1: Choose Template

Select from pre-configured starter templates including Laravel, WordPress, Next.js, Astro, Drupal, Nuxt, Remix, Symfony, SvelteKit, and more. Each template includes:

• A production-ready docker-compose.yml configuration
• Automatic GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline
• Proper container and resource configuration for the framework

Step 2: Configure

After selecting a template, you’ll configure:

• Application Name: A unique identifier using lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
• Instance Size: CPU and memory allocation for your application (e.g., 0.25 vCPU / 512 MB)
• Provision Managed Database (RDS): Toggle on if your application requires a managed MySQL or PostgreSQL database

Step 3: Deploy

The system will:

1. Clone the template into a new repository in your GitHub organization
2. Set up GitHub Actions for automatic deployments
3. Create the Cloud Application and production environment
4. Trigger the initial deployment

After deployment, you’ll have a fully working application with CI/CD configured. Pushing to your repository will automatically build and deploy.

Option 2: Deploy Pre-built App

Best for: Quickly deploying popular CMS platforms and application stacks without managing source code.

Selecting Browse Apps lets you choose from pre-built images maintained by Quant, including WordPress, Drupal, Drupal CMS, Apache PHP, Node, Astro, Craft CMS, Next.js, Nuxt, Remix, Statamic, SvelteKit, Symfony, and more.

The configuration step is the same as templates - set your app name, instance size, and optionally enable a managed database. The key difference is that pre-built apps deploy directly from Quant-maintained container images without needing a GitHub repository or CI/CD pipeline.

Tip

Pre-built apps are the fastest way to get started. They’re ideal for evaluating Quant Cloud or deploying standard CMS platforms where you don’t need to customize the container image.

Option 3: Import from GitHub

Best for: Deploying an existing application from a GitHub repository.

Selecting Import Repository walks you through:

Step 1: Select Repository

Choose the GitHub organization and repository you want to deploy. The system will scan your repository for a docker-compose.yml file and auto-detect your application’s configuration.

Step 2: Configure

Review and adjust the detected configuration:

• Application Name: Defaults to your repository name
• Instance Size: Choose appropriate CPU and memory
• Database: Enable if your application requires one

The platform will also set up GitHub Actions in your repository for automatic CI/CD on future pushes.

Step 3: Deploy

The application is created and an initial deployment is triggered using your repository’s configuration.

Note

For best results, ensure your repository contains a valid docker-compose.yml at the root level. See Importing Docker Compose Files for details on supported directives.

Option 4: Manual Configuration

Best for: Full control over container configuration, using custom images, or complex multi-container setups.

Selecting Manual Setup opens the comprehensive creation form where you configure every aspect of your application manually.

Basic Information

• Application Name: Choose a descriptive name using lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens (e.g., ecommerce-frontend, api-backend)
• Organization: Your application is created within the currently selected organization

Docker Compose Import (Optional)

If you have an existing docker-compose.yml file, you can upload it to auto-populate the form fields. The platform parses services, images, ports, environment variables, volumes, dependencies, and health checks from your compose file.

Tip

Importing a Docker Compose file reduces configuration errors and ensures your production deployment matches your development environment.

Task Configuration

Configure the compute resources shared across all containers in your application:

• Architecture: Choose X86_64 (Intel/AMD) or ARM64. ARM64 typically provides 10-20% better price-performance
• CPU Allocation: Total compute units shared among all containers
• Memory Allocation: Total memory shared among all containers. Plan carefully, as running out of memory causes container failures

Optional Resources

• Persistent Storage (PTS): High-performance shared filesystem for user uploads, logs, caches, and data that should survive container restarts
• Dedicated Database (DDB): Managed MySQL or PostgreSQL with automatic backups, point-in-time recovery, and automated security updates. Connection credentials are automatically injected as environment variables

Note

Using a managed database instead of running a database container provides automatic backups, point-in-time recovery, and dedicated resources that don’t compete with your application containers.

Container Configuration

Define each service in your application stack:

• Container Name: Descriptive names like web-frontend, api-backend, worker-queue
• Image: Docker image in registry/image:tag format. Use specific version tags for production
• Ports: Container ports to expose for incoming traffic
• Mount Points: Where persistent storage is accessible within each container
• Resource Limits: Per-container CPU and memory limits (soft and hard)
• Environment Variables: Application configuration
• Secrets: Encrypted sensitive data (passwords, API keys)
• Health Checks: Endpoints for monitoring container health
• Dependencies: Startup order for multi-container applications

Scaling Configuration

• Minimum Instances: Always-running copies for availability (set to 2+ for production high availability)
• Maximum Instances: Upper limit for auto-scaling during traffic spikes

Tip

For predictable traffic, set minimum and maximum to the same value for consistent performance and costs. For variable traffic, allow auto-scaling with a higher maximum.

After Deployment

Once your application is deployed, you’ll see a confirmation with your application details. Click View Application to access your environment management interface where you can:

• Monitor deployment status and container health
• View application preview URLs
• Access logs, metrics, and operational tools

Next Steps

• Manage your environments to configure containers, volumes, and secrets
• Configure custom domains for branded access
• Set up scaling policies for automatic scaling
• Monitor application health with metrics and logs