vrr/Pulse

mirror of https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse.git synced 2026-10-19 18:44:53 +00:00

rcourtman 8a99b16d6c docs: correct customer docs that drifted from the source

Audited the customer-facing docs against the code: about 5,200 concrete
claims (env vars, endpoints, flags, defaults, ports, UI labels), plus every
environment variable the code reads. Each discrepancy was re-verified
against the source before editing, and every edit was reviewed again.

What users would have hit following the old text:
- UI paths and labels that no longer exist (Settings > Relay, Platform
  connections, Access Control, SSO Providers, Create Organization) and
  Patrol mode names (now Ask first, Safe auto-fix, Autopilot).
- Wrong values and behaviour: LOG_MAX_AGE=0 does not disable cleanup,
  Patrol evidence budget is 10 calls and 12 turns, ALLOW_UNPROTECTED_EXPORT
  covers private networks too, PULSE_AUDIT_ASYNC defaults on.
- Agent install: install.sh ignores PULSE_ENABLE_KUBERNETES and
  PULSE_ENABLE_PROXMOX, rejects --disable-auto-update, and the token
  fallback lives in the state directory.
- API: audit endpoints answer 402 on Community, onboarding QR is GET,
  type=container is rejected, several routes need admin plus a scope.
- HTTP_REDIRECT_PORT was not documented anywhere.

Docs are mirrored under frontend-modern/public/docs, so each change is
applied to both copies. The tests that pinned the old wording (including
three that asserted claims the code contradicts) are updated alongside.

Contract-Neutral: Customer docs corrected to match shipped behaviour; no runtime, API or contract change.

2026-10-11 13:59:56 +01:00

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Pulse Cloud (Hosted)

Pulse Cloud is the hosted version of Pulse. It is a fully managed monitoring instance that runs in the cloud so you don't have to self-host.

Pulse Cloud is for a hosted Pulse instance. Pulse MSP is a separate provider path: the MSP normally runs a Stripe-free provider-hosted control plane with one isolated Pulse runtime per client. Pulse-hosted MSP is available only as a request-assisted option where Pulse operates that provider stack for the MSP.

How It Works

Sign up at the Pulse Cloud portal.
Connect your agents — install the Pulse agent on your infrastructure pointing to your cloud URL.
Monitor — access your dashboard from any browser or supported Pulse Mobile client.

Each Cloud account gets a dedicated, isolated Pulse instance with its own subdomain (e.g., yourname.cloud.pulserelay.pro).

Features

Pulse Cloud includes everything in the Pro plan, plus:

Feature	Description
Fully managed hosting	No server to manage, no updates to apply
Automatic updates	Your instance is always on the latest version
Automatic backups	Daily encrypted backups with 7-day retention
Dedicated instance	Your data runs in an isolated container — not shared with other tenants
Wildcard TLS	HTTPS with auto-renewing certificates
Mobile ready	Relay is pre-configured for secure Pulse Mobile remote access

Cloud Enterprise (Add-On)

For organisations that need internal multi-organization management under one owner:

Feature	Capability Key
Multi-Tenant Mode	`multi_tenant`
Multi-User Mode	`multi_user`
Hosted Capacity Policy	`unlimited`

See Plans & Entitlements for the full feature matrix.

Cloud Enterprise shared-process organizations are for one owner separating internal sites, departments, or environments. They are not the default MSP model for unrelated customer businesses.

Getting Started

1. Create Your Account

2. Connect Agents

Once your instance is running, open Settings → Infrastructure → Install on a host in your cloud dashboard and choose the target platform and collector profile. Run the installer on the host being monitored, not inside the hosted Pulse server.

For manual setup, follow the private-file installation steps (or the Windows section in that guide), replacing https://pulse.example.com with your instance's HTTPS address in both the download and install commands. Save the agent token in a private file and pass only its path with --token-file; never paste a token into command arguments, a URL or a report. Download the agent installer from your own instance's /install.sh, stop if the download fails, and inspect the saved script before running it. Keep TLS verification enabled; do not pipe an unchecked response into a privileged shell or substitute the top-level GitHub server installer.

3. Add Proxmox / TrueNAS Connections

Add your Proxmox VE, PBS, PMG, or TrueNAS systems via Settings → Infrastructure (Add infrastructure).

4. Set Up Mobile Access

Relay is enabled by default on Cloud instances. Open Settings → Pulse Mobile to pair a phone. Pulse Mobile is being retired on 31 March 2027.

