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Deploy Stack

Deploying Chatty AI stack via Portainer.

Stack Deployment (Vendor-Managed)

This page explains what happens when vendor deploys Chatty AI via Portainer.

Overview​

Customer does NOT perform these steps - vendor handles deployment.

This documentation is for transparency and understanding.

Vendor Deployment Process​

Step 1: Verify Edge Agent Connection​

Vendor confirms Edge Agent is connected:

  • Edge Agent appears in Portainer UI
  • Connection status: Connected
  • Environment details visible

Step 2: Prepare Stack Configuration​

Vendor prepares docker-compose stack with:

  • Customer's .env file
  • Certificate volume mappings
  • Network configuration
  • Image versions

Step 3: Deploy Stack​

Vendor deploys via Portainer UI:

  1. Navigate to customer's Edge Agent environment
  2. Go to Stacks → Add Stack
  3. Name: chatty-app
  4. Upload docker-compose.yaml
  5. Load .env file
  6. Configure volume mappings:
    • /opt/chatty-app/certs → Certificate volumes
    • /opt/chatty-app/data → Data volumes
  7. Click Deploy Stack

Step 4: Monitor Deployment​

Vendor monitors container startup:

  • All 11 containers starting
  • No error logs
  • Health checks passing
  • Services connecting

Expected containers:

  • nginx
  • chattyai
  • db (PostgreSQL)
  • qdrant
  • pipelines
  • n8n
  • chattydatabases
  • chattydatabases-engine
  • chattydatabases-ibis
  • chattydatabases-ai-service
  • chattydatabases-bootstrap

Step 5: Verify Services​

Vendor verifies:

  • Database initialized
  • Qdrant running
  • Nginx serving HTTPS
  • All services healthy

Step 6: Notify Customer​

Vendor notifies customer deployment is complete:

Email includes:

  • Deployment status: Complete
  • Access URLs:
    • Chatty AI: https://chat.example.com
    • n8n: https://n8n.example.com
    • Databases: https://databases.example.com
  • Admin credentials
  • Next steps for validation

What Customer Sees​

During deployment, customer can monitor via Docker:

# Watch containers starting
watch docker ps

# View logs
docker logs -f chattyai
docker logs -f nginx
docker logs -f db

Customer will see:

  • Containers being created
  • Images being pulled
  • Services starting up
  • Log messages

Deployment Timeline​

Typical deployment takes 10-15 minutes:

PhaseDurationWhat Happens
Image Pull5-8 minDownload Docker images
Container Start2-3 minStart all containers
Database Init1-2 minInitialize PostgreSQL
Service Ready1-2 minAll services healthy

Troubleshooting (Vendor)​

Containers Won't Start​

Check:

  • Certificate paths correct
  • .env file complete
  • Sufficient resources
  • No port conflicts

Database Connection Errors​

Verify:

  • DB_PASSWORD correct in .env
  • PostgreSQL container running
  • Network connectivity

Certificate Issues​

Confirm:

  • Certificates in correct locations
  • Correct permissions (600 for privkey)
  • Valid certificate chain

Post-Deployment​

After successful deployment:

  1. Vendor performs initial validation
  2. Customer receives access details
  3. Customer performs deployment verification
  4. Customer begins using Chatty AI

Customer Responsibilities​

After deployment, customer manages:

  • Monitoring service health
  • Backing up data
  • Renewing SSL certificates
  • Reporting issues to vendor

Vendor manages:

  • Stack updates
  • Version upgrades
  • Configuration changes
  • Troubleshooting complex issues

Re-deployment​

If re-deployment needed:

Vendor can:

  • Update stack via Portainer
  • Change environment variables
  • Restart services
  • Roll back to previous version

Customer does NOT need to reinstall Edge Agent.

Next Steps​

After vendor deploys stack:

  1. Complete Post-Installation Validation
  2. Begin using Chatty AI

Support​

For deployment issues: