fix: docs pages, navbar, footer updates from QA sprint
This commit is contained in:
Krystie
+250
-49
@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ export default function DocsOverviewPage() {
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title="Product Overview"
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intro="DashCaddy is a self-hosted control plane for deploying, exposing, and managing Docker applications — with automatic DNS, reverse proxy, internal HTTPS, real-time monitoring, AI-driven operations, and centralized fleet visibility."
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>
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<h2>What you'll learn</h2>
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<blockquote className="border-l-4 border-brand-500/50 bg-brand-500/5 p-4 rounded-r-lg">
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<p className="text-surface-300">
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<strong className="text-brand-400">What you'll learn:</strong> This page covers the full DashCaddy architecture, design philosophy, component breakdown, and how it compares to manual self-hosting. By the end, you'll understand why DashCaddy exists, what problems it solves, and how its layers work together as a unified platform.
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</p>
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</blockquote>
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<h2>What DashCaddy is</h2>
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<p>
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DashCaddy brings together the layers that self-hosters usually wire by hand — Docker deployment,
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@@ -25,59 +32,253 @@ export default function DocsOverviewPage() {
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<h2>Platform architecture</h2>
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<p>
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DashCaddy is a production-grade platform built on a layered stack:
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DashCaddy is a production-grade platform built on eight distinct layers, each responsible for a
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specific concern. Together they form a complete self-hosting stack that replaces dozens of manual
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configuration steps with a single declarative action.
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Application layer</strong> — a React dashboard for operators, plus a REST API and WebSocket channel for real-time updates.</li>
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<li><strong>Orchestration layer</strong> — a Node.js/Express engine that drives deployments, service lifecycle, DNS, reverse proxy, and certificates.</li>
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<li><strong>Runtime layer</strong> — Docker and Docker Compose for container workloads, with optional Docker Swarm and multi-host fleet support.</li>
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<li><strong>Edge layer</strong> — Caddy as the reverse proxy and automatic HTTPS termination, managed through its Admin API.</li>
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<li><strong>Name resolution layer</strong> — Technitium DNS for programmatic record creation and removal.</li>
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<li><strong>Trust layer</strong> — Caddy's internal CA and the optional DashCA certificate authority for trusted internal HTTPS.</li>
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<li><strong>Observability layer</strong> — real-time health checks, Prometheus metrics export, and structured audit logging.</li>
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<li><strong>Intelligence layer</strong> — an AI Intent Router for natural-language operations and an MCP Server for AI assistant integration.</li>
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</ul>
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<h2>Core product components</h2>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Dashboard</strong> — the main operator interface for service visibility, deployment, fleet management, and operational controls.</li>
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<li><strong>DashCaddy API</strong> — the orchestration engine under <code>/api/v1/</code> for deployments, DNS, reverse proxy, certificates, monitoring, and operational tooling.</li>
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<li><strong>Template Library</strong> — 76+ one-click Docker application templates covering the most popular self-hosted apps.</li>
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<li><strong>Service Discovery</strong> — auto-detection of existing containers on the host with one-click adoption into a managed service.</li>
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<li><strong>Caddyfile-as-Code</strong> — a visual reverse-proxy builder that generates and applies Caddy configuration without manual edits.</li>
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<li><strong>DashCA</strong> — the internal certificate authority distribution surface for trusted internal HTTPS across devices.</li>
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<li><strong>Security Center</strong> — a multi-source event pipeline aggregating logs and signals for threat detection and audit.</li>
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<li><strong>AI Intent Router</strong> — turn natural-language commands into real infrastructure actions.</li>
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<li><strong>MCP Server</strong> — expose DashCaddy operations to AI assistants and external automation.</li>
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<li><strong>Licensing</strong> — Premium feature gating tied to external validation and deactivation flows.</li>
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</ul>
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<h2>Who DashCaddy is for</h2>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Home lab operators</strong> who want one place to deploy apps, publish them cleanly, and trust internal HTTPS.</li>
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<li><strong>Self-hosters</strong> tired of hand-wiring Docker, Caddy, DNS, and certificates for every new service.</li>
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<li><strong>Small teams and businesses</strong> that need multi-user access, RBAC, SSO, and audit trails.</li>
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<li><strong>Platform administrators</strong> managing fleets of services across one host or many, with monitoring and backup at the core.</li>
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</ul>
