Running SurrealDB yourself is quick to start and gives you full control over storage, configuration, and placement. Everything needed to start a server and to import and export data is in the command-line tool, packaged and distributed as a single executable that can be downloaded, installed, or run from within Docker.
For initial installation, see the installation guide. If you would rather not operate the infrastructure, see Instances for the managed option.
Deployment guides
| Guide | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Deployment models | Choosing between single-node, multi-node, embedded, and managed |
| Docker | Quickest path; RocksDB with a volume mount |
| Kubernetes | Single SurrealDB pod with RocksDB on a persistent volume |
| Managed Kubernetes | Paths on Amazon EKS, Google GKE, and Azure AKS |
Most self-hosted workloads use RocksDB on disk - one SurrealDB process per database file.
Operating a self-hosted instance
Configuration - server startup options, environment variables, and storage engine selection.
Backups and recovery - export and import commands, backup strategies, and disaster recovery.
Monitoring and observability - health endpoints, metrics, and tracing integration.
Upgrades and patching - version upgrades, the
surreal fixmigration tool, and compatibility notes.
Once an instance is running, the Observability section covers the built-in metrics, audit logs and slow-query logs you can scrape over Prometheus or push over OTLP for production monitoring.