LicenseService.activate() previously stored data.instance?.id || '' on success. If LS ever returned activated:true without an instance.id (malformed response, API change, transient bug), the user saw "Activated successfully" but every subsequent validate() and deactivate() short-circuited on the empty license_instance_id with a generic "no active license" error. The activation appeared to succeed while leaving the install in a broken state. After the existing catalog-id guard, also require a non-empty data.instance.id and reject up front with a retry-friendly message if missing. The check costs nothing on the happy path (LS has historically always returned instance.id on success) and turns a silent state divergence into a clear, actionable error. Adds two tests covering instance object absent and instance.id empty string. Both assert mockSetSystemState was never called, which catches any future code that accidentally writes state above the guard. Adds a block comment above initialize() explaining the dual-name relationship that confused the original audit: instance_id is the local UUID we pass to LS as instance_name, license_instance_id is the LS-issued activation id we pass back as instance_id on validate and deactivate. Same area, swapped names, no overlap.
Self-hosted Docker Compose management with self-healing infrastructure, atomic deployments, and multi-network fleet control. Built for engineers who want Kubernetes-grade reliability without the complexity.
Why Sencho?
Works across every network
Pilot Agent tunnels through NAT and firewalls so every node in your fleet is reachable from the dashboard, regardless of network topology. No port-forwarding. No VPN. No SSH.
Containers crash. Sencho fixes them.
Auto-heal policies watch your stacks and take action (restart, redeploy, notify) before you even open your laptop. Define the rules once; the recovery runs itself.
Deploy safely without Kubernetes
Atomic deployments mean a failed stack never leaves you in a broken half-up state. Rollback is one click. Deploy enforcement policies block non-compliant images before they ever run.
Define behavior, not procedures
Auto-update policies, scheduled operations, webhooks, and deploy enforcement let you codify how your infrastructure behaves. The UI is for oversight; the engine runs the work.
Features
Stack Management
- Monaco editor with syntax highlighting and multi-file support
- Atomic deployments with live progress tracking and one-click rollback
- Git-sourced stacks: pull and sync from any repository
- Stack file explorer and label management
Monitoring & Observability
- Live log streaming with search and filtering across all containers
- CPU, RAM, and disk threshold alerts with configurable actions
- Container stats, health checks, and image update notifications
- Global observability view across all nodes in your fleet
Fleet Management
- Multi-node via authenticated HTTP/WebSocket proxy (no SSH, no remote socket)
- Fleet view and sync for coordinated updates across nodes
- Pilot Agent for NAT traversal and firewall-crossing connections
- Node compatibility checks before deploying
Automation
- Auto-heal policies: detect and recover from container failures automatically
- Auto-update policies: roll out new image versions on your terms
- Scheduled operations with cron expressions
- Webhooks and deploy enforcement rules
Security
- SSO: custom OIDC (any spec-compliant provider), Google/GitHub/Okta presets, LDAP/Active Directory
- Two-factor authentication and RBAC with deployer, node-admin, and auditor roles
- Audit log, vulnerability scanning with VEX suppression, and private registry support
- Deploy enforcement to block non-compliant images
Operations
- App Store with one-click LinuxServer.io template deployments
- Sencho Cloud Backup for off-site stack archives
- Notification routing to Slack, Discord, email, and webhooks
- Global search across stacks and containers
Architecture
Sencho's architecture combines a Distributed API model with an optional Pilot Agent for complex networks.
- Distributed API: Remote nodes are managed by proxying authenticated HTTP/WebSocket requests to autonomous Sencho instances running on each server. No SSH. No remote Docker socket exposure. No polling agent. Each node speaks the same Sencho API, so the dashboard is just another client.
- Pilot Agent: For nodes behind NAT or strict firewalls, the Pilot Agent establishes secure outbound tunnels to the primary dashboard instance. This guarantees full fleet visibility and management without requiring port-forwarding, VPNs, or inbound network access.
Quick Start
Docker run (quickest):
docker run -d --name sencho \
-p 1852:1852 \
-v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
-v sencho_data:/app/data \
-e COMPOSE_DIR=/opt/docker \
saelix/sencho:latest
Docker Compose (recommended for production):
services:
sencho:
image: saelix/sencho:latest
container_name: sencho
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "1852:1852"
volumes:
- /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
- ./data:/app/data
# 1:1 Compose Path Rule: the host path MUST match the container path
- /opt/docker:/opt/docker
environment:
- COMPOSE_DIR=/opt/docker
- DATA_DIR=/app/data
docker compose up -d
Then open http://your-server:1852 and create your admin account.
See the full documentation for configuration details, multi-node setup, and more.
Documentation
Development
# Backend (Express + TypeScript)
cd backend && npm install && npm run dev
# Frontend (React + Vite)
cd frontend && npm install && npm run dev
The frontend dev server proxies /api requests to the backend on port 1852.
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and PR guidelines.
Security
See SECURITY.md for vulnerability reporting. Do not open public issues for security vulnerabilities.
License
Sencho is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1. Production use is allowed; the only restriction is offering Sencho as a competing hosted or managed service. On 2030-03-25, the license automatically converts to Apache 2.0.

