knot knot

Glossary

Common terms and concepts used in knot.

A

Agent The knot agent runs inside containers and communicates with the knot server. It handles SSH connections, terminal access, and space management commands.

Agent Endpoint The network address where agents connect to the server. Configured as server.agent_endpoint.

API Token Authentication token for accessing the knot API. Tokens expire after 2 weeks of inactivity.

Audit Log Record of actions performed in knot, including user authentication, space creation, and configuration changes.

B

BadgerDB Embedded database option for single-server deployments. No external dependencies required.

Backup Export of knot data including users, templates, spaces, and configuration. Can be encrypted for security.

C

Cluster Mode Deployment configuration with multiple knot servers for high availability and geographic distribution. Uses leaderless architecture.

Cluster Key Shared secret used for authentication between cluster nodes.

Code Server VS Code running in the browser, accessible from spaces when enabled in templates.

Compute Units Resource measurement for running spaces. Used for quota management and resource allocation.

Container Isolated runtime environment for a space. Can be Docker, Podman, Nomad, or Apple Container.

CSI (Container Storage Interface) Standard for storage plugins in Nomad. Used for persistent volumes in Nomad-based templates.

Custom Variables Template-defined variables with values set when creating spaces. Accessed as ${{ .custom.name }}.

D

DNS Server Built-in DNS server for resolving knot domains and wildcard addresses.

E

Encryption Key Secret key for encrypting sensitive data. Generated with knot genkey.

G

Gravatar Service for profile images based on email addresses. Can be enabled in UI configuration.

Group Collection of users with shared template access and resource quotas.

H

HCL (HashiCorp Configuration Language) Configuration language used for Nomad job specifications.

L

Leaf Mode Lightweight deployment that connects to a central cluster. Runs spaces locally while managing templates centrally.

Leaderless Architecture Cluster design where all servers are equal. No single point of failure.

M

Manual Template Template for environments where the knot agent is started manually. Used for physical machines or custom setups.

N

Nomad Container orchestration platform. Knot can deploy spaces to Nomad clusters.

Nomad Template Template that deploys spaces to a Nomad cluster using HCL job specifications.

P

Permission Specific action a user can perform. Granted through roles.

Podman Container runtime alternative to Docker. Supported for local container templates.

Port Forwarding Tunneling connections from local machine to ports in a space.

Protected Variable User-defined variable stored encrypted in the database.

Q

Quota Limit on resources a user or group can consume. Includes space count, compute units, and storage units.

R

Role Collection of permissions defining what actions users can perform.

Restore Import knot data from a backup file.

S

Schedule Time-based rules for when spaces can run. Spaces outside schedule are automatically stopped.

Space Running instance of a template. Isolated environment with compute, storage, and network resources.

Storage Units Resource measurement for persistent storage. Used for quota management.

System Variables Variables automatically provided by knot. Include user info, space details, and server configuration. Accessed as ${{ .user.username }}.

T

Template Blueprint for creating spaces. Defines container specification, volumes, resources, and features.

TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password) Two-factor authentication method using apps like Google Authenticator.

Tunnel Secure connection exposing services to the internet through the knot tunnel server.

Tunnel Server Knot component that accepts public traffic and routes to user tunnels.

U

User-Defined Variables Variables created by administrators in the web interface. Shared across templates. Accessed as ${{ .var.name }}.

V

Volume Persistent storage attached to spaces. Survives space restarts but deleted with space.

VS Code Tunnel Microsoft service for connecting desktop VS Code to remote environments.

VNC Remote desktop protocol. Knot supports web-based VNC for graphical environments.

W

Web Terminal Browser-based terminal for accessing spaces. No SSH client required.

Wildcard Domain DNS pattern like *.knot.internal that matches all subdomains. Used for space URLs.

Z

Zone Geographic or logical grouping of servers. Used for placing spaces near users and organizing resources.