Prerequisites & System Requirements
Before the StackConsole team begins the CMP installation, your infrastructure must meet all requirements on this page.
Deployment models
CMP supports multiple deployment architectures — from a single POC VM to multi-server and HA production layouts. See Choosing a Hosting Topology for diagrams and guidance.
| Environment | Typical layout | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Staging / POC | Single server (1 VM) | Proof-of-concept, testing, pre-production validation |
| Production | Multi-server (3 VMs) | Frontend, Backend, and Database on separate servers |
| Large / HA | HA multi-tier (18 servers) | Redundant web, proxy, app, Redis, and database tiers |
Use the two sections below for complete staging and production checklists. Shared items (SMTP, logos, installer access) are listed under Common requirements at the end of this page.
Staging / Single VM — full requirements
One VM runs the frontend, backend, database, Redis, and scheduler together. Use this layout for POC, staging, and pre-production validation — not for busy production workloads.
Topology: Single-server deployment
VM specifications
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Count | 1 VM (all CMP roles co-located) |
| OS | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
| CPU | 16 cores |
| RAM | 32 GB |
| Storage | 200 GB SSD |
| Open ports | 22, 80, 443, 8081 |
Storage layout
CMP installs packages under /, /var, and /home.
Single partition (recommended)
Allocate all available space to /. This is the simplest and recommended approach for staging.
Multiple partitions (minimum for 200 GB total)
| Mount point | Minimum size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
/var | 100 GB | PostgreSQL, logs, queue data |
/home | 75 GB | Application data |
/ | 25 GB | OS and system |
If partitions are too small, the installation will fail silently or services will crash after a short period. Always verify free space on all mount points before and after installation.
DNS / URL
Staging uses one public URL for the portal and API on the same host.
| URL | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Staging URL | Portal and API on one hostname | staging.yourcompany.com |
DNS must be configured and propagated before installation begins. From the staging VM:
curl https://staging.yourcompany.com # must return a response, not a connection error
SSL / TLS
HTTPS is required in all environments.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Certificate files | fullchain.pem (full chain including intermediates) and privkey.pem (private key) |
| Where to place | Upload to /home/ssl/ on the staging VM, or share via email to satish.londhe@stackconsole.io |
Intermediate certificates are required. A certificate without the full chain will cause SSL handshake failures in some browsers and API clients.
Staging checklist
| Item | Staging requirement |
|---|---|
| VM | 1 × Ubuntu 24.04, 16 CPU, 32 GB RAM, 200 GB SSD |
| Ports | 22, 80, 443, 8081 open |
| Storage | Single / partition recommended, or multi-partition layout above |
| DNS | One staging URL (for example staging.example.com) |
| SSL | fullchain.pem + privkey.pem on the VM |
| Also required | SMTP, logos, installer access |
Production — three-VM requirements
Standard production splits CMP across three VMs: Frontend, Backend, and Database. Frontend serves the customer portal and reverse-proxies API traffic to the backend.
Topology: Multi-server deployment
VM specifications
Provision three separate VMs:
Frontend VM
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Role | NGINX + Customer Portal |
| OS | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
| CPU | 8 cores |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Storage | 100 GB SSD |
| Open ports | 22, 80, 443, 8081 |
Backend VM
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Role | CMP API, workers, scheduler |
| OS | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
| CPU | 8 cores |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Storage | 100 GB SSD |
| Open ports | 22, 80, 8081 |
Database VM
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Role | PostgreSQL |
| OS | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
| CPU | 8 cores |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Storage | 200 GB SSD |
| Open ports | 22, 5432 |
Storage layout
Single partition (recommended)
On each VM, allocate all available space to /.
