Terminology guide
Align on terminology before discussing connections and performance
The terms below describe resource ownership, connection methods, and build workflows. They are not marketing labels; they establish the boundaries of operation and troubleshooting responsibility.
- Physical node
- The device and data-center network location hosting the cloud Mac. The node region affects the team's connection path but does not change the selected model's chip, memory, or storage specifications.
- Dedicated
- Each order maps to an independent physical device resource rather than sharing the same virtualized compute instance with other customers. The order user manages the system environment and task processes.
- Non-virtual machine
- The delivered resource is a physical Mac, not a virtual compute unit carved out of a host. Restarts, the toolchain, and the working directory all operate around that physical node.
- VNC
- A remote connection method for accessing the macOS graphical desktop. Obtain connection details from the console and do not retain them in public documents, repositories, or chat history.
- self-hosted runner
- An execution agent managed by the team and connected to the repository's automation system. A cloud Mac can handle builds, tests, archiving, and artifact uploads.
- Build queue
- The set of tasks waiting for runner execution. Assess queue health using concurrency policy, task priority, timeouts, and cancellation mechanisms.
- Code signing
- A step in the build and release process that verifies an application's origin and authorization scope. Users manage the relevant materials themselves and should control their permissions separately from repository credentials.
- Node region
- Available options are Singapore, Japan (Tokyo), South Korea (Seoul), Hong Kong, and US West. Consider the primary operators' locations and code collaboration paths when choosing.