> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cnap.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a Cluster

> Set up a managed Kubernetes cluster in minutes

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cnap/gJ-ST_bGe6W7g4m1/images/cluster/create.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=gJ-ST_bGe6W7g4m1&q=85&s=709407004ebcd3071c9292912518cc9f" alt="create cluster" width="2880" height="1504" data-path="images/cluster/create.png" />
</Frame>

Create a managed Kubernetes cluster where CNAP handles the <Tooltip headline="Control Plane" tip="The control plane is the management layer of a Kubernetes cluster. It manages the cluster's state, schedules workloads, and handles API requests. CNAP manages the control plane for you in managed clusters.">control plane</Tooltip> and all Kubernetes operations, while you maintain control over your infrastructure and billing.

## Prerequisites

* A workspace in CNAP
* Access to the [clusters dashboard](https://cnap.tech/clusters)

## How to Create Your Cluster

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Clusters Dashboard">
    In the [clusters dashboard](https://cnap.tech/clusters), click **"Create Cluster"** and choose a region name for organizing your clusters. Regions are custom labels you define to help organize your infrastructure and will be shown to customers when they purchase your products.

    <Note>
      Region names are flexible and can be changed anytime. Use descriptive names that make sense for your business, such as "Production", "US-East", "Europe", or "Development".
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Cluster Settings">
    Choose your cluster configuration:

    * **Cluster name** - A descriptive name for your infrastructure
    * **Kubernetes version** - Latest stable version (recommended)
    * **High availability** - Multi-zone control plane for production workloads
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deploy Your Cluster">
    Click **"Create"** to provision your cluster. The control plane will be ready in 2-3 minutes.

    <Success>
      You'll see the status change to "Active" when your cluster is ready for <Tooltip headline="Worker Nodes" tip="Worker nodes are the compute machines that run your applications in a Kubernetes cluster. They execute the workloads scheduled by the control plane and provide the actual computing resources.">worker nodes</Tooltip>.
    </Success>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's Next?

Once your cluster is active, add workers to provide compute capacity:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Add Workers" icon="server" href="/clusters/add-workers">
    Connect compute capacity to run your applications
  </Card>

  <Card title="Learn About Clusters" icon="server" href="/clusters">
    Understand how clusters work in CNAP
  </Card>

  <Card title="Package Your Software" icon="box" href="/products">
    Turn your applications into sellable products
  </Card>

  <Card title="Launch Your Marketplace" icon="store" href="/marketplace">
    Create a storefront where customers can buy your products
  </Card>
</CardGroup>