# ADR-002: Host Selection — Hermes VPS

**Status**: Accepted  
**Date**: 2026-04-05  
**Deciders**: Ezra (architect), Timmy Foundation  
**Scope**: Initial deployment host for Matrix/Conduit (#166, #183, #187)

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## Context

We need a target host for the Conduit homeserver. Options:
- Existing Hermes VPS (`143.198.27.163`)
- Timmy-Home bare metal
- New cloud droplet (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, etc.)

## Decision

Use the **existing Hermes VPS** as the initial host, with a future option to migrate to a dedicated Matrix VPS if load demands.

## Consequences

| Positive | Negative |
|----------|----------|
| Zero additional hosting cost | Shared resource pool with Gitea + wizard gateways |
| Known operational state (backups, monitoring) | Single point of failure for multiple services |
| Simplified network posture | May need to upgrade VPS if federation traffic grows |

## Migration Trigger

If Matrix active users exceed ~50 or federation traffic causes >60% sustained CPU, migrate to a dedicated VPS. The Docker Compose scaffold makes this a data-directory copy.

## References

- Issue: [#166](http://143.198.27.163:3000/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-config/issues/166)
- Issue: [#187](http://143.198.27.163:3000/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-config/issues/187)
- Decision Framework: [`docs/DECISION_FRAMEWORK_187.md`](http://143.198.27.163:3000/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-config/src/branch/main/docs/DECISION_FRAMEWORK_187.md)