IP addresses that can be reassigned between servers in the same region in under 5 seconds via API. Build high-availability architectures, zero-downtime failover, and blue-green deployments without DNS propagation delays.
A floating IP is a public IP address that isn't tied to a specific server. It exists as a resource in your account and can be pointed at any server in the same region. When you reassign it, the change takes effect at the network level within seconds — no DNS propagation, no TTL waiting.
Under the hood, reassignment updates the ARP mapping and routing table entries on our network infrastructure. The IP address moves from one server's network port to another. New connections to the floating IP will reach the new server immediately.
This is fundamentally different from DNS-based failover, which depends on resolvers respecting TTL values and can take minutes or hours to fully propagate.
The most common pattern is an active-passive pair. Two servers run the same application — the active server holds the floating IP and serves all traffic. A health check script monitors the active server. If it fails, the script reassigns the floating IP to the passive server via a single API call.
The API call to reassign takes about 200ms, and the IP is reachable on the new server within 5 seconds. For stateful applications, combine floating IPs with replicated storage so the passive server has current data when it takes over.
Deploy a new version to a standby server. Run smoke tests against its direct IP. Then reassign the floating IP from the current server to the new one. All new traffic hits the new version immediately. If something goes wrong, reassign back — rollback takes the same 5 seconds.
This pattern works for any application — web servers, APIs, databases, game servers. The only requirement is that both servers are in the same region.
Floating IPs are available in both IPv4 and IPv6. Each costs $3/month (prorated hourly). Reverse DNS (PTR records) can be set via API for email deliverability. You can hold unassigned IPs for future use.
$3/mo. Instant reassignment. API managed.