Backends
Backends
Understand and manage Agent Canvas backends.
A backend is an agent server and the workspace it operates in. All conversations, settings, and automations run against whichever backend is currently selected.
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Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: /llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Understand and manage Agent Canvas backends.
| Setup | When to use | How |
|---|---|---|
| Default local | Quick local work on your machine | Run agent-canvas — a local backend is created automatically |
| Backend-only (local) | Multiple projects, or separate frontend and backend processes | Run agent-canvas --backend-only (optionally on different ports), connect with --frontend-only. See Local Backend. |
| Self-hosted VM | Always-on server, more powerful hardware, team-shared access, or a full self-hosted Canvas | Run agent-canvas --backend-only --public for backend-only mode, or agent-canvas --public for the full UI and backend. Expose it with SSH, ngrok, or a reverse proxy. See VM / Self-Hosted Installation. |
| Cloud | Managed sandboxes without local resources | Connect to OpenHands Cloud from Manage Backends. See Cloud Backend. |
| Modal | Cloud backend with per-second billing, no VM management | Deploy the agent server on Modal with a single command. See Modal Backend. |
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