Docs / Manage servers by chat
Manage servers by chat
Ask and instruct on Telegram: server health, logs, backups, updates, even deploys. The assistant uses Saka tools, with no root access.
What it is
An OpenClaw or Hermes assistant connected to Saka can see and look after your servers, so you only need to chat on Telegram, for example "are my servers healthy?" or "update the system". The assistant uses Saka's MCP with a dedicated token. It gets no root or SSH access; everything goes through the same Saka tools as the panel buttons.
How to connect
- Open the OpenClaw or Hermes page in the panel (Servers, pick the server, pick the app).
- On the Manage servers by chat card, choose the access: View only or Can make changes.
- Press Connect to Saka. The assistant restarts (about a minute).
- Message your bot on Telegram.
Installed OpenClaw or Hermes yourself, outside Saka? See Connect your AI.
View only or can make changes
| Access | Can | Cannot |
|---|---|---|
| View only (recommended to start) | See servers, CPU/RAM/disk and their history, active alerts, sites, apps, databases, load balancers, tunnels, S3 backup status, and read logs (system, app, site, build). | Any change. Tools that change things are hidden from the assistant and refused if called. |
| Can make changes | Everything above, plus installing and restarting apps, system updates, disk cleanup, reboot, swap, firewall, creating sites, deploying and rolling back Git apps, env variables, cron, backups, moving sites, databases, load balancers, and tunnels. | The root terminal, API tokens, account settings, S3 recovery codes, and backup archive downloads. |
Things you can ask
Monitoring
- "How are my servers doing?"
- "Are there any active problems or alerts?"
- "Why was my server slow last night?" (CPU, RAM, and load history)
- "How much disk is left on vm-test?"
Finding the cause of errors
- "Show the system log, did any service fail?"
- "My shop site returns error 500, check its error log."
- "My app deploy failed, what does the build log say?"
- "Is the HTTPS certificate for my domain active?"
Maintenance (needs Can make changes)
- "Update the system packages on my server."
- "The disk is almost full, please clean it up."
- "Reboot vm-test." (the assistant asks you to name the server as confirmation)
- "Back up my shop site now."
Building (needs Can make changes)
- "Install WordPress on shop.example.com."
- "Redeploy my app from Git," or "roll back to the previous release."
- "Install Umami for visitor statistics."
- "Give the app on port 8080 a free public address."
The assistant understands English and Indonesian. For big actions (creating sites, moving servers, databases) it explains the plan and waits for your approval first.
Security
- Anyone who can chat with the assistant can use its access to Saka. Make sure only you are approved on the Chat access card, especially with Can make changes.
- Every change the assistant makes is reported to your Telegram (the action and its target).
- Dangerous actions stay layered: deleting apps and rebooting ask for the name as confirmation; replacing site content uses a two-step preview.
- The token lives only on the app's server (a .env file, not in the config or the task history). Press Disconnect to revoke it any time; deleting the app or releasing the server revokes it too.
- The card shows when the token was last used. Every action is also recorded in the server's task history, marked
mcp.
Tips and common issues
- The AI model must support tool calling. A model without it only answers in text without looking at your servers.
- The assistant says it has no access? Check the card shows Connected, then start a new conversation on Telegram (/new) so the latest tool list loads.
- RAM: a 2 GB VM fits OpenClaw or Hermes, not both. Turn on swap on the Readiness card if the assistant keeps restarting.