> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.hoop.dev/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> Deploy the Control Plane in your own infrastructure with Docker Compose, Kubernetes or AWS.

The [Control Plane](/docs/core-concepts/control-plane) is the service your Sidecars register with and pull configuration from. You run one per environment.

<Note>
  The Control Plane is an **Enterprise** feature and requires a license. [Talk to us](https://hoop.dev/start) to get one, or use the [managed service](https://use.hoop.dev) and skip this page entirely.
</Note>

***

## Before you start

* A license key.
* A hostname your Sidecars can reach over HTTPS. Sidecars only ever make outbound requests, so the Control Plane does not need to reach *them*.
* A PostgreSQL database. Both the Kubernetes chart and the AWS stack can provision one for you, so this is only something to arrange if you want to bring your own.

***

## Deployment options

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Docker Compose" icon="docker" href="/docs/control-plane/deployment/docker-compose">
    The fastest way to stand one up. Good for evaluation and for single-host production.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Kubernetes" icon="dharmachakra" href="/docs/control-plane/deployment/kubernetes">
    Helm chart, with the full set of values for ingress, database and TLS.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AWS" icon="aws" href="/docs/control-plane/deployment/aws">
    A CloudFormation stack that provisions the network, database and service.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## After it is running

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the first account">
    Authentication is local by default — the Control Plane manages users and passwords itself, so you can sign in as soon as it is up.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply your license">
    See [License Management](/docs/setup/license-management).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect your first Sidecar">
    Issue a token, point a Sidecar at the Control Plane, and confirm it picked up its configuration. See [Connect a Sidecar](/docs/control-plane/connect-sidecar).
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Keeping it current

See [Updating](/docs/setup/updating) for the upgrade process. Sidecars and the Control Plane are versioned independently, but keep them within a minor release of each other.

***

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connect a Sidecar" icon="link" href="/docs/control-plane/connect-sidecar">
    Token, server host, and confirming the handshake.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Environment Variables" icon="list" href="/docs/setup/configuration/env-vars">
    Every variable the service reads.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>