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<h2>What makes it production-grade</h2>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>76+ vetted templates</strong> for one-click deployment of popular self-hosted software.</li>
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<li><strong>Real-time monitoring</strong> with WebSocket live dashboard updates and Prometheus metrics export.</li>
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<li><strong>Multi-user security</strong> — TOTP 2FA, email magic-link login, admin invites, RBAC, encrypted credential vault, and audit logging.</li>
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<li><strong>Security Center</strong> — a multi-source event pipeline for centralized security visibility.</li>
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<li><strong>Backup & disaster recovery</strong> — one-click backup/restore with SHA-256 checksums for full-system recovery.</li>
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<li><strong>Internationalization</strong> — 5 supported languages out of the box.</li>
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<li><strong>Developer platform</strong> — a JavaScript SDK with 39 methods and full TypeScript types, structured error codes (80 codes), and a plugin/extension system.</li>
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<li><strong>AI-native</strong> — natural-language operations via the Intent Router and AI assistant integration via MCP.</li>
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</ul>
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<h2>Ownership and licensing</h2>
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<h3>1. Application Layer</h3>
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<p>
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DashCaddy is proprietary software and intellectual property of <strong>samiahmed7777</strong>. Public-facing
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documentation and branding reflect that commercial/proprietary positioning rather than an open-source default.
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The core platform is fully useful without a license; Premium unlocks a focused set of advanced orchestration features.
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The Application Layer is what operators interact with directly. It is a React-based dashboard that
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provides real-time visibility into every service, container, and infrastructure component managed by
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DashCaddy. Beyond the visual interface, this layer exposes a REST API under <code>/api/v1/</code> and
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a WebSocket channel for live updates. Every action available in the UI — deploying a service, editing
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a Caddy route, reviewing audit logs — is available through the API, making the dashboard a thin client
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over a fully programmable control plane. The application layer also handles authentication, role-based
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access control, TOTP two-factor enrollment, and multi-user admin invitations.
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</p>
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<h3>2. Orchestration Layer</h3>
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<p>
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The Orchestration Layer is the Node.js/Express engine at the heart of DashCaddy. It receives deployment
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requests, coordinates Docker container lifecycle, drives Caddy reverse proxy configuration through the
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Admin API, manages Technitium DNS records programmatically, and handles certificate issuance and renewal.
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This layer is responsible for ensuring that every deployment is atomic — either all layers succeed or the
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operation rolls back cleanly. It maintains the authoritative service state store, tracks health checks,
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and publishes events over WebSocket for the dashboard. The orchestration engine also powers the Smart
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Defaults Wizard, Service Discovery, and the Caddyfile-as-Code builder.
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</p>
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<h3>3. Runtime Layer</h3>
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<p>
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The Runtime Layer is Docker and Docker Compose — the container workloads that actually run your services.
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DashCaddy manages container creation, network attachment, volume mounts, environment variable injection,
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and lifecycle operations (start, stop, restart, remove). For advanced deployments, the platform supports
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Docker Swarm for multi-host orchestration and Fleet Management for coordinating services across multiple
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servers. Every container managed by DashCaddy is tracked in the service state store, enabling features
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like Service Discovery (adopting existing containers) and Disaster Recovery (full-system backup and restore
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with SHA-256 checksum verification).
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</p>
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<h3>4. Edge Layer</h3>
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<p>
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The Edge Layer is Caddy — the reverse proxy that terminates HTTPS connections and routes traffic to your
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services. DashCaddy manages Caddy entirely through its Admin API, never requiring manual edits to a
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Caddyfile. The Caddyfile-as-Code builder generates configuration declaratively, and the orchestration
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layer applies changes atomically. Caddy handles automatic TLS certificate issuance and renewal using its
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built-in ACME client for public domains or its internal CA for private networks. The Edge Layer also
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provides load balancing, header manipulation, request logging, and rate limiting — all configurable
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through the DashCaddy dashboard without touching Caddy's native configuration syntax.
