Fleet Setup & Pairing (GUI)

This guide walks through setting up a CiderStack fleet using the graphical interface. Fleet Manager uses a secure manager / worker model and requires explicit pairing between Macs.

Fleet Manager supports automatic node discovery using Bonjour, allowing Macs on the same network to find each other instantly — no IP addresses required.

All pairing remains secure and requires explicit user approval.

Requirements

Before starting:

• Apple Silicon Macs

• CiderStack installed on each machine

• Macs connected to the same local network or VPN

• Pro or Team license active

Fleet works on local networks and most VPNs that support multicast traffic.

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Fleet roles

Manager node

The manager node:

• Controls the fleet

• Displays all remote VMs

• Schedules VM placement

• Initiates migrations and orchestration

Typically this is your primary Mac.

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Worker node

Worker nodes:

• Run virtual machines

• Store VM disks and snapshots

• Execute tasks on behalf of the manager

Any Apple Silicon Mac can act as a worker.

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Automatic node discovery (Bonjour)

CiderStack uses Bonjour (mDNS) to automatically discover nearby Fleet nodes.

When Fleet is enabled:

• Worker Macs advertise themselves on the local network

• Manager Macs listen for available nodes

• No IP addresses or hostnames are required

Discovered nodes appear automatically in Fleet Manager.

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What Bonjour discovery provides

• Zero-configuration discovery

• Automatic detection of new Macs

• Native macOS networking

• No cloud relay or external services

Discovery does not establish trust by itself — pairing is still required.

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Step 1: Start Fleet on the worker

On the worker Mac:

1. Open CiderStack

2. Navigate to Fleet Manager

3. Click Start Fleet Server

Once started, the worker will:

• Begin advertising itself via Bonjour

• Appear automatically on nearby manager Macs

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Step 2: Discover available nodes

On the manager Mac:

1. Open Fleet Manager

2. Select Add Node

You will see a list of:

• Automatically discovered Macs (via Bonjour)

• Their hostnames

• Network addresses

• Availability status

No manual network configuration is required.

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Step 3: Generate a pairing code

On the worker:

1. Open Fleet Manager

2. Click Generate Pairing Code

The pairing code is:

• One-time use

• Time-limited

• Required to establish trust

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Step 4: Pair the node

On the manager:

1. Select the discovered node from the list

2. Enter the pairing code

3. Click Pair Node

Once pairing succeeds:

• Secure keys are exchanged

• Trust is persisted locally

• The worker becomes part of the fleet

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Manual pairing (optional)

If Bonjour discovery is unavailable (for example, across routed subnets):

1. Choose Manual Pairing

2. Enter the worker’s IP address

3. Enter the pairing code

4. Click Pair Node

This provides full compatibility with VPNs and segmented networks.

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Step 5: Verify connection

After pairing, the node will appear as:

• Role: Worker

• Status: Connected

The fleet is now active.

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Creating remote VMs

From the manager UI:

1. Click Create VM

2. Select a target node

3. Choose image and resources

4. Create the VM

Installation and progress are displayed in real time.

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Managing remote VMs

Fleet Manager allows you to:

• Start and stop remote VMs

• View status and IP addresses

• Create snapshots and clones

• Migrate VMs between Macs

• Destroy remote VMs

Remote machines behave exactly like local ones.

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Removing a node

To remove a worker from the fleet:

1. Open Fleet Manager

2. Select the node

3. Click Unpair Node

Trust is revoked immediately.

VM data remains on the worker.

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Security model

Fleet Manager ensures:

• Explicit user pairing

• Cryptographic node identities

• Encrypted communication

• No anonymous access

Bonjour is used only for discovery, never for authentication.

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Notes

• Bonjour discovery requires multicast support

• Some enterprise VPNs may block mDNS traffic

• Manual IP pairing is always available

• Fleet traffic never leaves your network

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Summary

Feature	Description
Discovery	Bonjour (mDNS)
Pairing	Explicit, code-based
Security	Encrypted + trusted
Cloud required	None
Manual fallback	Supported
VM ownership	Worker nodes

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What’s next

Now that your fleet is connected, you can explore:

• Fleet Orchestration

• VM Migration

• CI/CD Runner Workflows

• Fleet CLI Reference