A server group is a collection of server instances that are managed and configured as one. In a managed domain, every application server instance belongs to a server group, even if it is the only member. The server instances in a group share the same profile configuration and deployed content.

A domain controller and a host controller enforce the standard configuration on all server instances of every server group in its domain.

A domain can consist of multiple server groups. Different server groups can be configured with different profiles and deployments. A domain can be configured with different server tiers providing different services, for example.

Different server groups can also have the same profile and deployments. This can, for example, allow for rolling application upgrades where the application is upgraded on one server group and then updated on a second server group, avoiding a complete service outage.