Platform Installation FAQ

Q: Which installation method should I use?

A: Use the Platform Helm chart if you have Kubernetes (including OpenShift) — it is the recommended method. Use Ansible if you are deploying on Linux VMs or bare-metal.

Q: What is the best installation method for production?

A: The Platform Helm chart on Kubernetes (including OpenShift) is the JFrog-recommended method. It supports all core products, high availability, autoscaling, and the broadest set of services (including Curation, Catalog, and Workers). Ansible is the recommended alternative for VM environments. Individual product installers (Docker Compose, RPM, Debian, Linux Archive) are also available — they require manual orchestration and do not support the full platform in a single workflow. See the Decision Guide for a detailed comparison.

Q: When should I use Ansible instead of Helm?

A: Use the Ansible quick start if you are deploying on Linux VMs without Kubernetes.

Q: When should I use Helm instead of Ansible?

A: Use the Helm quick start if you have Kubernetes (including OpenShift).

Q: Can I start with one product and add more later?

A: Yes. Both Helm and Ansible support enabling products individually. Start with Artifactory, then enable Xray and Distribution when needed.

Q: Do I need Kubernetes to try JFrog?

A: No. For a quick evaluation without Kubernetes, use the Ansible quick start on a single Linux VM — all host groups can point to the same IP. Alternatively, use Docker Compose for a single-node trial, though Docker Compose does not support the full platform workflow.

Q: What's the difference between evaluation and production installs?

A: Evaluation uses bundled defaults (built-in PostgreSQL, placeholder security keys, local storage) for fast setup — not safe for real data. Production requires external PostgreSQL, unique security keys, and cloud object storage (S3, GCS, Azure Blob). Both Helm and Ansible quick starts offer tabbed instructions for each path.

Q: Can I switch from Ansible to Helm later?

A: Not in-place. Ansible deploys directly onto VMs; Helm deploys into Kubernetes. Migrating requires provisioning a Kubernetes cluster, deploying via Helm, and migrating your data. Plan your target platform before your first production deployment.

Q: Does Helm work in air-gapped (offline) environments?

A: Yes. Set jfconnect.airgap.enabled: true in values.yaml (Kubernetes) or system.yaml (non-Kubernetes) so the platform can operate without live internet access for entitlement checks, then complete the initial entitlement update. You also need your container images and Helm chart available from a registry reachable within your air-gapped network. See Configure JFrog Platform in an Air-Gapped Environment for the entitlement configuration steps.

Q: What products can I install with Helm?

A: All JFrog products: Artifactory, Xray, Distribution, Catalog, Workers, and Bridge. JAS (Advanced Security) is included via Xray and activates with the appropriate license. Curation is also a component of Xray that activates with the right license and requires Catalog. AppTrust is enabled directly on the Artifactory subchart with artifactory.apptrust.enabled: true and artifactory.unifiedpolicy.enabled: true, not a separate chart. It requires Artifactory 7.125.x or higher and Xray 3.130.5 or higher. JFrog Runtime Security is a separate standalone product installer with its own Helm release and values file, deployed against an existing JFrog Platform.

Q: What products can I install with Ansible?

A: Artifactory, Xray, and Distribution. The collection does not include Curation, Catalog, Workers, or Runtime Security. Those require Helm or individual product installers.

Q: Which products are only available via Helm?

A: Catalog is available via the Platform Helm chart or its own Helm/OpenShift installer, and also has a non-Helm interactive script installer for VMs. Workers is available via the Platform Helm chart, the Artifactory Helm chart, or Docker Compose. Curation (requires Catalog) and JAS (Advanced Security) are included via Xray and are available through Helm, RPM, Debian, Linux Archive, and Docker Compose, but not the Ansible collection. The Ansible collection supports Artifactory, Xray, and Distribution only.

Q: How do I enable Distribution?

A: Helm: Set distribution.enabled: true in customvalues.yaml. Verify your license entitlement in the License Matrix and create a distribution database on your external PostgreSQL.

Ansible: Distribution is enabled by default (distribution_enabled: true). The step that actually activates it is adding a [distribution_servers] group to your inventory file. If Distribution was previously disabled, set distribution_enabled: true in group_vars/all/vars.yml first.

