// Module included in the following assemblies:
//
// * networking/understanding-networking.adoc

:_mod-docs-content-type: CONCEPT
[id="nw-understanding-networking-nodes-clients-clusters_{context}"]
= Networking with nodes, clients, and clusters

A node is a machine in the cluster that can run either control-plane components, workload components, or both. A node is either a physical server or a virtual machine. A cluster is a collection of nodes that run containerized applications. Clients are the tools and users that interact with the cluster.