Managing Instances
Instances are the core of LobstaCloud. Each instance is a fully managed Lobsta AI assistant running on Google Cloud Run.
Instance Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| PROVISIONING | Instance is being set up (usually 30–60 seconds) |
| RUNNING | Instance is active and accepting requests |
| STOPPED | Instance is paused (not consuming resources) |
| ERROR | Something went wrong during provisioning or operation |
| SUSPENDED | Billing issue — subscription was cancelled or payment failed |
Actions
Navigate to an instance's detail page to perform actions:
Start
- Prerequisite: Instance must be in
STOPPEDstate. - Starts the Cloud Run service and transitions the instance to
RUNNING.
Stop
- Prerequisite: Instance must be in
RUNNINGstate. - Stops the Cloud Run service. The instance data is preserved.
Restart
- Prerequisite: Instance must be in
RUNNINGstate. - Stops and starts the instance. Useful for applying configuration changes.
Destroy (Delete)
🚫
Destroying an instance is permanent. The Cloud Run service is deprovisioned and all instance data is deleted. You must have OWNER or ADMIN role.
Instance Details
Each instance detail page shows:
- Configuration — name, region, tier, memory/storage, gateway URL
- Recent Logs — the last 50 log entries (action history, errors)
- Metrics — CPU usage, memory usage, request count, token count (last 100 data points)
Updating an Instance
You can update an instance's name or tier via the dashboard or API.
- Name changes take effect immediately.
- Tier changes may trigger a brief re-provisioning.
Troubleshooting
Instance stuck in PROVISIONING
Provisioning typically takes 30–60 seconds. If it's been more than 5 minutes:
- Check the instance logs for error details.
- The Cloud Run provisioning may have failed. Try deleting the instance and creating a new one.
- If the problem persists, check the status page (opens in a new tab) or contact support.
Instance shows ERROR status
This means the Cloud Run orchestrator failed to provision or start the service. Common causes:
- Region capacity issues — try a different region.
- Invalid configuration — ensure your instance name follows the naming rules.
- Check instance logs for specific error messages.
Instances are SUSPENDED
This happens when your subscription is cancelled or a payment fails:
- Go to Settings → Billing.
- Resubscribe to a plan.
- Once payment succeeds, manually start each instance.