Get started with Frontdoor

This guide shows you how to install and enroll a Frontdoor agent, verify connectivity, and then publish and share your service by mapping a public route to a target URL.

Create your first public share

Follow these steps:

1. From the Frontdoor console, click the Shares tab from the sidebar.

   The console prompts you to create a new agent the first time you visit.

   

2. Use the provided registration instructions to install and enroll a new agent on a Linux-based VM or container.

   Here's the confirmation message:

   

3. Click the Agents tab.

   You might have to refresh the page to force the UI to recognize the new agent.

4. Click ... → Check Connection next to your newly created agent to verify environment connectivity.

   This ensures the agent is healthy and can reach the fabric and your backend:

   

   If the check passes, you're ready to publish your service.

5. Click the Shares tab and then the + icon in the top-right to create a new share.

   Creating a share maps a public route on your chosen frontend to your target URL.

6. Fill in the fields:

   • Name: Enter a name used to access the share; must be alphanumeric and start with a letter.
   • Hosting Frontdoor agent: Select the agent you created.
   • Target URL: Enter the URL to the application or service you want to share; must be accessible from the agent you selected.
   • Frontend: Select the frontend (the default is public).
   • Insecure: Enables support for connecting TLS-enabled targets without verifying the certificate. This might be necessary if the Frontdoor agent can't verify the certificate for any reason, e.g., if the target uses a self-signed certificate.

   

7. Click Create Share.

   You're returned to the share list page, where you can click the Frontend Endpoint to access your share.

   

Troubleshooting

If you installed an agent but need to re-do the process, you need to reset your Linux service and reinstall the package to ensure your Linux host is pristine.

Run these commands:

V=0.1.8
sudo systemctl disable --now frontdoor-agent.service
sudo systemctl reset-failed frontdoor-agent.service
sudo systemctl clean --what=state frontdoor-agent.service
sudo apt update
sudo apt install frontdoor-agent=${V}\* --reinstall --allow-downgrades --yes
frontdoor-agent version

Now you can head back to step 1.