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</p>
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<h3>5. Name Resolution Layer</h3>
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<p>
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The Name Resolution Layer is Technitium DNS — a self-hosted authoritative DNS server that DashCaddy
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controls programmatically. When you deploy a service with hostname <code>plex.local</code>, the
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orchestration layer creates an A record pointing to your host's IP address automatically. When you
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remove the service, the record is cleaned up. This eliminates the manual DNS management that plagues
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most self-hosting setups. Technitium DNS also supports zone transfers, forwarding, and custom record
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types for advanced networking scenarios. The integration is optional — if you don't configure DNS,
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DashCaddy skips this layer and your services still deploy with direct IP access.
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</p>
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<h3>6. Trust Layer</h3>
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<p>
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The Trust Layer handles certificate authority management and internal HTTPS distribution. Caddy's built-in
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CA issues certificates automatically for every service, but those certificates are only trusted if the
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client device trusts the issuing CA. DashCaddy solves this with DashCA — an internal certificate authority
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distribution surface. The Smart Defaults Wizard initializes DashCA on first launch and offers the root
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certificate for download. Once installed on client devices (browsers, phones, IoT devices), every service
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managed by DashCaddy presents a trusted HTTPS connection without certificate warnings. This layer also
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handles certificate renewal tracking and expiration alerts.
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</p>
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<h3>7. Observability Layer</h3>
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<p>
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The Observability Layer provides real-time health monitoring, structured audit logging, and metrics export.
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Every service managed by DashCaddy has a health check that runs continuously, with status updates pushed
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to the dashboard over WebSocket. The layer exports Prometheus-compatible metrics at <code>/metrics</code>,
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enabling integration with Grafana, VictoriaMetrics, or any Prometheus-compatible monitoring stack. Audit
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logs capture every administrative action — who deployed what, when, and from which IP — providing the
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accountability required for multi-user environments. The Security Center aggregates logs from multiple
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sources (Caddy access logs, container stdout, authentication events) into a unified event pipeline for
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threat detection and forensic analysis.
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</p>
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<h3>8. Intelligence Layer</h3>
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<p>
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The Intelligence Layer makes DashCaddy AI-native. The AI Intent Router accepts natural-language commands
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like "deploy Plex on port 32400" or "show me all unhealthy services" and translates them into API calls.
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The MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server exposes DashCaddy operations to external AI assistants — Claude,
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ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible client can deploy services, check health, or modify configuration through
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the protocol. This layer also powers the Plugin system, allowing third-party extensions to hook into
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DashCaddy's event stream and extend functionality without modifying core code.
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</p>
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<h2>Design philosophy</h2>
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<p>
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DashCaddy is built on three principles that guide every architectural decision:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<strong>Atomic operations:</strong> Deploying a service should succeed or fail as a single transaction.
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You should never end up with a container running but no DNS record, or a Caddy route pointing to a
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container that doesn't exist. The orchestration layer coordinates all layers and rolls back on failure.
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</li>
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<li>
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<strong>Declarative configuration:</strong> You describe what you want (hostname, port, image), and
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DashCaddy figures out the implementation details (Caddy route, DNS record, certificate). The
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Caddyfile-as-Code builder generates configuration from your intent, not the other way around.