Q: Can I use the bundled PostgreSQL in production?

A: No. The bundled PostgreSQL is for evaluation only.

• Helm: Set postgresql.enabled: false at the top level in customvalues.yaml and provide an externally managed PostgreSQL. The platform chart's defaults already disable the bundled PostgreSQL on each subchart, so you do not need to repeat the setting per product.
• Ansible: The bundled PostgreSQL role uses trust authentication open to all hosts with no replication or backup. Set postgres_enabled: false and configure external database URLs.

Q: What databases does the JFrog Platform support?

A: PostgreSQL is the only supported external database for Xray, Distribution, and Catalog. Artifactory also supports MySQL, Oracle, MSSQL, and MariaDB as alternatives, though PostgreSQL is still recommended. The bundled database (included in Helm charts and Ansible collection) is PostgreSQL and is for evaluation only. For production, use an externally managed PostgreSQL instance (self-hosted or cloud-managed such as AWS RDS, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, or GCP Cloud SQL).

Q: Do I need a separate database for each product?

A: Yes, if you use PostgreSQL for each. Xray, Distribution, and Catalog require a dedicated PostgreSQL database; Artifactory needs its own database too, on whichever supported engine you choose (PostgreSQL or one of its supported alternatives). Create all required databases on your external server before deploying. See the SQL setup commands (Helm) or External Database With Ansible (Ansible).

Q: Where is the hosts.ini file?

A: The collection does not ship one. You must create it. See step 2 of the Ansible quick start or the Ansible examples on GitHub.

Q: Where does RabbitMQ run?

A: RabbitMQ is bundled with Xray and runs on the same host. There is no separate host group or standalone deployment option for it in the Ansible collection.

Q: How do I upgrade (Helm)?

A: Update the chart repo (helm repo update), review the changelog, and run helm upgrade with your existing customvalues.yaml. Pin the chart version with --version for repeatable deployments.

Q: How do I upgrade (Ansible)?

A: Update the collection (ansible-galaxy collection install jfrog.platform), back up your external database, then re-run ansible-playbook with <product>_upgrade_only: true and <product>_version: <target-version> set for each product's host group in your playbook. Always review the changelog for breaking changes before upgrading.

Q: How do I uninstall (Helm)?

A: Run helm uninstall jfrog-platform -n jfrog-platform. This removes the Kubernetes resources created by the chart, but not persistent volumes. Remove those explicitly if you want a full cleanup. Your external database and filestore are not affected.

Q: How do I uninstall (Ansible)?

A: The Ansible collection does not include an uninstall playbook. To remove JFrog products, stop each service (sudo systemctl stop artifactory.service, sudo systemctl stop xray.service, sudo systemctl stop distribution.service), remove the installed packages (sudo yum erase jfrog-artifactory-pro, sudo yum erase xray, sudo yum erase distribution on RHEL, or sudo apt purge jfrog-artifactory-pro, sudo apt purge xray, sudo apt purge distribution on Debian), and delete the data directories (default /var/opt/jfrog/artifactory for Artifactory). Your external database is not affected.

Q: Can I upgrade from an older version directly?

A: It depends on the version gap. Minor version upgrades (e.g., 7.146 → 7.161) are generally supported in-place. Major version upgrades (e.g., 6.x → 7.x) require specific migration steps. Always check the Upgrade documentation for your source and target versions before upgrading.

Q: How do I size my deployment?

A: Use the following sizing resources:

• JFrog Platform Reference Architecture — Sizing — T-shirt sizing templates (XSmall → 2XLarge), load criteria for Artifactory and Xray, with cloud-specific guidance for AWS, Azure, and GCP
• Platform Helm chart sizing templates — pre-built YAML files for Kubernetes deployments
• Requirements Matrix — per-product CPU, memory, and storage requirements

Q: Where can I find working examples?

A: Both installation methods have dedicated GitHub repositories with ready-to-use examples:

Helm — jfrog/charts repository:

• External PostgreSQL values
• HA with Distribution and S3
• Catalog and JAS values
• OpenShift values

Ansible — JFrog-Cloud-Installers repository:

• Full platform playbook
• Artifactory + Xray playbook
• Artifactory-only playbook
• HA inventory example