IP Leases

Get dedicated IP addresses for your Akash deployments.

By default, Akash deployments are accessible through dynamic hostnames provided by the provider. IP Leases allow you to get a dedicated static IP address for your deployment, enabling custom domains, direct IP access, and more control over networking.

What are IP Leases?

An IP Lease is a dedicated public IPv4 address assigned to your deployment for the duration of your lease. This IP address:

Remains static for the lifetime of your deployment
Allows direct IP access without provider hostnames
Enables custom domain mapping
Supports any port configuration
Works with TCP and UDP protocols

When to Use IP Leases

**Use IP Leases For:

Custom domains - Point your own domain directly to your deployment
Static IP requirements - When you need a consistent IP address
Non-HTTP services - SSH, game servers, custom protocols
Direct database access - Expose databases with a static IP
Load balancing - Use your own load balancer pointed at the IP

Note: The IP lease address is for incoming connections only. Outbound/egress traffic from your deployment uses a different IP address.

**Don’t Need IP Leases For:

Standard web apps - Provider hostnames work fine
Cost-sensitive deployments - IP leases cost extra

How IP Leases Work

1. Define IP Endpoint in SDL

Define IP endpoints at the top level of your SDL and reference them in your service expose configuration:

endpoints:
  myendpoint:
    kind: ip

services:
  web:
    expose:
      - port: 80
        as: 80
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: myendpoint  # Reference the endpoint

2. Provider Assigns IP

When you create a lease, the provider assigns a dedicated public IP to your deployment.

3. Access Your Service

You can now access your service directly via the assigned IP address:

HTTP: http://123.456.789.10
Custom ports: 123.456.789.10:8080
Non-HTTP: ssh [email protected]

SDL Configuration

Basic HTTP with IP Lease

version: "2.0"

endpoints:
  web-endpoint:
    kind: ip

services:
  web:
    image: nginx:latest
    expose:
      - port: 80
        as: 80
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: web-endpoint

profiles:
  compute:
    web:
      resources:
        cpu:
          units: 1.0
        memory:
          size: 512Mi
        storage:
          size: 512Mi

  placement:
    akash:
      pricing:
        web:
          denom: uakt
          amount: 10000
        web-endpoint:  # IP endpoint pricing
          denom: uakt
          amount: 10000  # Additional cost for IP

deployment:
  web:
    akash:
      profile: web
      count: 1

Important: You must include pricing for your IP endpoint, as IP leases have additional costs.

Multiple Ports

Expose multiple ports on the same IP:

endpoints:
  server-ip:
    kind: ip

services:
  server:
    image: myapp:latest
    expose:
      - port: 80
        as: 80
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: server-ip
      - port: 443
        as: 443
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: server-ip  # Same IP, different port
      - port: 22
        as: 22
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: server-ip  # SSH on same IP

Custom Port Mapping

Map container ports to different external ports:

endpoints:
  app-ip:
    kind: ip

services:
  app:
    expose:
      - port: 8080  # Container port
        as: 80  # External port
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: app-ip

Now your service running on port 8080 inside the container is accessible via port 80 on the public IP.

UDP Services

IP leases work with UDP protocols, essential for game servers and real-time applications:

endpoints:
  game-ip:
    kind: ip

services:
  game-server:
    image: minecraft-server:latest
    expose:
      - port: 25565
        as: 25565
        proto: udp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: game-ip

profiles:
  placement:
    akash:
      pricing:
        game-server:
          denom: uakt
          amount: 15000
        game-ip:
          denom: uakt
          amount: 10000

Custom Domains

Once you have an IP lease, you can point your custom domain to it.

1. Get Your IP Address

After deployment, find your assigned IP:

Console: Check the deployment details
CLI: Query the lease status

2. Configure DNS

Add an A record in your DNS provider:

Type: A
Name: @ (or subdomain)
Value: 123.456.789.10
TTL: 3600

3. Access via Domain

Your deployment is now accessible at yourdomain.com.

SSL/TLS with Custom Domains

For HTTPS with custom domains:

Option 1: Use Caddy (Automatic HTTPS)

endpoints:
  web-ip:
    kind: ip

services:
  web:
    image: caddy:latest
    env:
      - DOMAIN=yourdomain.com
    expose:
      - port: 80
        as: 80
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: web-ip
      - port: 443
        as: 443
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: web-ip

Option 2: Use Traefik with Let’s Encrypt

Configure Traefik in your container to automatically obtain SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt.

Option 3: Use a Reverse Proxy

Point your domain to a reverse proxy (Cloudflare, nginx) that handles SSL, then forward to your Akash IP.

Pricing

IP leases have additional costs beyond compute resources:

Provider Charges

IP lease costs vary by provider
Typically ~$5-15/month additional
Specified in SDL under ip_lease pricing
Paid from your escrow account like other resources

Example Cost Calculation

Base compute: $3/month
IP lease: $10/month
Total: $13/month

Set Max Price

In your SDL, set the maximum you’re willing to pay:

endpoints:
  my-ip:
    kind: ip

placement:
  akash:
    pricing:
      web:
        denom: uakt
        amount: 10000  # Max for compute
      my-ip:
        denom: uakt
        amount: 10000  # Max for IP endpoint

Providers will bid at or below these amounts.

