# Regions

ZCP runs in two Canadian regions. You pick a region when you create a resource (instance, network, volume, cluster). Resources are region-scoped: a VM uses networks and volumes in the same region.

| Code | Location | Role | Processors | Storage tiers |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `YUL` | Montreal | Recommended for all production workloads | Intel, AMD | `b2.g1` (shared replicated NVMe), `b2.g2` (shared replicated SSD, budget) |
| `YOW` | Ottawa | Development, testing, and private cloud demos | Intel, AMD | `b1.g1` (shared replicated NVMe), `b1.g3` (shared HDD, budget) |

`YUL` and `YOW` are the region codes. The CLI, the API, and Terraform take a region as a slug, `yul-1` or `yow-1`. Run `zcp region list` to read them. The digit in a slug is not the region digit in a plan ID. YUL has the slug `yul-1` and the plan digit `2`.

The region is encoded in every plan ID (`1` = YOW, `2` = YUL). See [Plan Names](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/plan-names) for the naming scheme and [Instance Types](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/instance-types) for the specs and storage tiers available in each region.

## Choosing a region

- Workload type: run production and business-critical workloads in YUL. Use YOW for development, testing, and private cloud demos.
- Latency: pick the region closest to your users.
- Processor: both YOW and YUL offer Intel and AMD. YUL Intel capacity uses the `ci2` and `cim2` families with the `b2.g1` storage category.
- Storage: both regions add a budget tier for cost-sensitive workloads. `b2.g2` in YUL, `b1.g3` in YOW.
- Data residency: both regions are in Canada.

## See also

- [Create an Instance](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/create-instance)
- [Instance Types](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/instance-types)