Network ports
A network port is the connection point between a network and something that uses it — a VM, a load balancer, a router. Most users don't manage ports directly; they create a VM with a network attachment and the port gets created behind the scenes. The API surface here is for the cases where you do need direct control: pre-allocating a port + IP before launching a VM, attaching a load balancer to a specific known IP, or migrating a service IP between hosts.
Ports carry a MAC address, one or more IP addresses on the parent subnet, and optional security groups applied to filter ingress and egress. They're stateful — a port persists if you delete the VM it was attached to, ready to be re-attached to a replacement VM.
What's next
- VM interfaces — the higher-level "attach this to a VM" surface that creates ports under the hood.
- Networks and Subnets — what ports live in.
- Security groups — what filters port traffic.