Multiple partitions (minimum)
Frontend / Backend VM (100 GB total each)
| Mount point | Minimum size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
/home | 50 GB | Primary application data |
/var | 25 GB | Logs, queue data |
/ | 25 GB | OS and system |
Database VM (200 GB total)
| Mount point | Minimum size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
/var | 150 GB | PostgreSQL stores all data under /var |
/home | 25 GB | Application-level data |
/ | 25 GB | OS and system |
If partitions are too small, the installation will fail silently or services will crash after a short period. Always verify free space on all mount points before and after installation.
Inter-VM communication
The three production VMs must reach each other over private IP addresses:
| Source | Destination | Port | Protocol | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontend VM | Backend VM | 80 | TCP | Frontend → Backend API calls |
| Backend VM | Database VM | 5432 | TCP | Database connections (PostgreSQL) |
Verify connectivity before installation:
# From Frontend VM — must succeed
curl http://<BACKEND_PRIVATE_IP>:80
# From Backend VM — must succeed
curl http://<API_URL> # e.g., curl https://api.example.com
nc -zv <DB_PRIVATE_IP> 5432
Port 5432 must only be open on private IPs. Never expose the database port to the public internet.
DNS / URL
Production uses two public URLs — one for the portal and one for the API.
Do NOT point api.example.com to the Backend server's IP.
A frequent configuration mistake during installation is pointing the api.example.com DNS record to the Backend VM.
Both DNS A records must point to the SAME Frontend server public IP address:
portal.example.com→ Frontend Server Public IPapi.example.com→ Frontend Server Public IP (same IP as portal)
Why?
The Frontend server runs NGINX, which terminates SSL/TLS for both domains. When a client requests api.example.com, NGINX on the frontend server terminates HTTPS and reverse-proxies the request over the private network to port 80 on the backend VM. The Backend VM does not have public SSL termination or direct public HTTP access.
Required DNS Records
Configure your public DNS zone with the following records:
| Record Type | Hostname / FQDN | Target IP | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | portal.example.com | Frontend server public IP | Served directly by NGINX on the frontend server |
| A | api.example.com | Frontend server public IP (same IP!) | Received by NGINX on the frontend server and reverse-proxied to the backend VM |
DNS and Traffic Flow Diagram
DNS must be configured and propagated before installation begins. Both frontend and backend servers must resolve and reach the backend API URL:
curl https://api.yourcompany.com # must return a response, not a connection error
What are the two URLs for?
CMP runs as two applications: a frontend (portal in the browser) and a backend (API for data and actions). Production therefore needs two FQDNs.
Recommended naming
| Role | Recommended example |
|---|---|
| Frontend (portal) | portal.example.com |
| Backend (API) | api.example.com |
Do the two FQDNs need separate public IPs?
No. Both domains must use the same public IP on the frontend server:
| FQDN | How it is served |
|---|---|
portal.example.com | Served from the frontend server |
api.example.com | Reverse-proxied from the frontend server to the backend server |
You do not need a separate public IP for the API hostname. Never point the API DNS record directly to the backend server.
SSL / TLS
HTTPS is required in all environments.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Certificate files | fullchain.pem (full chain including intermediates) and privkey.pem (private key) |
| Where to place | Upload to /home/ssl/ on each provisioned VM (Frontend, Backend, Database), or share via email to satish.londhe@stackconsole.io |
The frontend VM terminates HTTPS for both portal and API hostnames when using the standard reverse-proxy layout.
Intermediate certificates are required. A certificate without the full chain will cause SSL handshake failures in some browsers and API clients.
Production checklist
| Item | Production requirement |
|---|---|
| VMs | 3 × Ubuntu 24.04 — Frontend (8 CPU, 16 GB, 100 GB), Backend (8 CPU, 16 GB, 100 GB), Database (8 CPU, 16 GB, 200 GB) |
| Ports | Frontend: 22, 80, 443, 8081 — Backend: 22, 80, 8081 — Database: 22, 5432 (private only) |
| Storage | Per-VM layout above |
| Networking | Private connectivity Frontend → Backend (80) and Backend → Database (5432) |
| DNS | Two URLs (portal + api) — BOTH must point to the Frontend server public IP |
| SSL | fullchain.pem + privkey.pem on each VM |
| Also required | SMTP, logos, installer access |
HA — server requirements
A full HA multi-tier CMP deployment requires 18 servers in total (redundant web, proxy, application, cache, database, and related tiers).
