========================================== Getting Started ========================================== Introduction -------------- Welcome to the CentreStack Quick Start Guide. This guide describes on a high level how you can use CentreStack to provide a managed file sync and share solution for your internal employees and customers. The goal is to provide your customers and internal employees an easy-to-use and secure-under-control way to access file servers from remote locations and mobile devices. Three Deployment Modes ------------------------- To get started, the first question is where and how to deploy CentreStack. Does CentreStack need to be next to the file server, in a data center or just use the Cloud version from CentreStack itself? There are three basic ways to deploy the CentreStack solution: 1. On-Premise Self-Hosted 2. Data-Center MSP-Hosted 3. Cloud SaaS-Hosted On-Premise Self-Hosted ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For the on-premise self-hosted Centrestack, the CentreStack server is directly installed in the company network. On one-hand, it is facing the Internet with port 443 (HTTPS) like any web server does; and on the other-hand, it is connecting to company internal network and IT infrastructures such as File Servers and Active Directory. CentreStack server normally sits in the DMZ or behind a firewall to be protected against un-authorized outside access. The business objective is giving mobile and remote access to file servers without the need of a VPN. It is more productive than traditional VPN by greatly reducing the number of VPN support tickets for internal enterprise IT department or for the managed service provider. .. image:: _static/SelfHostedCentreStackDirectShare.svg For this deployment mode, check :doc:`on_premise` Data-Center MSP-Hosted +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you are a managed service provider that manages hundreds or thousands of end points across multiple clients, it is a good option that you setup your CentreStack server in a data center. There are a couple advantages of setting the CentreStack server up in a data center. 1. The data center is closer to the Internet backbone than a business office is, thus it has faster Internet speed. 2. Setting it up in a central location and in a multi-tenant fashion, it is easier to manage as compared to a one-centrestack-instance-per-client setup. .. image:: _static/SelfHostedCentreStackRemoteShare.svg For this deployment mode, check :doc:`data_center` Cloud SaaS-Hosted +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Similar to Data-Center MSP-Hosted, CentreStack has a Cloud version that is readily hosted. This works well for managed service providers who have smaller clients here and there. Because of the smaller number of total clients, the Data-Center MSP-Hosted overhead is relatively high. MSPs can use the Cloud version since it is readily deployed and ready to use. .. image:: _static/HostedCentreStack.svg For this deployment mode, check :doc:`cloud_host` What's Next +++++++++++++++++++ You will need a CentreStack partner account to start with, regardless of which deployment mode(s) you will use. Step #1 will always be going to the centrestack.com and to register. When you are on the CentreStack web site, you can follow any "Free Trial" link to start. .. image:: _static/image004.png Once you are done registering, you will be in the partner portal where you can download the software, setup hosted trial and etc. .. image:: _static/image005.png .. note:: This quick start guide is written against CentreStack version 9.6.5507.41405