Cloud Runs in VS Code

Cloud Runs executes a code-agent run on Imaginne's server — inside a dedicated, warm pod that is yours alone — instead of on your computer. It's meant for heavier tasks: a consistent, isolated environment that doesn't tie up your machine, with the pod staying warm and being reused across your consecutive runs.

The feature is opt-in and ships off by default. Unless you turn it on, everything keeps running locally, as always — see Local execution.

Cloud Runs is the exception, not the rule

Day to day, the extension runs the agent on your machine (see Use in VS Code). Cloud Runs is an explicit, alternative path: it only comes into play when your organization enables it, you have the permission, and you turn the setting on. As long as any of those is missing, nothing is sent to the server.

Prerequisites

There are three, and all must be in place at the same time:

#	Prerequisite	Who does it
1	The organization enables Cloud Runs in /app (the "VSCode Dev Studio" card under governance).	Org admin — see Cloud Runs (admin).
2	You are granted the cloud_run_user (or cloud_run_admin) role.	Org admin.
3	You turn on the imaginne.cloudRuns.enabled setting.	You (default: false).

If any of them is missing, Cloud Runs stays unavailable — and the card shows exactly which piece is missing (see below).

The setting is the kill switch

imaginne.cloudRuns.enabled (default false) is the client-side master switch:

• with false (the default), the extension never reaches the server: zero cloud requests, everything runs locally as always;
• only with true can the extension start a cloud run — and even then only if the other prerequisites and guards pass.

Turning the setting on forces nothing

Setting imaginne.cloudRuns.enabled=true only allows dispatch. If the organization hasn't enabled it or you don't have the role, nothing runs on the server. The setting is your personal switch, not an authorization.

Confirmation before dispatch

If the organization requires confirmation (the default), the extension shows a confirmation modal before starting the run — a clear notice that execution will happen on the server. If you cancel, nothing is sent.

The Cloud Runs card (Dev Studio panel)

Cloud Runs appears as a card in the Dev Studio panel, opened with the Imaginne: Cloud Runs command (imaginne.platform.cloudRuns). The card reflects the state and never grants more than the server allows — the server is the final authority:

State	What it means
disabled_by_policy	The organization has not enabled Cloud Runs.
role_required	The role (cloud_run_user / cloud_run_admin) is missing.
confirmation_required	The modal still needs to be confirmed before dispatch.
ready	All set — you can start a cloud run.
running / warm	A run is active / your pod is warm.
runner_unavailable	The execution backend is currently unavailable.

Warm pod and reuse

When your cloud run finishes, the pod isn't destroyed right away — it stays warm for 30 minutes of idleness (default, adjustable by the org). That means:

• your next runs reuse the same pod, with no wait for a fresh environment to come up;
• the pod is isolated and exclusively yours — it is never shared with another user;
• past the idle window (or the maximum duration), the pod is reaped automatically, and the next run brings up a new one.

The pod is of the "power" class (1 vCPU / 2 GB).

Limits (set by the organization)

Limits are configured by your organization. The defaults:

Limit	Default	Behavior
Maximum duration per run	60 min	A hard ceiling: past the maximum (plus a small grace period), the run is terminated, even mid-flight.
Parallel runs per user	1	A second parallel run is denied by quota while the first is active.
Organization ceiling	(set by the org)	An aggregate cap for the whole organization.

Fail-closed

No pod is created unless everything passes together: organization enabled + role + confirmation + quota + allowed workspace/repo. Any denial at any point = nothing runs on the server.

Step by step

1. The org admin enables Cloud Runs and grants you the role (cloud_run_user / cloud_run_admin).
2. You turn on the imaginne.cloudRuns.enabled setting (true).
3. You open the Cloud Runs card (Imaginne: Cloud Runs command) and start a cloud run.
4. The extension shows the confirmation modal — you confirm.
5. The run executes in your warm pod, on the server.
6. You follow the state on the card (running / warm).
7. The pod is reused by your next runs and, once idle (or past the duration ceiling), is reaped automatically.

Local remains the default

Cloud Runs is opt-in. Without turning the setting on, everything runs on your machine — see Local execution. Use the cloud when you want an isolated, consistent environment for heavier tasks, without tying up your computer.

See also

🧩Use in VS Code

The extension in the editor — chat, context, Proposed Changes, and panels.

Open →⚙️Cloud Runs (admin)

How the org admin enables and governs Cloud Runs.

Open →💻Local execution

Why, by default, the agent runs on your machine.

Open →🧠Models

How the model is decided by the organization.

Open →