> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://tbd-6fc993ce-hypeship-docs-ia-restructure.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Self-Hosted

> Move a self-hosted Chrome fleet to Kernel

If you run your own Chrome — in Docker, on Kubernetes, or as a process on a box — migrating is less about API calls and more about deleting infrastructure.

## What you stop operating

| What you operate today                                      | On Kernel                                                                                                                                             |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Container image with Chromium and its dependencies          | Nothing. Browsers are created from Kernel's image.                                                                                                    |
| Autoscaler and warm-pool logic                              | [Browser pools](/browsers/pools), or `browsers.create()` at [\~30ms](/browsers/performance)                                                           |
| Orphan and zombie process reaping                           | [`timeout_seconds`](/browsers/termination) on every browser                                                                                           |
| Per-container memory tuning                                 | Fixed [per-browser resources](/browsers/concurrency-and-limits#per-browser-resources): 8 GB headful, 1 GB headless                                    |
| A patched or stealth-plugin Chromium build                  | [Anti-detection](/browsers/bot-detection/overview) on every browser, [stealth mode](/browsers/bot-detection/stealth) for the managed proxy and solver |
| Proxy contracts and rotation code                           | [Proxies](/proxies/overview), unmetered, or [bring your own](/proxies/custom)                                                                         |
| VNC or noVNC sidecar for debugging                          | [Live view](/browsers/live-view) and [replays](/browsers/replays)                                                                                     |
| Your own metrics pipeline for browser events                | [Telemetry](/browsers/telemetry/overview)                                                                                                             |
| A VPN or bastion so the browser can reach internal services | [Private networking](/browsers/private-networking)                                                                                                    |
| Cookie jars and login scripts                               | [Profiles](/auth/profiles) and [managed auth](/auth/overview)                                                                                         |

## The connection change

Whatever you point Playwright or Puppeteer at today becomes a Kernel `cdp_ws_url`:

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript Typescript/Javascript theme={null}
  import Kernel from '@onkernel/sdk';
  import { chromium } from 'playwright';

  const kernel = new Kernel();
  const kernelBrowser = await kernel.browsers.create({ timeout_seconds: 600 });

  const browser = await chromium.connectOverCDP(kernelBrowser.cdp_ws_url);
  const page = browser.contexts()[0].pages()[0];
  await page.goto('https://example.com');

  await kernel.browsers.deleteByID(kernelBrowser.session_id);
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  from kernel import Kernel
  from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

  kernel = Kernel()
  kernel_browser = kernel.browsers.create(timeout_seconds=600)

  with sync_playwright() as p:
      browser = p.chromium.connect_over_cdp(kernel_browser.cdp_ws_url)
      page = browser.contexts[0].pages[0]
      page.goto("https://example.com")

  kernel.browsers.delete_by_id(kernel_browser.session_id)
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Then make these three changes

That gets you running. The benefit is in what comes next, in this order:

1. **Stop connecting over CDP for the hot path.** [Playwright execution](/browsers/playwright-execution) runs your code inside the browser's VM: no round trip per action, no connection to keep alive, and no CDP fingerprint for anti-bot vendors to read. See [how you drive the browser](/introduction/driving-the-browser).
2. **Replace your session-state handling with [profiles](/auth/profiles)**, and your login scripts with [managed auth](/auth/overview).
3. **Delete your warm-pool code.** [Browser pools](/browsers/pools) hold pre-configured browsers with a fill rate, and idle pool browsers aren't billed.

## Two things to check before cutting over

* **Region.** Browsers default to `us-east`. If your loop runs elsewhere, either move it or run it on the [App Platform](/apps/overview) — otherwise you trade container start-up latency for network latency.
* **Isolation model.** Each Kernel browser is a [microVM](/info/unikernels) with its own kernel, so per-browser isolation is stronger than a shared-kernel container. If you were multiplexing tabs across one Chrome to save memory, use more browsers instead.

If you're moving a large or unusual fleet, [talk to us](https://calendly.com/d/d3tn-5kp-5yt) — its shape usually determines whether pools, on-demand browsers, or the App Platform is the right target.