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

# Prerequisites — Managed in Your AWS

> What you need to provide before deploying a fully self-hosted Serval stack in your AWS account

# Prerequisites — Managed in Your AWS

Complete the following before onboarding for the **Managed in Your AWS** delivery model. Most prerequisites are common to both operating modes; a few differ depending on whether your team operates the deployment (self-managed) or Serval does (Serval-managed) — see [Managed in Your AWS](/sections/self-hosting/serval-managed-overview).

## AWS account

* A supported AWS account that you own and control
* The ability to complete the setup steps Serval provides during onboarding

<Info>
  This delivery model is single-tenant. The AWS account should be dedicated to the Serval deployment and not shared with unrelated production workloads.
</Info>

## Domain and DNS

* A domain you own with the ability to create DNS records
* DNS records for:
  * `app.<your-domain>` — the Serval web application
  * `*.api.<your-domain>` — backend API services (subdomain-based ingress)

## Private network access (optional)

If the deployment needs to reach resources on your internal network — on-prem Active Directory, internal LDAP, self-hosted Git, internal APIs — plan the connectivity path before onboarding. See [Private Network Access](/sections/self-hosting/private-network-access) for the common AWS patterns (Site-to-Site VPN, Direct Connect, Transit Gateway, private DNS resolution).

## LLM / agent API keys

Provide your own keys for the AI providers Serval uses at runtime:

* **Anthropic API key** — primary provider for AI agents and help desk functionality
* **OpenAI API key** — used for embeddings, image description, and specific model tasks

These keys are installed into the deployment during onboarding and never leave your environment.

## Additional prerequisites by operating mode

* **Self-managed** — administrator access to the account during setup, and a team able to apply and operate the deployment (working familiarity with Terraform and AWS). Serval provides the deployment bundle and setup scripts; see [Self-managed deployments](/sections/self-hosting/serval-managed-overview#self-managed-deployments).
* **Serval-managed** — the internal approvals needed for Serval to operate the deployment in your account.

## Onboarding phases

1. Prepare the AWS account and access
2. Provision and deploy the stack
3. Configure core integrations (Slack, AI keys, OAuth apps)
4. Account setup (teams, users, workflows)

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Managed in Your AWS — overview" icon="sparkles" href="/sections/self-hosting/serval-managed-overview">
    Understand the operating modes and what runs in your account.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Talk to Sales" icon="comments" href="https://www.serval.com/book-demo">
    Kick off onboarding.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>