PacketPilot Documentation

PacketPilot is a self-hosted network operations platform with two products:

• PacketPilot Config — Windows desktop app for device discovery, SSH configuration, and bulk operations
• PacketPilot Analyze — Docker-based suite for pcap and log analysis with local AI root-cause explanation

Both products run entirely on your infrastructure. No cloud dependency. No data leaves your network.

Start Here

New to PacketPilot? Read these in order:

1. Architecture Overview — understand how the two products fit together
2. Quick-Start Guide (PDF) — 30-minute lab with real gear
3. Choose your product:
   • Config User Guide →
   • Analyze User Guide →

Two Products, One Workflow

Network Device
    │
    ├─► PacketPilot Config ──► SSH, bulk config, console bootstrap
    │       (Windows EXE)         serial access to Cisco/Juniper/Arista/Aruba
    │
    └─► PacketPilot Analyze ──► pcap upload, deterministic findings, AI root-cause
            (Docker stack)         runs Ollama locally — fully offline

Config handles the device. Analyze handles the capture. They are separate products that can be used independently or together.

Product Comparison

| | PacketPilot Config | PacketPilot Analyze | |---|---|---| | Platform | Windows desktop app | Docker (Linux container stack) | | Install | Download exe, run | docker compose up | | What it does | Device discovery, SSH, console, bulk ops | pcap/log analysis + AI explanations | | AI features | None | Yes (local Ollama) | | Offline capable | Yes (full offline) | Yes (Ollama runs locally) | | License model | 30-day machine-bound trial, then license key | Per-device tier (Solo/Pro/Enterprise) | | Free tier | 5 devices | 5 devices, 10 cases/month |

Audience

These docs are written for:

• Network engineers managing switches, routers, and firewalls in enterprise or industrial environments
• IT teams at offshore, maritime, or industrial sites with limited or no internet connectivity
• NOC and operations staff who need deterministic, auditable network diagnostics

Prerequisites: basic familiarity with network devices (Cisco IOS, Juniper JunOS, etc.) and command-line interfaces.

Licensing

• Config: 30-day machine-bound trial. After trial, a license key is required.
• Analyze: Per-device tier licensing (Solo/Pro/Enterprise). The license server is included in the Docker bundle.

Both products work fully offline. License validation is cached locally with a 30-day grace period when the license server cannot be reached.

Docs Structure

docs/
├── README.md                          ← You are here
├── architecture-overview.md            ← System design, deployment diagrams
├── troubleshooting.md                   ← Common issues (all products)
├── quickstart.md                       ← Quick-start guide (text)
├── contributing-docs.md                ← How to contribute to these docs
├── config/
│   ├── overview.md                    ← What Config is, key features
│   ├── installation.md                ← Windows install steps
│   ├── licensing-and-trial.md         ← Trial mechanics, license activation
│   ├── console-workflows.md           ← Serial console, vendor profiles, bootstrap
│   ├── ssh-workflows.md               ← SSH device management
│   └── troubleshooting.md              ← Config-specific issues and fixes
├── analyze/
│   ├── overview.md                    ← What Analyze is, key features
│   ├── installation.md                ← Docker install and first run
│   ├── using-the-web-ui.md            ← Full web UI walkthrough
│   ├── licensing.md                   ← Tiers, cases/month, license server
│   ├── workflows.md                  ← Upload, analyze, export, API
│   └── troubleshooting.md             ← Analyze-specific issues and fixes
└── lab/
    ├── lab-guide.md                   ← PDF guide + docs mapping
    └── examples.md                    ← Complete end-to-end example workflows

Getting Help

Need help with a specific issue? Start with Troubleshooting.

Still stuck? Email support@db-electronics.no.