# Instances managed by MediaConnect Gateway
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An *instance* is a compute instance running on equipment in your data center and managed by MediaConnect Gateway. This instance is an on-premises implementation of the MediaConnect service and is contained within a gateway. 

Instances use bridges to communicate between your data center and the AWS Cloud. Instances are created by installing software on an on-premises server.

This section covers the fundamental procedures for working with gateways.

**Topics**
+ [Registering a MediaConnect Gateway instance](gateway-components-instances-create.md)
+ [Deregistering a MediaConnect Gateway instance](gateway-components-instances-delete.md)