Multiple Services, One IP

You can expose multiple services on the same IP address with different ports:

version: "2.0"

endpoints:
  shared-ip:
    kind: ip

services:
  frontend:
    image: my-frontend:latest
    expose:
      - port: 3000
        as: 80
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: shared-ip

  backend:
    image: my-backend:latest
    expose:
      - port: 8000
        as: 8080
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: shared-ip  # Same IP, port 8080

  database:
    image: postgres:15
    expose:
      - port: 5432
        as: 5432
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: shared-ip  # Same IP, port 5432

profiles:
  placement:
    akash:
      pricing:
        frontend:
          denom: uakt
          amount: 10000
        backend:
          denom: uakt
          amount: 10000
        database:
          denom: uakt
          amount: 10000
        shared-ip:
          denom: uakt
          amount: 10000  # One IP endpoint for all services

Access your services:

Frontend: http://123.456.789.10:80
Backend: http://123.456.789.10:8080
Database: 123.456.789.10:5432

Limitations

Per-Deployment

IP leases are per-deployment, not per-account:

IP leases can be migrated between deployments on the same provider (see IP Lease Migration above)
Closing a deployment without migration releases the IP
Switching providers = new IP (cannot migrate across providers)

Provider Availability

Not all providers offer IP leases:

Check provider attributes before bidding
Filter for providers with IP lease support
Pricing varies by provider

IPv4 Only

Currently, only IPv4 addresses are supported:

No IPv6 support yet
One IP address per deployment

IP Lease Migration

You can migrate IP leases between deployments on the same provider:

Use provider-services migrate-endpoints <endpoint-name> --dseq <destination-dseq> --gseq <destination-gseq> to transfer the IP to a new deployment
The IP address moves from the old deployment to the new one
Useful when you need to update resources that cannot be changed via deployment updates (like CPU, memory, or storage)

Example:

provider-services migrate-endpoints web-ip \
  --dseq 123457 \
  --gseq 1 \
  --provider <provider-address>

Note: You cannot migrate IP leases across different providers - switching providers requires a new IP address.

Common Patterns

Game Server

endpoints:
  game-ip:
    kind: ip

services:
  minecraft:
    image: itzg/minecraft-server:latest
    env:
      - EULA=TRUE
      - TYPE=PAPER
    expose:
      - port: 25565
        as: 25565
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: game-ip

Players connect to: 123.456.789.10:25565

SSH Access

endpoints:
  ssh-ip:
    kind: ip

services:
  jumpbox:
    image: ubuntu:22.04
    expose:
      - port: 22
        as: 22
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: ssh-ip

SSH command: ssh [email protected]

API with Custom Domain

endpoints:
  api-ip:
    kind: ip

services:
  api:
    image: myapi:latest
    expose:
      - port: 8080
        as: 443
        proto: tcp
        to:
          - global: true
            ip: api-ip

After DNS setup: https://api.yourdomain.com

Troubleshooting

Provider Doesn’t Offer IP Leases

Solution: Choose a different provider that supports IP leases. Check provider attributes or ask in Discord for recommendations.

Can’t Access Service via IP

Possible causes:

IP not assigned yet - Wait a few minutes after deployment
Wrong port - Verify the as port in your SDL
Firewall - Some providers may have additional firewall rules
Service not running - Check container logs

IP Changed After Update

Cause: IP leases are stable within a deployment but may change if you close and recreate.

Solution: To keep the same IP, update your deployment instead of recreating it (when possible).

DNS Not Resolving

Causes:

DNS not propagated - Can take up to 48 hours (usually much faster)
Wrong IP - Double-check the IP address in your DNS settings
TTL too high - Use shorter TTL (300-3600) for faster updates

Solution:

Wait for DNS propagation
Use dig or nslookup to verify DNS records
Clear local DNS cache

Best Practices

DO:

Budget for IP lease costs in addition to compute
Use IP leases when you need static endpoints
Configure monitoring for your IP-based services
Document your IP addresses for team reference
Plan for IP changes when migrating providers

DON’T:

Hardcode IP addresses in your application code
Expect IP to remain after closing deployment
Use IP leases for basic web apps (costly and unnecessary)
Share IP addresses publicly if security is a concern

Security Considerations

Firewall Rules

With a dedicated IP, your services are directly accessible:

Implement application-level authentication
Use firewalls within your containers
Don’t expose sensitive services unnecessarily
Monitor for suspicious traffic

DDoS Protection

Dedicated IPs can be targets for DDoS attacks:

Use Cloudflare or similar DDoS protection
Implement rate limiting
Monitor bandwidth usage
Have a plan to close and redeploy if attacked

Access Control

For services like SSH or databases:

Use strong authentication (keys, not passwords)
Change default ports if possible
Implement IP whitelisting in your application
Monitor access logs

SDL Syntax Reference - Expose and endpoint configuration
Deployments - Deployment lifecycle
Providers & Leases - Choosing providers

Need help with IP leases? Ask in Discord #deployments channel!