Documentation

Welcome to the IronDiff documentation. Follow the steps below to get your industrial-strength network backup system up and running.

Deployment Overview

IronDiff is deployed as a Docker container. This ensures that it runs in a consistent, hardened environment regardless of your host operating system.

Prerequisites

• Docker: Installed and running on your host.
• Internet Access: Required for the initial pull and for the auto-updater to fetch security patches.
• Port 5000: Must be available on the host for the web configuration interface.

Quick Start (Docker)

1. Register

Ensure you have an account at /register. You will need your License Key during the setup process, which can be found in your dashboard under Settings.

2. Initial Setup

Create a directory to store your configuration and persistent data:

mkdir irondiff && cd irondiff

3. Launch the Container

Run the IronDiff container. We recommend using --restart unless-stopped to ensure your backups continue after a host reboot.

Important: Replace America/Denver with your actual local timezone and your-license-key-here with the key from your portal settings.

docker run -d \
  --name irondiff \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 5000:5000 \
  -v $(pwd)/config:/app/config \
  -v $(pwd)/data:/app/data \
  -e TZ=America/Denver \
  -e LICENSE_KEY=your-license-key-here \
  irondiff/irondiff --daemon

4. Initial Configuration

Navigate to https://<host-ip>:5000 in your browser.

Security Note: The container generates a self-signed certificate for the local UI by default. You will need to click “Advanced” and “Proceed” in your browser to access the interface.

Step 1: Security & Licensing

• License Key: Ensure your license key is set via the LICENSE_KEY environment variable (as shown in the Docker command above).
• Zero Trust Encryption: Click Generate Key to create your master encryption key. This key is used to encrypt your configurations locally before they are uploaded. CRITICAL: Store this key safely. IronDiff does not have access to this key and cannot recover your full configs without it.

Step 2: Agent Identity & Schedule

• Agent Site & Group: Define your Site Name (e.g., Customer Name) and Group Name (e.g., Branch Office). These identifiers determine how this Docker instance appears in your Cloud Portal.
• Backup Schedule: Set your backup frequency using standard Cron Notation. For example, 0 2 * * * will run a backup every day at 2:00 AM.

Step 3: Device Inventory

Add your network hardware to the inventory by providing:

• Name & Host: A descriptive name (or IP) and the reachable IP address of the device.
• Device Type: Select the appropriate driver for your hardware (e.g., Cisco IOS, Aruba).
• Credentials: Enter the SSH username and password.
• Logical Mapping: Assign a Site Name (usually the Customer) and Group Name (Location or Department) to organize your devices in the portal.

Step 4: Verification

Once a device is added, you can click Run Now to trigger an immediate backup.

• Success: The device will appear in your Cloud Portal dashboard, showing the first configuration version.
• Failure: If a backup fails, the system provides a real-time Log Output showing exactly where the connection or authentication failed.

Recommended: Auto-Updates

To ensure you always have the latest vendor redaction logic and security definitions, we highly recommend running Watchtower alongside IronDiff.

docker run -d \
  --name irondiff-updater \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  containrrr/watchtower \
  --interval 86400 --cleanup \
  irondiff

Supported Devices

IronDiff supports a wide range of networking hardware:

• Cisco: IOS, IOS-XE, ASA
• Aruba: AOS-S, AOS-CX
• Netgear ProSafe: SSH enabled
• MikroTik: RouterOS
• PFSense: XML-based configuration
• Fortinet: FortiGate
• Juniper: JunOS

Enterprise Features

For organizations requiring enterprise-grade security and user management:

• SAML Single Sign-On (SSO): Configure Enterprise Authentication to manage users via your existing IdP.

For detailed configuration of specific device types, refer to the Features page.