See HA multi-tier deployment for the topology overview.
Per-role CPU, RAM, storage, and networking for HA are not listed here. Check with the StackConsole team for the detailed server breakdown and sizing before you provision.
Common requirements
The following apply to both staging and production installations.
Domain Name / URL
CMP requires publicly resolvable domain names before installation begins. Requirements depend on your deployment model:
| Environment | DNS / URL requirements |
|---|---|
| Staging / single VM | One URL for portal and API — Staging — DNS / URL |
| Production (3 VMs) | Separate portal and API URLs (can share one public IP) — Production — DNS / URL |
SSL / TLS certificates
HTTPS is required in all environments. Provide fullchain.pem (full chain including intermediates) and privkey.pem (private key) before installation:
| Environment | SSL requirements |
|---|---|
| Staging / single VM | Certificates on the single VM — Staging — SSL / TLS |
| Production (3 VMs) | Certificates on each VM (Frontend, Backend, Database) — Production — SSL / TLS |
Intermediate certificates are required. A certificate without the full chain will cause SSL handshake failures in some browsers and API clients.
SMTP / Email configuration
CMP sends transactional emails (invoices, alerts, user notifications). Provide these SMTP credentials before setup:
| Variable | Example |
|---|---|
MAIL_HOST | smtp.mailgun.org |
MAIL_PORT | 587 |
MAIL_USERNAME | noreply@yourcompany.com |
MAIL_PASSWORD | (your SMTP password) |
MAIL_ENCRYPTION | tls |
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS | noreply@yourcompany.com |
MAIL_FROM_NAME | YourCompany Cloud |
SMS / Mobile verification (optional)
If you plan to enable mobile OTP verification during customer registration, provide configuration details for one of the supported SMS providers to the StackConsole deployment team:
- MSG91 (
MSG91_AUTH_KEY,MSG91_FLOW_ID,MSG91_SENDER) - Twilio (
TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID,TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN,TWILIO_FROM_NUMBER) - Spinning Disk (
SPINNING_DISK_AUTH_KEY,SPINNING_DISK_SENDER, DLT template mapping)
See SMS Gateways & Verification for full parameter specifications.
App logos
CMP supports light and dark themes. Two logo variants are required:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 160 × 40 px |
| Formats | PNG (transparent background recommended for Email and Invoice PDF), SVG (for web portal) |
| Variants | Light theme logo + Dark theme logo |
Share logos to satish.londhe@stackconsole.io.
Access for StackConsole installation team
The StackConsole team requires access to your infrastructure to perform installation and configuration. Choose one of the following:
Option 1 — VPN access (preferred)
Provide VPN access to the following team members:
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Satish Londhe | satish.londhe@stackconsole.io |
| Ganesh Kanade | ganesh.kanade@stackconsole.io |
| Saurabh Rapatwar | saurabh.rapatwar@stackconsole.io |
Option 2 — IP whitelist (jump server)
If VPN is not feasible, whitelist our jump server IP:
14.192.19.227
This IP must have SSH access (port 22) to all provisioned VMs.
Orchestrator-specific requirements
Each orchestrator has additional requirements on top of the common prerequisites above. Select your orchestrator:
- Apache CloudStack Requirements
- VMware vSphere Requirements
- OpenStack Requirements
- Proxmox VE Requirements
- CEPH Requirements
- PowerDNS Requirements
- Keycloak SSO Requirements
Related
- Choosing a Hosting Topology
- Orchestrator Requirements Overview
- Apache CloudStack Requirements — includes Console Proxy DNS
- Architecture Overview