In computing, a service is a process or application running on a server that provides a specific capability to clients on a network. Services typically run continuously in the background, listening for requests and responding to them. Examples include a web server, a database, an API endpoint, or a home automation platform.
In this documentation, “service” also has a broader meaning: an external provider or subscription that the home depends on, such as an internet service provider, a cloud platform, or a utility.
Both sorts of systems are documented under Services.
In This Home
Local services running in the lab include n8n, Home Assistant, and supporting infrastructure like PostgreSQL. External services include Frontier (internet), GitHub (code hosting), and Cloudflare (DNS and publishing). See Services for the full list.