Install and first run

Goal

Get a working local ShieldGate environment: database, cache, API, and console — and sign in as the bootstrap administrator.

Prerequisites

• .NET 10 SDK
• Docker (for PostgreSQL and Redis), or local installs of both
• A terminal and a browser

Steps

1. Start the backing services

docker run -d --name sg-postgres -p 5432:5432 -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres postgres:16
docker run -d --name sg-redis -p 6379:6379 redis:7

2. Run the API

dotnet run --project src/ShieldGate.Api

The API applies database migrations on startup and seeds the bootstrap tenant and administrator account.

3. Run the console

dotnet run --project src/ShieldGate.Web

Open the console in your browser and sign in with the bootstrap credentials from your configuration.

4. First look around

• The dashboard shows traffic and system health at a glance.
• The sidebar groups features: Topology, Policies, Network, Certificates, Operations.

Verify

• The API health endpoint returns healthy.
• You can sign in to the console and see the dashboard.

Pitfalls

• If the API cannot reach PostgreSQL, check the ConnectionStrings section in appsettings.json — host, port, and password must match your container.
• Ports are conventional: API 7279, console 7280. Change both sides if you customize them.