Serverless Containers: Domain & Access Management

This guide explains how network access, domains, and HTTPS work for Serverless Container applications in CloudRaya.

It focuses on the platform networking model behind the UI, so you understand not just what to click, but how traffic flows from the public internet to your application.

How Traffic Reaches Your App

Every Serverless Container application is exposed through a CloudRaya-managed load balancer.

The high-level flow is:

User Browser
   ↓
Public DNS (Your Domain or Default Domain)
   ↓
CloudRaya Load Balancer
   ↓
Application Containers

CloudRaya handles:

Public IP and routing
TLS/HTTPS termination
Traffic distribution to running containers

You control:

Which domains point to your app
When and how custom domains are added or removed
DNS records in your domain provider

Default Domain vs Custom Domain

Default Domain

When you deploy an app, CloudRaya automatically assigns a system domain:

<app-id>.cloudraya.app

Characteristics:

HTTPS is enabled automatically
DNS is fully managed by CloudRaya
Cannot be removed
Intended for testing, staging, and initial validation

This domain always points to the CloudRaya load balancer for your app.

Custom Domain (Domain Alias)

A custom domain allows you to expose your app using a domain you own, such as:

www.example.com
app.company.com

In CloudRaya, this is called a domain alias.

Key concept:

CloudRaya does not manage your domain registrar or DNS provider. You create a DNS record that points your domain to CloudRaya’s load balancer.

How CNAME Mapping Works

CloudRaya uses a CNAME-based routing model for custom domains.

What You Create in Your DNS Provider

You will add a record like this:

Field	Value
Type	`CNAME`
Name / Host	`www.example.com`
Points to	`apac-loadbalancer.cloudraya.app`

What This Means

Your domain becomes an alias for the CloudRaya load balancer
All traffic to your domain is routed to CloudRaya’s platform
CloudRaya then forwards the traffic to the correct application based on the domain name

Adding a Custom Domain (Domain Alias)

Step 1: Open Your Application

Go to Marketplace → My Apps
Click your application name
Open the General tab

Step 2: Add Domain Alias

In the Domain Aliases section, click Add Domain
In the Add a Domain Alias dialog, enter your domain name (for example: www.example.com)
Leave HTTPS enabled
Click Add Domain to confirm

CloudRaya will now:

Register the domain internally
Prepare HTTPS certificate provisioning
Show you the required DNS record

After adding a domain alias, open the Domain Configuration panel using the Domain Configuration icon on the domain alias's row. It shows a DNS Setup note and the record you need to create:

Record Type: CNAME
Name / Host: Your domain
Value / Points to: CloudRaya load balancer domain

You must create this record in your DNS provider before the domain becomes active. Each value has a Copy action next to it. You can reopen this same Domain Configuration panel at any time later from the same icon, you don't need to write the values down immediately.

There's also a separate Copy Domain icon on each domain alias's row, for quickly copying the domain's URL rather than its DNS setup values.

HTTPS Lifecycle

Automatic Certificate Provisioning

Once the CNAME record is detected, CloudRaya will:

Verify that your domain points to the platform
Request an HTTPS certificate
Attach the certificate to the load balancer

This process is automatic and may take several minutes. Each domain alias's row shows a status badge for where it is in this process:

Need Config: the CNAME record hasn't been detected yet
Getting SSL: the CNAME record is detected and a certificate is being issued
Secured: HTTPS is active and the domain is live

Delete & Recreate Model

Why Domains Cannot Be Edited

A domain alias is tightly bound to:

Certificate issuance
Load balancer routing
Internal application mapping

Because of this, domain aliases cannot be edited once created.

How to Change a Domain

Delete the existing domain alias
Add a new domain alias with the correct name
Update the CNAME record in your DNS provider

This ensures clean certificate and routing state on the platform.

Deleting a Domain Alias

As a safety measure, the delete confirmation dialog asks you to type the exact confirmation text it shows before the Delete Now action becomes available.

Multiple Domains per Application

You can attach more than one domain alias to a single application.

Example:

www.example.com
app.example.com

Both domains will:

Point to the same load balancer
Serve the same application
Receive individual HTTPS certificates

Production Best Practices

Use the default domain for testing and validation
Add custom domains only when the app is stable
Keep a record of DNS changes for audit and rollback
Use separate domains for staging and production
Avoid reusing the same domain across multiple platforms

Summary

CloudRaya uses a load-balancer-centric domain model:

All domains, default or custom, route to the CloudRaya platform
DNS CNAME records link your domain to the platform
HTTPS is automatically provisioned and managed
Domains follow a delete and recreate lifecycle for consistency and security

This design allows you to scale applications, rotate containers, and update infrastructure without changing public endpoints.

Next Guide

Learn how application and database containers use environment variables, how updates trigger redeploys, and how to manage sensitive values securely.

📄 Serverless Containers: Configuration & Environment Variables