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

> ## Agent Instructions
> Use the documentation index to find relevant pages, then read the linked Markdown before answering and cite the source URL.
> Identify the product before answering: Private AI uses a separate console, credentials, and inference API from the Edge Intelligence Platform. Do not apply instructions from one product to the other.
> Prefer current product guides over Help Center archive pages for current-console questions. Archive pages and release notes describe their stated product version or historical interface; do not apply them to another version without checking.
> Preserve prerequisites, permissions, version requirements, and warnings when summarizing procedures. Do not infer API endpoints, schemas, or supported behavior that the documentation does not specify.

# Compose App Instance Control Overview

> Overview of the Compose App Instance Control component that runs on nodes and manages Docker Compose application lifecycles through closed-loop automation.

## Introduction

Compose App Instance Control is the software component included in the Compose Runtime application that runs on a node and manages Docker Compose application instances. It acts as the bridge between Edge Infrastructure Services management operations and the Docker Compose runtime on the node, translating lifecycle commands into the appropriate Docker Compose actions.

When you issue a lifecycle operation to a Docker Compose application instance through Edge Infrastructure Services, Compose App Instance Control receives that operation and executes the corresponding Docker Compose command on the node.

### Prerequisites

* EVE-OS (Edge Virtualization Engine) 14.5.0 or greater on the target node.
* A Compose Runtime application instance deployed on the node. See [Deploy the Compose Runtime Application](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/applications/deploy-compose-runtime.md) before deploying Docker Compose applications.
* You have the SysManager or SysAdmin role in your enterprise. See [Manage Roles](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/administration/manage-roles.md).

## How It Works

Compose App Instance Control uses a closed-loop management model. The agent process running inside the Compose Runtime application instance continuously monitors the current state of all Docker Compose application instances on the node and compares that state to the desired state defined in Edge Infrastructure Services. When the two states differ, the agent acts to reconcile them.

### Operation mapping

Compose App Instance Control translates Edge Infrastructure Services lifecycle operations into Docker Compose commands as follows:

| Console action | API and ZCLI operation | Docker Compose action |
| - | - | - |
| **Start** (new instance) | activate | `compose up` |
| **Start** (stopped instance) | activate | `compose start` |
| **Stop** | deactivate | `compose stop` |
| **Restart** | restart | `compose restart` |
| **Purge & Update** | purge | `compose down`, then `compose up` |

The console labels are the ones shown in the **Actions** menu on the application instance detail page. See [Manage an Application Instance](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/applications/manage-an-application-instance.md#actions-menu).

### Logs and metrics

Compose App Instance Control forwards logs and metrics generated by Docker Compose application instances to Edge Infrastructure Services. You can view these logs in the application instance detail page in the **Logs** tab.

### Compose Runtime components

The Compose Runtime application that you deploy to a node includes three components that work together:

* **Compose App Instance Control** translates Edge Infrastructure Services management operations into Docker Compose actions and monitors application state.
* **Container runtime stack** provides the Docker Engine that creates and manages containers on the node.
* **Compose tool** parses the `compose.yaml` file that defines your application's services, networks, and storage configuration, and executes the instructions within it.

Together, these components allow Edge Infrastructure Services to fully manage Docker Compose application stacks as first-class edge workloads.

## Key Benefits

* Lifecycle operations issued in Edge Infrastructure Services automatically propagate to Docker Compose applications running on the node, with no manual intervention required.
* The closed-loop model ensures that application instances remain in their intended state even after node reboots or transient connectivity interruptions.
* Logs and metrics from Docker Compose applications are forwarded to Edge Infrastructure Services, providing unified observability across all edge workloads.
* A single Compose Runtime application instance manages all Docker Compose applications deployed to the same node.

## Next Steps

This article is part of the Docker Compose setup series.

1. [Docker Compose Overview](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/applications/docker-compose.md): background on the architecture and deployment model.
2. [Add a Compose Runtime Image](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/add-a-compose-runtime-image.md): add the Compose Runtime image and create the Edge App bundle with network interfaces.
3. [Deploy the Compose Runtime Application](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/applications/deploy-compose-runtime.md): deploy the Compose Runtime as an application instance on your node.
4. [Attach an Existing ZFS Pool to the Compose Runtime](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/applications/attach-existing-zfs-pool-to-compose-runtime.md): ZFS variant only. Configure the pool import and dataset discovery.
5. **Compose App Instance Control Overview (you are here).**
6. [Add a Docker Compose Image](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/add-a-docker-compose-image.md): create the Docker Compose app image that runs inside the Compose Runtime.
7. [Deploy a Docker Compose Application](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/applications/deploy-a-docker-compose-application.md): deploy the Docker Compose app as an application instance on the node that runs the Compose Runtime.
8. [Troubleshoot Docker Compose](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/applications/troubleshooting-docker-compose.md): diagnose issues with the Compose Runtime or Docker Compose application instances.