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

# Server Management Overview

> How VPN servers work in StartMyVPN — protocols, groups, and access control.

## How servers work

A **Server** in StartMyVPN is a VPS running either OpenVPN or WireGuard. Servers are organized into **Server Groups**, and plans grant access to specific server groups.

```
Plan ──► Server Group ──► Servers
                          ├── NYC-1 (WireGuard)
                          ├── NYC-2 (OpenVPN)
                          └── LDN-1 (WireGuard)
```

When a user subscribes to a plan, they automatically get access to all servers in the groups assigned to that plan.

## Server states

| State        | Meaning                                           |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Active       | Server is running and accepting connections       |
| Provisioning | Server is being set up (installation in progress) |
| Maintenance  | Temporarily unavailable                           |
| Offline      | Server is unreachable                             |

## Adding servers

You can add servers in two ways:

1. **Automatic deployment** — deploy directly from the admin panel using DigitalOcean or Vultr integration (see [Deploying Servers](/servers/deploying-servers))
2. **Manual** — add an existing VPS by providing its IP address and SSH credentials

## Server details tracked

For each server, StartMyVPN stores:

* IP address and hostname
* Country and city (used for display in the user-facing server list)
* VPN protocol (OpenVPN or WireGuard)
* Cloud provider and region
* Bandwidth statistics (for DigitalOcean/Vultr-deployed servers)
* OpenVPN / WireGuard configuration

## Bandwidth monitoring

For servers deployed via DigitalOcean or Vultr, StartMyVPN can poll bandwidth usage from the provider API and display it in the server details page.