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

# Deployment

> Deploy agents to production — locally with Docker, on Aden Cloud for zero-ops, or as fully autonomous systems

Once your agent passes testing and you're confident in its behavior, it's time to ship it. Hive supports three deployment models depending on your needs.

## Deployment Models

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Local (Docker)" icon="docker">
    Full control. Run agents on your own infrastructure with Docker.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Aden Cloud" icon="cloud">
    Zero-ops. Managed deployment with built-in logging, scaling, and credential management.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Autonomous" icon="robot">
    Self-running. Agents that operate continuously with event-driven triggers and self-recovery.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Local Deployment

By default, Hive supports deployment through Docker. This gives you full control over your runtime environment, networking, and credentials.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pre-flight validation">
    Validate your agent before deploying. This checks structure, credentials, and dependencies.

    ```bash theme={null}
    hive validate <agent_name>
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deploy with one command">
    ```bash theme={null}
    hive deploy local <agent_name>
    ```

    This builds a container with your agent, its dependencies, and the Hive runtime.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure credentials">
    Your agent uses local credentials for APIs and services. For OAuth-based integrations, Aden Cloud handles token refresh automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the deployment">
    Check that the agent is running and accessible:

    ```bash theme={null}
    hive status <agent_name>
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  Prefer isolated environments (container, VM, or dedicated host). Keep credentials in secure secret stores. Use environment-scoped configs for staging vs. production.
</Info>

## Cloud Deployment

If you want managed infrastructure with easier credential management and built-in observability, Aden Cloud is the simpler path. You get secure defaults, scaling, and logging out of the box — at the cost of less low-level control.

**What you get with Aden Cloud:**

* Managed compute and scaling
* Built-in credential sync and OAuth refresh
* Real-time logging and monitoring dashboard
* Automatic restarts and failure recovery
* Cost tracking and budget enforcement

See [Create an Account](/getting-started/create-account) to get started with Aden Cloud, or [Aden Credential Sync](/building/aden-credential-sync) for how cloud credentials work.

## Autonomous Agent Deployment

For agents that need to run continuously without human intervention, Hive provides built-in support for autonomous operation:

* **Memory sustainability** — Decide what memory to keep and what to discard across sessions, so your agent doesn't grow unbounded or forget critical context
* **Event source management** — Trigger agent runs from external events like incoming emails, webhooks, or scheduled cron jobs
* **Recoverability** — Automatically recover from crashes and resume from the last checkpoint
* **Repeatability** — Ensure consistent behavior across identical inputs
* **Volume handling** — Support batch operations when you need to process many items at once

## Deployment Strategy

Interactive and autonomous modes look different from the outside, but the core remains the same. Your deployment strategy should be consistent across both:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start interactive">
    Run your agent with `hive tui` to validate behavior with real inputs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Move to scheduled">
    Set up cron-based or event-triggered runs. Monitor logs and costs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go autonomous">
    Remove the human-in-the-loop gates for low-risk decisions. Keep alerts for failures and escalations.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Runtime Guardrails

Hive provides built-in safety mechanisms to keep your agents within bounds in production:

* **Cost limits** — Set maximum spend per run, per day, or per month
* **Timeout policies** — Prevent runaway execution with configurable timeouts
* **Model degradation** — Automatically fall back to cheaper models when budget runs low
* **Human-in-the-loop gates** — Require human approval for high-impact actions
* **Escalation policies** — Route failures to the right person instead of silently breaking

## Developer Trust

To deploy agents for production use with confidence, Hive provides:

* **Transparency** — Full visibility into what the agent did and why through three-level [logging](/building/debugging)
* **Control** — Configurable guardrails, intervention points, and approval flows
* **Reliability** — Self-healing mechanisms and failure recovery built into the runtime

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Iteration" icon="arrows-rotate" href="/building/iteration">
    Improve your deployed agent based on real-world performance.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Debugging" icon="bug" href="/building/debugging">
    Diagnose and fix production issues with three-level observability.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>