Get Started

Deploying IronDiff is simple and takes only a few minutes. Since it is distributed as a Docker container, you don’t need to worry about dependencies or complex installation scripts.

1. Create an Account

Before deploying the container, you need to create an account to manage your licenses and view your backup dashboard.

Visit the IronDiff Portal to register.

2. Prepare Working Directory

Create a dedicated folder on your host machine to store your configuration and backup data, then navigate into it:

mkdir irondiff && cd irondiff

3. Pull the Image

Run the following command to download the latest version of IronDiff from Docker Hub:

docker pull irondiff/irondiff

4. Deploy and Configure

Run the following commands to start the IronDiff engine and its required auto-updater. The auto-updater ensures your system always has the latest security definitions and redaction logic.

Start the Backup Engine:

docker run -d \
  --name irondiff \
  -p 5000:5000 \
  -v ./config:/app/config \
  -v ./data:/app/data \
  -e TZ=America/Denver \
  irondiff/irondiff --daemon

Start the Auto-Updater:

docker run -d \
  --name irondiff-updater \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  containrrr/watchtower \
  --interval 3600 --cleanup \
  irondiff

5. Complete Setup

Once the containers are running, open your web browser and navigate to:

https://localhost:5000

From the local web interface, you can manage your device inventory and validate your license. Detailed backup history, change tracking, and diffs are viewed securely in the IronDiff Cloud Portal.

Environment Details

• Port 5000: Used for the web configuration interface.
• Volumes: The ./config and ./data directories will be automatically created on your host to persist your settings and backup archives.
• Timezone: The TZ environment variable ensures your backup schedule aligns with your local time.