# Fransys vocabulary

> Project, service, cluster, plan, credits… What each word in the console means, in a sentence or two.

Source: https://docs.fransys.cloud/en/demarrer/les-mots-de-fransys/ Checked against the console on 2026-10-23.

## Your application

- **Project**: your application. It groups its services (Docker images, databases…) and is deployed on a cluster. A project is online or offline.
- **Service**: one part of the project: an application (Docker image or Git repository), a database, or another type (WebSocket, secrets manager…). Each service has its own settings panel.
- **Diagram**: the project view that shows its services and how they're linked. The **List** view shows the same services as a table.
- **Link**: the connection between two services. Linking an application to a database gives it the database's connection variables.
- **Change to deploy**: a setting that's saved but not applied yet. It goes out with the project's next deployment.
- **Deployment**: applying the changes to the cluster, service by service. If a check fails, Fransys rolls back: the previous version stays online.

## The machines

- **Cluster**: a set of machines at the hosting provider of your choice. Fransys installs and runs Kubernetes on them; your projects are deployed there.
- **Criticality**: Basic, Stable or Critical. It sets the minimum number of machines Fransys installs to keep the cluster up. See [Criticality](https://docs.fransys.cloud/en/clusters/criticite/).
- **Control node**: the machine that runs the cluster.
- **Worker machine**: a machine where your services run.
- **Load balancer**: it receives the traffic and spreads it across the machines.
- **AutoPilot**: Fransys chooses the machines and adds more as load grows, without going over your cap.
- **Cap (maximum budget)**: what a cluster in AutoPilot must never exceed in a month. It's not a spending target.
- **Cloud account**: your own account at a hosting provider. The machines then run on your account and are billed by the provider.

## Agents

- **Fransys MCP**: the server that lets your agent (Claude Code, Cursor…) read Fransys and prepare plans.
- **Agent key**: the key an agent connects with. It only grants read access.
- **Plan**: a list of actions, prepared by an agent or from the console, with its effect and its cost. Nothing runs until a person approves it. See [Plans](https://docs.fransys.cloud/en/agents/plans/).
- **Activity log**: who did what, and when: every change and every plan leaves a trace there.

## Money

- **Credits**: 1 credit = €1. They pay for usage, by the hour, while machines are running.
- **Period**: the billing month. A usage statement is issued at the end of each period.
- **Automatic payment**: anything beyond your credits is charged to your payment method at the end of the period. Your infrastructure is then never shut down.
- **Monthly limit**: the total the period must not exceed.