:title: Controller :description: The Deis controller is the brains of the Deis platform. Details on what the Deis controller is in charge of and what the Deis controller stack includes. :keywords: controller, deis .. _controller: Controller ========== The controller is the "brains" of the Deis platform. The controller manages container :ref:`Formations `, comprised of clusters of nodes providing proxy and runtime services for the application platform. A single controller manages multiple container formations. Controllers are tied to a configuration management backend (typically a Chef Server) where data about users, applications and formations is stored. The controller is in charge of: * Processing client API calls * Managing nodes that provide services to a formation * Managing containers that perform work for applications * Managing proxies that route traffic to containers * Managing users, providers, flavors, keys and other base configuration The controller stack includes: * Django API Server for handling API calls * PostgreSQL database as a backing store for Django * Celery / RabbitMQ for dispatching tasks * A lightweight *gitreceive* hook for ``git push`` access control * Docker and Buildstep to process Heroku Buildpacks Follow the :ref:`Operations Guide ` to setup your own private Deis controller.