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</li>
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<li>
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<strong>Progressive disclosure:</strong> The Smart Defaults Wizard gets you running in minutes with
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sensible defaults. Advanced users can customize every layer — Caddy headers, DNS record types,
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container resource limits — but complexity is optional, not mandatory.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<h2>Comparison: Manual vs. DashCaddy Free vs. DashCaddy Premium</h2>
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<div className="overflow-x-auto">
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<table className="w-full text-left text-sm">
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<thead>
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-700">
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<th className="py-3 pr-4 font-semibold text-surface-200">Capability</th>
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<th className="py-3 pr-4 font-semibold text-surface-200">Manual Setup</th>
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<th className="py-3 pr-4 font-semibold text-surface-200">DashCaddy Free</th>
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<th className="py-3 font-semibold text-surface-200">DashCaddy Premium</th>
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</tr>
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</thead>
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<tbody className="text-surface-300">
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-800">
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Docker deployment</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Manual compose files</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">76+ one-click templates</td>
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<td className="py-3">Templates + Recipes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-800">
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Reverse proxy</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Hand-edit Caddyfile</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Caddyfile-as-Code builder</td>
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<td className="py-3">Same + fleet-wide routes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-800">
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">DNS automation</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Manual record creation</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Technitium integration</td>
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<td className="py-3">Same + multi-zone</td>
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</tr>
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-800">
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">TLS certificates</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Let's Encrypt / manual</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Automatic via Caddy + DashCA</td>
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<td className="py-3">Same</td>
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</tr>
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-800">
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Monitoring</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Custom scripts</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Real-time health + Prometheus</td>
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<td className="py-3">Same + fleet dashboard</td>
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</tr>
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-800">
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Multi-user access</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">None</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">TOTP 2FA + RBAC</td>
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<td className="py-3">SSO (OIDC/SAML)</td>
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</tr>
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-800">
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Backup & recovery</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Manual snapshots</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">One-click backup/restore</td>
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<td className="py-3">Same + scheduled</td>
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</tr>
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-800">
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">AI operations</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">None</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Intent Router + MCP Server</td>
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<td className="py-3">Same</td>
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</tr>
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<tr className="border-b border-surface-800">
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Multi-host orchestration</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Manual Swarm/K8s</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Single host</td>
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<td className="py-3">Swarm + Fleet Management</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Pricing</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Time + complexity</td>
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<td className="py-3 pr-4">Free forever</td>
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<td className="py-3">$20–$99 one-time</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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</div>
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<h2>Real-world scenarios</h2>
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<h3>Home lab operator</h3>
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<p>
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You run Plex, Nextcloud, Home Assistant, and a dozen other services on a single NUC. With DashCaddy,
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you deploy each from a template, and every service gets a clean subdomain (<code>plex.local</code>,
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<code>nextcloud.local</code>) with trusted HTTPS. Service Discovery adopts containers you already
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had running, so you don't need to redeploy anything. The dashboard gives you one place to see health,
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restart services, and review logs.
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</p>
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<h3>Small business internal tools</h3>
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<p>
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Your team needs Gitea, Grafana, and a wiki behind HTTPS with role-based access. DashCaddy Free handles
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deployment, DNS, and certificates. TOTP 2FA and multi-user admin ensure only authorized team members
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can modify infrastructure. Audit logs track who deployed what and when.
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</p>
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<h3>Multi-site fleet management</h3>
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<p>
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You manage DashCaddy instances across three offices. Premium's Fleet Management gives you a single
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dashboard to monitor all hosts, deploy services to specific sites, and enforce configuration standards.
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Swarm support lets you scale a service across multiple nodes within a site.
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</p>
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<h2>Premium licensing</h2>
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<p>
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DashCaddy Premium is a one-time purchase (not a subscription) that unlocks advanced orchestration
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features. Pricing tiers:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>$20</strong> — 30-day license</li>
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<li><strong>$50</strong> — 90-day license</li>
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<li><strong>$70</strong> — 180-day license</li>
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<li><strong>$99</strong> — 365-day license</li>
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</ul>
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<p>
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Premium features include SSO (OIDC/SAML), Recipes (multi-service deployment blueprints), Docker Swarm
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orchestration, and Fleet Management for multi-host coordination. The core platform is fully functional
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without a license; Premium is for teams that need enterprise-grade access control and multi-site
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visibility.
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</p>
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<h2>Next steps</h2>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<a href="/docs/installation" className="text-brand-400 hover:text-brand-300 underline">
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Installation Guide
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</a> — get DashCaddy running on your host with the guided installer or manual setup.
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</li>
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<li>
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<a href="/docs/first-service" className="text-brand-400 hover:text-brand-300 underline">
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Deploy Your First Service
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</a> — walk through deploying Plex (or any template) end-to-end.
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</li>
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</ul>
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</DocsLayout>
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<Footer />
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</div>
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