# Standalone Deployment Guide

This document covers deploying TFM aInventory v2.0 without Docker using the `start_servers.py` script.

## Quick Start

```bash
# From project root:
python3 start_servers.py
```

The script will:
1. ✓ Validate configuration (inventory.env)
2. ✓ Create Python virtual environment if needed
3. ✓ Install backend dependencies
4. ✓ Install and build frontend
5. ✓ Start backend (FastAPI on port 8916)
6. ✓ Start frontend (Next.js on port 8917)
7. ✓ Monitor both services

## Requirements

- Python 3.10+ with venv module
- Node.js 18+ with npm
- Linux/macOS (Windows requires WSL2)
- Ports 8916 (backend) and 8917 (frontend) available

## Configuration

Edit `inventory.env` to customize:

```env
BACKEND_PORT=8916          # FastAPI backend port
FRONTEND_PORT=8917         # Next.js frontend port
DATA_DIR=./data            # Persistent data location
LOGS_DIR=./logs            # Application logs
LOG_LEVEL=INFO             # Log verbosity (INFO, DEBUG, WARNING, ERROR)
```

## Accessing the Application

- **Frontend**: http://localhost:8917
- **Backend API**: http://localhost:8916
- **API Docs**: http://localhost:8916/docs (Swagger UI)

## Logs

Application logs are written to:
- **Backend**: `./logs/backend.log`
- **Frontend**: `./logs/frontend.log`

Monitor in real-time:
```bash
tail -f logs/backend.log
tail -f logs/frontend.log
```

## Stopping Servers

Press `Ctrl+C` in the terminal running `start_servers.py`.

The script will gracefully terminate both services.

## Troubleshooting

### Port Already in Use

If port 8916 or 8917 is already in use:

```bash
# Find process using the port:
lsof -i :8916
lsof -i :8917

# Kill the process:
kill -9 <PID>

# Or change the port in inventory.env and restart
```

### Virtual Environment Issues

If you get "externally-managed-environment" error:

```bash
# Remove the venv and let the script recreate it:
rm -rf .venv
python3 start_servers.py
```

### Frontend Build Failures

If Next.js build fails:

```bash
# Clean and rebuild:
rm -rf frontend/.next frontend/node_modules
python3 start_servers.py
```

### Backend Won't Start

Check backend logs:
```bash
tail -50 logs/backend.log
```

Common issues:
- Database initialization error: Check `./data/` directory permissions
- Missing dependencies: Delete `.venv` and restart
- Module import errors: Check backend/requirements.txt is complete

## Comparison with Docker Deployment

| Aspect | Standalone | Docker |
|--------|-----------|--------|
| Startup time | 20-30s | 2-3 min |
| Isolation | None | Full containers |
| Development | Faster iteration | Consistent environment |
| Production | Not recommended | Recommended |
| Troubleshooting | Easier (shared logs) | Requires docker logs |

## Production Deployment

For production deployments, use `./deploy.sh` which orchestrates Docker Compose:

```bash
./deploy.sh
```

See [DEPLOYMENT_QUICKSTART.md](docs/DEPLOYMENT_QUICKSTART.md) for details.

---

**Last Updated**: 2026-04-22  
**Python Version**: 3.10+  
**Node Version**: 18+