Choose an install path

Oriel runs as one Go binary, but the right install path depends on who owns the databases, how upgrades run, and how much of the surrounding platform already exists.

Path	Use it when	What it gives you	Start here
Docker Compose	You need a local stack for evaluation, development, or integration testing.	Oriel plus PostgreSQL, ClickHouse, and Valkey on local ports.	Quickstart with Docker Compose
Kubernetes	You run services on Kubernetes and want the Arbor-hosted Helm chart with optional bundled datastores.	One all Deployment by default, or split query, ingest, and worker Deployments.	Kubernetes
systemd	You operate VM or bare-metal services and manage databases separately.	Hardened units, an explicit migration service, and a local config file.	systemd
NixOS	Your hosts are managed as NixOS configurations.	A flake module that renders the Oriel service and optional local dependencies.	NixOS module

Compose is the shortest path to a working UI. It is a local stack: the compose file exposes database ports and uses generated local secrets.

For production, decide these items before the first migration:

• where PostgreSQL metadata is backed up;
• whether ClickHouse telemetry must be recoverable or can age out by retention;
• where Valkey runs, since serve and readiness depend on it;
• how TLS terminates for the UI/API and OTLP/HTTP;
• how migrations run before a new binary serves traffic.

If you are evaluating Oriel, start with Compose, create the first workspace, and send one service’s OTLP telemetry. Move to an operator guide once the scope model and UI are clear.