Data & Privacy

Your monitoring data runs in an isolated container — no shared databases.
Data is stored encrypted at rest.
Backups are automated and encrypted.
Create Backup in Settings → System → Recovery downloads an encrypted configuration export, not a complete copy of the hosted installation. Check the migration scope before relying on it for a move.
See Privacy for full details.

Billing

Pulse Cloud billing is handled by Stripe. You can manage your subscription from the Cloud portal:

View current plan and usage
Update payment method
Cancel or change plans

Migrating To/From Cloud

Create Backup transfers only the included configuration, not the full installation. Metrics and audit history, incidents and queued notifications, server-side agent inventory and enrolment state, profiles and assignments are not included. Neither are TrueNAS, vSphere and Machine Availability connections, local login credentials or deployment overrides. Contents depend on the exporting version; see the configuration-transfer scope for the complete account. Imported API-token records do not reveal the original tokens or establish that every agent is admitted.

Hosted automatic backups and this downloaded export are different things. If you need excluded state, retain the source and establish a recoverable, consistent full-state backup before moving. Do not assume access to the hosted filesystem or that a hosted backup can be restored into your self-hosted installation. Do not mix encrypted files and keys from different installations. Keep exports, passphrases and credentials private.

Import can activate monitoring and notification settings. Use an isolated trial where available; if the hosted destination cannot be isolated, arrange a single-active cutover before importing and retain independent monitoring during the pause. Browser administrator access does not grant hosted filesystem or service-control access. If a necessary hosting-side operation is unavailable, stop before importing rather than cancel the source or run two connected copies.

Self-Hosted → Cloud

Keep the self-hosted source intact and preserve the separate full-state backup if you need its history or excluded state.
Set up destination-local administrator access on Cloud. Keep the trial destination isolated from monitored systems, agents and notification destinations so two instances do not send duplicate alerts or remote actions.
Export from the source through Settings → System → Recovery → Create Backup, using a strong, unique passphrase stored separately. If Cloud already has useful configuration, export it first. Restore Configuration replaces the included settings and API-token records; it does not merge them.
Re-create the excluded connections and settings you need. Retarget existing agents using the address-change procedure, not by uninstalling or re-enrolling them. It preserves the saved identity and credential; use the procedure supported by that host's platform.
Complete the cutover checks before retiring the self-hosted source.

Cloud → Self-Hosted

Keep the Cloud instance available until validation is complete; do not cancel it or discard the source merely because an export succeeded. Establish recovery for any excluded state you need before proceeding.
Install Pulse on your own server using the Install Guide. Set up destination-local administrator access and keep the trial isolated from monitored systems, agents and notification destinations.
Export from Cloud through Settings → System → Recovery → Create Backup. Keep its passphrase separately and privately. Export any existing destination configuration first, then use Restore Configuration there; import replaces the included settings and API-token records, not a merge.
Re-create excluded connections and settings, and verify your Pro licence separately if using Pro self-hosted. Retarget existing agents with the address-change procedure, preserving their identity and private credential rather than creating a replacement token just for the move.
Complete the checks below before retiring the Cloud source.

Verify the move before retiring the source

Verify destination-local login, imported SSO mappings and the new callback address. Imported settings do not override every deployment-managed value.
Keep HTTPS verification enabled for both the new installer download and the agent connection. An old endpoint's custom CA or certificate pin is not automatically trust for the new endpoint; follow the retargeting guide.
Check fresh ordinary reports and agent admission at the destination, not just cached rows or a successful import. Re-create profiles and assignments before enabling remote actions. Missing history after configuration-only transfer does not prove collection failed.
Check every expected platform and your existing notification delivery evidence without running two instances against the same destinations. Do not induce alerts, replay a queue or run a workload action merely to test the move; importing settings does not transfer queued notifications.
If an import reports a reload/apply failure, settings may already have been written. Preserve both instances and inspect the error before repeating it. If validation fails, stop the trial destination before returning traffic to the intact source, check agent URLs and avoid two active writers.

See the Migration Guide for the complete cutover and recovery procedure. A successful configuration import is not proof of full recovery.

FAQ

Can I use my own domain?

Custom domain support is planned for a future release. Currently, instances use *.cloud.pulserelay.pro subdomains.

Is my data shared with other users?

No. Each Cloud account runs in a dedicated, isolated container with its own data directory.

What happens if I cancel?

Your data is retained for 30 days after cancellation. You can export your configuration at any time before deletion.

Can I switch between Cloud and self-hosted?

You can transfer the included configuration using the workflow above. It is not a full installation copy: history, some connections and agent enrolment state need separate handling. Verify the destination before retiring the source.

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