> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.carto.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.carto.com/carto-self-hosted/concepts.md).

# Concepts

This section explains how CARTO Self-Hosted uses its key infrastructure components. Understanding these concepts helps you make informed decisions when planning, sizing, and configuring your deployment.

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Instances, Licenses &#x26; Organizations</strong></td><td>Understand the relationship between CARTO instances, licenses, and organizations — and how to structure dev/prod environments.</td><td><a href="/pages/GjhZNQp16NT8Am7w2sgn">/pages/GjhZNQp16NT8Am7w2sgn</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How CARTO uses the Metadata Database</strong></td><td>Learn what CARTO stores in PostgreSQL and why an external managed database is recommended for production.</td><td><a href="/pages/hJ0rmBUaNIsAA5wocEXH">/pages/hJ0rmBUaNIsAA5wocEXH</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How CARTO uses Object Storage</strong></td><td>Understand how CARTO uses blob bucket storage across cloud providers and what data lives there.</td><td><a href="/pages/xaR2cBXEA0IpFSU2RVnE">/pages/xaR2cBXEA0IpFSU2RVnE</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How CARTO uses Caches</strong></td><td>Distinguish the user-facing HTTP cache (Varnish) from the internal in-memory store (Valkey), and learn when to configure an external store.</td><td><a href="/pages/xQV8YksrzJEakQkMmDhR">/pages/xQV8YksrzJEakQkMmDhR</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Metadata Database vs. Data Warehouse</strong></td><td>Clarify the distinction between the PostgreSQL metadata database and the data warehouse CARTO connects to.</td><td><a href="/pages/2e8Y4mSgKHw9JQA3I2Bt">/pages/2e8Y4mSgKHw9JQA3I2Bt</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How Configuration Works</strong></td><td>Understand how configuration is managed in CARTO Self-Hosted, and how the Helm (file-based) and Kots (Admin Console) models differ.</td><td><a href="/pages/ZJZHFcifhYubCGJ55z77">/pages/ZJZHFcifhYubCGJ55z77</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


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