Deployment Guide — Aurora Continuum
Aurora Continuum runs as two Docker containers (backend API + frontend) alongside a MongoDB database. This guide covers pulling the images, configuring the environment, and running in production.
Prerequisites
- Docker Engine 24+ and Compose v2
- 2 GB RAM minimum (4 GB recommended)
- Linux, macOS, or Windows (WSL2)
Quick start
Download docker-compose.yml from the install page, place it in a new directory, then create a .env file alongside it:
openssl rand -base64 32 # run twice — once for JWT_SECRET, once for FRONTEND_SECRET
JWT_SECRET=your-generated-secret
FRONTEND_SECRET=your-generated-secret
FRONTEND_URL=http://your-server:82
PORT=82
LICENSE_KEY=
Start Continuum:
docker compose up -d
On first run, seed the initial data:
docker exec continuum-backend node scripts/seed.js
Open http://your-server:82 to access the dashboard. On first login you will be prompted to set an admin email and password.
Environment variables
| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
JWT_SECRET | Yes | — | Secret for signing auth tokens — generate with openssl rand -base64 32 |
FRONTEND_SECRET | Yes | — | Shared secret between frontend and backend — generate with openssl rand -base64 32 |
FRONTEND_URL | Yes | http://localhost:82 | URL your team uses to reach the dashboard |
PORT | No | 82 | Port the frontend is exposed on |
LICENSE_KEY | No | — | Starter / Pro / Enterprise licence key (leave blank for Free) |
MONGODB_URI | No | mongodb://mongodb:27017/continuum | MongoDB connection string |
JWT_EXPIRES_IN | No | 7d | Auth token expiry |
Ports
| Service | Default port |
|---|---|
| Frontend (web UI) | 82 |
| Backend (API) | 3002 |
| MongoDB | Internal only (not exposed by default) |
Updating
Pull the latest images and restart:
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
Your data is stored in the mongodb_data Docker volume and is not affected by updates. Do not re-run the seed script after the first run — it will overwrite existing data.
Licence activation
Once logged in, go to Settings > License and paste your licence key. Keys are available on your account dashboard.
See Pricing & Tiers for tier limits (licence holders).