# 11 — Administration & Deployment

Self-hosted deployment, environment variables, maintenance, backups and platform administration.

# Self-Hosted Installation

# Self-Hosted Installation

Nord Forge is a Python/Flask application with a separate optional Discord bot process.

## Quick start

```bash
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
cp .env.example .env
python run.py
```

Put Nord Forge behind the reverse proxy/domain configured for the deployment.

## Docker

The package also includes:

- `Dockerfile`
- `docker-compose.yml`

The Docker setup can run:

- `nord-forge` — web platform/API
- `nord-forge-bot` — optional Discord bot

## Data and storage

Important paths include:

```text
data/
storage/
backups/
```

Back up both the database and resource storage in production.


# Important Environment Variables

# Important Environment Variables

Core configuration includes:

```env
NORD_FORGE_SECRET=change-me-super-secret
NORD_FORGE_CRYPTO_SECRET=change-me-build-encryption-secret
NORD_FORGE_DB=data/nord_forge.db
NORD_FORGE_STORAGE=storage
NORD_FORGE_PUBLIC_URL=https://your-forge.example.com
NORD_FORGE_PUBLIC_ROOT_DOMAIN=your-forge.example.com
```

## Licensing

```env
NORD_FORGE_MAX_KEYMASTERS=3
NORD_FORGE_ALLOW_KEYMASTER_AUTO_BIND=0
NORD_FORGE_PUBLIC_FILE_PATTERNS=
```

Keep automatic Keymaster binding disabled in normal production if customers must register servers manually.

## Discord

```env
DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=
DISCORD_CLIENT_SECRET=
DISCORD_PUBLIC_KEY=
DISCORD_INVITE_PERMISSIONS=117776
DISCORD_OAUTH_CALLBACK_URL=https://your-forge.example.com/api/discord/invite/callback
NORD_FORGE_BOT_TOKEN=
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=
FORGE_API_URL=https://your-forge.example.com
FORGE_BOT_POLL_SECONDS=8
```

## Tebex fallback

```env
TEBEX_HEADLESS_TOKEN=
TEBEX_PUBLIC_TOKEN=
TEBEX_WEBHOOK_SECRET=
```

Never commit production secrets to source control.


# Network Admin

# Network Admin

The first active account in a new installation receives the global `network_admin` role.

Network administrators can access platform-level administrative functions such as:

- Platform overview
- Maintenance mode
- User administration
- Workspace administration
- Update management
- Backups
- Global Discord Bot configuration
- Realtime/admin metrics

Workspace roles are separate from the global network administrator role.


# Maintenance & Backups

# Maintenance & Backups

Nord Forge includes platform maintenance and backup functionality.

## Maintenance mode

When maintenance mode is enabled, normal users can be blocked from logging in while `network_admin` users retain administrative access.

## Backups

The admin area includes backup listing, creation and download routes.

In production, also maintain external backups of:

- Forge database
- Product/release storage
- Environment configuration
- Reverse proxy configuration
- Any published site assets

Do not rely on a single local backup copy.